__________________________________________________________ ZVP Vector Special Effects and Utilities v3.0 __________________________________________________________ A collection of relatively simple programs to perform a variety of video-related functions, all of which are not catered for elsewhere. The pictures generated by this program are vector-drawn, hence the fast loading and minimal use of diskspace & RAM. Had they been IFF files (very inefficient with soft-edge hatching) they would need a whole disk to themselves! The MASKING functions (where the picture border is to be opaque, and a cut-out area is to be transparent to video) all require a genlock capable of foreground keying. If you attempt to use background keying the effects will not work. USE - GENERAL Most functions operate simply by clicking the appropriate EFFECT button. To operate the function, press the LH mouse button. To return to the index, press the RH mouse button. Each function has a separate palette, so you can adjust the colours to meet your own requirements. All of the palettes are stored permanently if you click on SAVE CONFIG. Please read the note about PAUSE at the end. CORNER IDENT An IFF logo (vs2:logos/corner_id) that you can create yourself may be positioned, then added and removed from the display at will, by clicking the left mouse button. Any footage may be marked thus (esp. ENG etc.). POINTER ARROW Handy for pointing out places on maps, people in pictures etc. The normal intution pointer is too small to be useful, so this pointer is a decent size. Switch it on and off at will. CIRCLE You know the routine... encircle the faces of the suspects or troublemakers in a crowd. No need to find a poll-tax riot, now is the time for embarrassing investigative documentaries on the private lives of your best friends. Perhaps not... MUSIC DOT You surely remember the bouncing dot over the words of a song. You can use this in conjuction with your subtitled lyrics... MARK/DRAW Real-time drawing with invisible pointer and no tools visible. Put a circle around items in a scene to draw attention to them. Or even write freehand titles. The pointer remains visible until the first mouseclick so that you can 'get your bearings'. From then on the drawing is by 'invisible' chalk. This is a function often required in video work, and simple that it is, is not catered for in current paint packages. The function of REAL TIME DRAWING is greatly expanded upon in VideoStudio Professional's REAL PAINT program. This allows you to SAVE and REPLAY drawings created in Real time, e.g. fluid writing, without hours of frustration and huge ammounts of diskspace required by conventional 'bitmap flipper' type (e.g. DPIII) animation. Vector animation is especially good at this. SCORE BOXES Intended as part of the 'props' for quiz-games etc. The score is incremented by one for each mouseclick. (you will probably need more than one computer running this program, each feeding a small monitor housed in the stage fittings, controlled by an adjudicator). TIMER COUNT UP/COUNT DOWN Again large seven-segment numerals, of application in quiz-games and sport/competition. Minutes and seconds are displayed. The timer is started on the first LH mouseclick, and stopped on the next one. This may be repeated, and to end, the RH mouse-button is pressed. WIDESCREEN MASKS Three types available, mild, severe and with coloured border. The colour of the centre key region must be set to suit the keying of the genlock, and this must operate in foreground keying mode. The other colour(s) may be set at will, though not including the key colour. 8mm FILM BORDER This can be used to tidy-up film edges at the cine-to-video stage, or to simulate old 8mm film. In the latter case, shoot a contrasty and wobbly footage with strong blues. Use a fast strobe if you have it. You must use foreground key mode. VIGNETTES These soft-edged circular and oval vignettes are intended for use in conjunction with still photographs, usually for making up titles. Again foreground keying is required. Remember that the shot must be composed bearing in mind the nature of the mask chosen. The palette may be set as you wish. The titling vignettes may be used with the titling programs either using a two-pass method (record the masked footage first) or by saving the mask as a background IFF. Remember to use a still under a 'rostrum' camera (securely supported!). Avoid pausing a player to record. See note at end on PAUSE MODES. BINOCULARS Use foreground key once more, coupled with smooth panned shots. Remember when shooting to bear in mind the masked area will not be visible. TELESCOPIC WEAPON SIGHT Ideal for dealing with disorderly members of the cast! CAMERA VIEWFINDER Once more set genlock to foreground mode. Colour 1 of the palette to suit the keying of the genlock. "POLARIOD" Ideal for family records of holidays and ceremonies. Remember to compose the shot with a tilt... and no movement. A genuine still pic is best. Remember not to use pause. This fuction also allows you to draw on the screen (see DRAW). Write a name or 'holiday 91' under the photo as you please. MOVIE FILM Intended as an introduction to a transcribed movie... you can draw a title on this (see DRAW), or use any of the titling programs (a two pass method) to overlay a formal sequence. The frame exits with the key rectangle (the centre film frame) wiping to full-screen. VIDEO CASSETTE Another introductory title, again animated. Until you press the RH mouse button, you can DRAW on the label, or the surround. When you press the RH button, the pointer is removed and the hubs are stopped. The next press starts them, a futher press end the sequence. STARFIELD Absolutely perfect for the 'alternative' version of STAR TRUCK or BLOKES SEVEN. Use a two-pass method and bung titles on top. You must provide the innuendos yourself though. It's an endless random star-system... never the same journey twice. Remember with a keying mixer, you can overlay your spaceship models too. So set your genlocks on stun and bleep us up Spotty. LASER This effect works best with a dark background. Use foreground key for this, and insert this over a few frames of video (frame accurate editing is helpful). If you can do stop- frame animation then you could do 'swordfight' sequences too. Used in conjunction with a wipe it can be made to 'zap' from the appropriate originating weapon. DO make sure the actors die convincingly on cue. And don't let them over-act. (Unless you are doing Shakespeare in Space) "Is this a laser cannon I see before me, the handle toward my hand..." LIGHTNING Another off-beat utility. OK, if you're not doing a 'Frankenstien' or a ghost story in a haunted house, or a salutory tale of how not to put a plug on a video recorder... then this is not for you. Maybe it will inspire you to provide a more dramatic video none the less. Have you EVER tried to video (or photograph) lightning? It's not easy. Backlighting using flashguns on your darkened and suitably composed outdoor scene completes the effect. ANY MORE IDEAS? Any more odd effects you may think appropriate? Let us know! VERY IMPORTANT - USE OF PAUSE - READ THIS - SAVE YOU A PHONE CALL It is very tempting for the novice to try to record a video recorder in pause mode to create a still. NEVER DO THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE A TBC or A FRAMESTORE. Most VCRs produce wobbly and erratic syncs in pause mode, and even if this is corrected with an internal FIELD STORE i.e. 'more expensive' VHS recorders, this is NOT a frame store proper (a cheapo fix instead) and the output is NOT INTERLACED. The result of recording non-interlaced video is that it cannot be edited with proper interlaced video without a glitch, and you cannot overlay titles over this without loss of sync. If you have a TBC/mixer with Framestore you CAN use pause, but the frame loses interlace (you see jitter). It is better to freeze a frame from a video in PLAY mode. Even the BBC suffer from this problem on broadcast video! No-one notices, of course, do they...? iss 0 23 Dec 91 iss 1 25 Dec 91 iss 2 7 Jan 92