|
|
Thanks for your very informative reply, Henrik. I was especially struck by your idea of building the entire video production around the music you use. I understand Barry is big on music too. That speaks volumes to me.
I am totally inexperienced at making productions such as yours, so I will certainly take your advice to heart.
For some reason, I have not received any Forum posting notices for the last three days. This makes communicating on the Forum quite difficult. For instance, I just found your reply to my post by searching for it this evening and I will not be notified if you reply to me. Therefore, allow me to say, congratulations again! And thanks for the excellent advice.
Pax
|
|
|
Thanks for the help with the file size. Now, I have finally seen this anomaly in action! Seeing the heavy hitters who have opted in on this thread, you certainly do not need any help from me. I am glad the problem resolved itself for you.
Pax
|
|
|
Hi Mike,
I am curious to see what happened, but 45+ mb would take a very time to download! Could you attach a short clip?
Thanks
|
|
|
|
Quote:
Why should it be necessary to produce the slide show and import it back into PD9? rbowser
It was not necessary for me to produce the clips. I was just trying to replicate Stu's problem for him. Because of your comment, I went back and made the same video, then went straight to "create disk", burned and reloaded. The transitions were all there and they all worked. This is not a PD9 bug.
The problem is either with Stu's download of PD9, his equipment or his technique. Stu's prior posts concern three problems and have all concerned a general issue burning his disks. He has had the program for less than a month.
Now, knowing it is not a bug, Stu should follow Carl's advice. It is right on the money. At any rate, it is not a PD9 bug.
Pax
EDIT: I see that Stu posted a DxDiag file at: http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/18489.page
Tony advised him that his GPU is marginal. Dropping transitions seems to confirm this.
|
|
|
Hi Stu,
I used the "apply all" option to six images I had placed in the timeline, produced them, burned to file, reloaded the saved file into PD9 and all worked as expected. I found no bug.
I hope this helps you to identify the reason for the loss of your transitions.
I fear that any further help from me on this issue is above my pay grade. Good luck.
Pax
|
|
|
Congratulations, Newbie Henrik Kok. Number one in the Cyberlink contest is hard to beat. I just watched your video at
http://www.cyberlink.com/stat/events/enu/2011/Q2/powerdirector-travel-contest/submit.jsp
An excellent, well thought out production with 44 effects and very few transitions. Perhaps you will share some thoughts on how you decided about audio, placement of fades and application of effects in achieving such an outstanding production.
I, would also like to hear anything you might share about achieving the story flow from a few, otherwise disjointed, clips. It seemed to me that the application of text was the secret sauce.
Again, Congratulations!
Pax
|
|
|
Barry, Barry, Barry,
I am now a fan. Congratulations! 
Everything sparkles. Aside from the camera work, the audio is as crisp and clear as anyone could ask.
Your use of multiple timelines is especially impressive. Eight tracks, plus transitions and audio, all well placed and working flawlessly!
You are my hero.
Pax
|
|
|
To resolve your problem, respond to Carl's requests. In the meantime, you can copy your DVD with Power2Go or comparable. It is faster than PD9.
I know this is belaboring the obvious, but I just wanted to make sure that you did not get so distracted with the problem that you do not remember that what you have is not limited to one copy.
Pax
|
|
|
Very neat. Thanks!
Pax
|
|
|
Hi Max,
Thanks for your measured response. Details about my references to clicking, dragging, etc. are in the thread Jerry told you about. Here is a link to it: http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/18508.page
If you want to find it, or some other thread, use the search option at the top of the page. Limit search to PD9 and search for gap. You will see many threads on that issue. I think Jerry's thread will answer all of your questions about this issue. If not, let us know.
Welcome aboard.
Pax
|
|
|
I think Jerry has put his finger on the most difficult, if not impossible, problem. That is why I suggested that Gary make a long video. If you don't have enough excess, you will see a creeping black screen, where the clouds had been.
There are many video editing programs that can accelerate motion, but they all compress the footage, so far as I know. It seems like it should be possible to create a macro which endlessly resets, but subtly changes, the first few frames of the upstream clouds. This would look like new clouds continuously proceeded into the frame. Accelerating the movement should be no problem if the macro works right. This is just speculation. I have not tried to create a macro and would have no idea how to do it, except in WordPerfect or Microsoft Word!
I have been fiddling with a work around that gives "reasonable" results, until something better comes around.
I took Nature.mpg and spilt it where the cloud part ends. Then I copied it several times and placed an overlapping fade transition between each clip. This looks like the clouds are "rebuilding" as they go along.
I suppose one could play with this, or the macro idea, and improve on it more. But until one of you skilled and trained geniuses comes up with the real solution, I am at the end of my rope.
There are several tutorials on the internet which show excellent fast and slow motion clips, but none of them, which I saw, address the problem of reducing the length of the clip in order to speed the motion.
Pax
|
|
|
Hi Max,
Relax, all is not lost. The problems you encountered are easily fixed. I promise. However, PD9 is a very complex program and there are various things which could be causing the problem.
1. The gap can probably be closed with a right click and a left click.
2. The audio can be extended if you unlink it, left click on the border and drag it to fill the gap.
ALL OF THAT ASIDE, you need to read the guidance which Dafyd Bevan and many others have prepared for you. If you will read the threads provided, your problem will disappear. You should also read the Introduction to creative movie making, which can be found in Dafyd's info above.
Finally, you can inquire in the Help files by clicking the ? in the upper right corner of PD9.
I hope this helps and reassures you a little. PD9 is very intuitive, but it is not a simple program. The gaps and loss of sync occurred for good reasons. You'll see.
Pax
|
|
|
Hi Angus,
I neglected to point out to you that you can fade in or out from any color you wish. Simply position a color board in the lowest track, click the key frames button activate the first key frame and adjust the fade in or out to any duration you wish.
