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MAX opening video effects
In the MAX expo video opening titles, to be found at:
https://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/events/max/max2005/video/
there is that “wheatfield” which the camera flies over. I tried to achieve that effect by using the same technique as the “Belief crowd tutorial” (link is on the trapcode website), but it didn’t work out so nicely. Could anyone tell me how i can do that without live footage. (Perhaps “Particular” can do it, maybe i didn’t do it right).Any help appreciated,
-A.N. -
4 Replies
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It looks to me like it’s just 4 loopable images that run horizontally. I don’t think there is any true 3D movement. You could make the loopable graphic in Photoshop. Ask me if you’re not familiar with the method.
-Greg
Antifreeze Design
https://www.antifreezemotiongraphics.com -
I’m not really familiar with this method, could you please clarify how you would do this?
thanx
-A.N. -
Sure. In Photoshop, create yourself a nice little horizon hill, but make sure the vertical height on both sides of the screen is the same. Then, using “offset image” (I think it’s under the “video” effects), offset your image horizontally about half the width of your psd doc. You should have the left and right edges butting up against each other in the middle of your screen, with the the left and right edge wrapping around. Now, use whatever method works best for you (rubber stamp, etc.) to paint the seam out. Once you have something that looks convincing, save your psd (with the alpha transparency where the sky would be). You can make as many of these layers as you feel necessary to give the illusion of parallax motion. The more, the more convincing, although in Macromedia’s example, 4 seemed to be quite adequate.
Once back in AE, put one of horizon graphics on screen (it should be at least as wide as the comp you want to make). Put another one butted up to it’s right side. If you did a good job in photoshop, it should look seamless (you’ll have to slide the seam over to the middle of your comp while you’re doing this, or you won’t be able to see your seam). Set your comp to be 5:00 seconds long, and put a position keyframe at your start (:01 )for both comps. Move down the timeline to 4:29, your last frame. Move both comps together to the left until your second graphic is in exactly the same place that your first was. Your first graphic should now be off screen to the left, and AE should’ve automatically made keyframes for the new positions.
Once you’ve made sure it’s working as you’d hoped, you may notice that there’s a slight studder as the comp repeats itself. This is because :01 and 4:29 look identical. Move your keyframes at 4:29 off the timeline to 5:00. I only had you work with them at 4:29, because your comp goes grey if you try to work off the end of your timeline. Now, it should loop seamlessly.
Create 3 more comps like this, keeping in mind that closer hills should cycle faster, and further ones should cycle slower. So, if you make 4 total variations (one of them may be a sky background), you’ll want them all to move at their own pace, but also maybe want to cycle the comp that they all live in. If you want this to be infinitely loopable, you’ll need to find a common denominator that can be the loop point for this master comp. For example, if you have a 4 sec. looping comp, a 6 sec. looping comp, and a 8 sec. looping comp, you’ll need to make a master comp that is 24 seconds long, so that they can all end at the same place, ready to start over as your movie file loops. This looping ability may not pertain to your needs, so if not, all the easier. Your master comp can be as long as you need it for your shot to work.
Hope it helps,
Greg.Antifreeze Design
https://www.antifreezemotiongraphics.com -
Thanks Greg, that was very clear.
-A.N.
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