For stills with a punchy theme, I sometimes use a transition that isn't a transition, if you see what I mean.

Zoom in to somebody wearing shades, or a framed photograph or a mirror. Whatever the object, using chroma key set it up with your next image so that it appears to be a reflection in the first. Then zoom in to the shades (or whatever) until your second image over rides the first.

Did anybody understand that? :~)

Alan

Yes,... Very cool!

Yes . .ditto.

So did it take you 2 days to figure out what I was trying to say - or 2 days to try it out? :~)

Alan

I have a question...when I started using Vegas and did crossfades I would get a blue crossing line when intersecting to items, now it seems to look like a box (clear). how do I get the old look (blue crossing lines, etc.) without resetting the software.

IMO (In My Opinion - for those that are new to forums) I say it's all about content. I don't like a bunch of fancy stuff unless it's a high tempo song, etc... I have done more than my fair share of photo montage's to Narations and music (as I'm sure many of us have) and have found that I am always going to have a better slide show if I take the time to do timed cuts to the music/naration than if I just do every x number of seconds or something. (as long as they pay me enough) :)

When I watch a photo montage, I find that it's going to be better if you simply let the song/Narration dictate the montage. Your entire show is in there somewhere, the only thing you have to do is find it, and then display it for everyone to see. [This "show" is often times different for different people, but the same for everyone (if that makes sense)] meaning that if you've done it "right", even though someone else may have made it differently, they see yours and it feels right to them.

Well, there's my 2 cents. well, maybe it's only worth 1 1/2 but I don't have a hay penny here. so I'll round it up :)

Dave

Using the photomontage how do you choose the simple crossfade in the transition preset? I did not see it listed in the transisitons when I clicked on the edit. So if I want to use the soft flash and a crossfade how do I set that in Ultimate S photomontage?

I am in the middle of scanning over 1000 slides from the 1940s to 2003 for a family. I have only gotten through the 40's and 50's and was trying to figure out how to give this to the family. Just burn a DVD and use the Roxio slideshow with music and put the slides on for them to print out later. Or Bring it into Vegas. Wow then I tried the Ulitmate S photomontage and in under a second it put the pan and zooms in and I was half way there.

I agree with a lot of the people here that too many transitions can look amatuerish. I try to stick with the crossfades and the soft flash for a slower piece and straignt cuts or pushes left or right with a faster piece. Page peels and such are not my style.

Anyway Vegas again is the answer for me.

-Tom

KEEP IT SIMPLE.

I use crossfades ONLY. I will also use the pan and crop feature
to zoom around on perhaps 10% of the GOOD slides that are worthy of
such an effect.

At the beginning of the slide show..just after the intro I will use the "FLASH"
transition along with a sound effect "CAMERA SHUTTER"

The reason I do this is because I create VideoTours of homes for sale
for the real estate industry. At the end of each VideoTour I will include
a slideshow as a recap of the tour. Just when the video has ended
I fade to black and a flash and camera shuter starts the slideshow.

check out http://www.videolistings.ca and view one of the VideoTours
and wait for the slide show.

I am a fan of Keep it simple as well.
I generally use crossfades with straight cuts, depending on teh pace and feel of the music that I'm working with.
However I do employ the use of some special trasititions like using layering like "The Kid Stays in the Picture". But I also like to occasionaly use object wipes. I use an Alpha mask on a particular picture, place on a new track above my current track, and using track motion or Pan Crop move the picture across the screen while increasing size, then fade out quickly. That creates a wipe effect that reveals the picture below.
An example:
1. Track A (my main video track) has a picture of a man getting on a train.
2. I make track B, put it above track A and place a picture of a Train (alpha masked out).
3. Employ the method described above and now teh train will be used a a trasition to reveal hte piture of the man getting on the train.

I hope this helps a bit with some additional creative inspiration.

MLiebergot
LVProductions