PBS "Nature" Intro: How'd They Do That?

Soniclight wrote on 12/23/2008, 2:14 AM

I can't find a full version of it for you to see online, even at PBS's full episodes page. But if anyone is familiar with it (complex and smooth multi-clip montages) I'd sure like to know the technique.

My guess is layers of masked and feathered sequences artfully woven together.
But I would welcome more accurate editor's observations.

Thanks.

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 12/23/2008, 4:08 AM

I haven't seen it, so i can't really comment specifically. I will say ... can it be done at home? Yes. Is it practical? Some things simply aren't. All tips and tricks aside, please don't underrate the importance of having a large number of dedicated professionals using tools you can't afford or even imagine and spending resources that would make your head spin for days, weeks, or even months.

Soniclight wrote on 12/23/2008, 6:17 PM

Point taken, but it never hurts to learn from the master and "dumb it down" to some creatively fulfilling home-woven version for oneself :o)

ushere wrote on 12/23/2008, 7:15 PM

a lot of my clients ask for "something like...", be it a nat geo montage or whizz-bang series intro.

in all cases i say 'no problem' - now, what's your budget for it? budget? can't you just put it together 'like that' on your pc?

if you have the time, the inclination, and the patience i'm pretty sure you can do almost anything you want with vegas - the problem is time, patience, and of course, knowing exactly what everything does, and it / their limitations within vegas.

my offsider a few years back was an absolute whizz at ae and lightworks. he did stuff that just blew me (and the competition) away, but it was time consuming (lots of overnight farm rendering), and stretched budgets to their limits.

and yes, sonic, you're perfectly right, analyse what you see on tv, then try and dumb it down. i'm always surprised that when i see something i like (usually titling), how easy it is to re-create in vegas (given some time, patience, and lots of head banging).

merry old humbug to you all

leslie

farss wrote on 12/23/2008, 11:36 PM

I kind of agree with all of that however the problem I feel today is clients kind of expect you'll deliver "what they see on TV" regardless of budget. There's enough young upstarts around who'll do it for them and just for the glory. I know, they will not be around for long but there's another born every minute.
My plan to counter this is to see if I can wrangle of bit of the gee whiz stuff in without blowing too many hours on it. Then they know you can do it. When they say "more of that please" then I can raise the issue of budget.

Merry Christmas and all that humbug.

Bob.

Soniclight wrote on 12/25/2008, 1:06 AM

Thanks, Bob. For now, I'll just chill out over this Holy Daze season and not worry about any of this schtuff :o) To everything its flow.