Make a profesional DVD menu

[lightdown]

I´m looking for a software to make a profesional DVD menu. Do you know any software to do it?

[rayjr13]

what do you want the menu to do. what do you mean by "professional" motion? hotspots? creatable buttons? describe the features your looking for then someone will able to make a suggestion

[lightdown]

A menu like a dvd film...Do you have seen Final Fantasy on DVD? or any other film.

[pacoreguenga]

Hahaha!
Sorry about my little laugh, but you wont find any DVD authoring program that actually makes this kind of menus. Even the Professional Authoring Apps like Scenarist and DVD Maestro ($39,000.00 dollars each) don't do it for you.
The trick is to use a compositing program. In Professional environments we use Discreet Logic's Flame compositing system. Some luckier guys have access to an Inferno-equipped SGI Origyn. But the Flame costs as much as $350,000.00 dollars, and it's being discontinuated (thanks to 5D and their Cyborg System, that runs on a powerful BOXX computer. It costs about $150,000.00 dollars, which is good news for us professionals) But I prefer Discreet's software. (The Flint, Effect and Combustion Systems are just as good and have a cheaper tab. Combustion goes for less than $5,000.00)

Now let's be realistic about the subject.

There is a really cheap program that turns out to be as powerful (and more flexible) than the big guys. It also comes from a well established brand and you can buy it wherever you can buy a home computer.

This program is called Adobe After Effects.

Maybe you never thought AE would be any helpful for you, but it is. If you use it along with Adobe Photoshop, You have a winning team. Put Premiere aside, (and any audio app you are comfortable with) and you have a full post facility at hand.

You can start your layout in Photoshop, as a multilayer PSD file. Then import it into AE to add animated objects, as video sequences and things like that. Then you render to AVI, encode it as dvd compliant MPEG2, create a black and white button subpicture (oops! I think personal DVD authoring apps don't need this step, but I can't remember now), create a cool soundtrack encode it as ac3, import everything into your authoring app, stir it well, add your navigation, and that's it.

If you want me to write a full tutorial on the subject, please email me. I haven't wrote it already as I didn'n't think people needed it.

But believe me! It's way easier than you think! Just plan it thoughtfully.

[TGm 25]

If you want me to write a full tutorial on the subject, please email me. I haven't wrote it already as I didn'n't think people needed it.

But believe me! It's way easier than you think! Just plan it thoughtfully.

Pleas do a tutorial, That would be mighty kind of ya

[doson]

I don't know what u you think guys, but I think that DVDMaesteo is a great program!
It dows not cost allmost 40,000$ and can still do very nice things.
I'm not very much talented so I'm usually using it just to create simple DVD with only movies and subtitles, nothing more, not even menus.
A friend of mine, wich is a little more talented than me, is doing some very nice stuff with it with animated menus, sounds and great graphics.
So I think this program rocks! it's allmost proffesional and very easy to use.

[lightdown]

1º. Excuse me my terrible english, i´m spanish.
2º DVDMaestro is too simple, i´d like some software more complete, i´m working in a multimedia design company, and the software must be very powerful, but 39.000$ it´s very expensive, too expensive.
3º I have Adobe after Effects, i´ll try it.

Thanks you very much.

[Amish Electrician]

Ok i might be dumbing it down abit but Rixio video pack 5 makes some dam good menus . You can use any picture you want & put sound & animated menus. Just my 2cents
Fyi its an ok progam but it can be buggy. But for $400 cant complain too much.