Professional Menus with DVD-Lab or DVD Author??

[Jimmykicker]

Is it possible to make professional looking menus with the programs??..or do you need something like Scenarist...I guess what I am really asking is how are big-name film motion menus made...

[housepig]

Is it possible to make professional looking menus with the programs??..or do you need something like Scenarist...I guess what I am really asking is how are big-name film motion menus made...

you can with DVD Lab. if you want a good looking motion menu, you'll need a video editing program with compositing capability to put it together.

[Jimmykicker]

if you want a good looking motion menu, you'll need a video editing program with compositing capability to put it together.

What do you recommend?...and are there any guides or tutorials on such a thing?

[rallynavvie]

AfterEffects makes motion menus a breeze. I don't know what I'd do without it. I guess not have motion menus

[Vejita-sama]

The 'secret' to making good menus is planning everything out and preparing all the assests. People often expect the authoring program to do more than just author. You need to make all of your assests in a good program (eg. Vegas Video, Adobe Premiere [maybe with after effects]) then import that assests into your authoring program.

Now DVD Lab only authors one VTS (which can be a problem for really complex projects). But you can work around this if you think ahead. For most menus you'll need at least 3 video assests:

A - the main menu
B - the transition
C - the secondart menu/video clip

You need to generate the transtion video clip in a 3rd party program. Then when someone selects a button on menu A, it links to the transition clip, which links to menu C. That could mean making seperate transition clips for EVERY BUTTON on the main menu.

So again, it's about planing and getting everything together prior to authoring. Read the DVD Lab website's online tutortial/manual for some good back ground on this whole process.

[housepig]

if you want a good looking motion menu, you'll need a video editing program with compositing capability to put it together.

What do you recommend?...and are there any guides or tutorials on such a thing?

I like Vegas Video 4 from Sony. as far as tutorials, there is one I've seen specific to making motion menus, and if I can find it again I'll post a link.

but mostly it's planning beforehand, and figuring out on whatever app you use how to do what you want - there's no difference in making a dissolve transition in a motion menu, and making one in any other kind of video. So figure out the elements you want to have (like a moving background, and motion video superimposed on top for the chapter stops, for example) and check the help files or manual for your video software.

check the tutorials in the How To: Edit section, there are some links to good tutorials in there as well.

[Jimmykicker]

Just out of curiosity, let's say I had to make a menu for a big screen movie -- what would I use to make it? DVD-Lab is probably good enough for my productions, but I'm just curious...

[housepig]

let's say I had to make a menu for a big screen movie -- what would I use to make it?

you need to be more specific.

do you mean a menu for a reauthored dvd, or a commercial-style motion menu, or what?

[Jimmykicker]

OK -- say I was in charge of creating the menu for big-name movies like "The Matrix" or "Finding Nemo" or something like that...obviously, it's going to have to be pretty professional...what would I do to make such a thing?

[housepig]

you would probably use

- a video editing application (Premiere, Final Cut Pro, Vegas) to edit your videos,

- a compositing app (After Effects, Vegas) to do special effects and superimposition (moving video on top of moving video),

- a graphics application (Photoshop, Illustrator, Paint Shop Pro) for any graphics,

- and a pro-level authoring app like Maestro, Scenarist, or a proprietary system to put all the elements together.

[SexMoron]

Okay. What I want to know on this subject is motion menu "transitions".

I got Reel DVD on the promise that I could make professional looking motion menus. What a sham! I created a motion menu okay. But I wanted a motion menu that would SEAMLESSLY transition to the next menu when this or that button was pressed. No Way. Not with ReelDVD anyway. The screen goes black and THEN it transitions to the next menu screen. To me, a PROFESSIONAL motion menu screen will have a seamless transition.

This was really upsetting, because I'd already bought DVDit! PE and found I could'nt do this. ReelDVD seemed to give me the solution. After that I gave up. It's been a good year now, so I'm wondering if there is a way to get what I want yet?

Thanks.

[rallynavvie]

It is very difficult if not impossible to have a truly seamless menu transition. You will always notice a slight pause when the transition starts and when the new menu comes up. Why it is flipping to black is beyond me.

[maa]

DVDLab is very good for making motion menu transitions....

BTW - the Pro version (comming soon) will provide VTS AND VMG menus for Multiple VTS !

[andkiich]

FYI - DVD-Lab has now been updated (1.4 beta1) and supports multiple VTS.