Media » Creativity http://insidenorthpoint.org/media leaving a lasting impression Thu, 17 May 2012 12:34:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 en hourly 1 Media Videos http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/09/30/media-videos/ http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/09/30/media-videos/#comments Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:53:49 +0000 Matt http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/?p=4006 See more of our recent work at http://vimeo.com/northpointmedia/videos

]]> See more of our recent work at http://vimeo.com/northpointmedia/videos

]]> http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/09/30/media-videos/feed/ Let’s Build a Bridge http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/09/30/lets-build-a-bridge/ http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/09/30/lets-build-a-bridge/#comments Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:47:29 +0000 Matt http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/?p=3978 If you didn’t know the North Point Campus is building a bridge to relieve our traffic problems… and it ain’t your GrandMama’s bridge either.  As a part of the campaign it has been Media’s job to keep people aware of progress.  We tag our videos with the web link to connect people from video to web. You can see more videos at http://www.letsbuildabridge.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s our latest update.  Bridge Timelapse.
We had an interesting dilemma getting power to a camera where there is no power and let it run for 48 hours without dying.
Our Solution:
1)Outdoor Marine/RV battery
2)Power Inverter that connected to battery
3)SLR camera/tripod with remote switch to take pics every 30 secs.

Special Thanks to Matt Clark for helping make this happen.

]]> If you didn’t know the North Point Campus is building a bridge to relieve our traffic problems… and it ain’t your GrandMama’s bridge either.  As a part of the campaign it has been Media’s job to keep people aware of progress.  We tag our videos with the web link to connect people from video to web. You can see more videos at http://www.letsbuildabridge.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s our latest update.  Bridge Timelapse.
We had an interesting dilemma getting power to a camera where there is no power and let it run for 48 hours without dying.
Our Solution:
1)Outdoor Marine/RV battery
2)Power Inverter that connected to battery
3)SLR camera/tripod with remote switch to take pics every 30 secs.

Special Thanks to Matt Clark for helping make this happen.

]]> http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/09/30/lets-build-a-bridge/feed/ Appealing to Emotion http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/07/26/appealing-to-emotion/ http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/07/26/appealing-to-emotion/#comments Mon, 26 Jul 2010 04:46:42 +0000 David http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/?p=3948 Sometimes we ask other people, “What kinds of movies do you like?” But I think a more interesting and possibly uncomfortably personal question might be, “Why do you watch movies?” I was thinking about this question this past weekend, and it seems like however we answer this, it says a lot about the kinds of movies we like. As an experiment, I’ve paired some reasons for watching movies with the kinds of movies I think would you would like as a result. Take a look and see if you agree with any of these:

For excitement – Horror and thriller films

For amusement – Action and comedy films

To feel inspired – Artsy non-mainstream films

To feel more normal – Dramas

To feel good – Romantic comedies

To join the bandwagon – Twilight

I’m sure someone else could do a much better job at this list than I just did. The interesting thing, though, is that whatever the reason, I think our taste in movies has a lot to do with how we feel or want to feel. As a video producer, this reasoning gives me a litmus test for what does or does not make an impact on my audience. For a video to really communicate something, I think the most important thing is that it appeals to an emotion. Sometimes I forget about this when things get busy – but what use is putting information in front of an audience if they never really connect with it on a deeper level? I think every project deserves the question, “Why would someone watch this?” And hopefully it’s not just because they have to.

]]> Sometimes we ask other people, “What kinds of movies do you like?” But I think a more interesting and possibly uncomfortably personal question might be, “Why do you watch movies?” I was thinking about this question this past weekend, and it seems like however we answer this, it says a lot about the kinds of movies we like. As an experiment, I’ve paired some reasons for watching movies with the kinds of movies I think would you would like as a result. Take a look and see if you agree with any of these:

For excitement – Horror and thriller films

For amusement – Action and comedy films

To feel inspired – Artsy non-mainstream films

To feel more normal – Dramas

To feel good – Romantic comedies

To join the bandwagon – Twilight

I’m sure someone else could do a much better job at this list than I just did. The interesting thing, though, is that whatever the reason, I think our taste in movies has a lot to do with how we feel or want to feel. As a video producer, this reasoning gives me a litmus test for what does or does not make an impact on my audience. For a video to really communicate something, I think the most important thing is that it appeals to an emotion. Sometimes I forget about this when things get busy – but what use is putting information in front of an audience if they never really connect with it on a deeper level? I think every project deserves the question, “Why would someone watch this?” And hopefully it’s not just because they have to.

