Comments

randy-stewart wrote on 5/5/2002, 2:57 PM
Sarasdad,
Funny you should ask...I just figured out how to do it this morning. I'm working on a promotion ceremony video and wanted to have a PIP float through the title screen as a form of "what's to come" feature. I first set an establishing shot (about 14 seconds of a monument at the mouth of Pearl Harbor) on the timeline, then copied a short portion of a clip (and sound track) from later in the show and inserted it on the overlay track above the establishing shot (shortened it to about 5 seconds). Then clicked on the FX feature of the inserted clip and clicked the down arrow on the "preset" box and selected the PIP from the list. A small square appeared in the edit window which is the PIP box that the clip will appear in. I could change the shape of the box by clicking on the "shape" drop down menu and could also adjust the size (and other features) by sliding the indicator along the size bar. I could also position the PIP box by dragging it to the part where I wanted it to show on the clip (didn't play with the X or Y positions as I didn't want to screw it up yet). I then clicked "end" up in the upper right, and dragged the PIP it to where I wanted it to float to. Then I clicked the play arrow in the edit box and WOW, there it was...PIP floating across my establishing shot. After making a few adjustments, I then added text and faded both the PIP and text in and out and man, I'm feeling like a pro! What an editing program! Having fun, hope this helps you have fun too.
Randy
Sarasdad wrote on 5/5/2002, 3:25 PM
Thanks .I'm new but learning fast thanks to this forum. Im still excited over the scrolling credits and slow motion . They are great. Thnks again
randy-stewart wrote on 5/5/2002, 4:17 PM
Sarasdad,
One thing I forgot to tell you. When you first go into the FX area, you need to select "cookie cutter". It then give you the edit area that I was talking about earlier. Sorry, got a little excited. Enjoy.
Randy
johnmeyer wrote on 5/6/2002, 11:25 AM
And, you have to register VF in order to have the Cookie Cutter option.
Grazie wrote on 5/6/2002, 12:26 PM
Have just completed a "sample" George Harrison tribute using some pics of the Fab Four with GH at the centre. I've used the PiP option and "scanne" across the pictures. On the Overlay track I've got all the montage, reduced the opacity to about 60% and have the panning going on, on the video track. The results are truly amazing. I've set this to the music of John Tavener - the guy who had a piece of very moving music at Lady Di's funeral - I tell what it brought a lump to my throat.

I've also employed using the "Marker-On-Beat" [see the discusion Chienworks and I've been having] to locate "postionale" ins and "outs" for thtiming of the Pans and Crops.

PiP's have truly blown my mind as a way to get drama and pathos into what is after all a "static" piece of videograpghy. I'm not equating this to and I'm not in the same league as the piece of video work that was down in the US on te Civil War - using actual photographs from that period - it was shown over here in the UK about 3 or 4 years ago.

Tarah

Grazie
jrstueve wrote on 5/6/2002, 1:20 PM
Civil War by Ken Burns - also see his Baseball series...

I love the way he uses still photographs in a motion picture medium, to tell the stories of history...
randy-stewart wrote on 5/6/2002, 3:39 PM
Grazie,
You have my attention. Can you give a little more info on the opacity piece? What does it do? One thing I want to do with the PIP (and cookie cutter), was be able to move the PIP box but keep the main part of the video in the box centered. Right now, if I move the box up or down the axis, only that part on the screen of the video shows in the PIP...i.e. if I move it down to start at the lower right corner, it will show the bottom of the video screen (may be nothing there). Will opacity help freeze the center part (I guess it should be called the X/Y coordinate) of the video in the PIP even when I have the PIP move say from the top right to center left?
Randy
Grazie wrote on 5/6/2002, 5:24 PM
Randy - I'm still playing with. However:

1. Place a clip in the video track

2. Copy same clip and paste/place this exactly above this IN the overlay track

3. Reduce the opacity of the identical clip in the overlay track to something like 60% - this will change/depend on the actual "density" of the original clip - yes? Okay....

