NOTE:
I tried doing this post last night, and think I forgot to hit the send button - ugh.
I had to start our massive diesel generator a few days ago and coworker Phil was with me. I sat the HD Cam down and recorded a few minutes of footage and got this.
Goal:
1) show the generator running and enhancing the color saturation
2)make Phil and me appear as ghosts operating the generator.
3)also, have us in the first half appear B&W against the saturated generator.
4) appear to come form different places
5 Then switch AND B&W the back ground ad show us in color.
How it is done:
After setting the camera on a firm surface that will not move. Look for a place where no one is in the video and capture and grab a STILL SHOT PHOTO of the generator. This still pic is the secret that does the magic. It is played on a track for the full length of the film - just a still photo.
Then overlay the video of me and Phil walking around and reducing the video picture down to about 30-40 percent. Making us appear translucent,
When the two videos are over laid over each other, the still photo stays solid and the translucent image is perfectly aligned allowing us to appear to walk through objects.
About thalf the way through the video, I switch to a B&W background and colorized me and Phil - just to see the difference, I noted right away that B&W ghosts in a color background are much more believable - a not for future videos.
So here is my 2.5 minute video. I thought about it as I went to bed last night and next time I will does different frames per-second and some total fade in and outs. Please leave some feed back. It was only three effect, but I'm doing effects FIRST to see how they work and the go to town, Magix Pro 16 is complicated but as I learn each feature, I open my eyes to the unlimited possibilities.
generator (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15ZhWxEZvqk#ws)
PLEASE click on the video so Youtube opens up and watch it full screen in HD to really appreciate the remarkable quality of this camera the size of a deck of card.
Tell me, how was it :)
I am using Magix Movie Edit Pro 16 and have hardly scratched the surface.