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Tip #1678: Create an Animated Background – Quick

… for Apple Final Cut Pro X

Tip #1678: Create an Animated Background – Quick

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Be sure to apply a blur to keep the background from decreasing readability.

(top to bottom) Glass Block & Gaussian Blur effects, with the effects applied to a video clip.

Topic $TipTopic

Here’s a fast and fun way to create an animated background for text, graphics or other uses where you need the background animated, but not distracting.

  • Apply Effects Browser > Distortion > Glass Block to a clip.
  • Then, apply Effects Browser > Blur > Gaussian Blur to the same clip.

NOTE: The effects order is important, apply Glass Block first, then the blur. This softens the block edges so they don’t distract from foreground text.

  • Adjust the Angle in the Glass Block effect to make it a little less geometrically static.

Play the clip and watch what happens. The animation will be based on the amount of movement in the video clip. Some movement is good, too much movement will be distracting.

Cool.

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Tip #1670: 10 Things to Know about Backlight

… for Random Weirdness

Tip #1670: 10 Things to Know about Backlight

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

When in doubt, backlight!

Image courtesy of PremiumBeat.com.

Topic $TipTopic

This article, written by Tanner Shinnick, first appeared in PremiumBeat.com. This is a summary.

The backlight may be the most important light on any set. A well-placed and utilized backlight can quickly elevate any production, giving it that coveted “cinematic look.”

Here are Tanner’s 10 Tips:

  1. A Backlight Is an Essential Component in 3-Point Lighting
  2. Backlighting Creates a 3D Effect in a 2D Medium
  3. Essential to Create Separation
  4. “When in Doubt, Backlight!”
  5. Quality of Light Matters
  6. Expose Properly
  7. A Backlight Has Many Names
  8. A Backlight Can Create Drama
  9. The Sun Is the Ultimate Backlight
  10. Experiment

Overall, the backlight is an essential piece of your lighting setup. It can create separation, depth, and help you achieve that cinematic look.

EXTRA CREDIT

The article provides photos that illustrate each of these ten ideas, along with provide examples and details on how to use each.

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Tip #1671: 10 Tips to High Production Value – at Low Cost

… for Random Weirdness

Tip #1671: 10 Tips to High Production Value – at Low Cost

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Production value is what draws viewers in.

Image courtesy: “The Battle at Home” from John DeStefano Jr.

Topic $TipTopic

This article, written by John DeStefano Jr., first appeared in NoFilmSchool.com. This is a summary.

While trying to become successful in the film industry, people will always compare your film, feature-length or short, to the best movies ever made.

So how do you create something that’s similar in quality, when those movies have multimillion-dollar budgets, A-list actors, and what seems like an army of a crew? The answer is simple—high production value.

High production value is what is going to draw viewers in and keep them there. In order to duplicate the look and feel of blockbuster hits, all you need is a little ingenuity and movie magic.

  1. The Poster, Title, and Logline
  2. Locations
  3. Story
  4. Actors
  5. Color
  6. Extras
  7. Crew
  8. Establishing and Wide Shots
  9. Time Management
  10. Post Sound Design and Music

With limited resources, you can be well on your way to a long and successful career with the help of high production value. All you need to do is create films that look great, sound great, and flow well. Oh, and create an entertaining and enticing story that audiences will love and won’t forget.

EXTRA CREDIT

The article provides personal details and images on how the author used these tips in his latest feature “The Battle at Home” – which got him a contract to a MUCH bigger feature.

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Tip #1672: Top Sources for Affordable, Royalty-Free Music

… for Random Weirdness

Tip #1672: Top Sources for Affordable, Royalty-Free Music

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

There are lots of good sites with great music.

RocketStock blog logo.

Topic $TipTopic

This article first appeared in RocketStock.com. This is a summary.

Looking for affordable, royalty free music for your video project in 2021? These resources offer the quality tracks video editors need.

One of the realities of video editing is that you need music, and you can’t just take it from anywhere. You need legally licensed music to avoid lawsuits or other legal issues.

The problem for many video editors is cost. Most working filmmakers don’t have the money it takes to license well-known radio hits. If you fall into this category (like the overwhelming majority of us do), you might understand the challenges of finding licensing agreements for quality music you can afford. Let’s take a look at some of the best stock music resources for your next project.

Here’s their list:

Readers also suggested:

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Tip #1673: Replicator Effect: Chop Sticks

… for Apple Motion

Tip #1673: Replicator Effect: Chop Sticks

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Replicators are designed to generate repeating patterns.

The Chop Sticks replicator with a variable blur applied.

