What software has progressive zoom?

[Shadowmistress]

Ok, I've exhausted google and here and can't find what I need. I have a clip from a camera in a fixed position filming someone walking towards me (the viewer). What I want is to start off with a 2x zoom (or more) and slowling decrease it as the person gets closer so that by the end of the clip I'm at -0.5 zoom - smaller than the actual frame. The finished clip should look like the camera was walking a few feet ahead of the subject the whole time, and he stays the same size in the frame.
The problem with the software I keep finding on google will zoom for ya but wont apply a diminishing zoom over consecutive frames. What's worse is that at some points the subject stops momentarily and I need to control the zoom at that level for a bit before moving on.

So, what's a cheap, easy, program to use to accomplish this effect? (yeah I know, none.)
Ok, so what's an expensive, bloated, need a phd to read the manual for, software I can look into?

The closest thing I've seen to doing what I want is virtualdubs deshaker plugin, but the problem with that is it keeps trying to stabilize my manual settings and refuses to listen to me.

Help?
Anyone?

[jagabo]

There's an animated zoom filter for VirtualDub.
http://neuron2.net/zoom.html

Every commercial NLE has such abilities.

I don't think you're going to get exactly the effect you want though.

[budwzr]

You're going to have to mask off the girl. Do you have a "clean plate" of the background?

Then you can just run a difference composite.

Even if not, you may still be able to do it with a secondary color corrector mask. Depends how colorful the girl is. Why don't you post a still?

The effect you're looking for is along the lines of a Hitchcock Zoom, like half of it. The difference is your background shrinks.

[poisondeathray]

Ok, I've exhausted google and here and can't find what I need. I have a clip from a camera in a fixed position filming someone walking towards me (the viewer). What I want is to start off with a 2x zoom (or more) and slowling decrease it as the person gets closer so that by the end of the clip I'm at -0.5 zoom - smaller than the actual frame. The finished clip should look like the camera was walking a few feet ahead of the subject the whole time, and he stays the same size in the frame.
The problem with the software I keep finding on google will zoom for ya but wont apply a diminishing zoom over consecutive frames. What's worse is that at some points the subject stops momentarily and I need to control the zoom at that level for a bit before moving on.

I don't think you're going to get exactly the effect you want though.

^ this


You're not going to get the effect you want unless you reshoot it. A "simulated zoom" in a NLE is scaling of the video (either up or down) . This is NOT the same thing as a shot where you follow the person walking. The optics and background will look completely different

[Shadowmistress]

You're going to have to mask off the girl. Do you have a "clean plate" of the background? Then you can just run a difference composite..

Using what software?
The background is all green trees and bushes seen from far away which i'll happily throw out.

This is NOT the same thing as a shot where you follow the person walking. The optics and background will look completely different

Not shooting for anything that fancy. Don't care about background. Again, using what software?


Jagabo I'll give that filter a try and let you know, although I wish you sounded a bit more enthusiastic about it...

[poisondeathray]

It has nothing to do with "fancy" or not - the point is it will produce different results than your description

If you want to try it, install any NLE (there are free trials e.g. sony vegas, premiere pro) . All you do is keyframe the scale over time

[budwzr]

The software is Sony Vegas Pro.

To make the mask, you'll have to paint the girl a different hue, then create a bezier garbage mask, medium fit. You have to do a little roto, but not much. Just keep splitting the distance between nodes until it's smooth.

What you end up with just needs some retiming and maybe dropping some frames, whatever. And if you want to make smooth slomo try this http://www.spirton.com/convert-videos-to-60fps/ I have personally used this free software and supplied scripts, and it works WELL. Almost as good as Twixter.

[Shadowmistress]

Thank you jagabo, and thank you budwzr, and thank you poisondeathray.
That zoom plugin for virtualdub is actually able to do it, i just have to layer several filters and enter alot of numbers. It's a short clip so I can get by this time, but it does sorely lack options. I'll probaby give vegas or premiere a shot anyway and get a jump on the learning curve.

I had read that vegas could sorta do it but I was getting conflicting information and I wasn't sure it would fit my needs.

[Cornucopia]

Vegas could do it, but probably NOT correctly with your footage. Similarly with other software. This kind of thing working correctly has a lot to do with preplanning, which it seems you didn't do.

For one thing, there is no way any software on the planet is smart enough to guess what should have been outside of the boundaries of your original framing, so the idea of zooming out to <1x is impossible and foolishly premature in your thinking. To get what you say you want, you must first plan more thoroughly and then reshoot according to those plans.

Scott