DVD-LAB Motion Menu questions

[JackMartinEF]

First,

1. How do I make the video in the motion menu stop on the last frame of the video and now loop?

2. How do I make text I have inserted on the menu appear (become visable) once the menu video has come to its last frame?

Thank you.

[guns1inger]

Motion menus in DVD Lab are pretty simplistic, so I create mine in either Vegas or After Effects (depending on the requirements).

The simplest way to do this is to create you motion background (video, cg etc) in an NLE. Fade you text in over the top toward the end of the clip. Grab a still of the final frame and save it on your disk.

In DVD Lab, add the movie to your assets, as well as the still. Create a movie type and drop your background onto it. In the connections window, make sure First Play is connected to this item. Create a menu and use the still you saved earlier as the background (hold down the shift key as you drag and drop it). Add you buttons etc and link these to your other assets. Back in the connections window, link the end of the first play movie to the menu.

When the disk plays, it will first play your motion video, and at the end, load the menu. As the menu and final frame are the same, it should look like the video has stopped here.

Things to note :
1. There will be a break in the audio between the end of the movie, and the menu. How long depends on your player, amp and other factors. Make sure you fade out the audio at the end of the clip, then fade in any audio for the menu.

2. DVD Lab Pro has a feature which allows you to create a more professional version of this by having a chapter point in the video. Pre the chapter plays once, post the chapter point loops as the menu. Allows for some very nice hollywood style motion menus.

[JackMartinEF]

Thanks. Which Video editing program should I use to put the text in?

[guns1inger]

Anything that allows two timelines and opacity controls. Try the 30 day demo of Vegas or Premiere Pro.