Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Films and Screenshots => Topic started by: Zaphod on March 05, 2005, 07:38:54 PM
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Hey All,
Here is another new film. This is the first one I have tried with the new editing software. It's sort of a blooper film, let me know what you think.
*Caution R rating for voice-overs (advance warning given)!!!
ahblooper (http://www.4lazydawgz.com/AcesHighfilms/ahblooper2.wmv)
Zaphod
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:lol that was cool Bud. I enjoyed that:aok
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Zaphod,
Great film!
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hahaha best film ive seen for a while.
good to see some mistakes aswell as films about how l33t we all are! :)
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:confused: link is a no go for me
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Its always been Ax's fault:D
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Thanks guys,
I thought it would be fun to put together a comic type film..(I have tons of em anyway lol).
Fubar...The site may have just been down or something when you tried? I just tried it and it worked fine for me.
Zaphod
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rofl i love it more more :)
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I swear the line about losing an engine had me in stiches for ages, .
Lovely film, looking forward to the next one.
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rgr Zap tried again its back :aok
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Zaphod that was super fun to watch.I loved the music.Could you give us a play by play rundown on how you got it to the movie stage .Like what codec you used to turn it into an AVI.And stuff like that.I dont end up with such sharp pictures when i finish one yours are beautiful.Thanks
Dlitz
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Originally posted by Dlitz
Zaphod that was super fun to watch.I loved the music.Could you give us a play by play rundown on how you got it to the movie stage .Like what codec you used to turn it into an AVI.And stuff like that.I dont end up with such sharp pictures when i finish one yours are beautiful.Thanks
Dlitz
Sure....couple things first. I use a combo of Fraps (fraps can be found using google search...great program), Windows Movie Maker (first few films) and for this latest film the $99.00 version of Sony Movie Studio + DVD.
Once I pick the film and figure out the views I want to use (external, internal, chase etc) and when I want to use them this is how I capture and edit.
1. I select the film or part of the film I want to use (you can turn fraps off and on while viewing or do a start/end select to section that part of the film). I always do a start and end select to remove text...if I don't want vox on all or part of the film I will remove vox also. It's done with the edit text/voice button after selecting the part you want to remove text and or voice. You can do this separately.
1. I start Fraps (capture program that converts ahf to avi). I set fraps to capture sound (little box you check) that way you can hear the engines and guns of other planes. The settings for video capture in fraps are full screen and 30 fps (frames per sec.).
2. I start film viewer and then hit the little windows box at the top that maximizes it (not the full screen view box). This sets the screen size close to 640 X 480 for the capture process.
3. Now for the tricky and frustrating part.....I start the film and after memorizing what I want to do with regards to views I hit the hotkey in Fraps to start the capture. While fraps is capturing I manipulate the views (external, internal, guncam, chase etc). This is frustrating because you have to memorize it and many times you may change quickly between recorded views on/off along with the various internal, external etc. You have to be careful about manipulating with the number pad if you are capturing sound with fraps because it hears the funky sounds the keypad causes by holding down a view (like side view 4). I normally decide early what part of the film I want to be seeing view changes with on internal and use the show recorded views. I can then use the mouse to click btw internal, external, chase etc.
4. After that's all done I take the finished AVI (which will be HUGE) and import it into the editor. WinXP service pack 2 has a really nice version of Windows Movie Maker that is pretty powerful. I just got a new one called Sony Movie Maker (cheap ver. at $99.00) that is also very nice. Spend some time with Win. Movie Maker and decide if it's good enough for ya. It just won't separate audio tracks too well. Sony allows me to add 3 vid tracks, and 3 audio tracks...very nice.
5. Once you have edited the film (take your time and get it the way you want it) you need to save it as some sort of vid file. This is where it gets compressed (and where it gets kinda messed up looking if your not careful). Each editor saves and compresses a little differently so here is how I do it in the two I have exper. with.
Windows Movie Maker - very easily done by selecting "save to my computer" and using the settings under "more settings" drop down menu for 640 X 480 at either 2.1, 1.5 or 1.0 bit rates. The higher the bit rate the larger and better looking it is.
Sony Movie Maker - not so easily done. You must use a preset for 640 X 480 and then I use variable bit rate. Variable bit rate should be better and is with Sony but with Wind. Mov. Maker I get better results with the above settings.
The quality of the finished product is dependant not only on the settings you save with (end of process) but ALSO on your Fraps vid settings for capture AND the film viewer size when capturing.
One last thing....I used advice I had gleaned from reading posts from guys like Stream and Morph to start with then experimented ALOT to get something I was satisfied with. I didn't figure all this out on my own lol.
edit: on the codec... I saved the files as WMV files. So I reckon that is the codec I used. I tried mpeg (too big), Qtime (too big) and divx (poor quality). Morph I know has been experimenting some with those codecs but I like WMV. Win. Movie Maker doesn't really offer options on that. Sony does but I still use a standard 640 X 480 variable bit rate WMV and it seemed to work best for me.
Sorry for the novel...let me know if you need any clarification on this.
Zaphod
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Sorry for the novel.....let me know if you need any clarification on this
Zaphod hehe you went above and beyond your duty trying to explain this to me MANY THANKS.I am off work today, so I am going to read and reread your instructions.And try to put some thing together.The only question I have off the top of my head is,I tried fraps and it captured the whole screen ,meaning i got the whole AHfilm viewer too.
