add interactive overlay with URL

ohmaya wrote on 1/20/2009, 4:07 AM
I was trying to think of a way to add an overlay with an interactive link to the end of a video that when clicked, will take a viewer to an external URL at the end of a video.

The only solution I could think of (possibly) was to create an swf in Flash with a hotspot/URL link on a 50% transparent background, import it into VMS9 and place it at the end of the video.

Three questions:

1. Will the hotspot be lost when I put it in VMS9 or will the imported swf retain its interactivity??
2. How do I get the video to stay frozen on that last frame and not return to the first frame so a viewer can elect to click through to the link?
3: Is this the best way to do this in VMS9 or is there another method I can try?

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 1/20/2009, 10:46 AM
Vegas will not produce a file with a hotspot/link in it.

You can add markers with meta-commands, and if rendered to WMV there are ways to have some players take actions on those meta-commands. I don't know if launching a URL is possible, or even if interaction is possible.

Probably your best bet is to use Flash after creating the video, add the video to the flash project, then create another scene after the video finishes which contains the last frame of the video saved as a snapshot with the link superimposed over it.
ohmaya wrote on 1/20/2009, 12:15 PM
That's fine - but I am primarily looking to upload these videos to YouTube and have the links be active. Can I then upload Flash video directly to You Tube? Doesn't it have to be mp4, wmv, avi or mpg2? So if I render to those formats, will I lose the interactivity again?

Thanks for being kind to a video noob!
Ivan Lietaert wrote on 1/20/2009, 1:49 PM
Just render your video (wmv or mp4, NOT mpg2). Then upload to YouTube. You can then add your link(s) with advanced features of YouTube called 'Annotations'. It works fine, but you can only link to other youtube movies.
Example: http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=2HGDgT0q_t4 with a link at 0:39