[Chris Warren]

I do this pretty often for the wiggle effect

If you are using expressions you could control the wiggle with a Slider Control:
Alt/Option click on the stopwatch next to the property you wish to wiggle, for example the Position. When the expression text comes up in the timeline (transform.position) You would retype a wiggle expression like wiggle(10,10,10) Then, add a slider controller to your layer from the Effect window- it’s under expression controls. Then you can pick whip the wiggle to the slider – to do that, highlight the second 10 in the parenthesis and then click the curly pick whip icon from the position property to the slider control stopwatch. Now the Slider control will control the amount of wiggle, and you can keyframe that to speed up and slow down.

OR

you could use the Wiggle Effect preset and just keyframe that.

“You are the universe experiencing itself”
ChrisW
http://www.azprovideo.com

[Chris Warren]

Thanks guys this confirms what I had planned to do, so at least I know my thinking was along the right lines. He happens to live fairly close so I can pop by when I need to.

“You are the universe experiencing itself”
ChrisW
http://www.azprovideo.com

[Chris Warren]

double click on the mask you want to flip so you get the transform box around it, then grab one side of the box and drag until you have a mirrored version.

Hope this works!

“You are the universe experiencing itself”
ChrisW
http://www.azprovideo.com

[Chris Warren]

Decrease the resolution in the Preview to half, or lower if needed

“You are the universe experiencing itself”
ChrisW
http://www.azprovideo.com

[Chris Warren]

Read the post and immediately thought of the Twitch plugin as well, but Vishesh beat me to it.

If your text is on a solid background you could spice it up with a grittier looking background image like a brick wall or stone texture. Then try playing with the blending mode on the text.

Or you could always use a pre-built after effects template, there are plenty of free ones out there if you search for ’em.
Not sure is this is what you’re looking for but here’s one I built a while back, your welcome to use it if you like:

https://firecrackermedia.net/smashed-after-effect-template/

“You are the universe experiencing itself”
ChrisW
http://www.azprovideo.com

[Chris Warren]

Thanks Ned,
Spent 6 years working for a Mega Church. Best job ever. Guess I’ll start calling around.

“You are the universe experiencing itself”
ChrisW
http://www.azprovideo.com

[Chris Warren]

Thanks for the response Walter!
I bookmarked and read those articles a while back. Very helpful!
In fact the section where you talk about saying No to certain potential pain-in-the-ass clients led me to cut loose an ongoing cheapo client that was paying almost nothing for what was really just a headache. The funny part is, she just emailed the other day saying she has been struggling with finding someone else, and is willing to pay full price to do the work “right”

The reason I switched jobs was to build up enough cash to actually make the switch to freelance, what I realized in the process is how much I hate office jobs. I may struggle to find the time to take a weekend off to go away with the kid when I am self employed, but at least I don’t have to fill out a “Time off request sheet”

I don’t think I really expect to work less, Just be away less. I find that part of me loves the nights when my kid falls asleep on the floor of the home office while I edit way into the night and next morning drinking tea and eating chips. For some reason 80 hours at home just feels way better that 40 hours in an office to me.

“You are the universe experiencing itself”
ChrisW
http://www.azprovideo.com

[Chris Warren]

I wouldn’t classify your opinion as stupid. I value the opinion of someone that has your experience, that is one reason I come here to the Cow, to grab info from those that have gone before me. As for myself, I certainly don’t have anywhere near the years and experience that you and some of the other folks here do, but I am definitely not some young kid fresh outta school. I began working in audio production in 1996 and made the professional transition to video around 2001. I have been doing freelance work for about 10 years and have built up a small client base as well as a bit of my own experience.
To respond to your points:

1) I began covering my own insurance about 5 or 6 years ago
2) Couldn’t agree more, I learned the hard way never to count on money that isn’t in my hands.
3) I always thought that too about most “rock stars”. However, there are artists such as The Grateful Dead or Phish that don’t rely on setlists, and mundane formats, and love to get creative with their songs and incorporate spontaneity and improvisation. Same thing with jazz, Some of the most mind-blowing live music I have ever heard was completely improvised jazz.

I guess I am really more of an improvisational Freelance Jazz Editor
-I think I will print that on my business cards.

“You are the universe experiencing itself”
ChrisW
http://www.azprovideo.com

[Chris Warren]

Fist off Bob, my prayers and best wishes to your mother-in-law.

Secondly, I appreciate your opinion. I have been poking around these forums for awhile and have read a lot of your posts. Truth be told I was secretly hoping for a response from you because of how much I value your business sense, knowledge and yes, your opinion. You’re kind of a virtual guru of mine and I have learned quite a bit from you here.

However, Yours is not a life that I desire. Your life sounds like a death sentence to me. I hope I never became so consumed with my job and money that the rest of my life becomes a secondary thought.
I find that my personal values and goals in life differ greatly from almost anyone I have ever talked to in the business world, where financial success seems to be the point of life.

Again Bob, I respect your genius,experience and wisdom but seriously, “The only reward is the money”? I edit video because I love it. If I wasn’t getting paid to edit video right now do you know what I would be doing? Editing video! The church I used to work for calls me to do projects for them occasionally and they have no idea how thrilled that makes me, not for the money but because I friggin love to animate elephants and goldfish and crap for pre-schoolers(my favorite part is doing the voices). Makes me feel like my life has value and worth. I realize it’s not all editing all the time and that there is balance of sales/business/hard work that factors into the equation. But I promise you that the day I stop loving what I’m doing is the day I decide to stop doing it.

It’s not the 9-5 hours that I hate, it is the mundane routine that comes with a 9-5 job. I don’t know how to tie a neck tie and I hope I never learn.
I am willing to admit that I may be a fool that will get eatten up in the freelance world, and may struggle to pay for my kids collage, and maybe I should get out of freelance altogether and go back to painting houses. I also realize that I like to dream bigger than is likely possible, and there are probably a lot of folks that think, this guy has got a lot to learn about what its like out there, But honestly, what ever path I end up on will be the right one as long as I stay true to myself.

Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying here. I am not under the impression that I can just work a few hours a week and skip through life with a smile and a flower. I work my ass off, but I make a personal choice to draw a line somewhere. If that means I drive a 09 Subaru instead of ’12 Lexus then that is fine with me. I have no intention making up for my absence to my family by throwing money at them. I’d rather spend an afternoon with my daughter at the park or playing guitar than buying her some crap ass piece of expensive technology she doesn’t need. Her car will be a Schwinn unless she has a job and earns it on her own.

I spent all last night finishing an animation project and all day with my daughter, and now I need to get back to this wedding video while my daughter is in the living room planning a sleepover with the neighbor kid(When she asks, I’ll act like this is a big deal, but I already know I’m gonna say yes)

Anyways, I hope you don’t hate me cause you’re one of the guys I look up to on here!

“You are the universe experiencing itself”
ChrisW
http://www.azprovideo.com

[Chris Warren]

Thanks Ned this is some very good information for me. I am in the process of gathering as much information and forming a strong strategy right now, so all of this information is very helpful. Hoping to make the jump in the next 6 months.

I have read a lot of these “Anyone have advice for going into business?” threads on here and thought it would be a good idea to open up the question again with my situation.

“You are the universe experiencing itself”
ChrisW
http://www.azprovideo.com