“Jack Plugs” CGI with Cheetah 3D
Created with Cheetah 3D, the mac only cg software. I was just trying out the new version and came up with this image, whilst working with splines. Modelling wise, it’s just a doodle, as my main goal was to try different lighting set ups. This scene is lit by 5 spheres, emitting light. The only post processing was conversion to black & white, even though the render was almost monochrome. Around an 1h30 total, with modelling, layout and rendering. I might go back and add some extra detail when I get time.
Scratchtapes : Glitch
I’ve just added a new pack to the Scratchtapes collection, the first of a few I’m rolling out over the next couple of months. Glitch, is a pack of 20 short clips, from a few frames, to a few seconds in length. Like the Dirt collection, they are really intended to add low fi elements to clean footage, though they can be used in their own right.
I’ve called this pack Glitch, as that’s probably the best description of how they can be used. Consisting of film clutter, light streaks, video noise & interference, as well as some general weirdness, the pack is available for a reasonable $20/£13.
Here is a very short and slightly leftfield demo, giving an example of how they can be used.
For more info, check out the Glitch pack page here
Creating a grunge title sequence
Following on from my last post on the Scracthtapes demo, I’ve created another little demo clip, showing how, through the use of overlays and textures, you can create a grunge style title sequence. Perfect for horror and thriller type title sequences.
This was created really quickly, using only about 5 or 6 clips. The old film clutter layers were stacked over the titles ( simple text, with a small amount of glow added ), which makes them flash and burn. These were then overlayed again, on to some grimey textures for the end part. All achieved by choosing different composite modes like overlay, difference and screen.
I’ve also added a non commercial licence download to the store, called “Dirt Cheap”. It’s a pay what you like download of 8 clips. So if you want to get stuck in and mess about with these clips, then you can, without paying for the full collection, as long as it’s for personal use. Go here for more info ( scroll down the page ).
Scratchtapes clip update
Continuing with my update on the Scratchtape clips, I’ve added a couple of extra options, while I add all the individual clips for download. I’ve reset the pricing, which was set fairly low, with a view to adding in “pay what you like” versions for personal/non-commercial use. I’ll probably be blogging a little more on this over the next couple of weeks, as I set up more of the clips for download.
Here’s one of the latest clips added. More to come as the week goes on.
Burnout
$10.00 ( approx. £6.50 ) commercial & personal use
Super 8 frame burning out Format: ProRes 720p25 Sound: None Duration:10s (included in Dirt collection )
For some tips on how to get the most out of these clips, please take a look at the main Scratchtapes page of the website, where you can find tutorials as well as a few free clips.
Logo animation
I’ve just created a new animated Chill Factor logo, with a camera theme. I came up with a few versions of this, so I’ll probably create 2 or 3 versions for different use. This was created using Blender for animation and some compositing, Digital Performer used for the sound design.
Film Flare Transitions tutorial ( updated )
Film Flare Transitions Tutorial
Here is a technique for adding the effect of a film camera stopping and starting and the resultant flash frames or flare that sometimes occur. While years ago this was something that was mostly edited out, with the more recent search for the elusive film look, a lot of people have been adding this effect back in. I haven’t seen any tutorials on how to achieve this, even though I hear a lot of people asking how it is done. So if you aren’t happy with using normal flash frame dissolves then read on.
Film Clutter mini tutorial
( If you’re not sure what film clutter is and how it’s used, then watch the Scratchtapes demo clips, for a better idea. )
This very simple technique for adding an overlay of film grain and clutter, can have an effect that ranges from the subtle, to the extreme. A lot depends on the source footage, but the method of compositing and how much you grade both layers, can have pretty wide ranging effects on the end result. You might be going for a very low fi look with lots of artifacts or you might just want to introduce a bit of real world grain and noise at a low level. Hopefully, you will be able to experiment a little and use this mini tutorial purely as a starting point.
Scratchtapes – Dirt
After a long break from updating the website, mostly due to several of my projects being held off for various reasons, I’ve decided to make a long overdue update on the Scratchtapes film effects. I’m starting this with a download collection of film clutter, called Dirt. This will be available from May 1st on this site. The freebie clips will stay up and might actually get added to, along with another tutorial or two next week, to tie in with this.
Scratchtapes – Dirt, is a collection of Super 8 and 16mm film footage, which can be used on digitally shot footage, to dirty it up a bit. This first collection will contain some of the original standard definition clips that were incuded on the original disc, along with a few 720p clips. I’ve created this short demo, just as an idea how the clips can be used…
Blender Editing
I’ve been messing around with Blender for a few years now, occasionally using it for titles/motion graphics etc. on projects and when I have time, trying my hand at a little modelling. Over the last few months though, I’ve been drawn more and more to it’s post production capabilities, with the upgrade to the sequence editor and the addition of compositing nodes for colour correction and keying. I’ve posted about this a while ago, but have since begun to use this side of the software on a more regular basis. Surprisingly, I now find myself turning to Blender sometimes, as an alternative to “other” post production software, to get some jobs done.
Maybe it’s because I’ve become used to it’s way of working, but I find basic cutting in the sequence editor very fast and just plain logical. While it is still a long way from being an out of the box NLE, that will work in high pressure environments, I feel for film projects of my own, it’s more than enough to sketch out and even polish off some short form material. I recently edited a short piece in Blender, which I shot on one night in January. The footage was of the sun setting over the mountains. When working with it in the timeline, I decided to flip the direction of the shots, reversing some of them, to make it appear like sunrise. This took a matter of seconds to achieve, but it’s the kind of thing that can sometimes be much more time consuming. Anyway, here is the clip, filmed from the Pont D’Andey, overlooking the clouds above the valleys.
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