]]> http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/07/26/appealing-to-emotion/feed/ Design: White Flag http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/06/22/design-white-flag/ http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/06/22/design-white-flag/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:02:19 +0000 Taylor http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/?p=3818 Let’s step into the way-back machine for a moment and take a look at White Flag, an Andy Stanley series from this past February.  I learned some valuable lessons working on the art for this series– particularly, sometimes the coolest idea and the best idea are not one and the same.

The premise (surrender) and imagery (a white flag) were pretty straightforward.  However, we’re always challenging ourselves to come up with fresh, unique designs rather than just take the easy way out.

Our initial inspiration came from papercraft; we liked the depth and dimensionality in the designs we were finding, as well as the unique symbolism found in the juxtaposition of the cut-out and the model itself.  It also allowed us to steer toward a design that was completely white and yet still interesting and dynamic.  Unfortunately, none of us are papercraft masters, so I needed to try and fake it using a 3D modeling program (Cinema 4D in this case).  Plus, this needed to look like white fabric, not white paper.

(CLICK THUMBNAILS FOR FULL-SIZE IMAGES)

whiteflag_1whiteflag_2whiteflag_3whiteflag_4whiteflag_5

As these compositions were pushed toward better and better execution, the general consensus was this: the idea was cool, the designs looked cool, but something was missing.  Whether it was lacking emotion or some sort of undefinable “it” factor, I wasn’t hitting the mark.  I thought that the flag had the potential to be a very strong symbol, but it was perhaps being overwhelmed by the text.  So I started to steer away from the papercraft idea and toward designs with a more prominent flag.

whiteflag_6whiteflag_7

At this point I started asking myself some tough questions.  Did this design really need to be 3D?  3D modeling adds a lot of potential for visual interest and can allow you to do some unique and even mind-bending things; however, it’s not necessarily always the answer.  I hadn’t to this point allowed myself to explore other options.

I decided to strip the design down even further, and relied on negative space, contrast, spacing, and scale to pull the necessary emotion and meaning out of this design, rather then trying to be overly complicated.  The white flag was a strong symbol, and I wanted to maximize that potential.

whiteflag_81

This design, by a longshot, generated the most positive response.  It may be the simplest design we’ve ever done– honestly, I spent about 15 minutes on the composition itself– but in this case, simple was the way to go.

]]> Let’s step into the way-back machine for a moment and take a look at White Flag, an Andy Stanley series from this past February.  I learned some valuable lessons working on the art for this series– particularly, sometimes the coolest idea and the best idea are not one and the same.

The premise (surrender) and imagery (a white flag) were pretty straightforward.  However, we’re always challenging ourselves to come up with fresh, unique designs rather than just take the easy way out.

Our initial inspiration came from papercraft; we liked the depth and dimensionality in the designs we were finding, as well as the unique symbolism found in the juxtaposition of the cut-out and the model itself.  It also allowed us to steer toward a design that was completely white and yet still interesting and dynamic.  Unfortunately, none of us are papercraft masters, so I needed to try and fake it using a 3D modeling program (Cinema 4D in this case).  Plus, this needed to look like white fabric, not white paper.

(CLICK THUMBNAILS FOR FULL-SIZE IMAGES)

whiteflag_1whiteflag_2whiteflag_3whiteflag_4whiteflag_5

As these compositions were pushed toward better and better execution, the general consensus was this: the idea was cool, the designs looked cool, but something was missing.  Whether it was lacking emotion or some sort of undefinable “it” factor, I wasn’t hitting the mark.  I thought that the flag had the potential to be a very strong symbol, but it was perhaps being overwhelmed by the text.  So I started to steer away from the papercraft idea and toward designs with a more prominent flag.

whiteflag_6whiteflag_7

At this point I started asking myself some tough questions.  Did this design really need to be 3D?  3D modeling adds a lot of potential for visual interest and can allow you to do some unique and even mind-bending things; however, it’s not necessarily always the answer.  I hadn’t to this point allowed myself to explore other options.

