DVD Menu Transitions (DVDStudioPro)

[DigitalAides]

OK, I have a couple of questions about Creating Menus in DVD Studio Pro.

1. Objective: When "Play" is pressed, the menu transitions to a black screen by burning up as if by a cigarette burn from center outward.
a. What kind of Menu should I use (video, still, layered menu) or is that irrelevant to objective?
b. How would I create this transition? After Effects? If so, is there anywhere I can download some premade transitions like this?
c. Finally, not as important though, how do I make buttons dissapear by fading out after a button is activated? Would it just be integrated into the video or would it actually happen seperate from the transition video/or other?

Please help me out on this, as it is a time sensitive project. I would read through the help files if I had the time, but it is really urgent and I greatly appreciate any help or quick guides you can give me.
Thanks

[VERVE]

although u set them nicely in points, the subject is bigger than it seems. ur asking for too many things at once.

first, lets cover the general objective. u said when play is clicked, a burn in effect will occur, fading to black then the program starts. think of it this way:

BUTTON --> burn in movie-->program

this means, when u hit the button, u assign it to go to a movie that u create (that has the burn in effect and fade) - then when THAT movie ends, u will link it to ur actual program. OR include the burn in in ur actual movie (in case u dont mind seeing it everytime before the show)

as for how will u do the transition, thats up to ur talent and skill, but yes after effects will do the job.

as for the fading buttons think of it in the same way as the first. i.e. u will create a video that will do this.

mind u there's a better way to do all this. with some experience with motion menus u can do everything u need. I personally use adobe encore as it is superbly integrated with aftereffects (i.e. updates video's auto).


PS: This reply is far from complete, but thats how much I can reply to such a broad subject.

ask if u have more.

good luck
VERVE

[terryj]

OK, I have a couple of questions about Creating Menus in DVD Studio Pro.

1. Objective: When "Play" is pressed, the menu transitions to a black screen by burning up as if by a cigarette burn from center outward.
a. What kind of Menu should I use (video, still, layered menu) or is that irrelevant to objective?
b. How would I create this transition? After Effects? If so, is there anywhere I can download some premade transitions like this?

A nice tutorial of how to do something like this was included in the DTMS Final Cut Pro
DVD tutorial I have. Basically, your wanting like a "Bonaza" type of effect, where the screen
catches on fire, and then the underlying video shows/plays through the burn holes.
This can be done with FCP and Livetype, and all your doing is creating Alpha Channel
within a Matte.
Your Top layer video would be the Fire burning up a still or whatever,
and you'd create a Matte with Alpha Channels where the holes are for the
underlying video to show thorough.

I became interested in picking this apart when I saw the "Satin" dvd menu template
Apple included in DVDSP3. The one where the satin sheet trails across the screen,
and reveals L to R an underlying menu? That's just Alpha Channels there at work.

Once done, you'd import that Livetype Sequence into FCP, then out as a QT movie
for insertion into a timeline in DVDSP that would reveal the still menu underneath,
upon First Play, or use it as a video transition in between Menus in DVDSP's Menu palette,
where you have a still (Menu 1), then it video transitions to the fire burning through the still
to reveal the real menu (Menu2).

Try this tutorial to get up to speed on Livetype/Alpha/Mattes:

Nagel DVD Studio Livetype Matte Alpha FCP

c. Finally, not as important though, how do I make buttons dissapear by fading out after a button is activated? Would it just be integrated into the video or would it actually happen seperate from the transition video/or other?

Please help me out on this, as it is a time sensitive project. I would read through the help files if I had the time, but it is really urgent and I greatly appreciate any help or quick guides you can give me.
Thanks

A Button can have a Transition. Just set it to "Dissolve",
and it will dissolve the menu to get to the next item.

But in your case, you'd have to set up a layered menu
to actually have the button "disappear" upon click/roll over,
if you wanted the menu to stay intact, but have the buttons
disappear.

[DigitalAides]

Where can I get Livetype? Is it already integrated into FCP?
I have final cut 4 and DVDStudioPro 3. Hoping I dont need a specific version.

ALSO, I have After Effects for XP SP2, I hate using it on the PC and actually cant because I hate and got rid of XP. I have a G4 desktop now so, if anyone would be willing to help me out with After Effects for Mac, I could trade you the XP version.


Thanks.

[terryj]

Livetype came with Final Cut Pro 4 Studio,
along with Motion, Shake, FCP 4 and DVDSP3.
If you bought standalone versions of this app,
then you might NOT have it.

However if you have legit copies, you can qualify
for Apple's tradeup program and get the whole
FCP5 Studio for $199.