AVI File from images and voice/music file

[EwanG]

Have seen some similar discussions, but nothing quite like what I need. So...

Have a number of music tracks, a vocal track, and a group of pictures. Would like to create an AVI or MKV file from all this. So need to be able to bring in several MP3 files (voice and custom music) and a number of JPEGs/PNGs. Would like to add some panning and other effects to the transitions.

And (the killer point), I'd like to find a freeware tool that does this. End product is going to be distributed for free, so paying for the tool seems a bit overkill.

Yes, I'm aware that Windows Movie Maker has some abilities in this area, but I have to do work on more than one computer (limited time on either system I have access to). So I'd ideally like something I could run from my USB stick.

Thanks in advance!

[EwanG]

So is it safe for me to assume that my choices are Windows Movie Maker, or to pay for some other tool? Haven't seen a reply to this thread, and I certainly don't see anything out there that appears to be able to do this in the Tools section. Just want to make sure I'm not missing something before I get started and then find out there was an easy answer out there I was missing.

Thanks again,
Ewan

[zoobie]

you'll want a complete editor for all that
you may be able to find an older version of vegas or premier, videostudio for free...

[Midzuki]

OR: you might ---

1) get the free adequate tools (Avisynth&&plugins, VirtualDub, Avidemux, Wax,
MKVtoolnix, IrfanView, dbPowerAmp, Audacity, etc-etc-etc);

2) start learning how to use them (the guides available @ this forum
can be a good starting point)

[EwanG]

OR: you might ---

1) get the free adequate tools (Avisynth&&plugins, VirtualDub, Avidemux, Wax,
MKVtoolnix, IrfanView, dbPowerAmp, Audacity, etc-etc-etc);

2) start learning how to use them (the guides available @ this forum
can be a good starting point)

I actually have all those tools except for Wax, but am not aware of a tutorial that shows me how I would do what I am describing using them. For example, VirtualDub does not allow you to use PNG or JPG images as the inputs for the video. If you use AVIDemux to serve them up, then you need to know how long you're going to need each image ahead of time. Which means you have to time each individual track and set that as a script. And so on...

So while I don't doubt it is POSSIBLE to do what I'd like to do using a grouping of the free tools out there, I don't see that as being an optimum situation

Am going to do at least the first one using WMM then. It doesn't allow me to do any "in tool" mixing of audio and music tracks, and the titles and credits options are a bit limited, but it will let me put the pieces together in a somewhat intuitive fashion.

Thanks for the ideas,
Ewan

[DarrellS]

Virtualdub will open both jpeg and png images. It will take a lot of work to turn each image into an avi and then put them together in a final clip but thats how movie editing works. Transition capabilities are limited with Virtualdub though.

[poisondeathray]

I have to agree with Zoobie that you want a complete editor on this one, because you will want a storyboard to overlay audio/video with a timeline & transition effects.

You could do it all with avisynth - it's very powerful - but it's not very user friendly and you don't get instant visual results.

Just a suggestion for part of your workflow - stills can made into video clips through the use of avisynth, here is a sample script:
http://forum.videohelp.com/topic99389.html#still2vid

You could make little clips from stills then feed them into wmm for example.

[EwanG]

FWIW, it took me all morning, but WMM did give me a decent product which I've just put up on YouTube. However, I do like the Avisynth suggestion, and that might be worth looking at as well.

After having done this, I'd say my biggest problem was with being unable to do any audio editing within the video tool. IOW, there's a couple places where I would have liked to have multitrack with music softly in the background behind some voices.

FWIW,
Ewan

[zoobie]

congratz on making a video the way you didn't want

[EwanG]

Well, I have found something that is slightly (emphasis on the slightly) better. That is a web application called Jumpcut. It gives you most of the same controls as WMM, but since it's online you can work from any computer that has a browser, and it does let you do the same things with audio and picture clips that WMM does. It still (!) doesn't let you edit the audio clip or mix audio clips within the editor. It looks like if I want that capability I need to look at a paid option - though it's hard to tell which of the paid editors will let you do that either. Recommendations, preferably inexpensive?

[EwanG]

Have also just downloaded Pinnacle's Video Spin software. It has the right price tag, although I gather that some important functionality stops working after 15 days unless you pay $15 bucks. However, it DOES offer two audio tracks with the ability to alter the volume of the tracks independently.

I've also started looking at the paid products out there, and that has me even more concerned. The reviews for the "prosumer" products such as Premiere Effects and the others seem to indicate that there were a lot of bugs in the latest versions of everyone's last update. Kind of scary to imaging paying $100 and then ending up using WMM (as at least one Amazon reviewer claimed) to get things out.

Suggestions/recommendations from others in this area?

[EwanG]

Having had some time to spend with it now, I have to say I'm a bit more impressed with the VideoSpin product than I expected to be. Kind of surprised not to see it listed in the Tools section. Suppose I should go add it, eh?

In any event, of the "larger" packages, are there any recommendations for doing the sorts of things I'm doing? Or is this about as good as it gets (or needs to get)? Am getting ready to put together the next animatic, and am looking forward to being able to have music in the background during voiceovers. Also the fact this one will be in color

[zoobie]

yikes...the last was in b & w?
I've noticed cartoons seem to live in 15fps land
most editors have SD down by now....and are now wrestling with HDV
you can usually d/l demos of junior and pro versions of editors
adobe, corel, sony, pinnacle, edius, final cut pro (mac), etc...

...but now that I think about it, if animation is your thing, you may want to look at flash
www.flashkit.com/boards/

[EwanG]

Last one was mainly B&W to maintain the flavor of the original source. Now, since you obviously have good taste - living in Colorado and being a Rockies fan (I grew up in Loveland, just south of Fort Collins myself), I know that you'll like the new video

Alpha's Cafe - Chapter 2

Which I put together with VideoSpin, so you can see how that compares to using WMM the last time.

[zoobie]

yep...I'm above Boulder
too bad you can't put audio to the .gif format
you should be looking at flash which a lot of animators are using...
this will also release more creativity with more options
sure there's a learning curve...like anything worthwhile

[DarrellS]

With animation, you need high resolution and high bitrate so GIF will not work. the less colors you have, the more pixelated the frames will become.

The Disney animations look great on DVD but look horrible ripped and compressed to 700MB XviD.

[zoobie]

that last one's quality wasn't exactly smashing...

[Midzuki]

EwanG wrote:

Alpha's Cafe - Chapter 2

Needs Japanese audio ^_^

[EwanG]

that last one's quality wasn't exactly smashing...

Must admit that the conversion YouTube does was not very kind to the fade out/ins. I will certainly have to avoid that in the future. Anyone else with rules of thumbs for beating the "downconversion" monster?

[EwanG]

Needs Japanese audio ^_^

In which case it would then also need subtitles and... nah, I think not. At least not for me

[tacman1123]

First, Ewan, congrats on getting your animation done and up on youtube, nice job.

I'm trying to do a similar project (photos, video, music, voices, some captioning), and I'd like all of it to be scripted and able to be run from the command line. Avisynth is amazing, but the learning curve is very steep. I'm sure it's simple to put a photo and video together, and merge the sound from the video with a software music background. Alas, I'm not quite sure how to do that!

Ran across your thread while looking for avisynth examples like that, and was wondering if you were continuing to use AviSynth or if you were happy with the other software you mentioned that has a GUI.

Again, congrats on completing your animation.

Tac

[EwanG]

or if you were happy with the other software you mentioned that has a GUI.

Been very happy with Videospin. Multiple audio tracks with independent volume control, nice transitions, etc.