Converting video to animation

Post by **maxxis** » 15 Sep 2004, 22:25

Hi guys

I am looking for software that can convert video to animation.

Maybe something that has a plugin that can filter it like the cutout filter in photoshop.

Any ideas

Post by **OnlyOneKenobi** » 21 Sep 2004, 16:28

I have an idea but you're not going to like it because it's hard work.

Save every frame as an image, apply effects with photoshop, and then animate all the modified still frames back into a video... if it has sound, mix the sound file back in with a util with virtualdub.

Leigh · Post by **Leigh** » 21 Sep 2004, 17:32

If you have Photoshop already and want to simply apply the Cutout filter, then you can set up an Action and then use the Batch processing to apply it to the animation frames (provided you're captured them to an image based format like Targa).

Otherwise, if you're willing to shell out some cash, get Adobe After Effects (which is pretty much Photoshop for video) or Bauhaus Software's Mirage (which is a cool program, great for this kind of stuff and is comparatively well priced at around $1000).

Post by **maxxis** » 21 Sep 2004, 19:09

I'll try to get After Effects Demo and see what I can do.

It is for my final year end exhibition. I want to spice things up and make it wow.

Thanks

Leigh · Post by **Leigh** » 21 Sep 2004, 19:26

OnlyOneKenobi wrote:I have an idea but you're not going to like it because it's hard work.

Save every frame as an image, apply effects with photoshop, and then animate all the modified still frames back into a video... if it has sound, mix the sound file back in with a util with virtualdub.

That's actually not very much work at all

Any video editing program (even the free ones) can take a video avi file and export it to a numbered image sequence. Targa files are generally the preferred standard in the post production industry.

You can then set up a Photoshop Action command of all the effects you want to apply to each image, then simply Batch process that Action to the folder of numbered images.

You can then bring that sequence of images back into your editing program, and save it as an avi or whatever format you need.

Doing it like that would take maybe 15 minutes at most.

Maxxis, the only problem with this type of "conversion" is that it usually tends to end up looking cheap, tacky and horrible. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a video-animation conversion that actually looked nice.

Post by **maxxis** » 21 Sep 2004, 19:39

I have seen one that looked extremely nice. Its called Waking Life I think. The guys wrote his own software. I was highly rated at this years Design Indaba.

I will try the Targa exports and batch conversion in Photoshop.

The end product will be the video looping in the background with a GUI in the front where users can view my portfolio. I would also like to send this out to companies as a CV on DVD or VCD maybe.

The GUI will be done in Flash or RoboDemo.

I think its going to be lots of long hours but it will be worth it in the end.

Thanks

Leigh · Post by **Leigh** » 21 Sep 2004, 19:47

Hmm I haven't seen this Waking Life film... I'll have a sniff around for it

What kind of work do you do? What sort of work are you going to be looking for with your reel?

Post by **maxxis** » 21 Sep 2004, 21:27

I'm a graphic designer. I have about 5 years web design experience as well.

I started out working for an IT company after matric and went on to run my own web design studio for about a year before the advertising bug bit me.

I am looking for work with the big smokes in advertising.

The reel will be used for self promotion mainly.

The film is called Waking Life by Bob Sabiston. He makes use of Rotoscoping.

Cheers

Leigh · Post by **Leigh** » 21 Sep 2004, 22:56

Ah ok

Advertising is a cut-throat industry. Just remember to look after yourself and stay away from the cocaine.

Aaah ok if he used roto-ing then that would explain why it looks good. Rotoscoping is a very different thing to simply using filters. He would basically have painstakingly gone and roto-ed areas to track and isolate them from the rest. He would no doubt have then gone and redrawn the roto-ed bits. It's a tedious process

This is how the light sabres were done in the original Star Wars films.
I have a package here at home that has relatively decent roto tools - Discreet's Combustion. It's less than $1000 and is actually a really kickass post prod package

It's a popular package for home/small business users because it's so cheap and yet pretty powerful (its big brothers Flame and Inferno are used for a hell of a lot of high end compositing and roto type work but they can cost over a million, seriously).

Post by **maxxis** » 22 Sep 2004, 08:42

I will take care of myself. I like my nose too much to want to stuff it with coke.

I heard something over the weekend that the advertising industry are major coke addicts. Is this true?

Cheers

Leigh · Post by **Leigh** » 22 Sep 2004, 16:11

Gah, yeah. It is totally true - I work in post production, so I've worked with advertising people a LOT in the past and the stereotype of execs snorting coke on the boardroom table is absolutely true.
Cocaine culture is rife in the advertising industry, and always has been. The worst part about it is that it makes the majority of people in that industry into utter pricks.

Post by **maxxis** » 24 Sep 2004, 00:59

Like I always say to myself. Over-confidence kills.

I just cant see how people would throw away their talents by taking any form of mind altering substance.

I had my experiences with drugs in the past and I came to the conclusion that it seriously hampered my creative thinking.

I made my descision to never do it again. I have seen what coke addiction did to one of my friends and that is motivation enough to never touch that crap.

My ultimate plan is to stay in the big smoke industry for about 5 - 10 years and then opening my own place.

Cheers

Leigh · Post by **Leigh** » 24 Sep 2004, 08:29

Well good luck to you!!

Here's to hoping you can put up with the cocky, snotty attitudes of your Coke-addicted colleagues

Just ignore 'em and you'll be fine

KikAsH · Post by **KikAsH** » 16 Oct 2004, 22:01

OK..... I know my reply to this topic is close on a month late but the documentry I just finished editing has been keeping me a little on the busy side so SORRY in advance

Anyway, I think Leigh has got it SPOT ON with this one!! The whole export as as a .TGA sequence, batch action process in PS and then re-import in editing app, generally does give a "cheap" looking effect. Having said that though, it's a hell of a lot quicker than Rotoscoping and much cheaper than buying an FX package like AFX or Mirage (both of which are awesome though!

).

I'm not totally sure what sort of animation effect your trying to achieve here so I quickly did a little 3 sec clip using a PS action I setup ages ago...... gives a sort of "AHA - Take on Me" B&W pencil sketch animation effect. Check it out and lemme know if this is the sorta effect your after or not.

BEFORE

&

AFTER

I've converted the clips to DivX for DL'ing purposes and there's no audio on either of them.

What you gotta remember when applying an effect like this using the steps that have been discussed I.e. exporting a .tga sequence etc, is that you must know the details of the source clip that you're working with. Buy this I mean : Is the source clip 25 fps (Interlaced) or are you working with 25fps (Progresssive Scan). If the former is the case, and the clip u wanna use contains alot of motion, then u can save yourself alot of headaches and export the .tga files using the "de-interlace" and "optimize stills" option as the interlace lines will make your action look "FURY" and "UNTIDY". If you're already working with (Progressive Scan) footage then u don't have any interlacing frames to worry about and u can just export the sequence.

Lemme know if this helps.

Post by **maxxis** » 17 Oct 2004, 00:44

Cool. Thanks

lynda.hollis@ntlworld.com · Post by **lynda.hollis@ntlworld.com** » 29 Oct 2004, 19:45

I wonder whether you could help me at all? I am a mature art student (WSA) and in need of software for my computer (windowsXP). Basically I need to put my images that I have taken from my digital camera (which I transfer to a video tape), but this needs to be on a 'loop' - so that several minutes can be watched on the video tape, then automatically goes onto a loop to be watched over and over again. The system at Uni is complicated and I just need something 'quick and easy' if that's at all possible.

Many thanks for your help.

Lynda
Tel: 02380 906677