Opening Sequence Generator

Many film makers will probably agree with the notion that any movie's apparently 'simple' effects shots are almost always some of the most difficult to produce: case in point, the Star Wars opening crawl. I have been trying for weeks now, and researching for some months, into how to create an authentic opening sequence for my movie, including spoofs of the LucasFilm and 20th Century Fox Logos as well as the crawl itself. I have tried numerous methods, following tutorials and at one point using the template Max crawl available from Sci-Fi 3D; I found that this, however, (being just a texture mapped onto a flat plane) tended to produce a sort of weird distortion as the text receded, and as for the opening logos even following tutorials was going to require a hell of a lot of work to produce something half-decent.

Well, guys, I think I've found it: one program, an entire sequence, and no hassle. Check it out here: http://alienryderflex.com/crawl/. Unfortunately I don't have a Mac so I can't tell you how good it actually is, but from the screenshots it looks pretty impressive. On the subject, if anyone out there actually has a Mac and would consider taking the time, would it be possible for someone to perhaps install this program and render out a sequence for me? This just looks too good an opportunity to pass up, and I only hope for all our sakes that it isn't too good to be true; else the struggle could finally be over!

 

There's no need for another program if you have Max. Set up a camera, get the right fonts, and create spline text for the crawl. Add a little motion blur and it couldn't be any easier.

 

True, but this is still quicker and easier ^_^ Besides, now you don't have to worry about those opening logos

 

The program you're talking about (crawlmaker)

is really a disastrous programm... it doesn't even produce a 1/2000000000000 result. It's totally useless unless you want people to trow away you're movie before it begins....

If you want a crawl... you'll have to do work for it....

if you don't have the skills then just mail someone...

I would like to make you a crawl because I hate bad ones...

so don't waste you're time on this junk.....

 

Fair enough, like I said I've never tried it because I don't have a Mac; just looked good. Guess I'm back to square one lol, I may just take you up on your offer. On the subject, I've been doing some research and discovered that in the movies they typed the text in Illustrator and used something called formZ to convert the .eps into geometry which could be imported to a 3D program. I've managed to get hold of formZ and I'm trying that out, once it's done I need to take it into Max and animate it: would you be interested in helping me out with that?

 

Well, I have a Mac.

I could try to render that for you, so we can definitely see if the result is good or bad.

Take care.

 

Mmm

I do my scrolls with After Effects.....

they look like this:

[image=http://www.ricardo-musch.com/showweb/SCROLL_TCR_Final_00491.jpg]

[image=http://www.ricardo-musch.com/showweb/tcr.JPG]

[image=http://www.ricardo-musch.com/showweb/SCROLL_TCR_Final_01618.jpg]



I'm very willingly to help

Just give a PM

 

Good results, DarthRicmu. And good to see another ToD worker

I rendered a test, that can be downloaded here (55.8 MB)

I made it in good quality, to see how good it is.

The problems I found:
-It could be difficult to make the camera pan down after the crawl.
-You can't write "Episode X" without capital letters, because it won't be centered. (you could use the space bar for that, I think)
-The Lucasfilm Inc (ish) logo's color transition should be a little changed. In some moments its too blue or too orange.
-Most of special characters are not supported.

But it could work for beginners, and people who can't use 3D applications. The result is pretty acceptable in those cases.

 

I still stand for it that you'd just ask someone to do it.... You'll get better results

I'd be happy to do it.... (and more people do )

@Darksapiens

Nice to see another ToD fx guy too

 

I agree with GeneralJarJar, if you have MAX...what's the problem? Problems I see at times if people do get the fonts...color etc...right, they blow the star field. First have a great starfield then go. I found that if you add a little blue tint to the stars it looks cool. My 2 cents.

 

Windows movie maker has the text crawl ability built in. Its a Title overlay; you just pick the color and font, then type in what you want it to say, and place the title over a starry background.

 

Not the same thing at all. That's a 2D effect with just the text going straight up the screen. In the Star Wars opening crawl it has text in 3D space going out in front of the camera at an angle.

 

Easiest and quickest way to do this is as posted earlier...In a 2d software package like After Effects or Combustion. It can be done in a 3d program but why? It's easier to have control over the lighting, editing the copy etc in AE or Combustion. IMO anyhow.

Later,
Steve

 

Yeah...
like iposted my images (they're from after effects) I posted some scrolls I made for people on the fanfilms board... and some people said they were the nicest they ever have seen in fanfilms.... so yeah... I liked the compliments and went to further perfectionize my scrolls... and now I have a perfect own made template (in my opinion perfect ).... if anyone wants a scroll I can just change the text file and there ya go... an nice scroll so.....


I also tried them once in Maya but the lighting gave me some difficulties so I went to do it 2D

(oh BTW ILM also does it 2D... just get an still from you're pulll down to intro movie and get the scroll over it...so like the EP III intro... they got a still from it and made the scroll in a 2D compositing programm and composited over the image... )

 

It looks just like the star wars one. it goes "into" the screen like in the movies.
It's called "Scroll, Perspective" in movie maker.

 

You must have an updated version then because the one I have doesn't have that at all.

 

Cool, well thanks for your help everyone! Sorry for the lack of replies lately by the way, I should probably just apologise, my Internet's been down recently... If you'd be willing to do me a crawl DarthRicmu that'd be brilliant, although with story changes and whatnot we're having to rewrite it a bit at the moment; like you said I couldn't agree more, there's no bigger turn-off for me than downloading a fanfilm and being greeted with a terrible opening sequence (that's why I'm trying to do my research a bit and explore all the options).

Oh and about ILM, I'm way ahead of you What they actually did was to import an .EPS made in Illustrator with the crawl text on it into a program called formZ. That allowed them to basically convert the vector into a piece of 3D geometry which they imported into a 3D app (Electric Image I think, not sure), animated and rendered out. Just in case anyone was wondering, anyway. <-- Strike that lol, I didn't realise I already said it.

 

I´d be very happy to make you a scroll

Just pm me with the text... format of delivery and background... or rendered on alpha channel...

 

Correct. John Knoll created all three prequel openings on his laptop.

 

I use Electric Image myself and it's kind of nice to hear that professionals are still using it although the thought of dealing with a scroll in it is .

 

You can make it in premeire, and for the scroll down, just use a large matte, and compositions if needed. I have also done it anim8or. You could always make the text in any imaging program, and set it as a texture to a polygon.

 

hey there.

a mate of mine suggested i come here to ask for help in making a crawl for a film some mates and i are making, my only question is, if you intend to use the music, how can people making the crawl for you be sure to have the length right? What i mean is, is there a set format for the duration of the shot?

coz i really need some help...

anyway, thanks

darth trayolphia

 

I use premeire to make my scrolls nowadays. Since I use premeire to do the rest of the editing anyway, I can adjust the length acorrdingly. But normally about 1:14 secs to 1:16 secs. The other advantage is that sometimes depending on the situation the panning down onto the planet I animate in premeire as well, which gives me even more control.

 

Okay, is there a version of that program for Windows XP Home Edition?

 

it actually works on windows you know...