Post-production transitions and effects

[adove]

I am a noob. I am trying to edit some footage and want to create a storyboard or script that incorporates transitions between scenes and also scene setup effects. I don't know the name or definition of what I am trying to accomplish, just the concept, so I will try to briefly explain. My end product is targeted for children. I would like to search online or the library for ways to display footage that is engaging and interesting.

For instance, when I watch Sesame Street, they sometimes split the screen into 4 squares and each square has either a picture or video clip inside it. Does this type of post-production style have a name? Not the specific 4 square setup, but the idea behind it. I know about introduction, body, and conclusion, but what about all the interesting ways the body can be edited to make an engaging series of clips which would ultimately become the "body of work"?

I am sorry if this question is absolutely silly, but I know so little of this industry.

Thanks.

[budwzr]

It takes a long time to learn. There's a lot to absorb.

Transitions, fades, whatever, are really animations designed to keep you engaged. Those squares are 1/4 size video frames playing in parallel, on four tracks.

It's all stills and video, even the elaborate particle effects boil down to single stills. 3D animations boil down to single shapes that are skinned with a still.

Anyway, that four square thing is "Compositing".

[Cornucopia]

Well, compositing is the general term for the layering and blending of images, primarily in the spatial domain, as opposed to editing being done in the temporal domain.

Most post-production studios I know refer to your effect as a "quad split", while a simple "split screen" usually refers to just 2 images.

Scott

[adove]

I know there are no "Silver Bullets", wizards, or elixirs to do the job. I want to learn and do the work myself, if possible.

Both Adobe Premiere and After Effects are enormous products. Are there any reference materials or clips that showcase the capabilities of these programs? Maybe by end-users themselves? Like a video archive or repository of post-produced footage? I know there is YouTube, but that has everything from crap to Shinola ... Since I don't really know what I am looking for ... I don't know how to begin to find it.

Lets say I am making a video about puppies and kittens. My intro is done (its not, I am making this up), the musical score is done, and now I need to write the script for the storyboards and narration. Since I don't know what I don't know how then or where do I come up with the flow of content for each scene and the transitions between the scenes? Are there tips and techniques books? I am open to all suggestions.

Thank you again.

[budwzr]

You do what you "think" you know. It takes about a year to grasp the general concepts.

No, there are no tips and techniques books. There are books that cover the principles of operation of the tools, but they're not much help in the early stage of learning.

Best thing to do is dig in.

[adove]

Outside of having to go to school to learn the products .... do you have any recommendations to learn the products better? I know you can always just jump in, but that's like trying to learn to swim be simply jumping into the deep end of the pool and hoping to grow gills. Since I need some form of training, whether it comes from a tutorial, a YouTube video, a textbook, or even a local club with members who meet monthly ... starting from the beginning and advancing to intermediate skills will take time. Do you have any suggestions on how to accomplish this?

[sanlyn]

Adobe Premiere Pro has many features, but it's more of an NLE editor and encoder than After Effects. The latter has more in the line of effects, color correction, motion tracking, masking -- more of the "effects"side of things. Neither is a pushover. It can still work some editing, but most of that sort of cut/join/encode can be handled by a number of freebies with even better encoders. Books and online tutorials do help, especially in getting a handle on the interface and basic techniques, but don't forget the Help that comes with these products. You can get a taste for what's ahead from Adobe by browsing free copies of their built-in help on Adobe's support site.

There are budget versions of NLE's and effects apps, notably from Pinnacle and the like. But face it: IMO the available features and the ultimate quality of output can't compete with the big guys, especially After Effects. I've been around computers and video apps for some years now, but I've had After Effects on my PC for several months and still plugging away at it. I've had cheapies, too, and tried Premiere and Vegas. I'm sold on AE for what you want to do, with AE's limitless possibilities. It's also hard to beat for repairing video problems with its masking, color correction, and tracking controls. You can save a bit by finding older versions of these programs. Compare the features; likely you might not need the very latest.

[Brainiac]

I have NO formal/college training whatsoever. Just about everything that I know is either from *borrowing* ideas from others, reading books, watching tutorials or occasionally getting a good idea from out of the blue. It pays to make mental notes of all things video - commercials, movies TV shows, etc. And don't be afraid to talk to videographers you may run into. And, of course, there's videohelp.

