Fading in an overlay clip

[Keith C]

I am trying to make an overlay video clip fade into the main video after about 10 seconds in the bottom left hand corner of the screen.

I have placed a 2 second colour clip before this overlay clip and made it transparent. VS8 however will not let me drag and drop a crossfade effect - or any effect for that matter, so that the clip fades in gradually.

How can I make the overlay clip fade into the main video?. I don't want it to appear suddenly out of nowhere!.

Thanks for your time.

[GeorgeW]

Which version of VideoStudio?

In VS9, under the Attributes of the Overlay clip, press the little "Fade In" box (under the box with all the arrows). You can also hit the "Fade Out" while you are there...

[Keith C]

VS8 however will not let me drag and drop a crossfade effect - or any effect for that matter, so that the clip fades in gradually.

[GeorgeW]

sorry, missed the VS8 reference.

[BrianCee]

In UVS8 do not put a colour block in front of the clip in the overlay track or attempt to use any effects but just apply the brightness filter to the overlay video and then customise the filter so that you have zero brightness and contrast at the beginning and normal at the end - play PROJECT - result overlay video fades in.

[Keith C]

In UVS8 do not put a colour block in front of the clip in the overlay track or attempt to use any effects but just apply the brightness filter to the overlay video and then customise the filter so that you have zero brightness and contrast at the beginning and normal at the end - play PROJECT - result overlay video fades in.

Brian, I have tried this and I end up with a black box which fades in sooooooo slowly (the audio comes in several seconds before the clip appears fully).

Have I missed your point somewhere?

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Keith

After placing your video in the overlay track select the Motion & Filter tab top left.

Select the preset cross fade.

The crossfade reacts over the whole video and may be too long a fade.

Try cutting 2 seconds from the front and end of your video, (you will have to place the clip in the video timeline to cut)

Drag the three sections back to the overlay track, adjacent to each other.

From the Motion & Filter tab apply:-

‘Fade in’ to the first clip
‘Static’ to the second
‘Fade out’ to the last

Is this the effect you are after.

Trevor

[Keith C]

Hello Trevor,

This is precisely what I was trying to achieve. I have just tried this and at last had the effect I needed. I am grateful to you for taking the time.

One other question on overlays: Is it possible to have any other shape to the overlay (apart form rectangular)...for instance, someone looking through a round hole or heart shape?

Thanks again.

Keith

[Trevor Andrew]

Hi Keith

If you have photo editing software.

You may not be able to create a heart shape with a transparent border, the shape will be transparent but held in a rectangle, if that makes sense.

As a test use a .tif file from the Decoration / Frames. Try F03 as an example

Place the frame in the overlay track, With a video you are going to use for the overlay in the main track.
Select the overlay clip, click the motion & filter tab, fit to screen.
Create a new video file of the two clips.

Use the new clip in the overlay track
With your main clip in the video track.
Using the motion filter again you can position your overlay.

Give it a try using the clips from the library

Good luck

[sjj1805]

Yes you can have shapes instead of the "bog standard" square overlay. I did this tonight using a circle.

I found out how by looking here:
http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/brians_ramblings

Which I found posted somewhere else in the forum and have now included in my list of favourite sites!

Where "Brian" has created a heart shaped border, Take that new video and feed it through VS9 again on the overlay track and again use the chroma key function to make the red transparant, ending up with a heart shaped video inside a video.