Video Special Effects - Part 3: Chroma Key and Movement Effects

Continued from Part 2.

The following video tutorial demonstrates how chroma-key and movement effects were incorporated into the above special effects video using VSDC Free Video Editor.  This includes the application of movement, zoom, and transparency effects to simulate a UFO approaching at great speed from a great distance.  Everything demonstrated in this video is summarized in the below article.  Each paragraph includes hyperlinks to specific sections within the video to help the reader follow these instructions with video examples.


Note that VSDC downloader will suggest installing additional bundled software along with VSDC.  This is why VSDC is free. Carefully read those installation screens and make sure to uncheck or decline any software that doesn't interest you (probably all). 
(VSDC download link click here).  

The UFO green screen effect is first placed on the screen by opening its video clip file from within the program.  It is placed on the work mat by holding down the left mouse button, and moving the mouse to roughly size the effect on the mat.

Now we apply chroma keying to remove the green color background from the UFO effect clip. Click on the Video tab. In the menus, select Editor / Video Effects / Transparent Background Remover.  If your background color is green, most of the color should disappear with this selection leaving a small residual ring around the perimeter of the UFO.  Keep in mind any background color can be made invisible (not just green).  If your background is different than green (say Blue), open the properties window, and click on "Get color from scene".  Use the eyedropper sampler tool to click on and set the invisible background color.

Removing residual color. If there is a residual ring of color around the UFO, in the properties window adjust Brightness Threshold, ChromacityU, and ChromacityV until it disappears.  This will require a little finesse and practice to best balance these three setting until the desired effect is achieved.  

With the background now invisible, we can now fine-tune the placement of our effect on the screen.  Click on the Scene tab, then click on and hold the mouse button down on the UFO effect.  Adjust its placement by moving the mouse.

A movement effect can now be added. Click on the Video tab above the timeline, then move the cursor to the beginning of the Video timeline.  In the menu, select Add Object / Movement.  Move the mouse cursor to where you'd like the movement to start, then hold down the left mouse button, and move the cursor to where you'd like the movement to end.  The speed of the movement can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the movement bar.  A longer bar = slower, shorter = faster.

We can use the Zoom effect to enhance the simulation of an approaching UFO.  We'd like our UFO to be small at the start, and as it gets closer, we'd like it to get bigger.  Click on the Video tab, and move the timeline cursor to the beginning of the Video timeline.  In the menu, select Video Effects / Transform / Zoom.  Adjust the Zoom timeline bar to the same length as the Movement bar.  Click on the Zoom bar, and then open the Properties window.  Set X, Y Start values for Zoom to 0, and X, Y End values for Zoom to 100.  This will make the UFO very tiny at the start of movement, and it will grow to full size at the end of movement.

We can also apply a little transparency effect to further enhance the effect of the UFO approaching from very far away. Click on the Video tab above the timeline, and move the cursor to the beginning of the timeline.  In the menu, select Video Effects / Transparent / Custom. Adjust the Transparency timeline bar to the same length as the Movement bar.  Click on the Transparency bar, and then open the properties window. Adjust Transparency Start to some mid value (such as 42) and End value to 100.  This will make the UFO semi-transparent at the start, making it somewhat hard to see at the beginning of its run.  But as it gets close, it will become more solid and more well defined.

To be continued in Part 4.

Video Special Effects - Part 2: Text, Movement, & Zoom

Continued from Part 1.

The following video tutorial demonstrates how text was edited for the above special effects video using VSDC Free Video Editor. Note that VSDC downloader will suggest installing additional bundled software along with VSDC.  This is why VSDC is free. Carefully read those installation screens and make sure to uncheck or decline any software that doesn't interest you (probably all). 
(VSDC download link click here).

Effects include the application of movement and zoom effects to the text.  Everything demonstrated in this video is summarized in the below article, with the time-linked transcript of this video immediately following the article. Also, please remember to turn on close-captioning when viewing the video (the "CC" button in the lower-right corner of the YouTube screen). 

To start the project, the background night scenery clip was first opened and placed on the video work mat.  This video's properties box was opened, and the video was then sized to the 1280p x 720p resolution of the mat by clicking on "Resize to parent size".

