Video Filter/Effect Question VS 9

[Private Prinny]

First things first, sorry for my bad english I am not a native english speaker.


I want to ask if there is a possibility or a inbuild effect filter for the effect I have in mind for VS 9

I want to make a video using fast cuts, like a stroboskope effect.
Well that isn't as difficult, just cut the clips and insert a short timed black jpg in.

BUT I also want that black screen gradually change from black to white (or other colors but for the very beginning white is ok) So when the film starts the background pic would be RGB (0/0/0) and at the End it would be (255/255/255) I could make it via paint and use a gazillion pics to simulate that (since I really will use cuts very often it would be arround 100-150 cuts so making that much unicolor files is a bit tiresom.

So is there a way to use the overlay or a filter/effect/plugin/whatever to help me with that?

Thanks in advance for your kind help!

[Ron P.]

I don't know of any way to do that without using color clips. You would not need to make them in a graphics program. Just drag a black color clip from the Library and drop it on the timeline. Keep in mind that anything in the Overlay track is going to be ontop of clips in the main track. You could just drag-n-drop various color clips from the Color Library. Try using the Brightness/Contrast filter on your Color Clips to alter the degree of transparency. Use the Cross-Fade transition between your color clips. You can change the duration of the cross-fade, to where they completely overlap your color clips.

The Color Shift Filter works on image, color and video clips. However the Color clips need to be a color other then black.

The best way to figure this out, is to place a few short clips in the timeline, and start playing around with everything that you can think of that might make this happen. Mix several filters to see if mixing them will give you your effect.

Finally I'm throwing in a plug for Charlie Hill. His Books really show you how to do several things with VS. One of the most important tips, tricks and effects I get from him is to "Think outside the box"...

[Private Prinny]

Thank you for your reply.... I surely have to try that, after my crashed PC works again.....and I have used trial and error (since my graps on technical english language isn't top notch sadly)

So till I could tamper arround in VS again I thought of another thing....

Here [ yeah, I am a newb but at least I know what the search button is for ^^; ]
you gave out a little advice about transition which made me thinkin (or at least trying) outside of the box...

So what if I try making a 2 minute long transition video consisting of a black and a white image using this Transition effect.
Then after rendering this Video drag dropp it onto my timeline using the overlay track. The gaps in the video track would be filled in by normal black clips.

So now I have a overlay track gradually brightening over time (if that what I said earlier actually functions properly) and a clip/black/clip/black/etc track in the main video track.

Now here my questions:
Is there a way to make the long overlay clip transparent a 100% (at clips at the main track) and 0% (at black clips at the main track) without cutting it up as well into tiny bits?

Is there an error in my logic? Is that what I said even possible?
Where do we come from, where do we g..err..*ahem* well and at last:

Use the Cross-Fade transition between your color clips. You can change the duration of the cross-fade, to where they completely overlap your color clips

That use of cross fade is not getting to the right synapses in my brain (Boy, outside the box-thinking in a not native language is a little difficult )
Why should I use cross fade?


Again, thank you all for your precious time, and sorry for my English!

[Ron P.]

Ok first about using the Cross-Fade, that is just to provide a fade. You could use the Fade to Black or the Dissolve.

I eluded to Charlie's book, because in it he demonstrated how to create the Fade to Black transition. Using that method one can create a Fade to White, Fade to Blue, Fade to Green etc.

I've tried playing around with your idea, however I'm not able to produce what I think it is you're trying to do. However try using a black color clip, and apply the Brightness/Contrast filter to it. You can select one of the presets, however the first one will do, because you need to customize it, so click on the customize button.

Now you will see 3 adjustments, Brightness, Contrast and Gamma. Ignore the Gamma, and just work with the other 2. Sliding the lever to the far left (-100 %) will give the same as a transparent image. Having it in the middle (0%) gives full opacity. Ok, now you will also see a drop-down menu, that should have "Master" showing. This is so your adjustments are made to all 3 color channels (Red, Green and Blue or RGB). Why is this important? Well you can use a color clip, and with this filter alter the color of this color clip. So with a Black Color clip, you can keyframe it to change to blue, green, red or white. Yes white is not an RGB, however in the Master control, on a Black Color Clip, if you slide the Brightness to the far right (+100%) and the Contrast to the far Left (-100%) you get White.

You could use the above method, and keyframe your Black to White change. However I think you are limited to the number of Keyframes.

I need to ask, Am I on the same page as you, or did I drift off,(which is very possible) ?

[Private Prinny]

I need to ask, Am I on the same page as you, or did I drift off,(which is very possible) ?