I decided to strip the design down even further, and relied on negative space, contrast, spacing, and scale to pull the necessary emotion and meaning out of this design, rather then trying to be overly complicated.  The white flag was a strong symbol, and I wanted to maximize that potential.

whiteflag_81

This design, by a longshot, generated the most positive response.  It may be the simplest design we’ve ever done– honestly, I spent about 15 minutes on the composition itself– but in this case, simple was the way to go.

]]> http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/06/22/design-white-flag/feed/ Vimeo Timelapse Finds http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/06/04/vimeo-timelapse-finds/ http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/06/04/vimeo-timelapse-finds/#comments Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:00:50 +0000 Matt http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/?p=3731 Here is an amazing timelapse video of the Iceland volcano using Canon 5d mkII.  Video by Sean Stiegemeier

Click here to view the embedded video. 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s how he created this video using a motorized dolly by www.dynamicperception.com (not available yet).  Incredible shots with this thing. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

]]> Here is an amazing timelapse video of the Iceland volcano using Canon 5d mkII.  Video by Sean Stiegemeier

Click here to view the embedded video. 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s how he created this video using a motorized dolly by www.dynamicperception.com (not available yet).  Incredible shots with this thing. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

]]> http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/06/04/vimeo-timelapse-finds/feed/ Lower Thirds, Scripture Notes, and Titles http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/05/25/lower-thirds-scripture-notes-and-titles/ http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/05/25/lower-thirds-scripture-notes-and-titles/#comments Tue, 25 May 2010 04:19:23 +0000 Brad http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/?p=3685 Over the years we have witnessed some pretty crazy “scripture notes”, “lower thirds”, and “titles” in the church world. Even North Point, on occasion, has been guilty of going a little off the ranch with some CRAZY looking lower thirds. No really, I’m not kidding. When your lower third is actually a third of your screen and the transition you programmed for it takes longer than 14 seconds - you might be a part of the “My lower thirds are more creative than your lower third” club. It definitely begs the question - are we thinking more about the creativity of some of these assets or their purpose; to communicate information?

Soooo, last summer we made the decision to TEMPLATE all of these assets. By template I mean that the animation, the shapes, and the concept of each series would have the same style of execution. The look inside of the template, however, would have different aesthetics that would be influenced by the look of the series.

We did this for two main reasons:
1 - We would NOT have to reinvent the wheel for every new series or message. We would just follow the same template and focus on implementing the aesthetics of the design.
2 - Predictability for the audience. Every time you animate something different, change a shape, a move, or even a FONT it not only takes some getting used to but it takes people’s focus away from the most critical piece - the information.

Let me say it this way when it comes to your lower thirds: Don’t let your creativity compete with the information, complement it.

One of the biggest changes we made in the development of the scripture slides specifically, was the addition of either the LOGO or ICON of the series. WE found that the more you push for this in your Key art - the easier it is to implement it elsewhere. A question you should ask in your design process: if I take this title/logo, lift it off it’s background, put it somewhere different, will it still be unique.

Below are some examples of of our series both with scripture notes and titles:

EASTER
screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-114808-pm

screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-114853-pm

“I Love my Church”
screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115050-pm

screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115019-pm

“White Flag”
screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115242-pm

screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115157-pm

“The Thin Line” with John Woodall.
screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115413-pm

screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115348-pm

“The Me I Want to Be” with John Ortberg
screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115508-pm

“Taking Responsibility For your Life” (we went a little different for the titles, which is ok to do, but at least you KNOW you are doing it. It’s ok to go outside your box, just determine what your box is.)
screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115829-pm

screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115812-pm

screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115744-pm

What are you doing with your scripture notes, lower thirds, or title slides?

]]> Over the years we have witnessed some pretty crazy “scripture notes”, “lower thirds”, and “titles” in the church world. Even North Point, on occasion, has been guilty of going a little off the ranch with some CRAZY looking lower thirds. No really, I’m not kidding. When your lower third is actually a third of your screen and the transition you programmed for it takes longer than 14 seconds - you might be a part of the “My lower thirds are more creative than your lower third” club. It definitely begs the question - are we thinking more about the creativity of some of these assets or their purpose; to communicate information?

Soooo, last summer we made the decision to TEMPLATE all of these assets. By template I mean that the animation, the shapes, and the concept of each series would have the same style of execution. The look inside of the template, however, would have different aesthetics that would be influenced by the look of the series.

