Synced Video editing with more than one camera?

Question

I'm thinking about getting a few video cameras (handheld, nothing expensive) to record some of my school's upcoming sports games.

I was wondering, would it be possible to have all of these cameras' footage automatically syncronize itself.

What I mean is if I had a few cameras at field level, and one camera with a high view, would I be able to take all of the footage from these cameras, and somehow import it into my video editing program (vegas 8) and have each of the cameras have the footage synced with another.

I hope you know what I mean :)

if not, lets say video layer 1 is the wide angle, video layer 2 is a field camera that is only recording when the action is close to it

example:

video layer 1 --kick ball-------------------------save-------...

video layer 2 --kick ball---- - -----save----

Answer 1

with professional cameras, the time code generators are sychronized.

what will work for you is to occassionally have the cameras capture identical visual items. for example, if you have the high camera go to the scoreboard clock between plays, then the field cameras can catch that same image after each tape or battery change. Then in the editor you can align the tracks to show identical time (actually you are looking for the instant the seconds changes). The problem with using sound cues is there is no sound on a still frame, and very few digital video editors have scrub (slow speed) audio.  However visual clues can be examined frame-by-frame, at least for miniDV sources. You can easily align 4 cameras frame accurate if they at some point share an identical visual reference.

Answer 2

syncing is easy to do with a little know how so consult your manual about it. however, the easiest way to acheiev sync is prior to shooting you event. roll on all cams when you start the shot and DO NOT STOP until the end of the shot or full event.

at the start have all cams facing one person and do a big loud clap (like a clapper board) making the action big so all cams can see.

this is your universal starting point and will make sure you are all synced up for the shot.

Again, don't stop any camera until all cams have finished the shot.

Answer 3

I would say record the whole game or event with all of the cameras (do not stop them), then upload your footage into Vegas.  Put them in different layers, then synch them up by clapping or some audible action like the others said.

Once they are all lined up perfectly, select everything in the Timeline by pressing "Ctrl + A".  The go to tools, multicam editing, then enable multicam.   Then in the preview window, you will see all of your angles in little boxes.  All you have to do now is just play through the video, and click on a camera angle when you want to switch to it.  When you are done switching angles and stuff, just go back to took, and uncheck the "enable multicam" button

Answer 4

haven't come across auto-video editing...

intermediate & pro video editing apps have multiple video & audio tracks. put the vid files from each vcam into a track each and do picture in picture - audio is common to all the vcams so sync the audio & the video gets synced too.

This exercise will also be a prelude to deciding w/c video file or part of it is shown in the final muvee. This is similar to live broadcast where the director selects what vcam scenes to show, e.g., in hi action shots like sports, change of cam angles are done every 2-4 seconds