I think the language barrier at the matter of abstract thoughts is finally hitting me....so for not further misunderstanding each other I made this quick and rather unprofessional draft:



The First Type is what I intend to make. A film 16:9 (since the source is 16:9) with quick "flashing" changes of videoclip and the black-white-colour-fade-effect (from here on further abrreviated as colour fade)

The second one would be a mix between "want-to" and "can-do" with the videoclips still in 16:9 and the colour fade in 4:3 making the typical TV -Black-Lines on top and bottom of the film which was made for cinema widescreens, but the black lines not being static black but fading with the flashes to white. But as I think that would not work out quite satisfactory for my purpose.

The last one would be the the ultima ratio.....if nothing else works and the manual making of ca 150 color screens is to bothersome in the end, then I would only let the fade of the widescreen-lines be used and would have to let go of the flashing effect.....which is also ruining the intended purpose of the whole work.

...


I hope that made it a little clearer what I intend to do, sorry for not explaining well and not getting to the point firsthand!

Since my PC with the Ulead- VS9 installed now works fine I made a color fade (black->white) with the free burger crossfade-video filter.

I played around a frustrating afternoon with it but didn't get the right effects. IF I use it on the overlay track (since it is OVER- not UNDER-lay) I cannot get the settings with transparency rigth in my way.
On the other hand, using it on the videotrack and using the video clips on the overlay track is not desired as well....since it would prohibit me from using the transition effects and stuff only reserved for the normal video track.

Now I am utterly confusedf what to try next

Maybe I should just have shut up in the beginning and do the 150 Picture variant.......but since I intend to use that desired effect frequently with other film projects (and other colours as well) ....any help would be mutch apprecciated!

As always, thanks in advance for0 your precious time and sorry for the crude english!

[Black Lab]

Are you looking to do something like this?
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v5907384ZtzBHBK

[Private Prinny]

Are you looking to do something like this?
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v5907384ZtzBHBK

That video clip you did there was like my stated Number 2:

I think you did it with making a crossfade from black image to white image in the normal video-track and adding several clips to the overlay track for the flashing effects.

...

So the answer to your question is:
Yes and No.
Yes it is somewhat near the desired effect I intend.
No it isn't perfect, because If I add my clips on the overlay track then I am not able to use transitions and stuff between clips (since I don't intend to make only flashing effect between every clip...I also want to use some normal transitions inbetween at SOME (not all) clips.

So I am still confused if there is a possibility at all to do it like typ 1 ^^;

Edit: with the possibility to add effects to the clips...so they are bound to the normal videotrack

[sjj1805]

To quickly create a strobe light effect add a brightness and contrast filter.
Create several key frames.
Select the first key frame right click and select copy to all. They are all now 'normal'.
Go to the second key frame. Alter the settings so that the image is now black.
Copy that key frame and then paste it to every other key frame.

[Black Lab]

No, you can't put transitions in the overlay tracks (thanks Ulead ). However you could "overlap" clips in different overlay tracks to make a cross-fade transition.

Your only other alternative may be to create a project of just your clips with your desired transitions. Save that project, then insert it into an overlay track of a new project, with the black-to-white clip in the main video track.

[Private Prinny]

Thanks for the replies.

First I have to try out the suggestion "sjj1805" offered.
But on first thought that would only be optimal if I have a looong clip that I want to strobe. That wouldn't work with multiple short snippets I think.....yes it would work with a tremendous effort but it offers a huge negative point: the strobe effects would have to b timed very precisely throughout the project to give a ........[how to expreess this in english ~.~]....clean gradual fade from color a to b. As said with arround 2 (45min long each) clips divided and cropped into arround 150 short snippets with a total of just over 2 minute its a great deal of work....well my bad for wanting something like this! ^^;

Now to "Black Lab"s proposal:

That would be a nice thing if it works the way I want it....BUT HOW? ^^

Ok, I make a normal track with all effectsrender it and insert it at the overlay (Since VS9 only has ONE Overlay I want to remember you ^^)

So how to make it gradual transparent? Do I Insert singular colored snippets in the strobe-duration of the clip, than after rendering set THIS color to 99% Transparent? Is that even possible? Or do I have to cut the finished overlay again and set each color snippet to transparent manually?

If I can set a single color for the whole overlay clip to full transparency, than it would be great!

So lets see if my english-know-how works well enough to filter a to-do for that planned action out of this forum!

Great, many thanks for all the advices and help you all offered!

[Black Lab]

Use the Pan & Zoom Video Filter. It has a transparency function, and by using the keyframes you can turn off the pan & zoom.