The title text object is first added.  Drag the timeline cursor to the time point in your video where you wish to place your text object.  Under the Editor menu, click on "Add Object / Text".  Click OK to place the text object at the cursor starting position. Next place the text object on the mat by left-clicking and holding the button. Then drag to size the text box on the mat. To type your text, right-click on the text box on the mat, and select "Edit Text".  To adjust font, size, and color, left-click on the text box, and then open the propertis window in the far right column.  Adjust each of these properties to taste under the Text Object Settings and Brush sub menus in the Properties window.

To add movement to the text, click on the "Text" tab located directly above the timeline.  Then in the Editor menu, click on Add Object / Movement.  Click OK to set the movement to start from the cursor position.  Next move the mouse cursor over the mat to the place where you want the movement to start.  Hold down the left mouse button, and move the cursor to draw out a line in the direction and length of the desired movement.  This will also place a movement bar within the text tab timeline.  The speed of the text movement can be adjusted by shortening or lengthening this bar (shorter bar = faster, longer bar = slower).  

To add a zoom effect to the text, again click on the "Text" tab located above the timeline.  Then in the Editor menu click on "Video Effects / Transforms / Zoom".  Click on OK to place a Zoom effect block within the Text tab timeline.   Click on this block to select it, and then click on the properties window in the far right column.  Transparency and zoom effects can be adjusted in this window.  Starting and ending values can also be set to allow changing zoom with time.  For example, the video shows the text expanding from 0% for Zoom X and Y values to 100% X and Y.  This gives the illusion of the text appearing from nothing and expanding with time to its full size. The speed of this zoom can also be adjusted by shortening or lengthening the zoom effect bar in the timeline (shorter = faster, longer = slower). 

When setting up your own project, please remember to experiment with the all of the features that can be added to your video, and edited in the properties window.  Then preview the effect using the project preview feature.  If you don't like what a feature does, just hit the Undo button to remove it. This is the best way to learn this software.

Continued in Part 3.

And here's the transcript of this video tutorial, with links to the specific spots in the video.
0:00:08.000,0:00:13.000
The title text object is first added.  Drag the timeline cursor to the time point in your video where you wish to place your text object.  Under the Editor menu, click on "Add Object / Text".  

0:00:13.100,0:00:20.000
Click OK to place the text object at the cursor starting position.  Next place the text object on the mat by left-clicking and holding the button. Then drag to size the text box on the mat.  

0:00:29.000,0:00:35.000
Adjust the time that the text is displayed by adjusting the length of the text bar in the timeline.

0:00:40.100,0:00:55.000
To type your text, right-click on the text box on the mat, and select "Edit Text".  

0:01:14.100,0:01:30.000
To adjust font, size, and color, left-click on the text box, and then open the propertis window in the far right column.  Adjust each of these properties to taste under the Text Object Settings and Brush sub menus in the Properties window.

0:01:33.100,0:01:43.000
Font color control does not work in the Font Window.  Font color must be editied in the properties window.

0:02:27.100,0:02:40.000
To add movement to the text, click on the "Text" tab located directly above the timeline.  Then in the Editor menu, click on Add Object / Movement.  

0:02:41.100,0:02:44.000
Click OK to set the movement to start from the cursor position.  

0:02:44.100,0:02:53.000
Next hold down the left-button of the mouse on the mat where you want movement to start.  Hold down the left mouse button, and move the cursor to draw out a line in the direction and length of the desired movement.  

0:02:53.100,0:03:05.000
This will also place a movement block within the text tab timeline.  Speed can be adjusted by shortening or lengthening this line.  

0:03:15.100,0:03:23.000
Preview Scene to evaluate if the effects are satisfactory.

0:03:28.100,0:03:35.000
To add a zoom effect to the text, again click on the "Text" tab located above the timeline.  Then in the Editor menu click on "Video Effects / Transforms / Zoom".  

0:03:35.100,0:03:40.000
Click on OK to place a Zoom effect block within the Text tab timeline.   

0:03:42.100,0:03:48.000
Speed of the zoom effect can be adjusted by shortening or lengthening this block in the timeline.  

0:03:49.100,0:03:52.000
Click on this block to select it, and then click on the properties window in the far right column.  

0:03:52.100,0:04:02.000
Transparency and zoom effects can be adjusted in this window.  Starting and ending values can also be set to allow changing zoom with time.  

0:04:18.100,0:04:26.000
Preview Scene to evaluate if the effects are satisfactory.