Avid Studio comes with many transitions and many plugins ready to use. But the beautiful HD "Movie" transition did not quite satisfy my needs. So I decided to change it in my own unique way and share it with you.
Two things had me leaning this way :
- Opening and closing the red curtain in front of an empty room bothered me a little;
- I wanted to start my video with a beautiful opening curtain, not a transition.
To show you what I'm talking about, I have prepared two short videos :
- The first is a classic use of the transition;
- The second is the customized use of the same transition.
So if you want, you can also customize the transition by following this guide ...
Step 1 : Preparation of Materials
You will need a small intermediate video render so that the curtain opens on a transparent background instead of the standard "B" image. There are several ways to achieve this but I have chosen to propose a method that has proven itself as the empty title on a green background, which avoids losing the first images of the beginning of the film clip, which I really did not want. The method I propose is to create a green background and apply the "Movie" transition with a green background.
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So start a new project (File / New / Film).
Pressing the "T" button will open the title editor.
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Since you do not want a written title, you will right click on the title block entry "Your text here" to access the context menu and cut the "Your Text Here" layer at the bottom of the window.
You can also delete it by selecting the title in the main window and using the "Del" key or simply using a keyboard shortcut, CTRL + X, on the layer.
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Expand the background parameters:
- Click the arrow next to "Background Settings" then click inside the drop zone of the background;
- Choose a solid green color ( 0,255,0);
- Click "Apply" and then click OK to return to the main screen.
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The Green title (without text) is created with the default time. Set the time to about 15 seconds.
Then apply the Studio HD Movie Theater transition with a duration of about 10 seconds. |
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Now we need to export your "title" with a green background and with the "Movie Theater" transition added.
- Clicking the "Export" button will open the Avid Studio Exporter;
- Select "File" as the type of export, under Advanced check the box for "Add exported file to library";
- Use the settings for DV AVI Full Screen (DV) preset;
- Then press the "Start Export" button.
Export will open to the default destination folder located in the window above the "Start Export" button. By clicking on the folder icon, you can change the destination. I called my intermediate rendering "RedCurtain.avi". |
Step 2 : Preparation of the A/V Track(1)
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Start a new project (File / New / Film):
- You will notice the presence of a new icon that notifies you that the RedCurtain.avi file was added to the library. Simply click on the icon to select the intermediate video.
- Drag your newly created intermediate rendering to A/V Track(1) and move the cursor (2) to the exact moment where the curtain is fully closed (work with the buttons frame by frame if necessary);
- Apply a razor Cut at that exact time;
- Remove the first part of the video (which corresponds to the closing of the curtain).
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Double click on the remaining part which will open the effects editor. By applying the next steps, you will make the green visible part transparent when the curtain opens (it will turn black, so that means it's transparent ...).
- Make sure the "Effects" tab is selected;
- Click the 4 "Keyers" button;
- Select the "Studio Chromakeyer" effect;
- Go to the Effects setting window (make sure the key frames are turned off);
- Select the default preset (you can expand the "Settings" to see them...).
General note: As you can see on this screenshot (item 4), each effect has at least three icons:
- A trash can ... you know what that one does;
- A diamond (optional) that allows you to enable or disable keyframes. Depending on the effects, the default setting is either enabled or disabled, hence the need to check it before starting the setup;
- a small round button that lets you enable or disable the effect. Default effects are enabled (visible) but sometimes it can be interesting to turn off the effect to see the consequences of its application, especially with multiple effects;
- The last icon, the symbol with three lines, can move effects up or down in the stacking order. Just click on the icon of an effect and drag it to the correct place. If you have a "no parking" icon, you are not in a good position but if you have a "+" you can release the mouse button, and your new position will be allowed.
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While you are still in the effects editor, you need to take a snapshot of the first frame of your intermediate video. It is this image that will be placed at the start of your movie.
Make sure your cursor is at the very beginning of the timeline (ie the moment when the curtain is fully closed).
