You're all set to edit your first video biography. You sit down at your computer, open your editing software and are immediately confronted with a screen filled with all sorts of stuff. You've got a bin where you can put the video clips, photo and music files you plan to use as well as a monitor window or two where you can view your clips and the program you'll be creating. And there's another window, filled with what looks like a series of horizontal ribbons stacked one on top of the other, labeled "Timeline." It looks something like this:

The role the timeline plays in video editing is a crucial one, but it can be confusing to first time editors. So, just what is the timeline and how do you use it?

The timeline is the graphical representation of the video you're editing. And it's the place where you actually build your program by importing elements and adding transitions and effects. Those stacked "ribbons" are called tracks. Your timeline will have video tracks and audio tracks. The number of tracks available to you can vary from just a few to an unlimited number; it all depends on the software you're using. In the example above, you'll see a partial timeline made up of five video tracks and two audio tracks.

Adding elements to the timeline is usually a simple matter of clicking and dragging them from your media bins and into the timeline. You can add them one after the other or you can layer them. An important rule to remember is that video clips, photos or text on higher tracks will placed on top of the video in the track or tracks below them. For example, let's say you have an interview with Aunt Louise on track one. If you import a full screen-sized photo of Aunt Louise as a baby and place that photo on track two, it will fill the screen. You'll still hear Aunt Louise speaking, but instead of seeing her interview, you'll see the photo. Let's take it another step: You import a title that reads, "Aunt Louise, aged 2 yrs." Place that title on track three, and you'll see the title superimposed over the photo.

Layering works a bit differently with audio tracks. They all mix together; you need to set the final audio mix by using your software to raise and lower the levels of each track.

At the top of the timeline you'll see what looks like a ruler. In a sense, it is. But instead of marking off inches, this ruler marks time in frames, seconds, minutes and hours. The left-most end of the ruler reads 00:00 - there's no duration yet because this is the point at which the program begins. As you add elements and create your program, a quick glimpse at this "time ruler" will show you the duration of your video. In the example above, we see a video clip on track one. It starts at 00:00. At about a second in, we see a music clip on audio track 1. At twelve seconds in (00:00:12:00) another audio clip begins on audio track 2. Then, somewhere between fifteen and sixteen seconds into the show, a title sequence is built by layering titles on video tracks two through five.

The work you do on the timeline will be reflected in the video you see in your monitor window. Shift the position of clips, change graphics and apply transitions and you'll see the effects in the monitor window as you play your video.

So that's the timeline in a nutshell. It's the place where, with a little practice, you'll begin to make video "magic" happen.

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