How do you place an image directly INSIDE a video clip?

[Devilsadvocate]

Hello, sorry if this is a primitive question but I can't figure out how to do this and I even asked on the official APP forums and they mocked me (mods included) so I'm guessing its pretty straight forward?

To re-clarify, I want to place an actual image into a video, and have it remain in he same spot throughout the video, even as the camera pans and shifts. How is this done exactly?


Also which is the correct guide here in order to put in actual animations?

[MOVIEGEEK]

It's called an overlay and it can be done with several NLE programs, I use Corel VideoStudio.
When you want a static company logo on the video it's called a watermark.

[poisondeathray]

Hello, sorry if this is a primitive question but I can't figure out how to do this and I even asked on the official APP forums and they mocked me (mods included) so I'm guessing its pretty straight forward?

To re-clarify, I want to place an actual image into a video, and have it remain in he same spot throughout the video, even as the camera pans and shifts. How is this done exactly?


Also which is the correct guide here in order to put in actual animations?

Clarify what you mean by an image:

Do you mean a 2d static image, like a png, jpg, etc..?

What orientation? When you mean "same spot" do you mean in relationship to the objects in the video (as if it the image was part of the scene in the first place) , or do you mean in the same field of view, regardless of how the camera moves (e.g. it's always in a certain spot, like upper right hand corner, like a logo or watermark ) ?

[Devilsadvocate]

Hello, sorry if this is a primitive question but I can't figure out how to do this and I even asked on the official APP forums and they mocked me (mods included) so I'm guessing its pretty straight forward?

To re-clarify, I want to place an actual image into a video, and have it remain in he same spot throughout the video, even as the camera pans and shifts. How is this done exactly?


Also which is the correct guide here in order to put in actual animations?

Clarify what you mean by an image:

Do you mean a 2d static image, like a png, jpg, etc..?

What orientation? When you mean "same spot" do you mean in relationship to the objects in the video (as if it the image was part of the scene in the first place) , or do you mean in the same field of view, regardless of how the camera moves (e.g. it's always in a certain spot, like upper right hand corner, like a logo or watermark ) ?

Thankyou both for the quick replies, sorry for not stating this stuff in my original post. By 'same spot' I mean in relation to the objects in the video (so the first thing you said) and yes a 2d static image or even a .gif

Also, I use Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 to edit my videos, can this be done using this program?

[poisondeathray]

By 'same spot' I mean in relation to the objects in the video (so the first thing you said) and yes a 2d static image or even a .gif

Also, I use Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 to edit my videos, can this be done using this program?

If you're looking for a realistic result, it cannot be done (properly) with PP CS5 alone

PP is 2d editing application. You need 3d Matchmoving (3d tracking ) software , to generate a 3d coordinates for a scene.

Most of the complete packages are expensive $5-10K eg. boujou, nukex , pftrack. The least expensive would be blender (free), but it's tracker is fairly new and has some issues. Syntheyes is about $700, and the foundry camera tracker plugin for AE is about $250

There are many other considerations, for example a static image is only a 2d representation in a single moment in time. So just sticking in a png or gif with alpha channel won't look "real" because it's a single projection in a video which represents more than 1 moment in time

If you're looking for a fake or cartoony effect, then you can just stick it in there, and keyframe the position and scale parameters

[Devilsadvocate]

Thanks again for the quick repky

Yes okay, cool thanks but how? Or is there a specific guide which explains this easily? (there are so many guides I dont know the right categlory). Also I justs make simple youtube videos so I'm alright with keeping things primitive.

[poisondeathray]

Yes okay, cool thanks but how?Or is there a specific guide which explains this easily? (there are so many guides I dont know the right categlory)

A specific guide? easily? Not really

I think you might be a bit in over your head (maybe this is why you got brushed off in the other forum? )

First you have decide how much you're willing to spend on this, what software you are planning to learn to use (and there is a learning curve for all the software packages) , how much time you have to learn the basics

There are specific tutorials available that show you how to do this with examples, but you need to decide what software you are going to use first .

[Devilsadvocate]

Im doubtful that other people on youtube use highly expensive equippment, Im really not looking a anything professional or realistic, I just want to stivck an image into a video because it keeps placing itself in the timeline between video clips instead of inside the clip.

Edit: Or am I meant to do all the editting to compile the vid together in APP first then do the image placing in another program and then reimport the final product?

[poisondeathray]

Also I justs make simple youtube videos so I'm alright with keeping things primitive.

Maybe you can clarify what you are trying to do and your expectations, or show an example of a video of something similar to what you want to do?

If you're looking for "fake" 2d results, it can be done with premiere alone (premiere doesn't have z-axis, so you have to fake it by using the scale), but there will be more manual work (you just manually move the gif image where you want, keyframming it)

If you had after effects or similar software , you can do a 2d motion track, and it would be faster (instead of manually doing it), but it still would be 2d static image in a single projection

I just want to stivck an image into a video because it keeps placing itself in the timeline between video clips instead of inside the clip.