- Click on the Corrections Tab;
- Select 2 "Snapshot";
- Choose your image format;
- Click on the "Apply" button. The captured image will be automatically included in the default images folder in the Library;
- By clicking OK, you will return to the main interface of Avid Studio.
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Application of Effects to the Snapshot ...
- The intermediate video, RedCurtain.avi, is already in place and trimmed.
- Now, put your snapshot in front of the video and set the duration to 25 seconds.
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First you must apply the pan and zoom effect to the snapshot in order to remove the empty room.
Double-click the snapshot to open the Effects Editor.
- Make sure the "Effects" tab is active;
- Click 2 "Camera";
- Select the "Pan and Zoom" effect;
- Turn off the key frames;
- Set the zoom to 30, the horizontal to 0 and vertical to -15. Also check the reduce flicker box.
Don't exit the Effects Editor yet because you will be applying another effect.
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The second effect applied to this snapshot will be a color effect to create a darkened theater atmosphere.
- Make sure the "Effects" tab is still active;
- Click 3 "Color";
- Select the "Image Correction CPU" effect;
- Turn on the key frames. A keyframe is created at the beginning of the effect and if the cursor is not located at the beginning, a second keyframe is created under the cursor;
- New controls appear (arrow navigation to jump to keyframes, and a center diamond button to create a new keyframe or delete existing keyframes;
- Place your cursor at 20 seconds and create a keyframe by clicking the diamond (mark 5). Put a keyframe at the end of the effect by placing your cursor at 25 seconds and pressing the diamond again.
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Make sure that at the beginning, all parameters are set to 0.
Place your cursor on the second keyframe you created, using the navigation arrows (mark 5).
Then set the brightness to -90 and saturation to -29 (to gradually reduce the lighting in the room).
Place your cursor on the third keyframe (end effect).
Then set the brightness to -100 and saturation to -31 (to reduce the lighting a bit more in the room).
Set selective saturation of the red to 65 (to illuminate the curtain opening) and exit the effects editor with OK.
Applications of effects on the intermediate RedCurtain.avi video...
This clip has no less than 3 effects. As a reminder, you have already applied the "Studio Chromakeyer" effect
Therefore, you have two effects left to apply.
The Pan and Zoom effect is a little tricky to set with keyframes because it needs to counter the zoom effect applied in the original transition. The ideal goal is to obtain an almost constant framing of the scene.
Of course, the first keyframe at the beginning of the effect will be to set zoom = 30, Horizontal = 0 and Vertical = - 15 (for connection with the last frame of the snapshot).
Then you create three key frames at 1 / 6, 1 / 3 and 1 / 2 the length of RedCurtain.avi. No need to edit the fourth key frame at the end, the zoom from the original transition will take care of removing the red curtain.
As an example these values are: :
1/6 : 30, 0, -11
1/3 : 30, 0, -3
1/2 : 30, 0, 3
Do your best to keep a constant frame of your scene.
Image Correction CPU effect, without keyframes, use the same parameters as the last keyframe of the effect applied to the snapshot (for a seamless connection).
Brightness = -100, Saturation = -31, Selective saturation of the red = 65.
Step 3 : Preparation of A/V Track(2)
And now you arrive at the crucial moment . . . . . . . and the most interesting ...
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- In the video examples, I used the Wildlife.wmv clip;
- Drag this clip to A / V Track(2) directly below the border between the snapshot and the rendered RedCurtain.avi. That way, from the first crack of the curtain, you will see the first frame of your clip;
- Finish with a fade to black, without trying to apply a transition. Just "corner" on the top right of your clip.
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If you want sound as the curtain opens, you will find some good sound effects on the Internet ...To help, you can look on our links page for good music sites, sounds and sound effects.
IT'S SHOWTIME! 
{Screen Capture made with TechSmith Snagit 10}
{Thanks to Loosecannon for the fine tuning}