Once you are done with editing your movie in Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD 11 you will need to export your video as a new file.

There are a number of names for this process. Vegas uses two terms to accomplish the same task: “Make Movie” and “Render As…”  Both will deliver you to your final destination, albeit via different paths. Why not try each to see what works best for you.

Using the “Make Movie” option is completely acceptable and can be the easiest way to finish your video. Sony walks you through the process from beginning to end. Their template eliminates much of the confusion around a process that often looks more like alchemy than science.

Using either the “Make Movie” or the “Render As…” function you can export a copy of your final video sequence to a Windows Media, QuickTime, H.264 or AVI movie. I personally prefer to use the “Render As…” function because of the control I have over how my files are created. Sony is unique in using this naming convention for file export (as opposed to the standard “Export” or “Output”), and this can be confusing if you don’t know what to look for.

As the “Make Movie” option is fairly self-explanatory within the software, here are some steps for getting started with the “Render As…” exporting process.

1. from your Sony Vegas Studio HD 11 application select Project –> Render As from the Project drop-down menu.

2. In the Dialog box enter a file name for your completed video

3. In the Output Format Dialog box select your preferred format.

There are multiple individual templates available for a diverse list of codecs. If you are unfamiliar with the nuances of creating custom compression templates it is probably best to leverage one of Sony’s preformatted options.

In the example above I have chosen a Windows Media template with a fairly high bitrate. The file I will create with this template will be larger than what I might find on the web, but the quality of the video will be markedly improved. This is a good choice for something I will be playing from a computer, or uploading to a 3rd-party site (like YouTube) where they will process it with their own compression system. My source is HD and the size of my video’s canvas (frame) is 720 pixels high, playing at 30 frames per second. Sony provides a description of the template at the bottom of the window to help you choose a compression that will best meet your needs.

Note: With the advent of new standards for the internet (HTML5) there are advantages to creating files that leverage the H.264 (MP4) standard. It is a very good format for creating a file that is easily shared on your web site, mobile device or can be uploaded to sharing sites like YouTube or Vimeo with a minimum of fuss. I often embed my videos into presentation software (PowerPoint) and I find playback is exceptional if I master my final files as Windows Media  files (WMV). Either are excellent file formats for distributing your video.

If you are creating content to be shared on an intranet (your company, school or organization’s internal network) it is best to check with your IT department to see if they have a preferred format for video on their network. Video files are very big (in comparison to something like a Word document) and they can tax internal networks if they are too big, or they may not play if your file format is not supported by your server software. Not all file formats work equally well on all server architectures.

Occasionally you may need to create custom video templates. This can happen when you need to create a video file that meets a unique situation (higher/lower bitrate, odd-sized canvas or video to meet a specific system requirement). If you need to create a custom file template:

4. Select the “Customize Template” button in the Render As dialog box

The tabs at the bottom of the Custom Settings window allow you to move from one category to the next as you define your compression options. For example, if I needed to create an HD 720 Windows Media video that played at 1500 bits-per-second I would:

5. On the Project tab set Video Rendering to Best

6. On the Audio tab

7. On the Video Tab section

On the Bit Rate tab

9. Click the OK button

Note: Clicking on the floppy disk icon in the upper right corner of the Custom Settings window will save your template for future use. If you are going to use this feature be certain you name the template something other than the name the system has populated in the window. This will avoid the risk of inadvertently overwriting a system template.

10. Click Render in the Render As dialog box

These instructions represent one starting point for file size, bitrate, canvas size and codec, and there are a multitude of other permutations for creating an optimal video file that will work within a distribution and playback system. As each system is unique, it is advisable that you consult with your IT manager or technician to see if there are existing established standards for your needs.

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© 2012 StoryGuide | Drew Keller