We did this for two main reasons:
1 - We would NOT have to reinvent the wheel for every new series or message. We would just follow the same template and focus on implementing the aesthetics of the design.
2 - Predictability for the audience. Every time you animate something different, change a shape, a move, or even a FONT it not only takes some getting used to but it takes people’s focus away from the most critical piece - the information.

Let me say it this way when it comes to your lower thirds: Don’t let your creativity compete with the information, complement it.

One of the biggest changes we made in the development of the scripture slides specifically, was the addition of either the LOGO or ICON of the series. WE found that the more you push for this in your Key art - the easier it is to implement it elsewhere. A question you should ask in your design process: if I take this title/logo, lift it off it’s background, put it somewhere different, will it still be unique.

Below are some examples of of our series both with scripture notes and titles:

EASTER
screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-114808-pm

screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-114853-pm

“I Love my Church”
screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115050-pm

screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115019-pm

“White Flag”
screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115242-pm

screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115157-pm

“The Thin Line” with John Woodall.
screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115413-pm

screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115348-pm

“The Me I Want to Be” with John Ortberg
screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115508-pm

“Taking Responsibility For your Life” (we went a little different for the titles, which is ok to do, but at least you KNOW you are doing it. It’s ok to go outside your box, just determine what your box is.)
screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115829-pm

screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115812-pm

screen-shot-2010-04-07-at-115744-pm

What are you doing with your scripture notes, lower thirds, or title slides?

]]> http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/05/25/lower-thirds-scripture-notes-and-titles/feed/ “Sunday Morning” Video http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/05/19/sunday-morning-video/ http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/05/19/sunday-morning-video/#comments Wed, 19 May 2010 17:44:26 +0000 Brad http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/?p=3665 screen-shot-2010-05-19-at-13918-pm
On May 5th, we posted a video on our blog called “Sunday Morning”. This video was posted in a catalog of other videos from our annual Church leader conference we host called DRIVE. As a standard practice, we post our videos for the larger creative community because some of our best learning comes from those who view and comment on our work. Well, one week later and over 350,000 hits, this 3-minute video has created quite a stir. If context determines meaning, we can understand some of the questions and confusion surrounding this video. We unintentionally provided no context for it (like we did for all of our Drive videos) and some people have attempted to construe their own meaning for the video. While the conversations have been rich, we now feel responsible to provide some context to help people understand our purpose for the video. “Sunday Morning” was used specifically to employ fun into the conference and set up a message by Andy. The video was meant to be satirical and comical and Andy’s message unpacked the why behind our Sunday morning programming philosophy. That’s all there was to it. Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you for your responses on the various blogs.
Brad

]]> screen-shot-2010-05-19-at-13918-pm
On May 5th, we posted a video on our blog called “Sunday Morning”. This video was posted in a catalog of other videos from our annual Church leader conference we host called DRIVE. As a standard practice, we post our videos for the larger creative community because some of our best learning comes from those who view and comment on our work. Well, one week later and over 350,000 hits, this 3-minute video has created quite a stir. If context determines meaning, we can understand some of the questions and confusion surrounding this video. We unintentionally provided no context for it (like we did for all of our Drive videos) and some people have attempted to construe their own meaning for the video. While the conversations have been rich, we now feel responsible to provide some context to help people understand our purpose for the video. “Sunday Morning” was used specifically to employ fun into the conference and set up a message by Andy. The video was meant to be satirical and comical and Andy’s message unpacked the why behind our Sunday morning programming philosophy. That’s all there was to it. Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you for your responses on the various blogs.
Brad

]]> http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/05/19/sunday-morning-video/feed/ VIDEOS FOR DRIVE ‘10 http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/05/05/videos-for-drive-10/ http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/05/05/videos-for-drive-10/#comments Wed, 05 May 2010 20:09:24 +0000 Brad http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/?p=3645 Hey everybody. First of all, if you came to Drive 2010 we are so humbled and honored that you would take time out of your busy schedule to come to North Point and let us pour what is in our cup into yours. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones. Below is a list of some videos we did at Drive. I can’t say how proud I am of the media guys, our contractors and everyone at North Point that helped play a part in putting these together. For the conference, the team created over 200 different media and design elements. Thank you so much for checking them out.

