To test Binwees, I want to invite a short trailer from the end-time troupe Rotten Raptors to write an off-text for it. Thanks at this point to Timo Stermula from Mediapioneers for the filming. To create a new project, click on the menu button. In addition to the load and save dialogue and access to the autosave files, this window also contains some important settings. Here you can set the start timecode, select the video or audio file and vary the speaker speed.
Several projects can be opened, which then appear as tabs at the top of the text field so that texts and text fields can be copied from one project to another. The video window can be positioned at the top and sides or hidden completely using the buttons at the top right of the menu bar. Next to it is the slider for setting the size of the text boxes. Of course, the tool can also be used for text only, without loading a video. The frame rate of the video is recognised automatically. The length and timecode are displayed in hours, minutes and seconds at the top right.
To ensure that the video runs synchronised with the timecodes in the text blocks, the context play button next to the speaker symbol must now be activated.
Text
Before the first text block appears, there is a music intro of 8 seconds. So I write “Music intro” in the first text box and mark the text with a yellow background for the sake of clarity. The text colour, background colour, font and text style can be set via the menu bar. As you can export the project as a PDF, Word or Open Office document for the speaker at the end, you have the option of creating a certain clarity. There is also a comment box for each text module, although this is not visible in the PDF output. I put a scene description in this box, as I want to use this information later to adapt the trailer to the text. The tool is also ideal for this.
Next, I enter the length of 8 seconds in the corresponding field. Then I write “Music” in the category field at the bottom. The categories are saved in the project and can then be selected directly using the arrow button.
With the plus symbol on the right under the text frame, I now create another 5 text modules. As they all still have a length of zero, the new boxes now contain an initial time code of 8 seconds. Now I could start writing texts. But instead I will paste my already prepared text blocks into the frames. The green bars at the front immediately turn red, and the estimated lengths of the copied voiceover texts appear below the text frames. I can then enter these in the corresponding field. The bar then turns green again. If the length is only just under the assumed speaker text length, it turns orange, signalling that the speaker needs to speak a little faster here.
Unfortunately, the coloured bars are not transferred to the exported text documents.
After I have copied in all the texts and adjusted the lengths, I now start the film with the keyboard command Ctrl-Space. This somewhat strange-looking key combination is necessary because, while the film is running, I want to use the Tab key and the arrow keys to jump to different fields and adjust the values or texts there. This works surprisingly well. The active text module is always highlighted in dark grey, and if I use the arrow keys to jump up and down between the fields, the video player also follows with astonishing performance in fractions of a second. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 to jump to the beginning of the text module with the corresponding preroll seconds.
Ripple Edit
But now we come to the actual purpose of the software. For example, if I want to place the vehicle descriptions in text modules 5 and 6 after the first one, I click on the up/down arrow symbol for both and then click on the plus symbol where I want them to be – i.e. under text module 1. All timecodes are updated immediately. With the minus symbol I can delete one or more blocks and with Ctrl Z I can of course undo the last steps. In this way, I can adapt the text blocks to a changed cut version or, as in my case, adjust the cut to the text using the time codes.
Optimisation suggestions
It would save a lot of time if there was a menu tick that automatically enters the estimated length of the texts in the corresponding field. A keyboard command that creates a new text module at the current timecode of the film would also be desirable. With this feature, the tool would also be well suited for transcribing interviews. And, of course, the option of shuttling through the film using keyboard commands – perhaps simply the standard JKL control in conjunction with the Ctrl key? Otherwise you would write JKL in the text box.
Free version
With the free version, you can open all projects, change texts and comments, but you cannot create a new project, insert text modules or change time codes. But you do have the advantage of linking text and images.
Prices and licences
The current trial version can be used without restriction until 15 July. After that there is a subscription model, which can be found on the website. At the moment it says 90 euros for an annual licence. This may seem expensive, but you have to consider how many hours of work have gone into this tool and how many hours of work you can save by using it. Anyone who has ever had to adapt the time codes and the sequence in the text for a film that has been edited will agree with me. Anyone who has to deal with voiceover texts should use the time to try out the tool at their leisure.
