How best to do this?

floydpink23 wrote on 5/14/2014, 7:40 AM

Hi. I'm using some smoke/explosion overlays and they work terrifically with non-moving video (i.e. shot on a tripod), but how can I 'anchor' the overlay to a certain spot when the video is moving? I considered doing it as keyframes but it seems impossible (and also mind-numbingly tedious) to keep it in the same position.

Thanks.

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 5/14/2014, 7:53 AM

Vegas doesn't have motion tracking, so using keyframes is the only way. I find it works easiest for me if i keep "cutting it in half". I start with keyframes at the beginning and end, then add one halfway between and adjust it to match there. Then i'll look at the 1/4 and 3/4 positions and if they need adjustment i'll add keyframes there. Then i'll look at the 1/8, 3/8, 5/8, 7/8 and adjust those if necessary. Then i'll look halfway between each keyframe and see if more adjustment is needed, etc. Eventually you get to the point where the motion is close enough that no more adjustment is needed.

Keyframes also come in various speed types. You can have linear (motion continues at a mostly constant pace), smooth (motion ramps up or down on either side of the keyframe), hold (motion stops until the next keyframe), and a few others. Experimenting with these motion types can give you a lot more control with a lot fewer keyframes.

floydpink23 wrote on 5/14/2014, 7:56 AM

Thanks for the speedy reply. That sounds useful, I'll experiment.

musicvid10 wrote on 5/14/2014, 8:57 AM

Is it real movement, as in panning, or just shake?
If the latter, stabilizing the event first is a big help.

Also, there are lots of deals on Hitfilm; not all versions have tracking, though.

floydpink23 wrote on 5/14/2014, 9:48 AM

It's real movement.

Side note: is there are any way to lock upward/downward movement when keyframing so I can concentrate on the side to side movement?