[Zvi Twersky]

There is another way to create this kind of effect, depending on the type of quality you want and of course, is also can be time consuming.

This way is to export the frame you want to “walk around” as a still image into photoshop. Then you can create layers from the various objects in the image. The more layers you create (the more you break up the image into layers) the more of a 3d effect you can have in after effects, or whatever editing software you will be using to “stroll” around the image via a camera.

Here is an example of an image I took and made just 2 layers from the foreground and background:

https://gat101.co.il/movie.wmv

both layers move a little and the background blurs a little at the end.

Of course, since this is only 2 layers, I don’t have much 3d to play around with, but you get the idea.

Another thing to remember when dealing with an image. An image is a 2d layer. Even when you seperate it into layers like mentioned above, you are not making the layers 3d, rather just using the layers to stimulate 3d… giving an illusion of 3d.

If you REALLY want to get crazy and create the best 3d illusion you can get, you would need to recreate or redraw on some of the layers and I’ll explain:

Imagine a photo of 2 tress, one in back of another but slightly showing. You want to create a 3d illusion of a camera panning or dollying around the trees. Now if you just create 2 layers, you only have the front tree and half of the second tree, so even if you start moving the first tree as we “go around” it, the second tree would be cut… so what you can do on the half tree layer (in photoshop) is to “recreate” or “draw” the second half of the half tree in its own layer. You can do this in many ways for instance with cloning or painting.

Then, when moving around the first layer, the second layer will be revealed and of course it won’t be cut, giving it a true 3d effect.

There is software that can also take images and try to create 3d images out of them so you can rotate it in full 3d and it won’t be just a line when you rotate it 90 degrees. I wasn’t so pleased with the results of these programs though.

So have fun and good luck!

[Zvi Twersky]

you are correct. I guess when I used the fill over stroke originaly, I wasn’t using a good font, so it looked jaggy.

[Zvi Twersky]

Dropshadow with 0 distance just hides the whole shadow. Anything else will not make a unified shadow, rather, it will be just like it’s supposed to be… a shadow… only casting color to one side.

The glow was a little better but there is no way to completly remove the feathering so it’s just a sharp text border. Also, it requires tweaking the glow settings. I can’t imagine that there is no simple text border to apply to text like there is in Photoshop and even in premiere pro.

Does anyone know how they apply the text borders on the subtitles in the movies?

[Zvi Twersky]

Here are some excelent free tutorials for your issues, plus much more, but what’s good about them, is that they show you actual footage of video shots to demonstrate what he’s talking about:

https://www.izzyvideo.com/

You said that you shoot 30i… I wanted to ask why would one usually shoot i and not progressive? Is it because of the TV broadcast you need it for?

[Zvi Twersky]

So if I want to keep things simple and just shoot progressive, what should I get if about %50 of my projects need to be in NTSC and %50 need to be in PAL?

[Zvi Twersky]

Also, what you said about HD I completly understand, but my budget won’t allow me this for now.

[Zvi Twersky]

The DVX100b PAL can shoot also 50i, so I guess this would be what I can shoot in for later downconverting to NTSC..

Why do you only say “downconverted to SD NTSC”… Can’t you downconvert to DV? Or is that not possible since with 50i I’m shooting interlaced and not progressive?

[Zvi Twersky]

Thank you for the relpy. I really fell in love with this camera and want to get it, but I need to make both PAL and NTSC videos, since I will have different projects that will need different formats.

Is it a big deal to get this camera and convert from PAL to NTSC or visa versa when needed, or do I have to give up this purchace and get a camera that can shoot both?

[Zvi Twersky]

Thanks Dave.
Yes, I understood this from Steve’s last post. You both helped me a lot.

[Zvi Twersky]

There you go! Now I understand. Thanks so much!