"A Visit To Bird Nest House" - Final edit

[dfrye70 Profile Private message]

very nice! thanks for sharing

[debngar Profile Private message]

Thanks again for the bird image. He's a nice one and I finally got around to fiddling with that awkward slide.

I took out my original image and replaced it with your bird image. I cut him out and used a feathered oval marquee to trim him up for use in that slide.

It took me a while and I was just about to give up when I finally figured out a decent combination of settings to tweak to make him look a little more natural as he appears.

He's not perfect but it's a lot better than the other one I had going in the last version.

The link to the show in the first post of the thread has changed to the newest version.

Debbie

[alcain Profile Private messageWebsite]

Debbie, looks like was a fantastic weekend. Here is my "formal" review...

Opening scene was great, although I am not a big fan of the mixed up letter title effect - remember folks - just my opinion.
Music selection perfect.
Liked the fake frame effect.
Always love a black and white frame or two in a show.
Great photography!
Who is that nice looking blonde posing with that handsome man at the stairway? Looks like she has only one ear to me...
The show not only focuses on still objects, but includes people - always a great thing.
You know that I appreciate the tasteful captions.
The "Thanks for watching" screen is a nice touch.
Show is "short and sweet" and ahhhhh... tells a story.

————————
Notice: This review / comment / critique of your show is strictly my own personal opinion. I may visualize this show one way, and someone else will see it entirely differently. My comments and suggestions are only thoughts of how I might have done it differently, and are by no means, a statement of dislike for your work. You have a reason for doing the show the way you did, and I do respect and honor that. Please take my comments and suggestions with a grain of salt. If I have made a suggestion that you can use, then my review will be of some value. If I have made a suggestion that you do not agree with, then please just disregard this review. My only intent in reviewing shows on this user group is to provide users with another view / insight / and opinion. That’s what user groups are for. Please do not take this review personally, we are professionals and as such, are above petty bickering. Thank you for taking the time to read this review, and I thank you for sharing your work with all of us.
AB Cain

[gpsmikey Profile Private message]

Thanks again for the bird image. He's a nice one and I finally got around to fiddling with that awkward slide.

I took out my original image and replaced it with your bird image. I cut him out and used a feathered oval marquee to trim him up for use in that slide.

It took me a while and I was just about to give up when I finally figured out a decent combination of settings to tweak to make him look a little more natural as he appears.

He's not perfect but it's a lot better than the other one I had going in the last version.

The link to the show in the first post of the thread has changed to the newest version.

Debbie

I like it -- great show!! Excellent pictures and you did a great job of fitting
it all together. I'm going to have to play with the color masking stuff - I like
the looks of it. One trick I have done in the past that can have a funny
look to it (just something to keep in mind) is to take a picture like that and use
two versions of it - one "mirrored" but still in the same postion on the
same background -- gives the effect of "looking both ways". I do that sometimes
on stuff when I want a chuckle from people works well with things like
squirrels and birds that are often goofy anyway

mikey

[alaskaninexile]

Hi Deb,
Enjoyed the show - entertaining from start to fiinish. One 'question' and one 'comment 'and one 'ditto'.
Question - That wooden heart image was awesome; was that smething that you can only do in Producer, or would it be achievable in PSG 3.0? Am not sure what a 'multi-layered key frame sequence' is, but you mentioned there was one in the show - was that the 'heart' effect, the stellar jay effect, or something else? Thanks in advance for info.
Comment - That photo of the sun setting over the mountain was such a fantastic photo - and seemed such an appropriate way to end the show; had you given any thought to lingering on that slide a little longer and ending with that instead of going one slide beyond? I loved that photo.
Ditto - Concurred with all 10 of Alcain's comments - his one observation about not being a fan of the 'mixed up letter title effect' (I see it so often that I was beginning to think it was just me that thought its indiscriminate usage was a bit cheesy) as well as his nine subsequent compliments.
Thanks for sharing - nice show to start the day with.
Alaskan in Exile

[debngar Profile Private message]

That's a neat idea - I never thought of doing something like that to animate the little creature. You really have me thinking now.

If I change it again I wonder if people will become irritated at me for another link change though. LOL But I will experiment and see how it comes out. If it works well, I might post a sample of the one slide effect in my short shows instead of posting a new link, I just don't know yet.

Thanks again Mikey.

Debbie

[debngar Profile Private message]

Thanks for taking time to view the show and for your comments.

I think you should be able to do the heart image type thing in Gold pretty easily. You need to cut out the center and save the image as a png file though. You may have to work the effect over a couple slides instead of just one if you want to be able to delay zooming the back image though as I chose to do. I didn't start zooming the room image until a little bit into the slide time. But that is a small technicality. I think you can zoom both layers at the same time in one slide in PSG. It may just look a tiny bit different in timing. Hope that makes sense.

The multi-layered key frame sequence I was speaking of is the one with the flower images and my shadow image behind. That's something done with key frames in Producer all in one slide. There are other images that have multiple layers but not as intricate in key frame motion (except for maybe the bird in the nest thing now too).

Ok so I didn't need the "thanks for watching" at the end - maybe I should re-think putting that in my shows. Sometimes I use it and sometimes I don't. If I re-work the bird again (thanks to Mikey's mirrored critter idea) I will consider removing it.

