Video Tutorials

a set of step-by-step video tutorials to help new comers learn how to edit & post an AiB episode. All videos created and narrated by Michael Verdi.

1 - Episode Setup & Subtitles in Final Cut Pro

These are copies of the files that I use to build AiB episodes. The screencast goes into how it's all setup in Final Cut Pro and includes how the subtitles are done.

AiB template files

Screencast: Episode Setup & Subtitles (11:23)

2 - Export a DV copy from Final Cut Pro

I always export a DV copy of my final edit. I like to back them up on a DVD and they come in handy for compressing different versions for use on the web.

Screencast: Export DV from FCP (1:07)

3 - Create an AVI copy

I use Windows Media Encoder to make WMV files (it's free and kind of like Quicktime Pro for Windows Media). The problem is that Microsoft's stuff won't take video files in a Quicktime wrapper so we have to export a copy of the video as a DV encoded AVI file. Later we'll use that file to make a WMV.

Screencast: Create an AVI copy (2:19)

4 - iPod Compression

The default iPod compression has some issues (file size, quality, aspect ratio) so I like to do it myself. These settings will create an MP4 file that will fast-start and be a little lower bit rate than the files created with the export for iPod setting.

Screencast: iPod Compression (2:30)

5 - Dual-Pass WMV Compession

I assume (but don't know for sure) that you can do this using Flip4Mac but these instructions are for using Windows Media Encoder on Windows XP. I do this via Parallels Desktop on my MacBook Pro. Of course this will also work on an actual PC or on an Intel Mac via Boot Camp. This screencast goes through the process of setting up a compression template. Once you do that the first time you'll just be able to select the setting you've saved on future encodes.

Screencast: Dual-Pass WMV Compression (6:37)

6 - Images

I use two different size images for the AiB theme - 320X240 and 120X90. Here's how I do it using Photoshop.

Screencast: Create Images for AiB post (2:51)

7 - Upload To Blip.tv

This is the process for uploading to Blip.tv. It's pretty straightforward. The little extra thing that I do is make the blog post and copy in sets of Technorati tags and Blip tags. We don't use crossposting because AiB has a special template and needs the post done a specific way.

Screencast: Upload To Blip.tv (2:35)

8 - Post To The AiB Videoblog

Alive In Baghdad uses a modified version of Rudy & Casey's UFO 'Splode Wordpress theme (AiB version release coming asap). This theme works differently from others in order to do it's multiple video format feeds magic. Here's how it works - easy but tedious. Also you'll see what happens when I make a mistake.

Screencast: Post To AiB (10:02)