4. Using the PiP and Cookie Cutter thing on the original or the overlay clip and you can experiment, moving the "box" about.

NB: Notice this - that you can "invert" the image in Pan/Crop by "squashing" the clip beyond it s actual size and beyond till you can see the image in reverse! Reeeeaaly odd!

If you don't understnad this then tell me and I'll have another go... it's late ... its been a Bank Holiday over here in the Uk and well.....

Tarah

Grazie
randy-stewart wrote on 5/6/2002, 8:42 PM
Thanks Grazie. I'll give it a go when I get home.
Ta,
Randy
zbig wrote on 5/8/2002, 1:04 AM
I have used the method discussed at http://www.sonicfoundry.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=12&MessageID=89993 and found it to be very effective.
Zbig
Grazie wrote on 5/8/2002, 2:09 AM
Is there anyway to have the "inset" video/picture move across the underlying video? Can I make it creep from left to right or reverse this? Can I make it creep from top to bottom? Basically can I set-off this inset video on a "walkabout" around the main video clip? Is there a way to create "vector" path? I do have a presentation package that will do this, but is this possible within VF?

Grazie
randy-stewart wrote on 5/8/2002, 2:24 AM
Grazie,
The method I mentioned above in this string works for that. Just position the pip box at the top or bottom and then select end, and place the box there. It will move according to the path you defined. Also, you can use the repeat X and repeat Y function on the Video FX edit screen to get multiple pip's floating around. Try them in different combinations. I've got two clips floating around so far and plan to put another two into the 10 second title screen clip on the main video track. Trying to get three pip's to converge with the fourth appearing in the middle. Kind of a morph from several PIP's into one. I'll probably post some part of the show onto Chienworks' site when done if it turns out okay. I'm having fun.
Randy
Grazie wrote on 5/8/2002, 3:42 AM
Randy - That's brilliant! That's exactly what I want to do....

All I've got to do now is figure out the X:Y coord process. Yes I do drag the liitle box about the place place but I seem not to get the whole - video N0. 2 - staying within the frame Hmmmmmm..... Have you noticed that if you use the "F" grid in Pan/Crop and "squash" the size, say in the vertical dimension, and KEEEEEP going,beyond what you may think makes any sense, you can actually invert the video image - weird! Presumably if you do this to the horizontal dimension you can invert the image horizontally as well.

On another tack, have a look at my Templates post I put up. Do you have any comments about how to save particular "effects" to the FX menu? It would be really neat to do the same for your PiP activity.

Thanks

Grazie
randy-stewart wrote on 5/8/2002, 12:51 PM
Grazie,
Yes, read your post on the squash and invert feature but haven't tried it yet. Sounds interesting but not sure in what situation I would need to use it...maybe in a dual floating PIP that converges to the middle. Anyway, about saving the mixed FX templates...there has to be a way to do this because under the text/background tab, there are mixed FX template options. In fact, I think I created one once when I built a title slide that uses double color background. It showed up in the text/background media area when I saved it. What's to stop us from adding other FX options and saving it under a unique name? As for the PIP, I'm asking myself if I will use the same PIP format repeatedly...hmmm...probably not so what's the utility of a PIP template? If I have something (like your earthquake feature) that I want to do repeatedly, this may be a the method. Need to test the hypothesis. I'll experiment when I get home (at work now). More to follow.
Randy
Grazie wrote on 5/8/2002, 1:19 PM
Thanks Randy - you're a Star!

I have to say the more I delve into this "Budget" NLE I'm blown away at the possibilities.

