Dream Effect--Video Effects, Stills, Other?

[solarblast]

What's a good way to indicate a sequence of video clips are part of a dream? Maybe there's a video effect or perhaps using occasional inserts of clouds or sheep leaping fences will do the trick? I tried Gaussian blur but that's not quite it.

[guns1inger]

What tools do you have available to you ?

Sometimes a masked blur, so the centre remains clear, can work.

Another trick is to layer the same video on itself, but changing the first layer by pushing up the brightness and and contrast until it is almost black and white, then applying a gaussian blur to it. It is then layered using various modes until you get a soft white glow over the whole image.

[daamon]

If you're using Premiere, there's a "Dream" transition in the "Burger Transitions" on this page:

http://thepluginsite.com/resources/freepm.htm

[solarblast]

I'm using pure Vegas 6.0, the complete distribution from Sony. I have no additional add-ons, or plug-ins. Just the basic distribution that runs aroudn $600 US.

[guns1inger]

If it is short you could use one of the Movie Looks effects that came free with vegas 6. However be prepared for quite a wait if it is longer than a minute or so.

Other things to consider

The Glow Event FX, with a medium suppression
Light Rays with a colour tint and a bound radius with a feather of around 0.190 - 0.2

In both cases, duplicate the clip, add the effects to the top version of the clip, then change the Composite Mode to Screen

[daamon]

A quick Google search using "vegas plugin dream effect" revealed:

www.pluginz.com/product/13686?category=198

It's not free, but it's not too pricey.

You could also download the free tool Wax and have a play with a DV AVI you're likely to use combined with Wax's plugin presets "VL Ghosting" and "VL Blur" - either seperately or combined. There are other filters and plugins that can be used - check out the tabs in the top left area of the working window.

I had a quick play with "Ghosting Zoomed1" and "Blur Zoom in3" - if a bit of time is spen on tweaking the settings, they could get what you want.

I reckon if you put the same clip in a second track and introduced a slight delay (say 2 or 3 frames) then it might enhance the effect.

Have an experiment...

Then just render out to DV AVI for further use in Vegas and away you go...!!!