"Flashing Caption" - Do It All In Producer!

[debngar Profile Private message]

This tutorial came about as result of the question in this thread posted by Magmatic.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18419

No need for an outside editor for this solution since it can be reproduced with Producer's tools.
Be sure the caption is the size required and placed where you want it before the capture else they won't line up when you insert the captured caption jpg as a layer.

The effect was key-framed this way in the tutorial.

KF 1-2 0% to 0% opacity
KF 2-3 0% to 100% opacity
KF 3-4 100% to 0% opacity
KF 4-5 0% to 0% opacity

TUTORIAL - Presenter Version
"Flashing Caption" - Do it all in Producer!
http://www.photodex.com/share/debngar/2abm9mg4


YouTube Version

[quikchip Profile Private message]

Thanks for the Tutorial.

We would like to see some small templates or style pack created for use in business marketing , similar to The Spanhoek Hotel video shown in Proshow blog -http://www.slideshowblog.com/
Marketplace vendors any available???

[gpsmikey Profile Private message]

Nice little tutorial Debbie - one thing that would even make it better would be add a color shift to the blurred layer (say add some yellow or blue in the example).

mikey

[debngar Profile Private message]

Hi Mikey,

I only made the quickie tutorial to address Magmatic's question on whether (and how) it could be done in Producer. I was duplicating what I saw in the example he was trying to figure out.

Yes, of course one could use a color of any sort, depending on the circumstances, color scheme, logo colors, etc. Same with how long the flash stays on, how long it takes to get to the 100% and so forth.

Hello Quickchip:

I don't sell templates or style packs. I suppose you can keep an eye out for the known vendors in the forum who post in the marketplace section for that kind of thing though.

[im42n8 Profile Private messageWebsite]

LET ME REPHRASE.

You will also need to CHROMA KEY (remove) the color surrounding the JPG Letter to see any layers below the JPG.

Another example of this technique that might be easier to work with involves only the JPG and a copy of it (so you're not working with a both caption AND a JPG). Chroma key each to remove the black surrounding the "S".

Layer 1: "S" JPG (instead of using the caption)
Layer 2: "S" JPG Add the Blur to this layer.

Use the Keyframing given by Debbie on layer 2

A simple technique to give the lettering color is to add a color layer below the jpg and make the JPG a grayscale mask.

Dale

[BarbaraC Profile Private messageWebsite]

Dale, why bother with chroma key? Why not just turn layer 3 into a mask that's blurred and sitting over any color desired? Also, I was under the impression that the flashing 'S' is beneath a standard caption 'S'.

Debbie, your tutorial is excellent. It opens people's eyes to the possibilities just sitting there waiting inside Producer, something I suspect has been covered over a bit by the plethora of built-in styles.

Barbara

[im42n8 Profile Private messageWebsite]

[... initial post revised]
Dale

[debngar Profile Private message]

As given, this example works fine for what it is. However, it has issues you should consider. Note that the image, the "S" in this case, is surrounded by black.

To see anything below that "S" you need to get rid of that black. Use Chroma Key to remove it. Then, there's the matter of color. If white won't do you could colorize it but you also could tint the image(s) below the "S" (or you could create the image with a colored letter and black background). So, use a mask technique as follows.

For the case of a white letter on white, remove the chroma key on the top image and add a color layer below it (you don't need it . . . but you can keep it if you want). Then make layer 1 a grayscale mask as follows:

Layer 1: "S" jpeg (mask: grayscale, depth of 1)
Layer 2: color (gradient or solid)
Layer 3: "S" jpeg chroma keyed to remove the black surrounding the "S".

If you want to color the shadow, add a layer 4 gradient or solid color layer. Make layer 3 a grayscale mask. Colorize the "S" without the mask and you give the whole thing a color shade (which you don't want).

Keyframe as given by Debbie. (But, you don't need to change opacity of layer 3 unless you want to... the blur will take care of that. Remove the blur and it fits perfectly behind layer 1 (because they're both sized exactly the same).

Dale

Re: "Flashing Caption" - Do It All In Producer!

Post by im42n8 on Mon Jun 27, 2011 4:42 pm
As I said above, if you don't care about changing the color (or the letter in the image was created with color other than white), chroma key removes the black.

Otherwise, the mask route is the way to go.

And yes, layer 3 (in the above example) is the one being blurred for the "blurred" flash letter.

Dale

Apparently you're unaware that the method I offered is how it was done in Ray's video. He told me himself today. It may not be exact but your solution wasn't either and it sure wasn't the simplest one!