Grazie
randy-stewart wrote on 5/9/2002, 1:47 AM
Gracie,
Try this. Enter FX, select cookie cutter, select PIP, drag to a clip, click end in the edit area, move pip box to new location...say right to left, set other parameters as you wish (shape, x y multiples, etc.), type a name in the preset box above the edit area (like PIP Right To Left), click the disk icon to the right (to save the preset), then exit FX. Go back into FX, click cookie cutter, scroll down to the bottom and, voala, your new FX preset is available to use on any clip you want. Bet this technique will work for any preset you want to do. Is this helpful?
Randy
NOTE: Just re-read your post on templates and realized that you are already doing this level and now you want to combine multiple effects. I'll try that next and post what I find out if I can get it done.
randy-stewart wrote on 5/9/2002, 2:28 AM
Gracie,
Think I've broken the code. The trick is to place multiple FX events on one clip then save the new preset with a new name. I've successfully combined brightness and contrast with the cookie cutter PIP onto one clip, saved the FX preset as a new preset and both FX presets are included (i.e. brightness and contrast; cookie cutter with PIP). They show up as a daisy chain at the top of the FX present under the new name. If you want more, just add them to a clip and save the new combined preset to a new name. What a program!
Randy
Grazie wrote on 5/9/2002, 3:00 AM
Randy Brilliant!

I too played around with the Daisy Chaining option and that's what put me on this track. But you have cracked it! Nice One matey....

Now, creating such a Chain Gang of effects it's only one small step to creating smooth transistions of our own making. When is an FX effect a transition? When we put it between two Clips! Now this would be exciting! Suddenly FX effects are bespoke transitions... got the picture (HoHOHo!). VinceG labelled me as "thinking outside the box" which I am very happy to admit to! - Now is that what I think he means, or is it thinking outside the Box I got VF in!

Again, thanks Randy. Yes Yes Yes...

Question: Is there a way of "sprinkling" trannies/FXs throughout a "Marked-Up" clip. Y'know.. put tranny 1 at marker 3; put tranny 4 at marker 2 etc etc. I've played around with the nfDv....... preference in Internal and have created clips of zillions of tiny frame lengths - yes I know almost the same as a slo-mo... but not quite! It would be really good if one could do this sprinkling I spoke of.

I going to give your: "Randy's 101 on Tailored Fxs" in the next 2 hours...

Tarah

Grazie
Grazie wrote on 5/9/2002, 4:03 AM
"Houston..We have a problem.."

Randy, I don't seem to be able to get the "inset" video to "move" with the "Cookie Cutter" frame. It obstenately remains in its original postion, the Cutter frame moves to the left of screen leaving the inset video behind. Hmmmmm... what do I need to do?

Regards

Grazie
Grazie wrote on 5/9/2002, 9:29 AM
I think I've found out why.

Basically there are a number of variables going on.

1) The Length of the overlay
2) The size of the cookie cutter
3) In the Pan/Crop I have to move the Big "F" framing tool to the opposite sidew of the travers to the actual PiP clip, i.e. if the clip is to come in from the left, the video clip must be way over on the right - & the converse of this for coming in from the right.
4) I am having to marry up the speed of the tranvers of the Cutter to that of the video clip OR work the video clip so that it gets "all" of the Fx - well it would need to wouldn't!

Now I'm going to lay down in a darkened room and meditate....


Tarah

Grazie (not Gracie... I sound like an early fifties American sitcom character)
randy-stewart wrote on 5/9/2002, 11:20 AM
Grazie, (sorry for my mistake earlier)
I hadn't figured out how to make the PIP keep the video moving with it either but you have divined an easy solution...BRAVO! Just match the pan to the PIP speed. This should be easy by making the time of the pan match the time of the PIP, or match both to the length of the clip. Of course it may not be perfect but hey, that adds to the artistic form, right? Looking forward to seeing a display of your creations on Chienworks site. I'll post a portion (to highlight the FX presets) of the show I'm working on now also. Happy editing!
Aloha,
Randy
jrstueve wrote on 5/11/2002, 5:34 PM
I posted a little of an intro where I used your descriptions on Cheinworks site...

Fun stuff... :)