Tutorial: "Grooving to the Beat!" using video

[rguthrie]

This tutorial uses the techniques learned in my "Grooving to the Beat!" tutorial to show how you can use video instead of text for the groovin' to the beat effect.


Please watch my video at YouTube that shows this tutorial in action.


For this tutorial, I used 3 main effects (all grooving to the music): stop-time motion, pulses (two types according to either bass beat or hand clap), and forward/backward motion. I'm assuming that you've read my tutorial Grooving to the Beat! so my instructions will be short and to the point. So let's begin.




Start a new project.

Insert Sampl-05.wmv (located at C:\Program Files\Ulead Systems\Ulead VideoStudio 11\Samples\Video) to the main video track.

Go to Audio, select Auto Music.

Set the Duration to match the video, which is 11.29.

Select Cosmic Tech ¡V Stations, i.e. Music and Variation respectively.

Add to Timeline.

Create Cue Points at the following times:

NOTE: The easiest way for you do this since I'm giving you the times is to use the Cue Point Manager.

00:00:00.01
00:00:00.07
00:00:00.14
00:00:00.21
00:00:00.27
00:00:01.04
00:00:01.11
00:00:01.18
00:00:01.25
00:00:02.09
00:00:02.22
00:00:03.05
00:00:03.19
00:00:04.03
00:00:04.16
00:00:05.00
00:00:05.14
00:00:05.28
00:00:06.11
00:00:06.24
00:00:07.08
00:00:07.22
00:00:08.05
00:00:08.19
00:00:09.03
00:00:10.00

Switch to Audio View and see how the cue points align with the beats.

Go back to Timeline view.


EFFECT 1.


The first effect I start with is by alternating Video Pan & Zoom and Brightness and Contrast. I used Video Pan & Zoom for the bass drum and Brightness and

Contrast for the hand claps.

Below is the list of Cue Points that you will use for this portion.

00:00:01.25 BASS
00:00:02.09 CLAP
00:00:02.22 BASS
00:00:03.05 CLAP
00:00:03.19 you get the idea, just keep alternating
00:00:04.03
00:00:04.16
00:00:05.00
00:00:05.14
00:00:05.28
00:00:06.11

Add Video Pan & Zoom to the main timeline video.

Select Customize Filter and zero-out the two existing key frames.

Create key frames for the bass beats 00:00:01.25, 00:00:02.22, etc. Remember you'll need a key frame before and after each of the cue points, e.g.,

00:00:01.24, 00:00:01.25, 00:00:01.26.

Change Zoom for each cue point to 120% (not each key frame!).

Select OK.

Add Brightness and Contrast to the main timeline video.

Select Customize Filter and zero-out the two existing key frames.

Create key frames for the hand claps: 00:00:02.09, 00:00:03.05, etc. Remember you'll need a key frame before and after each of the cue points, e.g.,

00:00:02.08, 00:00:02.09, 00:00:02.10.

Change Brightness to 100 for each cue point.

Select OK.

This finishes the first effect. Now let's move on to the second main effect.


EFFECT 2.


This effect will generate the foward/backward motion.

Below is the list of Cue Points that you will use for this portion.

00:00:07.08
00:00:07.22
00:00:08.05
00:00:08.19
00:00:09.03
00:00:10.00

Go to cue point 00:00:07.08. You can do this from the Cue Point Manager like I showed in my tutorial, or just use the timeline jog slider.

Select the scissors icon (CTRL+I) to "Cut clip based on Jog Slider's position."

Click now on the Timeline ruler above the next cue point: 00:00:07.22.

Select the scissors icon (CTRL+I) to "Cut clip based on Jog Slider's position" again.

Drag the cut section up to the Video Library to add it to the library.

Insert the cut section, from the Video Library, to the main timeline just after the section you cut, i.e. at cue point 00:00:07.22.

Check Reverse Video.

Insert the cut section again, from the Video Library, to the main timeline just after the section you inserted, i.e. at cue point 00:00:08.05.

Insert the cut section yet again, from the Video Library, to the main timeline just after the section you inserted, i.e. at cue point 00:00:08.19.

Check reverse video.

Insert the cut section one last time, from the Video Library, to the main timeline just after the section you inserted, i.e. at cue point 00:00:09.03.

Now click on the last clip of the remaining video on the timeline, which follows the cut clips.

Go to cue point 00:00:09.29 on the timeline.

Select the scissors icon (CTRL+I) to "Cut clip based on Jog Slider's position."

Delete the last clip that remains after our last cue point.

Insert black Color after the last video clip, i.e. at 00:00:09.29.

Adjust the length of the black Color clip so that it matches the end of the audio clip.

Now we move on to the final effect.


EFFECT 3.


This creates the stop-motion effect in the video.

Go to Cue Point 00:00:00.01.

Select Tools -> Save Current Frame As Image.

Repeat for cue points:

00:00:00.07 *
00:00:00.14
00:00:00.21 *
00:00:00.27
00:00:01.04 *
00:00:01.11
00:00:01.18

NOTE: The cue points marked with an asterisk are approximately halfway between each beat as I wanted the effect to happen more often than just on the beat.

Starting with the first saved image clip (that you cut), from the library:

Insert on Overlay Track 1.

Adjust the length so that the end of the clip goes to the next cue point, e.g. the first image will go to 00:00:00.07.

NOTE: You last image clip should end at 00:00:01.25.

That's it for the effect.

Select Share, Create Video File, Same as Project Settings to render the file.

Watch and enjoy!

Here are just some notes on my creative thought process as I was creating this project. I wanted to play around with the idea of forward/backward motion. The

skier falling down in this video to me was a good spot. It's also something that you would see on TV in a comedy show. I also wanted to try alternating the effect, as you see with the difference between the bass drum and hand claps. It helps to emphasize the difference although using just one would have been

fine. Finally, I originally didn't have anything going on at the beginning of the video. It seemed bare to me, so I decided to play around with the idea of stop motion. Also, notice that the music has sort of vague feeling in the beginning, although you can still hear the bass drum. Anyway, I wanted to see more motion than on every beat so I decided to divide each beat in half, more or less.

One final note. When I created the video for YouTube I used my secret powertip by inserting my skiing.vsp file into a new project where I created the introductory text.

Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed this extra tutorial and that it encourages you to try to get your next project grooving to the music!

Have fun and be creative!
Ronald Guthrie