When to pause exactly?

[estwald]

Have a small question - When Mike says 1-2-3-Pause, what is the exact moment when I should pause? Is it after the word pause? After the 3? Right on the P?

Also, I have an idea for synching. If you're using a computer for both the rifftrax and the movie, then you might be using media applications (as I do) which have running time-counters on them. When I had Crossroads synched, I noticed that the rifftrax file was exactly 3 minutes and 15 seconds (or something like that, I don't remember the exact number) ahead of the DVD playback of the movie. Now that I know that the two tracks are 3:15 apart, I can jump to any scene in the movie and get the rifftrax synched up perfectly. If you guys wanted to include that number in future read-me files - like "This Rifftrax stays 2:58 ahead of Top Gun", that would make things real simple.

[Conor]

Pausing as soon as Mike has finished saying "Pause" will do just fine.

With every RiffTrax, the Readme file has the information you mention below, for Chapter 1 it will say when the "Cue" occurs in the movie and when this moment occurs on the RiffTrax.  Saying that it occurs 3:15 apart is unfortunately inaccurate, if you look at any of the tip sheets, the differences between the RiffTrax and the DVD tend to shrink as the movie goes on, for whatever reason.  So though thinking "the RiffTrax timecode is just 3:15 ahead of the DVD" will get you in the ballpark, it's not entirely accurate for the movie as a whole.  The readme file does have a rather extensive breakdown by DVD chapter, as accurate as we can get it.

[kodiakthejuggler]

The unfortunate thing is, unless you have an electronic/software device that can start/pause the tracks at the exact time, you'll never stay 100% on track. Both the Rifftrax and DVD movie would have to have some sort of software marker, or "Flag" as it's called in the DVD Authoring world, to help them stay in perfect synch. Oh well.

Someday.

[Conor]

It's a different question if you're talking about reauthoring a DVD.  When we record the RiffTrax, it's a live commentary.  So there is an 'exact' point in time where we have things synched up to, but it's based on Mike's judgment of when to start talking, rather than any exact timing.  It'll be up to you to experiment with synch points for a DVD reauthor, but for most people who are listening to RiffTrax just as an MP3, my above advice stands, and will get you well within an acceptable range of synch.

[gammer]

Just a quick question for the Rifftrax folk...

When you are recording Mike (and guests)...are you recording to tape then converting to digital? or are you recording direct to digital...ie - Wave file?

[Pak-Man]

Pausing as soon as Mike has finished saying "Pause" will do just fine.

With every RiffTrax, the Readme file has the information you mention below, for Chapter 1 it will say when the "Cue" occurs in the movie and when this moment occurs on the RiffTrax.  Saying that it occurs 3:15 apart is unfortunately inaccurate, if you look at any of the tip sheets, the differences between the RiffTrax and the DVD tend to shrink as the movie goes on, for whatever reason.  So though thinking "the RiffTrax timecode is just 3:15 ahead of the DVD" will get you in the ballpark, it's not entirely accurate for the movie as a whole.  The readme file does have a rather extensive breakdown by DVD chapter, as accurate as we can get it.

I don't doubt it, or anything, but it does seem scientifically impossible that if 2 things are playing at the same rate in time and space, that at some point 2:30 on the Rifftrax becomes 2:34 on the DVD. Both of the counters seem to go at a rate of one second per second, so I'm just curious where the fluxuation in time/space happens. :^)

[Conor]

Just a quick question for the Rifftrax folk...

When you are recording Mike (and guests)...are you recording to tape then converting to digital? or are you recording direct to digital...ie - Wave file?

Straight digital.  ProTools, just like Radiohead uses.

[Conor]

Pausing as soon as Mike has finished saying "Pause" will do just fine.

With every RiffTrax, the Readme file has the information you mention below, for Chapter 1 it will say when the "Cue" occurs in the movie and when this moment occurs on the RiffTrax.  Saying that it occurs 3:15 apart is unfortunately inaccurate, if you look at any of the tip sheets, the differences between the RiffTrax and the DVD tend to shrink as the movie goes on, for whatever reason.  So though thinking "the RiffTrax timecode is just 3:15 ahead of the DVD" will get you in the ballpark, it's not entirely accurate for the movie as a whole.  The readme file does have a rather extensive breakdown by DVD chapter, as accurate as we can get it.

I don't doubt it, or anything, but it does seem scientifically impossible that if 2 things are playing at the same rate in time and space, that at some point 2:30 on the Rifftrax becomes 2:34 on the DVD. Both of the counters seem to go at a rate of one second per second, so I'm just curious where the fluxuation in time/space happens. :^)

It's still something I can't wrap my brain around, but if you look at the readme for every RiffTrax, it happens every time.  It's more complicated than most of us would care to understand.  It has to do with frame rates:  they're incredibly important in video and non existent in audio.  DVD players interpret things at different speeds, etc.  It's really crazy stuff.

And of course, since DVD counters and playback are non precise and vary from machine to machine, our readme file DVD timecodes are meant purely as a guide, not an exact figure.  The two DVD players on my computer both report varying start times for the chapters on the DVDs, I finally realized I just had to pick one and live with it.

[Variety of Cells]

... So, my dvd player is lying to me?  It's ok, I'm fine with it.  It's just that our relationship was based on trust, and now that trust is broken.  All I'm saying is that I need some time to myself.