Video Compositing or Layering

nt88498 · Post by **nt88498** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 3:10 am

I am new to MSP8. I have just switched over from VS9 and am having a hard time learning the new program. I am wanting to play three video clips at the same time and I watched a neighbor (who does not work with MSP8 - he has Final Cut Pro) but I watched him do the same thing and he put the three clips onto the timelines and then went up to a menu and applied what Final Cut Pro called compositing, which in turn made the three video clips interact with each other - not just by applying transparency. The colors in the three clips were not washed out by transparency. Can anyone tell me if this can be done in MSP8 and where to find it? I have been trying to get this to work all day.

Also, he had the ability to reposition, resize, etc the clips directly from the preview window (with all three of them showing at the same time), which gave him a complete visual of how the three clips were interacting with one another. Can MSP8 do this also?

I'm having a hard time with the program and it is very frustraing. I have read the complete manual and searched this forum. I hope this program gets easier. I had VS9 down pat. Maybe I shouldn't have changed programs? Please let me know if any of you have any suggestions.

Susan

matt_magnone · Post by **matt_magnone** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 3:20 am

Oh my god. I need to do EXACTLY what you described. I hope this is possible. Having 2 or more clips playing at the same time....

Devil · Post by **Devil** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 7:20 am

Of course it's possible and with more than 1 method.

The simplest is PinP. Put your different clips one above the other on the tracks, find Moving Paths in your production library, select Picture-in-Picture and drag different ones onto each track. Terry has an add-on library of other PinP effects.

matt_magnone · Post by **matt_magnone** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:09 pm

how is it going to look if you use pip? We want the videos to be the full screen but playing at the same time. So if you filmed a scene with the camera still, and you stood on the left first, then the right, and combined the 2 shots, you would get 1 shot with yourself on the left and right.... that way, would pip give you that result?

nt88498 · Post by **nt88498** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:11 pm

I didn't think PIP lets the lower video show through though. I am needing all three videos, in their entirety, to be showing through and interacting with one another at the same time. I thought with PIP the video on top covers the lower video. Is this true?

Also, is there a way to move the videos around, resize, etc. directly on the preview screen?

Susan

Devil · Post by **Devil** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:44 pm

PinP may not be the best way, as it gives sharp boundaries.

Another way is to fix the cam on a tripod, film one half with the actor on the left side of the pic, then the other half. Use a fixed matte with a soft edge to superimpose the one half over the other. If done well, that should appear quite seamless.

Another way is to shoot the actor both times with a green screen as background and then superimpose the two shots over whatever background you want.

There are many ways to skin this kind of cat. Charlie Hill's book, Getting Results with MSP8, is an excellent guide on effects http://www.getting-results.com/

matt_magnone · Post by **matt_magnone** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:57 pm

Hmm thats a good idea. Where would the fixed matte be found in MSP8 and what clip(s) would you apply it to?