HIGHLIGHT VIDEO. Let’s start with the last video played.
Click here to view the embedded video.

DRIVE OPENER
For copyright purposes we can’t put the TobyMac song we played (and the singer coming out of the ceiling.) Some things you just have to be there for!
We will try to get the graphics up for the song a bit later.
Click here to view the embedded video.

TITLE PACKAGES for all sessions.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.

DRIVE-BYEs for all sessions
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.

MINUTE TO WIN IT intro.
We copied the show but had to start from scratch on ALL the graphics.
Click here to view the embedded video.

SUNDAY’S COMING
Click here to view the embedded video.

FUN THEORY
Click here to view the embedded video.

TWITTER TRACKER (intro)
Click here to view the embedded video.

DRIVE LOGO (loop)
Click here to view the embedded video.

]]> Hey everybody. First of all, if you came to Drive 2010 we are so humbled and honored that you would take time out of your busy schedule to come to North Point and let us pour what is in our cup into yours. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones. Below is a list of some videos we did at Drive. I can’t say how proud I am of the media guys, our contractors and everyone at North Point that helped play a part in putting these together. For the conference, the team created over 200 different media and design elements. Thank you so much for checking them out.

HIGHLIGHT VIDEO. Let’s start with the last video played.
Click here to view the embedded video.

DRIVE OPENER
For copyright purposes we can’t put the TobyMac song we played (and the singer coming out of the ceiling.) Some things you just have to be there for!
We will try to get the graphics up for the song a bit later.
Click here to view the embedded video.

TITLE PACKAGES for all sessions.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.

DRIVE-BYEs for all sessions
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Click here to view the embedded video.

MINUTE TO WIN IT intro.
We copied the show but had to start from scratch on ALL the graphics.
Click here to view the embedded video.

SUNDAY’S COMING
Click here to view the embedded video.

FUN THEORY
Click here to view the embedded video.

TWITTER TRACKER (intro)
Click here to view the embedded video.

DRIVE LOGO (loop)
Click here to view the embedded video.

]]> http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/05/05/videos-for-drive-10/feed/ Coke having a little fun! http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/04/12/coke-having-a-little-fun/ http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/04/12/coke-having-a-little-fun/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:45:36 +0000 Brad http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/?p=3619 I may be a little late to the game with this video, but if this doesn’t make you smile, not sure what would! Great idea. Thanks Heather for passing it on!
Click here to view the embedded video.

]]> I may be a little late to the game with this video, but if this doesn’t make you smile, not sure what would! Great idea. Thanks Heather for passing it on!
Click here to view the embedded video.

]]> http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/04/12/coke-having-a-little-fun/feed/ EASTER COMPOSITING: Start to Finish http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/04/07/easter-compositing-start-to-finish/ http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/2010/04/07/easter-compositing-start-to-finish/#comments Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:00:11 +0000 Matt http://insidenorthpoint.org/media/?p=3492 Hey Guys & Gals! Here are a few tricks I used while creating our Easter Opener and turning a stock video into something unique.  Hopefully some of these techniques you can find useful in your own projects.  Check it out, then see the process behind it.

Click here to view the embedded video.
_____________________________________________________________

ORIGINAL CLIP (purchased from iStockVideo)
 picture-1 
FINAL PRODUCT
 picture-4 
Different Levels of Animation
picture-3 picture-5
_____________________________________________________________
AfterFX SCREENS
bigscreen

_____________________________________________________________
CREATING LANDSCAPE 
Original image felt very flat to me.  So i wanted to add some depth/scenery.  Remember your Old Artbeats Nature footage- it’s still useful for compositing & makes things better.
 picture-21
_____________________________________________________________
COLOR TREATMENT
CREATING A QUICK SUNSET.  Place this Color Solid above ALL layers and blend it down.  I chose “Color Burn”, but whatever works best in your situation.
picture-10
picture-11
_____________________________________________________________
ADJUSTMENT LAYER - Add Contrast
Place Adjustment Layer above ALL layers, Add LEVELS to it.  Jack the contrast and you’ll be amazing at what was once flat quickly becomes DYNAMIC!
  picture-13 picture-12
 Before & After LEVELS
 picture-14picture-15
_____________________________________________________________
LIGHTING
Add a Light to your 3D Camera.  Helps create a Vignette Effect, and can really do some cool things as foreground objects fly by.
Make sure your layers have 3D turned on, or the light will not show up.
picture-16 
Before & After Lighting (Subtle but Nicer)
 picture-17picture-18
_____________________________________________________________
FOREGROUND OBJECTS
Adding Foreground layers really makes your 3D camera move become dynamic because of the different speed it moves as compared with background.  Also has a nice effect when you have your camera DOF turn on.
picture-9 picture-8
Use Blending Modes as Needed
picture-7

