Timeline view and Multicam sync

Once you upload all your recordings into a single project, Reduct can help you make sense of the material you have by displaying a timeline of how they relate to each other chronologically, and allows you to view multiple concurrent recordings at once.

1. The timeline view

You can access this feature by clicking the timeline icon below the filter recording textbox.

You will now see a list of all your videos, with a button to Auto-detect timestamps. Click on the button. Reduct will automatically try to infer timing for each media file.

You will now see the videos with timing metadata, organized into a timeline view. All the footage from the same event (similar data and time) will be grouped together.

Manually adding or fixing timing metadata

For videos with no embedded timing information (like recorded phone calls or video from unusual devices), Reduct will not be able to determine their timing. They will be listed under MISSING TIMING METADATA at the bottom of the LHS panel. You will need to manually enter the date and time for these.

1. Click on the three-dot kebab (︙) on the of the file.

2. From the options, select Add timestamp.

3. Now, enter the date, time, and timezone, and then hit Save.

   

Editing the timing in the timeline view

There is also an option to edit the timing metadata of recordings that previously had timing set (automatically or manually).

1. Click on the three-dot kebab (︙) on the right of the recording.

2. From the options, select Edit Timestamp and update the timing data manually.

2. The Multicam side-by-side view

The timeline shows "events" with overlapping video footage, one after the other.

1. Select all the videos you would like to view at the same time.

2. Click on the View multi column icon.

   

Exporting the timeline view as PDF

You can export the entire timeline view as a PDF for easy sharing or reference.

The timeline view provides a clear overview of all your video and audio recordings, showing when each piece of discovery material was captured. This helps you quickly understand the coverage of your evidence, identify any gaps, and decide whether you need to request additional footage or recordings.

To export the timeline view, select all the pieces of footage you would like to export and click on the PDF icon.

Refining the alignment

Even after entering all the timing metadata, the videos are sometimes off by a few seconds. In such cases, Reduct will automatically give you a suggestion to align them so that they are synced down to the millisecond.

Just hit the Adjust button for all the suggestions.

3. Working with the Multicam sync in Reduct

Multicam sync allows you to review footage from different angles simultaneously. By default, you will see all the footage with the transcript. You can jump to specific moments by clicking on a word in the transcript, which will take you to that moment across all files and angles.

By default, you’ll hear audio from all the recordings at once. You can mute the audio of a particular recording by clicking on the sound icon on right beside the filename.

4. Creating a composite reel

You can create a new composite reel of all the videos that you see in the multicam. Select and highlight the portion of the transcript and from the options select Add composite to reel.

Now, either add the composite to an existing reel or type in a new name for the reel that you’d like to create.

A composite reel bundles several synced camera angles of the same moment into a single item in your reel, so the final video shows every angle at once in a tiled grid.

To learn more about how to configure a composite reel to your liking, please read this help article.