Topic $TipTopic

Apple Motion gives us a lot of visual toys to play with as we create motion graphics. Here’s one you may not have looked at very carefully: Replicators.

Replicators take an object and create a pattern from it. For example, creating a repeating pattern from a company logo.

While not as dynamic as a particle system, there are things we can do with replicators that particles can’t.

NOTE: A good place to look is in the Replicators category in the Motion Library. Remember, you can ALWAYS add filters to change the look of any replicator.

The screen shot is an example: Chop Sticks. These green and blue floating rectangles can serve as an eye-catching intro to an ad or open.

What I did here was add a variable blur (Filters > Blur > Variable Blur) to the replicator. This instantly provides a sense of depth (and depth of field) to the image.

EXTRA CREDIT

Like particle systems, replicators can move in 3D space. Or, when we apply a variable blur, they can just LOOK like they are moving in 3D.

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Tip #1659: 12 Principles of Animation – From Disney

… for Visual Effects

Tip #1659: 12 Principles of Animation – From Disney

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

These twelve principles underlie all animation.

Image courtesy of DesignBuckle.com.

Topic $TipTopic

This article, written by Anne Mirrop, first appeared in DesignBuckle.com. This is a summary.

Recently, Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas wrote a book: “The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation.” DesignBuckle reported on the twelve principles of animation that the two authors spent the book discussing.

NOTE: The first animated film with sound was “Steamboat Willie” by Walt Disney, produced by Walt Disney Studios in 1928.

If you’re an aspiring animator, you’ve probably heard the spiel about going back to the animation basics, starting with the twelve rules of animation. Why are these rules highlighted again and again? These principles established by Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas help new animators create realistic, relatable work that mimics real-life movements while making room for creativity. By mastering these principles, you will create a foundation that will make your work visually appealing and work in the eye of the beholder.

  • Rule 1: Squash and Stretch
  • Rule 2: Anticipation
  • Rule 3: Staging
  • Rule 4: Straight-Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose
  • Rule 5: Follow Through and Overlapping Action
  • Rule 6: Exaggeration
  • Rule 7: Solid Drawing
  • Rule 8: Slow In and Slow Out
  • Rule 9: Arc
  • Rule 10: Secondary Action
  • Rule 11: Timing
  • Rule 12: Appeal
  • Bonus Rule: Frame Rate

Those are the twelve rules of animation. These rules are foundational, bringing an animator back to the basics of animation and teaching the importance of believable movement while also emphasizing creative play. With the basics and creativity at your side, you can create characters with personality, movement, and style.

EXTRA CREDIT

The article includes descriptions and illustrations of each rule, along with a history of animation and in-depth discussion of animation styles and list of top animated films.

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Tip #1664: Add & Trim Captions

… for Adobe Premiere Pro CC

Tip #1664: Add & Trim Captions

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

The latest version of Premiere now treats captions like clips.

To trim a caption, drag an edge.

Topic $TipTopic

One of the new features in Premiere Pro is the ability to trim captions like clips.

One you add a caption track (Sequence > Captions > Add New Caption Track), you can add captions into the track similar to how you add clips into the timeline. (Sequence > Captions > Add Caption at Playhead)

NOTE: The Caption Track is simply a container that holds captions. The captions themselves are treated similar to video clips.

To trim a caption, grab an edge and drag. Just as with clips, ripple trimming a caption (the yellow trim tool) pulls up or pushes down all following captions. While roll trimming a caption (the red trim tool) adjusts the start or end of a caption without affecting the position of any other captions.

To change the text in a caption, select it, then change the text in the Caption panel.

NOTE: If the Captions panel is not showing, double-click a caption to display it; it is not included in the list of panels in the Windows menu.

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Tip #1650: How to Make Your Script More Memorable

… for Random Weirdness

Tip #1650: How to Make Your Script More Memorable

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

The key to quotable is purpose and context.

Mad Men image courtesy of PremiumBeat.com.

Topic $TipTopic

This article, written by Jourdan Aldredge, first appeared in PremiumBeat.com. This is a summary.

We all want to capture the zeitgeist – the imagination of the masses – with our projects. But, what exactly makes a film or TV show quotable and memorable? For many this answer will be subject to how they watch and remember their favorite shows and movies. However, there are certainly trends and techniques that make some films, shows, and specific moments and lines memorable.

With a few exceptions, most of the most quotable television shows come from standard sitcoms and other hybrid comedy shows. Whereas, interestingly enough, most of the most famous movie quotes come from dramas and romance films.