Also, listen intently to clients/talent/subjects when they tell you what they want. And if you think an idea they have is not particularly good, tell them so in a nice, professional way. You may be surprised at their response.

Even if you don't plan on doing this professionally, the above advice still comes in handy.

Brainiac

[sanlyn]

You will likely need a basic knowledge of something like Avisynth. No, you don't have to be a guru at it; it does have basic features that come in very handy (cut, crop and trim, resize, decode, proper colorspace conversion, prep for encoders, etc.). It does have its advanced and cryptic side, but for many basic operations you will likely find it indispensable.

[adove]

I already bought Adobe Master Collection so I will be using Premiere and After Effects, however, I'd gladly supplement these with any other software that keeps me moving forward. I suppose from the comments I've received I should be focusing on Premiere to do the compositing, right? Is that the right terminology? Placing my images and video clips on a page is called compositing?

[budwzr]

Obviously, you're serious about this. So I don't mind helping you along.

Premiere is video editor, called an NLE. Premiere can also composite tracks. AfterEffects is also a video editor, but is used to composite elementals, or create FX like fire, motion-related blurs, or whatnot.

I personally do not use Adobe products because I don't like their interface. But the processes are universal, like a nail can be sunk by any hammer.

"Compositing" is simply the process of flattening multiple layers, to produce a single layer. The devil is in the details.

So I would look at that Sesame Street video, the part with the four screens, and try to think how in the heck that could be duplicated. How would I even start?

First, identify what you're looking at. Four videos scaled down and arranged as a grid, and a background image or a foreground image with four squares cut out to let the video show through.

So you now have a mental blueprint to reconstruct it. You know you have five pieces of media, so you'll need five tracks in your composite.

Try it. Get a video on a track, remove the audio, then duplicate that track into four tracks, then try to size and move them into a square grid.

[Cornucopia]

I know there are no "Silver Bullets", wizards, or elixirs to do the job. I want to learn and do the work myself, if possible.

Both Adobe Premiere and After Effects are enormous products. Are there any reference materials or clips that showcase the capabilities of these programs? Maybe by end-users themselves? Like a video archive or repository of post-produced footage? I know there is YouTube, but that has everything from crap to Shinola ... Since I don't really know what I am looking for ... I don't know how to begin to find it.

Lets say I am making a video about puppies and kittens. My intro is done (its not, I am making this up), the musical score is done, and now I need to write the script for the storyboards and narration. Since I don't know what I don't know how then or where do I come up with the flow of content for each scene and the transitions between the scenes? Are there tips and techniques books? I am open to all suggestions.

Thank you again.

There's the "how" and the "why". The why is usually only learned from either a somewhat formal education (incl. film history, appreciation & criticism in addition to the more practical aspects) or from experience. You can find a few helpful things on sites like mediacollege.com (and a little here, too).

For a little levity, here's a great example of what NOT to do: https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/232400-Why-edit-video-at-all

**************

OK, so you'e making a video about puppies & kittens.
You have it ass-backwards. First, figure out WHAT STORY YOU WANT TO TELL about puppies & kittens.

• Are they cute & cuddly?
• Are they hard to get housebroken?
• Are they a nuisance?
• Do they have some secret language where they're planning to overtake all the humans?

It's about efficient/effective communication, whether descriptive, persuasive, etc. The terms may change depending upon the medium, but the ideas & overall techniques are the same.
You figure out the script first (or topic points if a documentary), then you transition that to storyboards to make it easy to shoot efficiently (and to verify that the audio/visual impression marries well with the narrative content in the script). Use the storyboard to generate shot sheets. Shoot according to the shot sheets. Then go on to edit (and composite) those shots according to the storyboard's directive, though even it may need revising when you're actually in the thick of it. Use transitions that advance the storyline & story's impact, no more, no less.
Only after you have a nearly-completed main project should you work on the credits, intro, etc. BTW, narration should be worked on simultaneous with the main edit and then synced with the picture, usually near the end of the edit work.

Hope that helps,

Scott

[adove]

Wow ... what great feedback. I'll keep my eyes open and nose to the grindstone and jump in. It will have to be trial-by-fire then. I will continue checking this post and providing more comments as I progress ...

Thank you for the valuable insights.