_____________________________________________________________
ADDING MORE LAYERS (Realism)
I purchased pre-made birds in iStockVideo.  You can also create your own birds.  Sometimes it’s just worth the $25 to save you the time.
CreativeCow Bird Tutorial

Multiply Layer or key out white. I multiplied layer and slowed down footage for effect.
picture-2picture-6
_____________________________________________________________

LENS FLARE
Creating a realistic sun.  AfterFX Lens Flare can suffice, but I really wanted the sun to feel as realistic as possible.  We purchased an amazing plug-in from Video Copilot called OPTICAL FLARES.  This plug is incredible!  So many options and Flare FX.  This won’t be last time we use this.  You know all those Star Trek lens flares… this can create those as well.

 picture-19
I masked out tree trunk and put it above FLARE layer as to not completely blow out tree.

Before & After
picture-23picture-22   
Keyframe your Brightness to create your sunrise.
picture-20 
_____________________________________________________________

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE TECHNIQUES IN AFTERFX or FCP?

 

 


]]> Hey Guys & Gals! Here are a few tricks I used while creating our Easter Opener and turning a stock video into something unique.  Hopefully some of these techniques you can find useful in your own projects.  Check it out, then see the process behind it.

Click here to view the embedded video.
_____________________________________________________________

ORIGINAL CLIP (purchased from iStockVideo)
 picture-1 
FINAL PRODUCT
 picture-4 
Different Levels of Animation
picture-3 picture-5
_____________________________________________________________
AfterFX SCREENS
bigscreen

_____________________________________________________________
CREATING LANDSCAPE 
Original image felt very flat to me.  So i wanted to add some depth/scenery.  Remember your Old Artbeats Nature footage- it’s still useful for compositing & makes things better.
 picture-21
_____________________________________________________________
COLOR TREATMENT
CREATING A QUICK SUNSET.  Place this Color Solid above ALL layers and blend it down.  I chose “Color Burn”, but whatever works best in your situation.
picture-10
picture-11
_____________________________________________________________
ADJUSTMENT LAYER - Add Contrast
Place Adjustment Layer above ALL layers, Add LEVELS to it.  Jack the contrast and you’ll be amazing at what was once flat quickly becomes DYNAMIC!
  picture-13 picture-12
 Before & After LEVELS
 picture-14picture-15
_____________________________________________________________
LIGHTING
Add a Light to your 3D Camera.  Helps create a Vignette Effect, and can really do some cool things as foreground objects fly by.
Make sure your layers have 3D turned on, or the light will not show up.
picture-16 
Before & After Lighting (Subtle but Nicer)
 picture-17picture-18
_____________________________________________________________
FOREGROUND OBJECTS
Adding Foreground layers really makes your 3D camera move become dynamic because of the different speed it moves as compared with background.  Also has a nice effect when you have your camera DOF turn on.
picture-9 picture-8
Use Blending Modes as Needed
picture-7

_____________________________________________________________
ADDING MORE LAYERS (Realism)
I purchased pre-made birds in iStockVideo.  You can also create your own birds.  Sometimes it’s just worth the $25 to save you the time.
CreativeCow Bird Tutorial

Multiply Layer or key out white. I multiplied layer and slowed down footage for effect.
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LENS FLARE
Creating a realistic sun.  AfterFX Lens Flare can suffice, but I really wanted the sun to feel as realistic as possible.  We purchased an amazing plug-in from Video Copilot called OPTICAL FLARES.  This plug is incredible!  So many options and Flare FX.  This won’t be last time we use this.  You know all those Star Trek lens flares… this can create those as well.

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I masked out tree trunk and put it above FLARE layer as to not completely blow out tree.

Before & After
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Keyframe your Brightness to create your sunrise.
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WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE TECHNIQUES IN AFTERFX or FCP?

 

 


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