How do I upload a video?
In order for you to create an audio description, Frazier needs the video you want to describe. You can either upload it or open it in “Local Mode”.
How you upload a video
After you have created a project, the “New Video” link will appear in the project overview to the right of the basic information.
- Click “New Video”.
- Click “Browse files…” and select your video. It will now be uploaded. The progress bar gradually turns green.
- If your video has a burned-in timecode and it differs from “00:00:00.00”, enter it in the “Timecode Offset” field. The editor will then automatically adjust the timecodes in your manuscript later.
- Wait until the upload is complete and then click “Save”.
Initialization of the project
After a successful upload, the video is analyzed. This may take a few minutes depending on the length of the video. As a rule of thumb: 1 hour of film takes 30 minutes to initialize. In the checklist at the top right you will see the progress (e.g. 2/6). As soon as the initialization is complete, your browser will reload the project overview and a preview of your video will appear.
Tip from an author: For longer videos, it’s best to take a coffee break - or upload the video the evening before, then the next morning everything will be initialized and you can get started.
Video format and file sizes
Frazier is a web-based application, so you need a video format that modern browsers understand. In addition, it is usually not necessary to have the maximum image quality available to describe a film. To work as efficiently as possible with Frazier, we recommend the following video codec and settings:
- File format .MP4 / .M4V
- Video: H264, 720p, max. 6 MBit/s
- Audio: AAC (stereo), max. 320 kBit/s
Tip: In many cases, your clients can provide you with the material in the right format. It’s best to just ask.
Handbrake
If you didn’t get the video in the right format, you can do the conversion yourself. For example, there is the free program HandBrake. For Handbrake, select the preset “Very Fast 720p30” or “Very Fast 576p25”.
Of course, you can also use another conversion program as long as you stick to the parameters above. Please note that your video can be a maximum of 3 GB for uploads. With the settings above you should only reach this limit for very long films. 😉
New version
Did you get a new version of the film? To do this, select the “Replace video…” option in the context menu to the right of the title in the project overview. This allows you to restart the upload process and the initialization of the project.
Tip: Be sure to check the timecodes in your documents afterwards. In many cases, the positions of your audio descriptions no longer fits, for example because scenes have moved or been shortened. It’s best to take a look at the batch processing in the editor.
Notes on screen readers
Currently, Frazier does not announce when the initialization of the project is complete. However, the page will reload once the initialization is complete. After that, the “New Document” link becomes available. So listen for the announcement that the page was reloaded and then search for the link. We work on a better solution for that and we’ll update the docs when available.
Last Update: 2023/10/03