Adding Video Titles

[JayN]

Hi Guys,

I have this personal video taken during my son's 1st birthday bash which I successfully converted to AVI format.
Now, I want to add some video title (is this the term?) before I will convert it to VCD. I want to say on the beginning of the video, I will have a running text messages that will display the birthdate, my son's name, where it was held etc.
In this connection, I would like to know if there's any tool/software that will enable me to do this one and insert it afterward on the main AVI file to make my video more appealing and much more nicer?
Also, any site where I can download some nice background video(s) which I can use for the video title?

Please Help,
JayN

[Tommyknocker]

Yes, JayN, it is VERY possible. And how camera-shy you and the "missus " are. You will need a video capture card that has TV-OUT, a program called Virtual Dub (freeware -- for capturing, and adding subtitles (what you were calling titles), a program called Sub Station Alpha (for making the subtitles), a program called Gold Wave, for doing you voice-over, a program called TMPGEnc(share/freeware), for tweaking the edited video if need be, an extra video cassette tape, Nimo Lite Codec pack, for compressing video, and a VCR. Some of the programs are shareware, but all are fully functional when you begin.

After you read the Newbie Guides, install your capture card software, Virtual Dub, et al, There is some post production shooting we need to do. First is the opening title shot. The rule of thumb is this a close up of the birthday invitation. So I suggest forget using high tech videos here. The close up of the children's birthday party invitation "blows them away" every time.

Then we need the talent. You and the missus will give a short thirty seconds of more talk about the "birthday boy" (something about the night he was born, etc). These shots you may add to the end of your birthday video, but be careful, the video is raw footage, and we will edit nothing else on this cassette!

Go to Gold Wave. Start recording all your voice overs here and save them as separate wave files.

Then you use Sub Station Alpha. Here you create any extra subtitles you may need, and save them as well. Do not worry about the start times and durations here. We will get to those later.

Now comes the capturing. You will use the capture card to load all the video into your computer (Virtual Dub). This may require a lot of hard disk space, and a fast computer. Each shot you want in the final video should be captured separately under a different name, to avoid writing over video previously captured.

Now it gets interesting. In Virtual Dub, load the captured files using the append as AVI function to load them one after the other as you wish them to appear in your final cut. When the shots meet with your discerning eye, watch the video with a pen and pad. Note the exact time you want each subtitle to appear, and how long you want it to last. Also note where you want each voice over to start as well in this post production phase.

Go back to Sub Station Alpha. Input where you want each subtitles to appear and how long you want them to last. Save again. Go back to Virtual Dub and select your filter called subtitler. It will ask for your Sub Station Alpha file. If your video requires a few touch ups we can add a few more filters as well, but for now, this all we are doing.

Almost Home. Save this video as a Avi file, using one of the compression codecs.

Go to Gold Wave again. Load your just saved video into it. Also load your voice overs. Select the first voice over (dub), copy, go to you video audio and MIX it into where you want the voice over start. Repeat until all your dubs are on you video's audio track. Save this file as a wave file again.

Go to TMPGEnc. Load the newly saved AVI file as input video, and the wave file you just made as input audio. Select Start. Use the resultant file as your capture card's output to your VCR to be recorded on to your NEW VCR tape, NOT THE RAW FOOTAGE CASSETTE!

Once your capture card has recorded your video on the new tape, you should be finished.

The gurus will tell you I left a few details, but you have have the gist of all that is required. It may look like a lot, but you wanted a lot done. You wanted subtitles, voice-overs, opening shots, non linear editing, and a final cut recorded onto your VCR.

If you wish to attempt this this weekend, I will be available for any and all assistance if you like. Drop me a PM, and I will give the details on how to reach me.

And before I close, let me say Happy Birthday to Jayn, Jr., and many happy returns!

[Poplar]

Mmmm, very helpful reply. Perhaps more than he can chew. The project is a little too much for a newbie. What I want to know is, can Sub Station Alpha create running titles(texts)? Both rolling and crawling? It's a big difference from simple subtitles.

[Tommyknocker]

I think that since you have mastered AviSynth, you will have better luck.

[KingJohn]

Video capture what ? and what software ?, god this is the guys first post !
are you trying to put him off for life ?

to make my video more appealing and much more nicer?

JayN, I don't think you would be able to add anything that would make the video more appealing, for your son's first birthday. The star of the show is your son what every you did would not top that would it ?


Well I think you want something very simple to start with, and here it is..

Go to http://www.jasc.com/ and download a trial of Paint shop pro, it comes with a program called "Animation Shop 3"

With Animation Shop, you can load a still picture or start from scratch, with just plain text, loop, fade in, scroll, its all there for you with a few clicks...

Then you can save it out as AVI, and later convert it to VCD

[Mavrick]

I don’t know about those methods, I never had much luck with the free programs. I you have video editing software (Video Studio, Media Studio, etc), you should be able to add simple text to it when editing. If you want to get fancy you could get cool 3d and make 3D text and import the .jpg files into the editing program. If it’s a good editor you can even take the background out of the text, and have the 3D text show on the video itself!


Hope this helps,

Mavrick

[JayN]

Hi Guys,

Thank you so much for all the info here.
It really helped me a lot

JayN