CSI Style "Flashback" effect in Final Cut or After Effects?

Hi everyone,

I know this isn't exactly a Star Wars question, but I am creating a film for school in which I want to have a CSI style flashback. For anyone who's seen the show (who hasn't?), I'm talking about the shots where like they are interrogating the suspect, and you see a flashback to what happened, with the grainy effect and something like a slowmotion lensflare type thing. Any ideas on what to do? I have Final Cut Pro and After Effects.


Thanks
Sean

 

I've not seen the show, and I'm sure there are others here who haven't either, so maybe if you explain the exact effect you're looking for a little better we'd be able to help out?

 

Im familiar with the effect, I just started watching CSI about 2 weeks ago, and Im hooked.

Anyway, my best guess would be that they heavily saturate the footage, add a bit of noise, then apply a glow to it. As far as the lens flares, I believe they just overlay a bit of Trapcodes Shine to the footage.

The next thing to do would be do drop the framerate. I think this is what gives it that distant, almost slow-mo look to it. Unfortuately, Ive never tried the effect, so I couldn't tell you if its going to look right, but thats a starting point, I'll pay close attention to it tonight, and see if I see anything else.

gallion311


EDIT: Now you've got me thinking, I grabbed a clip from one of the lightsaber Choreography entries, and applied my ideal effects to it; as if it was a CSI flashback, i think it looks awesome! Is this what your looking for?

http://www.ryangallion.com/CSI.avi

If your interested, I'll write an official tutorial for it, the only extra plugin it requires in AE is Shine, but because its such a little amount of shine, your Radial Blur effect would work.

gallion311

 

I think you should also have a sort of "dreamy" thing at the edges. and decreasing the colours, then doing what you did

 

Elaborate on the "dreamy edges" if you would.

Also, We'll have to get a screenshot from CSI or something, b/c I thought one of the main effects was to over-saturate the footage, and your saying to de-saturate...

Can anyone else help solve the satuartion issue?

 

Being a huge CSI fan, the "flashback" scenes changed over the seasons, and sometimes for different events. Like on recent episode was about a Sherlock Holmes group and the Flashbacks were done in a 1900's sepia tone style. and then the flashbacks change depending on if its night time or daytime.

i dont know how to work AE and all that stuff (though I want to learn), so youll have to get a screen capture of the exact look you want.

The "dreamy edges" from my memory seemed to be dark, so it frames the scene. but not just jet black, it kinda blends in.

 

Ok, I made 2 screenshots. They are pretty close to the video clip posted before, though I think there is less flare. Here are the links:

Screenshot 1

Screenshot 2


Note that some of the grain is from my TiVo and TV tuner card.

Thanks

 

Those actually look pretty good to me.

 

well i had to try it....

www.brokensaberproductions.com/downloads/nice2.mov