Getting Generated Text to Track Features in Clip

vtxrocketeer wrote on 1/12/2010, 9:28 AM
I may be asking the impossible (or expensive), but here goes: I have laid text (track 1) over one of Digital Juice's clips (track 2; avi). The clip features, in relevant part, a TV screen that appears to randomly tilt and jiggle. I'd like my text to mirror that motion so that the composited clip appears to have the text as part of the faux image on the TV screen. Get the picture? ;)

So far, I've simply key-framed the tilt and jiggle on the generated text pan/crop as best as I can. Still, it's far from perfect because even for seconds' worth of video, I can't reproduce the random motion perfectly with keyframing. Consequently, the text in my rendered video looks, well, artificial.

Is there a more elegant (or easier) way to accomplish what I want here within VP8? Because the source footage is already rendered from whatever DJ used (probably After Effects), I don't have access to whatever randomizer or keyframing that was used to make the tilt and jiggle.

Thanks,
Steve

Comments

JohnnyRoy wrote on 1/12/2010, 12:07 PM
What you have done already with hand keyframing is as good as it gets in Vegas. You need a Motion Tracker like in After Effects or Boris RED or a Planar Tracker like in Moca to do better.

~jr
vtxrocketeer wrote on 1/12/2010, 1:11 PM
Thanks, JR. I guess that confirms my suspicions.
farss wrote on 1/12/2010, 1:40 PM
One thing you might like to check is your keyframe interpolation.

Bob.
TeetimeNC wrote on 1/12/2010, 2:23 PM
If this type of thing is an ongoing requirement then a motion tracker is indispensable. If, on the other hand, this is a one shot deal, you MIGHT be able to use this technique that I worked out for blurring faces (which requires a somewhat similar kind of tracking).

1. First, as Bob suggests, be sure your keyframe interpolation is set to linear, with smoothness at 0.

2. In Preferences set F12 to Play/Pause. The default is Play/Stop

3. Set a playback to slow speed, perhaps .1, .25, or .5 depending on how fast the movement happens in your situation.

4. At the track header for the text event, open the "Track Motion" dialog and ensure Sync Cursor is activated.

5. Now press F12 to start the slow playing. As the underlying reference point moves to a new position, press F12 to pause, then move your pan/crop rectangle to align the text with the new position. A key frame will be generated.

6. Repeat step 5 until bored silly ;-).

I found this useful on quick jittery types of movement. It might work for your situation.

Jerry
vtxrocketeer wrote on 1/12/2010, 7:00 PM
Bob, Jerry: thanks very much. I was pretty much going insane at your step 5. I hadn't thought to mess with interpolation, however. I'll give that a shot. This is a one-off project, but it will be heavily used, so I appreciate the Vegas tips on getting it done (better).

-Steve
Byron K wrote on 1/13/2010, 10:02 AM
Posted by: vtxrocketeerl, Date: 1/12/2010 7:28:18 AM[small]
TV screen that appears to randomly tilt and jiggle. I'd like my text to mirror that motion so that the composited clip appears to have the text as part of the faux image on the TV screen. Get the picture? ;)

Maybe you can just stabilize the jiggling TV clip using VirtualDub, place the text on the screen of the stabilized TV and re-jiggle the whole clip.