OT - Depth of field FX w AE

vicmilt wrote on 7/12/2006, 2:29 PM
OK gang - here's a great tutorial I came upon to introduce artificial depth of field into a moving scene.
It's totally cool.
It uses After Effects.

http://www.creativecow.net/articles/kramer_andrew/dof/depthoffield.htm

I'm sure that one of you genius types will dupe it in Vegas -
and I want to do it with YOUR creation -
BTW lurkers - yes we Vegas people go EVERYWHERE that AE fears to tread...

so GO!

(big smile here :>0)

v

Comments

farss wrote on 7/12/2006, 3:03 PM
There's a sample rack focus .veg that I think comes with Vegas or if not you can download it from here. From that one can work out how to do this in Vegas.

The results will not be quite the same as you cannot link an FX to a mask within the frame. You can approximate it by using masks to composite infocus/outoffocus tracks. The difference is probably too minor for most people to pick.

Also in Vegas you have to manually keyframe FXs, no motion tracking, and no sidechaining either.

None of these are big issues IMHO, lets leave complex compositing etc to the tools designed for it and fix the basic editing issues in Vegas.

Bob.
Grazie wrote on 7/12/2006, 3:10 PM
Yes. Very interesting indeed. And on two levels:

* Using a gradient level to make an FX effective over variation.

* The actual use of BLUR to "pop" detail out.

Hmmm...

Grazie wrote on 7/12/2006, 3:10 PM
double . .now deleted
GlennChan wrote on 7/12/2006, 3:33 PM
I think it would be nice to set a "open video in video editor" feature in Vegas for this kind of thing... I don't think NLEs should try to do everything.

The other option is to do this optically with a 35mm adapter + focus puller. This will work in all situations... including ones where the objects don't conveniently lie on one plane like the video example.
farss wrote on 7/12/2006, 3:48 PM
The other option is to do this optically with a 35mm adapter + focus puller. This will work in all situations... including ones where the objects don't conveniently lie on one plane like the video example.
===================================================

I have serious reservations about these thing apart from the obvious loss of image quality and a HUGE amount of light.

Barry Green makes the quite valid point that they work better with DVCPro HD than HDV, having pretty well all pixels change value from frame to frame (due to the moving GG) spins out the HDV encoder.
What Barry doesn't mention is you're going to face the same issue during broadcast over DVB, and that's at an even lower bitrate than HDV.
I haven't tested this so I might be way off track but it'd sure be something I'd be testing before I started shooting with one, particularly if you're deliver HiDef content.

Bob.

And sorry if this is getting kind of off topic.
Spot|DSE wrote on 7/12/2006, 4:59 PM
Victor,
I thought you attended Rich Harrington's class on doing this at NAB East last fall? Rich will be teaching it at NYC/NAB East in November.
filmy wrote on 7/12/2006, 5:43 PM
Andrew is really good at what he does and he has some great tutorials about After Effects. He has a DVD out as well that I am probably going to be getting.

As for DOF in Vegas - it can be done I have done it several times. And long time ago there was a tut that Dave Hall put up - if it wasn't the good Dr than sorry to whoever did do it. This was what? Vegas 3 maybe...but it would still be valid for the most part. Now that Vegas can do things like beziers it could be done a bit "easier" and with more control.

EDIT: I have deleted the file. Figured with no comments here about it and only about 10 downloads over the last 2 weeks those who wanted it got it.
vicmilt wrote on 7/12/2006, 8:37 PM
DSE -

Harrington is, of course, a master... I try to catch everything he has to say.

So, I WANTED to attend, but my attendance at NAB east last year was - fly in - teach - shake hands with Spot and Mannie (remember?) - fly out. Yikes! What could have been so important?? I can't even remember - is that "old age" sneaking up on me? Or just a busy schedule... can't remember... whatever. (Hey! It's a YEAR ago!)

This year I will try to corral my clients (and my time) a little better. Sort of like herding cats, though.

Anyway, I love the effect and I love knowing that someone(s) on this site will deliver a Vegas answer. Smooth effect though. Thanks all.

v
apit34356 wrote on 7/12/2006, 10:02 PM
VIc, did you forgot your memory pills? I can't remember where I placed my, oh, inside the dvd burner...... I think you had to fly back to FL, so all us cowboy fans could watch a great new film about FL cowboys. Sorry about missing the flight, the TSA did not like my cowboy suit with real 45's..... only cds and dvds permitted........
vicmilt wrote on 7/13/2006, 3:43 AM
What memory pills?
Why am I in this room?
What kind of a name is Apit?

Actually I've had a memory problem since I was a kid (especially names). I always tell my family that when I do slip into dimensia - well, they won't even notice.

That's why I take pictures and make movies - so I can remember where I've been. :>0)

Oh well... your turn will come.

v
apit34356 wrote on 7/13/2006, 6:45 AM
"That's why I take pictures and make movies - so I can remember where I've been. :>0)
", Vic, that was a good movie, ( but no movie making in it, just stills).

"What kind of a name is Apit?" Vic, its apit34356, as stated on the StarGate passport, just like yours vmil31616. Do you remember what the StarGate Inspector said.....
take the little green pills for two weeks before drinking any "local" water or you could suffer memory losss or worse, have brain damage occur where you think you are a "local"!