I've tried to ignore your repeated, stalking, condescending, verbose postings right after me. Then I asked you to stop in private, but you insist on doing this to me publicly, time and again. So maybe this is the only way I can get you to listen.

I would really appreciate it if you would quit posting in my tutorial threads and right behind me in others to underhand what I'm trying to do, which is, to present users a simple and EASY solution to achieve an effect and do it all in Producer. Doesn't matter if you don't like it or agree with it. If you'd like to share with the forum your methods, you're obviously free to do that. But the polite way to do so is to start your own tutorial thread and leave other people out of it. You don't have all the best answers. I don't either. No one does.

BUTT OUT!

[seektheburd Profile Private message]

Great tutorial Debbie!

Hugs,
Stephanie

[im42n8 Profile Private messageWebsite]

Debbie: ... ...

[debngar Profile Private message]

Debbie,

You're in the wrong. While your method will work, it has limited utility unless you remove the background around the S ... In case you forgot, JPGs do not come with transparent backgrounds That tends to block whatever layer(s) exists below that jpg. You don't deal with the JPG background ... I did (in two different ways). I'm sure you weren't offering an exact solution to his needs but neither was I.

Your characterization of my response was neither called for nor appreciated. You're out of line. I have no idea what you mean by "stalking, condescending, or verbose" posting after you but obviously you have issues. If you or anyone else posts something that is incomplete or wrong, expect it to be completed or corrected by someone; if not me then someone else. Get over it - it's a fact of life. That's no reason for you to go off the deep end. Have you considered therapy?

Dale

PS I was also trying to help others who might want to achieve the same effect ... not just necessarily address Ray's query.

I'm not the only person that feels you stalk members then post in this condescending fashion. I asked you before in private to please stop doing this to me and other people. You ignored my request and know exactly what I mean.

I'm hoping this might help you finally understand how we feel sometimes...

Definition of CONDESCENDING
: showing or characterized by a patronizing or superior attitude toward others

Start your own tutorial thread and stop hijacking mine. You're welcome to post your own solution but don't do it in my thread. Again, PLEASE BUTT OUT!

[cherub Profile Private messageWebsite]

To get up in the morning and to see this?
Come on guys ! Be nice to each other !

[debngar Profile Private message]

It would have been sufficient and welcome for anyone to post ONE SENTENCE as a follow up to my crude, quick tutorial to point out the potential need for transparency. Something like this (similar to how Mikey put his reply) would have been more welcomed.

"If people want transparency, it can be achieved with the Chroma Key and maybe a WP setting adjustment."

* Still simple and easy, uses only 1 image layer
* Still only uses Producer's tools

No need for an image editor and no need to hijack the thread.

Initially the O.P. stated it was done with an image editor. That's an optional way to do it but wasn't how it was done. That simple fact was not addressed when the O.P. decided to hijack my thread to prominently point out the need for transparency.

I obviously didn't have a problem with Mikey's input.

[young02 Profile Private message]

It's great Debbie ! Is it possible to extend or enlarge the Flashing Light effect ? Thank you.

[debngar Profile Private message]

It's great Debbie ! Is it possible to extend or enlarge the Flashing Light effect ? Thank you.

Hello Young02,

I did this a while back and just now dug up the tutorial to play with it.

The flash may look a bit brighter if both brightness AND white point are set to 100 in the Adjustment window. I think the original tutorial only had the brightness set to 100.

Turning down the blur in the adjustment window from 60 to 30, for instance, will display a crisper flash.

The flash can be made larger by increasing the image layer zoom level to 120 at Keyframe 3. Be sure the zoom at both kf2 and kf4 remain at 100. If 120 isn't enough for your taste, increase that number.

KF 2 is 100
KF 3 is 120
KF 4 is 100 again.

Extending the time the flash displays can be accomplished by putting more time between KF 2 and KF3 and KF 4. It will depend on if you want it to appear or disappear quickly or slowly. If you don't want to mess with the keyframes, you can also extend the slide time to something longer. I experimented by changing it from 3 seconds to 6 and that did the trick too. It will all depend on how you want to use that slide and how long you need it to be on the screen.

Below is a link to an updated version of this tutorial showing an example of a nice colored background and what it looks like when the brightness and white point are both set to 100 and the zoom is set at 120 in KF3 in the turquoise slide example:

http://www.photodex.com/share/debngar/p927pmg4