The "Everything" Topic - Filmmaking Tutorials, Resources, Etc.

Here is my tutorial on the fastest and easiest way to rotoscope lightsabers in after effects.

Download 50 megs
http://www.mediamax.com/soundsforsamplers/Hosted/smallrototut.wmv

or
Stream
http://forcefx.proboards43.com/index.cgi?board=filmmaking&action=display&thread=1166180782

 

Here's a recent article outlining the current market for camcorders:

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/CamInfo-Selects-2006.htm

I'm somewhat surprised the HVX200 isn't mentioned, but there are some cameras here that would give it a run for it's money. Currently I think the best bang for the buck is the Canon XH-A1.

-Spiff

 

How do you reverse a shot in Avid Xpress Pro?

 

Been a long time since I cracked open an Avid package, but I believe you can set the speed of your desired clip to -100% and it will play in reverse. Hope that helps!

 

Lol yeah thanks...I eventually figured it out and discovered a handful of other cute little tricks.

 

Copied from another thread where I posted this, I think it's relevant and shouldn't die with that one, I think.

"My advice for how to go about doing it?

1) Write your script EXACTLY how you want to tell your story. Think about the ideal, not what you think you can get away with doing for no money.

2) Unless you are working with HD, or have a studio already at your disposal, look for a public access station (http://www.communitymedia.se/cat/linksus.htm). They have great equipment you can use for free after like a $40 course that takes two days. They usually have a nice control room, a greenscreen, a lighting grid, and other volunteers who know how to operate the equipment. Often they will have editing resources for you as well.

3) Contact your local film office or commission, they can help you a lot with locations.

4) Hook up with your local chapters of the 501st and Rebel Legion. Costumers are not used to their full advantage in fanfilming, and they WANT to be. Why do you think James, Lucasfim's pick for Mace Windu is coming from TEXAS to MARYLAND, at his own cost, for no pay? Because he wants to be in a fanfilm. A lot of fanfilms have lacked in the costuming and prop depts. Not all, but most of you could get seriously hooked up with these guys.

5) Don't be afraid to ask here. You seen a fanfilm with a Hoth-like location? Ask where it was shot. Now things can get pricey here (I'm organizing a trip to Canada for a couple of scenes for my next project, it's gonna cost me) but there are ways to work around that too with volunteers from that area and a greenscreen.

6) Never, never, never give up. You need a plane? you need a pirate ship? you need a submarine? There are groups, and businesses, and organizations who will help you if you just keep looking."

 

Here is a shot I did with my Canon GL-2, and post-work in After Effects.
Too bad YouTube robbed me of my contrast and my quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE46LXOqJcw

Enjoy

 

The Crew of Two Hologram Link is dead. I'm sure this has been addressed before, but just in case it hasn't.

 

Oh and it looks like Jahshaka moved to www.jahshaka.org/ although, it seems to be pretty buggy judging by the posts in the forum.

 

LIGHTSABERS AND MORE TUTORIAL UPDATED MARCH 6TH 2007!





Had to, sorry

 

http://www.communitymedia.se/cat/linksus.htm

The link was kind of lost above, it merits it's own post. This link is a list of all known Public Access Stations in the United States, and links to their websites. Offering free equipment and facilities after you take a small, usually week-long course, the Public Access Stations are a great resource especially for people at our level of work in the industry.

 

Howard, I was doing some looking into Pub access stations, and the ones I found put a lot of restrictions on what you could do, etc (you had to put their logo at the begining, but a disclaimer at the beginging, etc) and it also seemed like they were expecting you to use the facilities for television work. Is this just the way it works, or are some stations differant that others?

 

You can find that tutorial here.

 

Andrew Kramer rocks.

 

Hey,

The link to the 3D Studio Max Opening Crawl is dead.

I reported it to the webmaster but got no reply.

Does anyone still have the tute?

Thanks

 

Was it on fanfilms.com or in this thread? I wasn't sure I was looking at the same link you were.

 

It was on Fanfilms.com in the http://www.theforce.net/fanfilms/tutorials.asp section

 

i need help. I have after effects cs3, and I can't use the lightning tutorials becuase there is a part in the very begining that says, "...now go to effects > render > lightning, but when I go to effects at the top of the prog, i don't see the word "render" any where in there. Help, please?

 

it's alright, it was simple, generate is another word for render, since I'm new to special effects and all, I wanted to do everything as I see in the tutorials.

 

Sorry for the late reply - unfortunately the mods here in the forum (save for Dorkman can't edit the main page at all. If the link is dead you can try archive.org though and use the wayback machine.

 

Of the free CGI/Video Animation programs listed on Pg. 1, what would you guys reccomend and why?

 

Blender all the way. That program is super easy to use once you sit down for about an hour figuring out what does what. I use it all the time now, even for 2d effects. Blender even has composite nodes, which help out alot.

 

I am a recent Blender convertee and let me give my heartiest recomendation to any one who is considering what 3D app to choose and who has limited resources. I tried Blender back in '05 and hated it. It was version 2.36 I believe and I got so frustrated with all of the keys you had to memorize and the amount of work it took to make anything. I decided to instead buy Electric Image Universe 3D toolkit version. It is a very good program for 100 dollars and it ships with tons of tutorials, the problem is, outside of dvgarage, who sells it, there is little support for it and they cut out IK rigging and absolutely slaughtered the particle program. So I decided to give Blender another try(version2.44), I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it was now much easier to use and the features were incredible!! Here is a still from a tidal wave I animated in Blender [image=http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j72/mithrawnurodo/water_blender.jpg] It isnt perfect but to me(at least) it looks cool . (rendering time by the way on this frame was 6 hours roughly) It was incredibly easy to IK rig a character and there is lots of support for it and easy tutorials to follow. Especially on youtube.
I would definently advise anyone who is just getting into this stuff to give Blender a try, you wont be disappointed. :thumbs:

 

This should be added on the first page.

http://www.screenwriting.info/

Reading it now. Very useful.

 

Looking at the first post in this thread I'm wondering if there's any free programs for editing that have been developed since then. It doesn't need to be fancy, just free.