Working with the clip library for reviewing and presenting clips
During a shoot, directors, script supervisors, and other crew members frequently request to review previously recorded takes. With Reeltime’s clip library and library slots you can quickly find, prepare, and present those clips without interrupting the live workflow on set.
This guide explains practical techniques for reviewing the last take, browsing the clip library efficiently, preparing comparisons, and presenting clips on the set monitors.
Instant review of the last take#
For instant reviews, recordings are typically automatically loaded into their source input slots after recording. This allows you to immediately play back the last take without any additional preparation.
This workflow is commonly used when the director or script supervisor wants to review the last take right after recording.
The behavior after recording can be configured in the recording settings. If you prefer not to load the last recording automatically, you can disable this option and use the Play Last Recording action whenever you want to review the most recent take.
Playback can also be configured to start automatically after loading the recording, either immediately or after a short delay.
By default, playback starts at the beginning of the best-rated in/out range of the clip. If no rated range is available, playback starts at the beginning of the last in/out range of the recording.
Browsing your clips efficiently#
Every clip you record is automatically added to the clip library.
Double-click a clip in the library to load the associated group recording into the source input slots. If you want to load only a single clip into a specific slot, first select the desired input slot and then load the clip.
If someone asks to review a specific take, you can quickly locate it in the clip library.
Browsing your library in smart groups is a convenient way to make use of the metadata collected during recording. Smart groups organize the clip library according to the hierarchy you choose.
Smart groups with Label > Scene > Shot > Take layout
For example, the default smart group layout Scene / Shot / Take allows you to quickly find a requested take if you know the slate information.
If the script supervisor asks to review Scene 26, Shot 4, Take 7, you can locate it in just a few clicks.
In other situations, the requested clip might not be identified by slate information. For example, the director might ask, “Can you show me the clips in Munich at night time?”
In this case, you can switch the smart group layout to organize the library by Day/Night and Location, allowing you to quickly find the requested clips.
Using library slots as your private workspace#
Library slots act as your private workspace for preparing playbacks.
Output slots are usually configured to display signals from input slots. This means you can browse the clip library and prepare clips in library slots without affecting what others see on their monitoring devices.
You can load different clips into different library slots and switch between them freely. This makes it easy to prepare comparisons, for example when reviewing shots from different scenes.
Each library slot maintains its own independent clip selection. Once a clip is loaded, you can quickly step through the clips of a scene using the arrow keys. The currently selected clip automatically loads into the library slot, allowing you to browse variations of a take until you find the one you need.
When you disable the option Loaded clip follows library selection in a library slot’s settings, clips can instead be loaded into the library slot manually, for example by dragging a clip from the clip library into the slot or by using the appropriate menu item, or Stream Deck controller action.
Presenting clips on set#
When you are ready to present a prepared clip to the director or other crew members, you can route your selection to an output slot with a single click.
Enable Set “Slot Follows Selection” in the desired output slot by pressing the pin button. The output slot will now follow the slot currently selected in the interface.
Output slot set “to follow selection”
When you play back the clip in your selected library slot, it appears on the corresponding monitor. You can then switch to another library slot to present additional prepared clips without changing the routing manually.
When you are finished presenting clips, disable the pin button to return the output slot to its original routing.
Keeping live signals available during reviews#
Sometimes different people on set need to see different things at the same time.
For example, the script supervisor may still be reviewing a playback while the director continues rehearsing with actors.
In these situations, enable Force Slot to Live Video in the relevant output slot. When this option is active, the output slot always displays the live signal from its source slot even if someone else is reviewing a playback from that same slot.
This ensures that live monitoring remains uninterrupted while other crew members review recorded material.
Controlling output slots globally#
The actions Set “Slot Follows Selection” for all output slots and Set “Force Slot to Live Video” for all output slots are also available as global actions in the toolbar.
These controls apply the setting to all output slots at once.
Finding clips visually#
In some situations it is faster to search visually rather than relying on metadata.
The clip library also offers a collection view that displays large thumbnails for each clip. In this view you can skim through clips to preview their content and quickly locate a specific moment.
Collection view
While skimming, only you see the preview. Once you find the exact moment you want to show, double-click the clip. The associated group recording loads into the source slots at the exact frame where your skim head was positioned, allowing you to immediately start playback from that exact point.