Tutorials: Custom Transition Using Generated Media

October 29th, 2008 by Rob Strobbe | 4 Comments |

In part one of this series on creating custom transitions in Sony Vegas, we used Bezier masking and standard transitions to “close” a still image over one clip and then open it again to reveal a new clip. In part two, we’re going to use Vegas generated media, compositing, and parent/child relationships to create a transition that resembles smoke or fog. Sony Vegas Movie Studio does not have all of the necessary tools for this method, so you will need Sony Vegas Pro.

The transition I want to achieve is similar to a linear wipe. But while a linear wipe in Vegas can have a soft edge, it’s still rather tidy. I want a deeper and more random blend between the two clips — something that resembles fog or smoke. For this, I’m going to combine two types of generated media, a standard Vegas transition, and some parent-child track relationships.

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Tutorials: Custom Highlight Masks

September 24th, 2008 by Rob Strobbe | 4 Comments |

The latest version of Sony DVD Architect comes installed with over 50 themes, giving you many options for menu designs. But suppose none of them suit the project you’re working on? Fortunately, DVD Architect also gives you a few options for creating your own menu designs. Since v2.0, one of those options has been custom highlight masks.

A menu designed in this way only needs two files: a background video or image, which contains everything your menu will show, and a mask indicating all highlights. This tutorial will walk you through creating these files in a graphics application and using them in Sony DVD Architect.

Ready? Then let’s get started!

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