I’ve started my adventure with a drone and DaVinci Resolve Studio.
I watch YouTube videos where some people speak to camera, then take off, talk over the video and then they are clearly speaking towards the drone. All perfectly lip-synched.
I get it that they are using a mic of some sort. An old mate of mine use to use “timecode” (is that still a thing?). I’ve ordered a DJI Mini Mic, but I’d also like to use a compact camera (or SLR) and the drone (Mini 3 Pro).
I’m just at a loss on how to glue it all together. Thanks in advance!
Remember clapper boards? What these do is give a visual and audible signal at the same time.
Easiest way to do this is just start recording both video and mic, clap in view of the camera, your mike will also pickup the sound. Pause for a couple of seconds then begin your narration, then in post you use the impact of your hands in the video to sync with the spike of the hand clap in the audio. With a bit of practice you can line the 2 up pretty accurately.
As a matter of interest, apropos audio recording, I am using a Hollyland’s Lark M2 mic set up with my Mini 4 Pro. I am now wondering if I made a mistake, as I am having a mare, trying to figure out how to get the audio files off the RC 2. This issue seems to have stirred up a lot of stress online, with countless posts asking for guidance. Ironically, after using the mic the first time, I did manage to extract the audio files, clearly pure luck, but now I am at a complete loss and am ready to throw the damn lot in the bin. Its such a lot of nonsense and a complete waste of time, this user interface with Android, so illogical. But, after my mini rant, how are you finding the DJI version, to extract the files?
Apparently the DJI Mic Mini can plug into the controller and if you screen record at the same time as recording with your drone, you can merge the two together in DaVinci. You can match the two together . You then fade out the screen recording and you’re left with the drone footage and the soundtrack playing together. I’m sure there’s video tutorials on YouTube about how to do this.
If it helps I record a video on my phone with the case closed, and just take the audio from thatbin Da Vinci. Then you can move, chop and do what you want with it. I narrated my own business advert then added my narration over it, editing the audio as required.
I can see how a clapperboard idea (or similar movement) would help with the initial synch, and of course would have to be done at the beginning of each new scene.
So if recording with a mobile with the case closed do you achieve the synch just by having a really good eye/ear for it?
If using different devices does it ever go out of synch after a while even if they are initially synched? (perhaps the clock frequencies or something are out or something to do with framerates).
It doesnt matter about synch, you move the audio track until its spot on to the video. You only need to do this once and the entire audio will match. Or if you are cutting up your audio just match it up accordingly.
Thanks for your reply JockyB. Last time, when I DID manage to extract the screen recordings, I opened the files in Quicktime and then exported the file as Audio only. This time, the screen recordings have been saved to the RC 2 internal memory (despite having put in a 64gb MicroSD card!) from there I cannot find any way of extracting them. There are no options in the file structure of the internal memory to extract them.
As far as I’m aware, you download the screen recording into Resolve and it has the audio on it. You then sync the video file with your drone video, then simply fade the screen recording video, but the soundtrack remains. As I said previously, there are tutorials on YouTube on how to do this. Apparently it’s easier to sync the screen recording and the drone recording together, rather than using clues from the soundtrack.
I don’t have an RC2, but I do have Google. This looks very comprehensive. It was one of the top results when I searched for “copy files from internal memory dji rc2”.
Copying files from internal storage to the SD, and directly to Mac/PC is covered from 6m30s.
Honestly, it looks like user-friendliness leaves a little to be desired.
I was actually referring to the RC2 user interface itself. Seemed to be not always obvious how to get to where you wanted to be. Some things worked in some places, but not others that looked very similar. Anyway, a very informative and concise video.
DV separates all sound and visual files. Literally delete the one you dont need. In your case the visual. Then line up the audio with your drone video. Once youve worked out how to extract of course.
Not got a lot to add to everything others have said about how to sync the audio/video from multiple sources - I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of hours editing together footage from several different action cameras and didn’t find anything better than clicking my fingers in front of all three at the same time and then syncing them in the timeline. It takes a bit of practice but, like everything, the more you do it the easier it gets.
You’re definitely going to kick yourself when you forget to redo the finger-click after stopping/starting recording (usually on battery changes for me), but eventually it becomes habit and you’ll only forget occasionally.
I’m so glad I asked the question. Thank you all so much. It’s all so very helpful. My DJI Mini Mic arrived ridiculously quick this week, so I’m very much looking forward to having a go with my DJI RC (not RC2I imagine it’s probably much the same. for this).
Slate clapperboards are about a tenner on eBay - so that would be a bit of a laugh.