I am using Ulead studio 7 for editing.It is no match for Sony movie Maker.But it is more suited to my budget.You should have been there when I was trying to explain to my wife why i needed that even hehehe.My main roadblock seems to be AVI conversion.And Ill work on thay today.Thanks for all of your help.Id ask Morph for help but I am mad at him he shot me down 4 or 5times in one hour last week ;)
Ok i just downloaded fraps and tried it again it worked flawlessly for me.I dont know what i messed up last time i tried it.Thanks again Zaphod we are off to a good start now
Dlitz
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Originally posted by Dlitz
Zaphod hehe you went above and beyond your duty trying to explain this to me MANY THANKS.I am off work today, so I am going to read and reread your instructions.And try to put some thing together.The only question I have off the top of my head is,I tried fraps and it captured the whole screen ,meaning i got the whole AHfilm viewer too.
I am using Ulead studio 7 for editing.It is no match for Sony movie Maker.But it is more suited to my budget.You should have been there when I was trying to explain to my wife why i needed that even hehehe.My main roadblock seems to be AVI conversion.And Ill work on thay today.Thanks for all of your help.Id ask Morph for help but I am mad at him he shot me down 4 or 5times in one hour last week ;)
Ok i just downloaded fraps and tried it again it worked flawlessly for me.I dont know what i messed up last time i tried it.Thanks again Zaphod we are off to a good start now
Dlitz
Glad it helped buddy :). On the Morph thing....hang around long enough and you get used to being shot down by him lol.
Zaphod
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One big key to making a good movie (IMHO) is doing multiple angles of the same shots.....just like a real director. THis gives you more freedome when you go to put it all together not only in creative selection...but also in timing, in case you want to have specific events occur 'on cue' with the music (Ive dont it before...and it adds a whole lota work to do it...but it is very nice if done correctly).
I also do all sound effects in post (again just like real movies). Its ok to use in game sounds, and in some cases it works well, but because I usually dont want the vox, I start from scratch.
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Since nobody posts on my forums... I figured I would add my two cents...
Dlitz,
The best advice I can offer you, not that you asked, is don't settle. Each one of us has a vision of a flick in our head, and the only one that has to be happy with it is you. You are never going to make something that everyone will love, there will always be someone that needs to add their two cents in, but I guess that is the price we pay for doing this.
The best way to learn is trial and error, I remember when I started, watching stuff that was made in IL-2. I was like "how the heck did they do that?" I would try to edit like they did to no avail.
Try baby steps first, then gradually get into the harder stuff. I learned that the hard way after editing for hours on something, having it not turn out like the other guys did.
I would say the most important part of a "Virtual" movie is the music... it sets the mood, whether it be rock, classical, or soundtrack... listen to it... find the high and low points in it, it will help on where you need to set up scenes at.
As for content of the movie, view and other things.. set it up in your head or on paper... watch the scene you want to set up before you record it in fraps. I myself watch stuff so much I get tired of it...
I am not trying to step on anyones toes, Alf and Zaphod are great movie makers.. you can learn a lot from them...
Stream
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Hey all of you guys keep up the input NEED MORE INPUT. And thanks loads
Dlitz
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I have toes?
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Originally posted by o0Stream140o
Since nobody posts on my forums... I figured I would add my two cents...
Dlitz,
The best advice I can offer you, not that you asked, is don't settle. Each one of us has a vision of a flick in our head, and the only one that has to be happy with it is you. You are never going to make something that everyone will love, there will always be someone that needs to add their two cents in, but I guess that is the price we pay for doing this.
The best way to learn is trial and error, I remember when I started, watching stuff that was made in IL-2. I was like "how the heck did they do that?" I would try to edit like they did to no avail.
Try baby steps first, then gradually get into the harder stuff. I learned that the hard way after editing for hours on something, having it not turn out like the other guys did.
I would say the most important part of a "Virtual" movie is the music... it sets the mood, whether it be rock, classical, or soundtrack... listen to it... find the high and low points in it, it will help on where you need to set up scenes at.
As for content of the movie, view and other things.. set it up in your head or on paper... watch the scene you want to set up before you record it in fraps. I myself watch stuff so much I get tired of it...
I am not trying to step on anyones toes, Alf and Zaphod are great movie makers.. you can learn a lot from them...
Stream
I couldn't agree more strongly. I think of most of what I have edited as almost a music video. I spend more time picking out music to go with a particular film than anything. I have to find the right tune for the mood and one with the timing that is sorta close. I then spend time listening to a couple or three tunes and making notes on timing so that I can deal with the timing of the visuals. Whatever you decide to do...it's your deal. While it's nice that others like your films they are yours. Make sure you are happy with it and don't worry about other folks :).
Check around the boards for tips etc (thats what I do...again esp Stream, Morph and Alf's stuff among others). I'm pretty new at this stuff.
Alf...I want to get into the multiple scenes thing...I just haven't got it square in my head yet on how to integrate it with the new editing software.
Stream...I keep forgetting to check your site dangit.
Zaphod
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If you don't give this out...
I am making a video for the ~Hell's Angels~, an old squad I used to fly with...
http://www.ahvirtualcinema.com/HA_1.mpg