Light sabre rendering for iMovie HD?

[eclipse]

Hi all,
just wondering if there's a light sabre plugin thingy that turns a "sample" colour (on kid's plastic light sabre) into a glowing light sabre? I've seen some instructions on how to do it, frame by agonising frame, in Photoshop! But I'm wondering what else is out there.

iphoto does some amazing things these days, and so I'm wondering what imovie can do.

 

[Macnoviz]

I have done some lightsabre editing, and it is a painstaking frame-by-frame business. I think theoretically, it could be possible to automate the process (with some loss of quality, of course) but this would require some tricky algorithms to track your dummy sword, and I don't think it could work when your sword is behind something.

So in a way, there is no way for now in iMovie (I don't think it would even be possible as a plugin) and I don't know of any automated processes, so for now you're stuck to at least final cut express, or otherwise flash, photoshop or any other program that can handle rotoscopy.

 

[irmongoose]

There used to be a plug-in for iMovie before version 5 that did just that called... Virtix I believe. Now your only option would be to do it by hand or invest in some mid-range effects software such as EffectsLab Pro...

Good luck 😱


irmongoose

 

[7031]

As someone stated, see EffectsLab. Have a look at FXHome. It's a good program for effects.

 

[eclipse]

I just started another thread on sound, but no one has seen that yet — and I'm desperate, is there a sound problem with iMovie HD and 10.5.6? I add the light sabre swing sounds and clashing, hitting sounds where I want, save iMovie HD, quit, reopen later the same day and the sound goes all 'stuttery'.

The file is OK if I export into Quicktime, but it makes editing the iMovie sound impossible. I can't check my work as I go if it's all crappy. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

 

[DPA]

After Effects

I just posted in you sound thread and if you are serious about video or have the money to spend, buy Adobe After Effects. It's super easy to do Light Sabre rendering in AE, although it takes a lot of practice (which I have) to use AE. I guess it's not easy for people who haven't used AE before.😱

 

[eclipse]

It's overkill. I'm only editing family videos and this is just a quick thing I'm slapping together for my 10 year old boy and his 7 year old cousin. I think they'll be blown away just seeing their Jedi moves sped-up and with sound effects. (And even the iMovie HD "force" lightning coming out of their fingers towards each other was cool.)

So, just for this particular movie, I think I was just checking if there was "something too good to be true" out there for iMovie. Just a little vain hope, that's all. 😀

However, just for interest's sake, can AE "sample" the red or blue colour of my kids light sabres and then automate it for the rest of the frames?

 

[DPA]

That's very nice of you, I think they'll be blown away. And yes, AE can sample the RGB colors individually and apply a "motion path." The way you would do that is track the motion of a single pixel with a good contrast to the other's around it (except for the side which is the came color because it is the object you are tracking). After you track it you would take the tracked points and apply the glow to follow it. A better investment though would be buying Final Cut Studio which includes Motion 3 which can do basic and some professional rendering. Your rendering would be able to be done in Motion 3. If you were hoping to get this done by Christmas then buying, learning and completing your project in Motion would be impossible. I would just try to fine tune the audio as much as possible with the crappy audio. I think a home video doesn't need to be Warner Brothers perfect but I'll leave that up to you.

 

[eclipse]

Cheers. Thanks for your time and Merry Christmas!

 

[DPA]

Thanks for helping me get my MacRumors account up beyond a newbie, I still probably have a long way to go though. And a Merry Christmas to you too. I hope your project turns out just the way you visioned it and I'm sure your family will LOVE it!!😀