From a writing and filmmaking perspective, how does one go about coming up with great dialogue and memorable quotes? …Dialogue is all about purpose. Especially in television and shorter films, every line really needs to help advance the narrative in a significant way. Dialogue that serves no purpose is bad dialogue. Whereas, dialogue that advances the plot in a major way is good dialogue—and, more often than not, quite memorable.

Overall, creating memorable lines and quotable dialogue in your film and television projects isn’t just about the quotes themselves. Instead, it comes from the entire filmmaking process. It’s true that a good quote is only as good as it’s written. But, many famous lines and quotes have come from last minute rewrites and ad-libs.

EXTRA CREDIT

The article has three in-depth videos that discuss this in more detail, lists of famous quotes and a variety of links providing ideas on how to make your script-writing more memorable.

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Tip #1651: David Weil on Directing.

… for Random Weirdness

Tip #1651: David Weil on Directing.

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Directing is exhausting, exhilarating and incredibly focused.

Uzo Aduba and David Weil on the set of Solos (Photo by Jason LaVeris)

Topic $TipTopic

This article, written by Jim Hemphill, first appeared in FilmmakerMagazine.com. This is a summary.

Solos is an anthology series, directed by David Weil, in which each episode features a single actor—sometimes giving a straight monologue, sometimes conversing with an offscreen voice or electronic device, in one instance (an extraordinary episode starring Anthony Mackie) talking to his own double—Solos is a master class in minimalist filmmaking for maximum philosophical effect.

After serving as showrunner for Hunters on Amazon, Weil makes his directorial debut on three of the episodes, exhibiting a control and confidence in his framing and direction of actors that distills the show’s complex conceptual premises into intensely personal and intimate conversations between the characters and the audience.

The show drops on Prime Video on May 21; Hemphill spoke with Weil by phone a few weeks before the premiere to ask about the series’ origins and his experience as a first-time director.

Filmmaker: As a first-time director there are a lot of creative risks [in Solos], in the sense that you want to keep it visually dynamic but not get too show-offy or distract from the performances — easier said than done on episodes that take place in one room.

Weil: It’s incredibly difficult. I think when we cast these incredible actors, it all became about protecting the performances and allowing the audience to access them without feeling encumbered by flashy camera movements or glaring set design. Everything was really to serve the reality and the truth of the performances, because at the end of the day, those are what capture us for these 20 to 30 minutes.

Filmmaker: The performances are great across the board, and I’m curious if working with Al Pacino on Hunters taught you anything about working with actors that informed your work on Solos.

Weil: Working with Al Pacino taught me everything—about art, and directing, and writing, and approaching and supporting actors. First of all, his commitment is unparalleled. He taught me to really listen, because he has the most incredible instincts and impulses and ideas—I learned to let him express all that and then create an environment where he would feel supported in his process. So, coming into Solos, my first question to the actors was always, “What works best for you? How can I support you?”

Filmmaker: Were there any challenges that surprised you?

Weil: Before directing, I never truly understood just how exhausting and taxing the filmmaking process is, even though I’ve been a writer and a showrunner.

EXTRA CREDIT

The entire article, which is far longer, is well worth reading as it goes into depth on each episode and David’s approach to directing and how he worked with his actors.

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Tip #1652: What Makes a Horror Film Scary?

… for Random Weirdness

Tip #1652: What Makes a Horror Film Scary?

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

The “uncanny valley” – where something is almost human, but not quite.

Image courtesy: René Asmussen, Pexels.com

Topic $TipTopic

This article, written by Alyssa Miller, first appeared in NoFilmSchool.com. This is a summary.

Horror films have become predictable. There is a formula created to get a reaction out of the audience, and we are addicted to that rush of adrenaline.

However, the more you watch, the more you know when to prepare for the jumpscare. Then, directors like Ari Aster and Robert Eggers come in and change the horror genre ever so slightly by creating that uneasy feeling throughout the film through the strange and unnatural.

But how do they do this? The author calls it: “the uncanny valley” — the point in which something is almost human but not quite.

Scenes filled with uncertainty are becoming the power force behind the horror genre now. Sure, there is nostalgia in a good ol’ slasher film, but this new wave of horror is creating a new nightmare that leaves a lasting impression in the viewer’s mind. It’s why we come back to films like Midsommar, Get Out, and The Lighthouse. Even if they are not perfect films, horror fans appreciate the lasting dread and grief that the camera, sound, and visual representation of fear within the film’s world.

EXTRA CREDIT

The author goes into more detail – and provides video examples – analyzing why the Japanese film, Kairo, is so terrifying.

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