Just put it on a separate upper track on top of the video track. Does your image have an alpha channel ?

[Devilsadvocate]

Thanks for bearing with an amatuer here.

I make parody videos on youtube which involve dubbing (no not one of those corny 'abridged' series). Have you seen those amatuer clips where it looks like someone is watching a tv and the image has been plastered onto the TV? Like that but it doesnt have to be professional (part of the humour, for now I guess) so it only needs to be marginally framed correctly. This said, I do need to manipulate where exactly the image appears on the clip.

[poisondeathray]

I make parody videos on youtube which involve dubbing (no not one of those corny 'abridged' series). Have you seen those amatuer clips where it looks like someone is watching a tv and the image has been plastered onto the TV? Like that but it doesnt have to be professional (part of the humour, for now I guess) so it only needs to be marginally framed correctly. This said, I do need to manipulate where exactly the image appears on the clip.

Without tracking software (Even 2d point tracker like AE) , you need to manually keyframe the "plastered image". Essentially you just move the image where you want, scale it to fit whatever you're trying to cover up . Doing it isn't that bad if it's a short scene - it just becomes tedious very quickly. And it's tough to get it to fit perfectly if you're doing it manually - it will "wiggle off" , but maybe that's the comedy look you're going for

And if you don't know what keyframes are.... I suggest you start with some very basic tutorials like lynda.com

[Devilsadvocate]

Lol no no I know the terminology and I know what you're talking about and how tedious it would be, I'll just bear with it.

Last question, if its a still video am I able to 'plaster' the image one place or will I have to still do it frame by frame?

[poisondeathray]

Lol no no I know the terminology and I know what you're talking about and how tedious it would be, I'll just bear with it.

Last question, if its a still video am I able to 'plaster' the image one place or will I have to still do it frame by frame?

If it's what I think you're doing, yes it's almost every frame manually if you are using premiere (wrong tool for this job)

If there are other motions (either object moves or camera moves), it's going to be VERY tedious without a tracker, because more parameters are affected than x, y coordinates

[Devilsadvocate]

Its annoying that APP cost so much considering I have yet to see it do anything that windows movie maker couldnt do (abelt slower). I suppose if I download a free trial of some tracking program then thats the only cheap option?

[poisondeathray]

Its annoying that APP cost so much considering I have yet to see it do anything that windows movie maker couldnt do (abelt slower).

I don't agree with that . PP has much more functionality and much more versatile

I suppose if I download a free trial of some tracking program then thats the only cheap option?

Yes

or blender is free, but there is a learning curve (but all the programs have learning curves)

[Devilsadvocate]

Okay, well I can cheat and do the clip without placable images but I need to learn and grow. Thankyou for your patience and the advice pdr.

Just to check, this Blender program will allow me to achieve the 'tracker' effect , so import a 2d image or video clip and edit the picture in. Or is it for a different purpose that I will have to manipulate a lot to get a desired effect?

[poisondeathray]

Okay, well I can cheat and do the clip without placable images but I need to learn and grow. Thankyou for your patience and the advice pdr.

Just to check, this Blender program will allow me to achieve the 'tracker' effect , so import a 2d image or video clip and edit the picture in. Or is it for a different purpose that I will have to manipulate a lot to get a desired effect?

Not really, one of the other problems is your single 2d image is in 1 projection (it's not a 3d model with geometry). e.g. if you rotate the camera around it, it's still a FLAT 2d image . You can fake it by orienting the image to the camera always, but that looks fake too. You would need a sequence of images in multiple projections

The purpose of a 2d tracker, is to get the x,y coordinates so your inserted image "sticks" in 2d space instead of having to move it manually frame by frame. It would probably be easier to use after effects for this. There are many tutorials on the net showing you how to do this - literally hundreds

I don't know what your expectations are, or the look you're going for? What is the camera move? Can you link to a youtube video of the effect you're going for ? Can you describe in more detail how the scene is setup ?

[Devilsadvocate]

Oooh, Well technically the camera itself isnt moving, its only moving to the side and you will only see one dimension of the footage because this isnt real camera footage; I'm taking an animated sequence (fair use of course) and sticking another image inside it, so it would have to be 2D anyway because the animation is 2D itself. It would be nice to have the image stay where it was as the actual animated sequence pans but tyere are times its still anyway.

[poisondeathray]

Oooh, Well technically the camera itself isnt moving, this isnt real camera footage; I'm taking an animated sequence (fair use of course) and sticking another image inside it, so it would have to be 2D anyway, it would be nice to have the image stay where it was as the actual animated sequence pans but tyere are times its still anyway.

But a pan is a camera move. It doesn't matter if it's animated content

Just because it's animation, doesn't necessarily mean it's 2d. Consider CGI, or another example, objects in the distance will be smaller than objects up close., you get parallax effects - it really depends on the type of animation

If it's a simple pan (e.g. left to right or some similar movement) , then this is fairly simple to do in after effects

[Devilsadvocate]

I dont have the money im going to have to use a free trial and make the most of it