James Chambers’ Exploration of Batch Editing and Templating
Imagine training 150 people every year on 19 different microscopes. This is no small task for James Chambers, Light Microscopy Director & Animal Imaging Director for the Institute for Applied Life Sciences. To make this mountain of training more manageable, Jim had a vision. He reframed videos as LEGO sets that are modular, flexible, and easy to swap out when things change. He wondered if he could streamline a process for creating 19 different training videos without the work of creating 19 different training videos. Would templating and batch editing help James achieve this vision?
Jim attended an IDEAS workshop on the video editing software DaVinci Resolve and began to think more about this vision. He began to develop his methodology:
- What content is the most essential to train folks on for all 19 different microscopes?
- Which parts of the video training can be generic and used in every video?
- When updates happen, which parts need to be replaced: audio, video, or both?
He began to piece together a color-coded spreadsheet to help him approach process:
And, Jim began to think about how to speed up or slow down video to match audio that might be switched out or replaced.
He learned that this type of batch editing takes up front time, to plan, sync, and pace. However, in the end, it was worth it. Ultimately, batched editing and templating will save Jim considerable time and energy for his 150 people and 19 different microscopes!
Jim’s Advice: "Don't let perfection be the enemy of good enough"
Jim shared a draft video about “saturation”, a common concept in his work. Jim hopes to use the final video as a supplement to his training. Pay particular attention to how Jim evokes curiosity through image, sound, and frame speed:
Lessons on Batch Editing & Templating from Colby Frank
During COVID, Colby Frank, Manager of Media Production and Instructional Technology for IDEAS, faced a flood of requests for asynchronous lecture videos. Out of sheer necessity, he and a colleague developed a streamlined system:
- Use presets for lighting, audio, and location.
- Apply them to all videos.
- Standardize slide sizes and graphics for consistency.
- Create reusable properties for photos and videos.
- Export PowerPoint slides as JPEG or PNG and use them as individual images.
This approach turned chaos into order and made video production scalable.
This is an example of a batch edit workspace. You can see a preview image of Colby standing in front of a maroon background with a white rectangle at the upper right hand corner and the UMass Amherst seal at the lower right hand corner. Below that preview image is the timeline of media placed together.
In the preview pane, you can see Colby in front of a maroon background. This is a placeholder photo. Individualized video will replace the photo. Additionally, in the upper right-hand corner is a white rectangle, or a standard box. Individual jpeg or png files can be placed in that area.
In the timeline pane, you can see a layout where the images are placed on the V1 position, along with some replacement photos down the line. When jpeg and png files are organized on a timeline, it becomes very easy to sequence them. It also helps for the future if a photo needs to be updated or replaced in the project.
Video Production Doesn’t Have to be Overwhelming!
Jim’s LEGO-style vision and Colby’s templating hacks show that video production doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a little planning and smart batch editing, faculty can create flexible, reusable content that adapts as technology changes—without starting from scratch every time.