The "mixed up" caption motion effect was chosen to simulate a flock of birds coming to rest on the branches and as a change from my usual plain style of which I was getting kind of bored. So it really did have an artistic purpose behind the choice of style. I couldn't think of any better hook for the beginning. I guess it doesn't appeal to everyone.

The same goes for how I chose to treat the last couple captions on the funny thing at the end. It sort of simulates the duck talking.

Thanks again for your comments.

Debbie

[gpsmikey Profile Private message]

That's a neat idea - I never thought of doing something like that to animate the little creature. You really have me thinking now.

If I change it again I wonder if people will become irritated at me for another link change though. LOL But I will experiment and see how it comes out. If it works well, I might post a sample of the one slide effect in my short shows instead of posting a new link, I just don't know yet.

Thanks again Mikey.

Debbie

Here is a VERY quick example I put together in about 10 minutes
that is sort of cute -- only one picture was used but flipped. Well,
off to Mt. Rainier for the day !!

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewsho ... 3846&alb=0

mikey

[alcain Profile Private messageWebsite]

Ok so I didn't need the "thanks for watching" at the end - maybe I should re-think putting that in my shows. Sometimes I use it and sometimes I don't. If I re-work the bird again (thanks to Mikey's mirrored critter idea) I will consider removing it.

Debbie, I think you mis understood - We LIKED the "Thanks for watching" screen and we think you should keep on using them.

(I know with only one ear it's hard to understand some of our whispered comments...)

Keep up the good work!

Blessings, ~al

[alaskaninexile]

Hi Deb,
Thanks for explanation. Appreciate your taking the time to answer my questions - went back to watch your show again and thanks to your explanation now know what a 'multi-layered key frame sequence' is.
Regarding my original 'comment' and 'ditto', I find myself dittoing Alcain again. Agree with his "Keep It" reply and am sorry for any confusion caused by my original post. I liked the "Thanks for watching" at the end - what I was trying to say was that the photo of the sun setting behind the mountain with the boats and waterfowl was such an exceptional photo that it seemed a shame not to linger and end on that photo and then go to "Thanks for watching" rather than slipping the less spectacular boats/shoreline photo in between.
Also regarding the mixed up letter effect, I loved all caption effects and usage throughout (e.g. birds coming to rest at beginning I enjoyed, and duck talking, etc.) the only aspect that didn't seem to fit and what I thought Alcain was talking about (with which I agree) was the letters exploding out at the title caption (i.e. enjoyed the 'Curling' 'Fly In' effect at that caption but it seems IMHO like the 'Explode' option as a 'Fly Out' effect is way over-used).
Once again - thanks for great show and taking time to explain how you created it.
Alaskan in Exile

[debngar Profile Private message]

Al:

Thanks for the clarification. I decided to remove the "thanks for watching" it anyways.

Alaskaninexile:

The "fly out" caption motion to the title slide is the same "curling" choice, only just faster like the flock of birds being frightened into leaving and scattering quickly from the tree. The fly out motion finishes the concept that was started with the fly-in motion. It's not the same as the "explosion" choice. I'm going to keep that portion of the show as is.

I can see what you mean about using the next to last image as the last one and tossing the other. I like that image better too but wish the sun was not cut off. If I make that one the last image, I'll probably shrink it and put a nice frame around it so as to not cut it off for viewing on TV as it currently sits outside the safe area.

Mikey:

I loved your funny squirrel movie you posted a while back. It will take me a little more time to make it look decent since it involves more than just flipping the image horizontally in this case. I have x & y's to change (the page turn effect), opacities to fiddle with to get it to look right and key frames to change again. I have started working on it but it's not quite yet there.

Hope I heard you all correct on this since now I guess I've lost one ear someplace along the way...........

Debbie

[alcain Profile Private messageWebsite]

Hope I heard you all correct on this since now I guess I've lost one ear someplace along the way...........

I think it's those darned earrings. They seem to get caught on just about everything. If you re-trace your steps for the last few weeks I'll bet you might just find it hanging around...

~al

[debngar Profile Private message]

AL - Ya know, I HAVE to 'fess up. The story that I have lost an ear is a lie.

I don't want some poor innocent newbie believe otherwise or lose sleep over feeling sorry for me or something if you know what I mean. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't clarify the situation.

[debngar Profile Private message]

A quick thanks to those of you who took the time to offer suggestions for additions and opinions on images to remove to tidy up this show - Al and Alaskaninexile.

Then animation was quite a little challenge but I think it came out pretty decent. Thanks Mikey

Thanks Mike (mheitkamper) for the page turn tutorial!!!

The new/final link has been edited into the first post of the thread.


Debbie.

[gpsmikey Profile Private message]

Excellent Deb !! I love the sunset picture too -- are you using a
graduated ND filter for the sunset ?? Those sunset things can be
really tough to get the exposure right !

For future reference, here is a trick that I found a while back for
making it easy to have something "looking out" (like the bird) or
people etc. Sort of a mask trick - in photoshop or equiv, grab a
copy of the front of the bird house (or part of it as appropriate)
and put it on another layer. Select the center and make it
transparent. Don't move the new layer, but between the new
layer and the original, you can put your critter or whatever
and voila -- it is now inside looking out with the front of the
opening being a mask essentially. I'm sure it's not original, but
I was happy when I figured it out - also works for putting people
in between others for example in a bunch - copy parts of the ones
you want in front, leave them there, and slide the new one in
between the original and the new layer. Trickery !!

mikey