Guidelines for Editing JMP On-Demand Webcasts

roger_alford

The following document outlines the general steps for editing a Zoom video for use as an on-demand webcast on jmp.com.

We use Adobe Premiere Pro as our standard web editing software. This is not a tutorial for use of Premiere, but rather a general list of steps for creating on-demand videos for use in AEM and Brightcove. A knowledge of Adobe Premiere Pro is strongly recommended.

Importing Files into Premiere

1. Get the recording files from Zoom. This should be a Zoom link that has a Download button in the upper-right corner. Or you may receive them vie OneDrive. You will receive at least five files:
   1. A text file (Not needed)
   2. A VTT file (Not needed)
   3. An mp4 file of the speaker and the presentation (For basic edits, this file is preferred)
   4. An mp4 file of just the presentation
   5. And an mp4 file of just the speaker. If there is more than one speaker, there may be additional files with both speakers combined, and individual mp4 files of the additional speakers(s). These last two (presentation and speakers) are used for more polished edits.
2. For a Basic Edit:
   1. Import the full presentation video (presentation and speaker) into Track V1 of Adobe Premiere Pro. The audio track will appear on Track A1. These are the foundation track for the entire project. For simple edits, this is all that is required.
   2. Make the required changes, such as trimming the beginning and end, and removing anything else that needs to be deleted.
   3. Skip to the section on General Guidelines for Deletion.
3. For a More Polished Edit:
   1. Import the Presentation Only file on V1/A1 and the Speaker Only file on V2/A2. This will allow us to cut back and forth between the speaker and presentation.
      NOTE 1: The video tracks appear together at the top, and the audio tracks appear together at the bottom. Video placed on the highest track is visible and hides all tracks below.
      NOTE 2: Video and audio tracks are linked by default. If you select a video track, the associated audio track is also selected.
      NOTE 3: It’s very important to add all video/audio content before you do any editing, so that the audio is in sync. It can be difficult to sync the audio if you add a track later.
   2. Add at least two additional video/audio tracks (up to V4/A4 or V5/A5. It’s best to have at least one extra video track which is used for editing purposes only.
   3. Mute the audio for all speaker tracks except for the presentation.
   4. Toggle the top video track (such as V5) to off (an eye with a line through it). We’ll use this to hide portions of the video that we don’t want to see, which allows us to cut back and forth between the speaker and the demo.
   5. Find the webinar start point and split every track. Delete the unused content at the beginning of the video, such as the countdown clock and general banter from the speaker(s).
   6. If you have a title screen JPG, add it to a track at the beginning. Adjust the length so that it’s visible for about three seconds. If you want to add a JPG at the end, adjust the length to five seconds.
   7. The first several minutes of the webinar generally include host introductions and other discussion. You can keep the presentation hidden during this part, unless the speaker refers to an agenda or something else that needs to be seen.
   8. For the rest of the video, you’ll want to cut back and forth between the speaker and the demo. Split the tracks and the begin point and end point of where you want to hide the speaker. Use the waveform in the audio track as a guide. Once you’ve made the cuts, drag the clip of the speaker up to the video track that you turned off (e.g., V5). This will hide it from view during playback in the Preview pane.
      NOTE 1: We generally cut back to the speaker when they stop to explain something (I call this “pontificating”) and don’t perform any actions in the demo. A good rule of thumb is to watch when the speakers talk with their hands.
      NOTE 2: We prefer to not make cuts during a demo. However, be mindful of action on the screen, especially when the speaker stops the demo to provide additional background information. Cutting back to the speaker breaks up the video to make it more visually engaging.
      NOTE 3: Sometimes it can be helpful to unlink the video track from its associated audio track. This makes it much easier to move a clip to the hidden track and not have to worry about linked audio track moving around as well. The downside is that when you need to split all clips (such as to delete a clip), there are more tracks that you need to select and split.

General Guidelines for Deletion

The following are parts of the recording that we generally like to trim or delete:

1. Instructions from the host on how to submit questions. Because the video is no longer live, these instructions no longer apply to the viewer.
2. Anything that is time-sensitive.
3. Flubs, such as when the speaker gets tongue-tied (if possible).
4. Cut back to the presentation at the end, or JPG, if there is a call-to-action or closing slide.

Export the Video

1. Preview the final edit. This step is very important. It can also feel tedious since you’ve already watched the video over and over again while making edits. You can save time by fast-forwarding during the demo sections. But be sure to review all cuts to make certain that they are correct.
2. Export the video to an H.264 MP4 file.
3. Send the OneDrive link to the Marketer for final approval.
4. Once the video has been approved, it can be submitted to Brightcove for use on the website.

Option: Sending Zoom Links Directly to a Customer

While it is easier to send the Zoom recording links direct to a customer, we prefer to not do this for the following reasons:

1. There is no JMP branding associated with the recording.
2. We are unable to track who has watched the recording and, therefore, this data is lost to our Sales team.
3. Posting the videos on jmp.com creates a more optimal user experience and, therefore, a more professional view of JMP.

However, there may be times when this is preferable. Such as when a customer needs the content right away, or it is from a webinar that will not be posted on jmp.com.