How to edit video from multiple cameras

Footage from several cameras is edited in Video by Zaweba with a multi-camera source. Choose Clip > Multi-camera, pick the files and line them up by sound, timecode or in and out points, then play the result and press 1 to 9 to cut live between cameras, or click the camera you want in the multi-camera monitor. It's free and fully offline.

Concerts, interviews with two angles, weddings, talks, plays and podcasts filmed on several cameras all suit this way of working. You edit like a vision mixer, watching every angle at once and choosing as you go.

Building the multi-camera source

Import all the camera files into the bin. Then choose Clip > Multi-camera and build a source from them. The cameras need to be lined up in time, and there are four ways to do it: by in point, by out point, by timecode or by sound. Sound is the one to use when cameras weren't linked; as long as each camera recorded some sound, the shared noise of the room lines them up.

A clap at the start of recording still helps, giving a sharp, unmistakable sound to match. The multi-camera source then goes on the timeline like any other clip.

The multi-camera monitor

The multi-camera monitor shows every camera at once, in a grid that can be automatic, 2x2, 3x3 or 4x4, with pages if you have more cameras than fit. Rename cameras so you know which is which, reorder them, and hide any you won't use. Overlays can show each camera's number and name, file name and timecode.

If you have a second screen, 'Show on a display' puts a full-screen copy of the camera grid on it, so you can watch every angle large while the timeline stays on your main monitor.

Cutting live, then refining

Play the timeline and press 1 to 9 to switch to that camera as it plays. Don't aim for perfection; follow the conversation or the music and cut on instinct. Each press makes a cut. Clicking a camera in the monitor does the same.

Then go back and refine. Ctrl+1 to 9 changes the angle of the current section afterwards, without playing. Ordinary trim tools such as the rolling edit (N) move a cut earlier or later. Ctrl+Shift+1 to 9 takes a particular camera's sound, so you can keep the best microphone's audio while the picture switches.

Finishing the edit

The multi-camera on and off switch shows the whole nest in place when you need to see it, which helps when checking sync. When you're happy, Flatten turns all the cuts into ordinary clips, so you can grade each angle, add effects and transitions, and move things freely.

Grade the cameras to match before you watch the final cut, since different makes rarely agree on colour. Colour match can nudge one camera towards another as a starting point.

Tips for a smoother session

Record sound on every camera, even if you'll use a separate recorder. Let cameras run continuously rather than stopping and starting, so there's one file per camera to sync. And on long events, do your live pass in sections with breaks; cutting live is surprisingly tiring, and fresh eyes make better choices.