[Michael Duff]

that looks like stock footage of film effects layered over the top using transfer modes….

if you don’t want to buy stock footage, then you will need to just make coloured solids, mask them and feather the masks. Apply different transfer modes… mix different coloured solids… keyframe the opacity… maybe apply blurs…

there’s really a million variations, so just play around until you get the look youre after

[Michael Duff]

try using a “compound blur” either on that layer or on an adjustment layer above… check out the help files to learn more about compound blur.

or make an adjustment layer and apply a fast blur, the draw a mask around the area you want blurred. Probably feather the mask. And click “repeat edge pixels” in the effects pallette.

hope that gets you on the right track

[Michael Duff]

you should read the post about three down from this one…. I’m sure it will answer your question.

in addition…. if you are importing from Illustrator make sure you save as .ai or .eps – then when they are in the timeline select the continuously rasterise button (look in the help to find it)

any bitmap file (png, bmp, jpg, psd etc etc etc) will get jaggies as soon as you scale above 100%

[Michael Duff]

timeremap should do the job … but it’s hard to know where you are going wrong… maybe search around for some tutorials, I know there are a few floating around the net.

or, you could export a single from of the frame you want to freeze on.. then re-import it as a still…. ?

[Michael Duff]

1.
are you using the text tool? this is the best option because it continuosly rasterises.. meaning that you can scale above 100% without getting “jaggies” as long as you haven’t pre-composed it.

If you are using the text effect, and applying it to a solid, then it doesn’t continuosly rasterise… meaning that if you scale above 100% you will get the “jaggies”

If you are importing text in as bitmaps (ie from photoshop) then the same deal applies, You can’t scale above 100%.

Did that make sense?

2.
You want to use alpha mattes (or luma mattes) to do this. Have a text layer, then below have the texture you want in the text. Then on the lower layer, select “Alpha Matte” from the modes section. Check out the attached picture and it’ll all make sense….. notice also how the text is scaled above 100% but is still crisp…. this is because I used the text tool.`

https://www.bearcage.dreamhosters.com/duff/TRK_MAT.jpg

[Michael Duff]

yeah, it’s a combination of “rotoscoping” and “tracking” – so basically drawing a mask around the talent. If you do a search of the forums and tutorials for both of these techniques you will be well on the right track to creating an effect like this.

Have a look, then if you have more questions ask again…

good luck!

[Michael Duff]

hi Al … you know what’s weird (and super geeky) … I actually had a dream about transfer modes last night! then that was wacky to get your post …. anyways, things are OK here …. working lots …. and it’s starting to get frickin cold here (well, cold for Canberra, but that’s bad enough for me)

have fun transfering modes,
Duff

P.S…… why “duff lady”?

[Michael Duff]

why don’t you pre-compose the top layers (select them and hit ctrl+chift+c) and then apply the effect to the precomp?

[Michael Duff]

so I’m guessing that your source was compressed DV footage …. and you rendered out uncompressed … hence the size difference… if you are not all that knowledgable on compression and codecs do a bit of a google search and you’ll find lots of information….

my suggestion is to render out of AE only the bits you are modifying, then import just those back into your edit program.

With the timecode window you could make a smaller composition that’s just a black solid with the timecode over it and just render that out, then put it on in your edit program …. then you’d also have a timecode window you can keep for future use.

if you must render out the entire program then you’ll need to decide on a codec to use… DV is very lossy but your files will remain small … there are other options like Quicktime Animation, PhotoJPEG, and more…. you just have to balance file size with quality.

hope that helps!

[Michael Duff]

this is a bit harder to do in AE if you want it to be a true circle …. but there are ways:

you could make a long crawl, then pre-comp it and apply a sphere effect … I think there is one in effects->distort. It will take a bit of tweaking to get right but should work.

you could place each word in 3D space, then put a null object in the middle of the circle, parent all the words to the null and then rotate it. The problem with this method is that the words are not curved so its not a true circle. I think there is probably some expressions or plug-ins around that will make this method easier.

maybe search for “3d assistant” or “3D expressions” or “sphere” and you might find some more helpful answers ..

good luck