I know we have covered several issues on this one thread, even though this may deal with a fade to still images. Perhaps it would be best to start new threads on any new issues.
I'll bet you are up and running now.
Pax
|
|
|
Hi Gary,
While you are out filling your freezer, I hope you will take your video camera and a tripod along. I have explored several options on your question and it currently looks to me like PD9 is a little weak on this particular task. It is very strong in creating an illusion of motion, but it is difficult to have them scudding across the screen. Great cohesion in the images is needed. It does fine for cartoons because the viewer knows they are not real clouds, but it seems a little weak on generating what looks like a real life motion of clouds in a video of a mountain.
1. I agree with Carl that your best bet is to take a video of some clouds moving at an appropriate speed. Cropping is easy, but there will be problems matching the sky color, or even the time of day the sun is on the clouds, etc.
2. An original video in slow motion or delayed action of the mountain and clouds is, of course, best. If you are about to make your video on the hunting trip, be sure to make a long sequence and hope the wind doesn't kick up. You can then speed the action in PD9. PD9 can deal with altering slow motion to standard motion. The mountain will not move and that will simplify everything.
3. If you are just taking a still camera, probably you can do a long "burst" or series of bursts and PD9 will be able to create a very credible motion illusion, especially by generating a stop action clip.
If you are stuck with prior footage of the mountain, but are able to video or photograph clouds on your trip, you will easily be able to crop the clouds and overlay them on, or above, your mountain. Matching the sky and the sun could remain a problem, but you should be able to "lasso" them with a third party program like "Paint.net". Then, you could paste them onto a transparent background in PIP. At any rate, you can probably have a good time creating your masterpiece, if you can get some good cloud footage in slow motion.
There are several cloud clips on Google and DirectorsZone. Of course, others may have much better suggestions, but I wanted to post this before you leave tomorrow.
Good luck and good hunting.
Pax
|
|
|
Nina,
I am still laughing at the cartoon you put up when I was tut tuting the other day.
Pax
|
|
|
Hi Angus,
You are obviously an experienced editer, newly come to PD9. Although I do own another editing program, my experience outside PD is extremely limited. Therefore, I know I might not be saying something you need to hear.
Anyway, it might help to read my earlier post again, just to make sure. I suspect you have not yet found the transition room, which contains the fade transition I have been talking about.
Please make sure you realize that you need not place a transition into the master video images. In order to avoid any black in the transitions, place transitions inside the still images, which are in a track below. The transitions will work, generally speaking, regardless of whether you place them in the master video or in the still images.
In order to do what I was talking about in my earlier post, use the fade transition in the transition room. You can expand the track you are working on by putting the cursor on the ruler bar above the tracks and, while holding the left mouse button down, drag it to the right.
This will let you see how to place the transition you are dragging down from the transition room. This is especially important if you are placing a fade transition to straddle the borders between two adjacent images.
Finally, your video will start and end at black, unless you want it to do so in a color or a pattern or image. You may use the color board or back ground options to do this.l You To find the color boards and backgrounds, look up to the level of the open folder image in the main window and find a button that says "all content". Click on it and choose a color board or background which suits you.
You can overlay the color board with your opening text or images and fade in from that color into your video. The same applies to the end and ending credits, etc.
If none of the foregoing does what you want, then you may want to go to the "modify" button. However, I suggest that you thoroughly understand what PD has "canned" for your use in the various "rooms" before you try to do more with PIP. From what you have said you want to do, I really don't think you need to use PIP. Don't get me wrong, after you get things to work as you have described, then would be the time to consider getting fancy with PIP.
I hope this helps. No need to be confused. There are plenty of guys around here that will assist you. Welcome aboard. For me, PD9 is a wonderful program that does everything that my little heart desires, so far. ha ha 
Pax
|
|
|
|
Quote:
Of course the smart thing to do, is find a cloudly day and go outside and shoot some video.
Since there are only blue skies in Texas, I guess you would have to go a long way outside to find a cloudy day. No wonder you Googled it!
Pax
|
|
|
Hi Carl,
Of course, you can extract a still image from a video by using the freeze frame or snap shot tools.
It seems to me that Carsten's excellent tutorial would be difficult to apply to this situation because the full screen movement of the clouds would be very limited. In other words, as the clouds scud by, and out of view, how do you keep new clouds coming into view as the old ones exit from view?
Although I do not have the path, there is another tutorial that uses a jet plane as an example. I suspect that one would have the same problem, unless you use multiple images of the clouds. I tried using multiple images of the Nature.mpg clip, but it seemed obvious that I was just resetting the cloud image. I would still vote for a very laborious stop motion clip.
Hopefully, someone out there knows how to do this so it looks great and isn't extraordinarily labor intensive. I thought that Gary was asking how to make a video look like Nature.mpg, but starting out with one that looks like a still image.
Pax
|
|
|
Hi Gary,
You have asked a really great editing question, although some more detail is needed about what you are trying to do.
Bastian has given you a good answer, if there is no other motion in the video other than the clouds and if you took it with a tripod.
However, if you were inquiring about a technique for making the clouds appear to be moving quickly by the mountains, you may need to use an overlay of clouds, cropping the video and/or something more. Take a look at the possibilities in PIP.
Additionally, you could clearly get the movement effect by creating a stop movement video, such as in the gumby TV commercials. There are some real experts at this, such as videocentricity, who could give you some pointers. You , or anyone else interested, might start by carefully reading the current thread on this forum, entitled "Editing advice for stop motion". Also, it might help to check wikipedia, which has a good article on the subject.
Pax
|
|
|
Barry,
That is really good! Congratulations and thanks.
Pax
|
|
|
