DVXuser Visual Effects Fest/Challenge

Matthew R. Rodwell said:
Lets please not turn this into DramaFest '08 this has alot of potential to be alot of fun and a great learning tool for everyone.
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Agreed. This IS going to be a lot of fun. Its a tight deadline guys (what else is new) so get cracking. We'll be setting up an upload page by this weekend.

As an added incentive, EVERYONE who enters will receive the link to the Fat Monster ultra uber secret confidential website that has to this point ONLY been available to those who deciphered our TimeFest movie title (see banner below). YOU can join the mental giants and nerd-types who have gotten entrance the hard way. YOU will have access to the never-seen-in-public images of Blaine Golden and Disjecta!!! All you gotta do is enter the VFX fest!!! Remember ... if you don't have time to do a quality entry you always have time to do a crappy one!!!!
 
As someone who solved the code I can say that the uber secret confinential website is loaded with super duper awesomness

Mark Johnson said:
Agreed. This IS going to be a lot of fun. Its a tight deadline guys (what else is new) so get cracking. We'll be setting up an upload page by this weekend.

As an added incentive, EVERYONE who enters will receive the link to the Fat Monster ultra uber secret confidential website that has to this point ONLY been available to those who deciphered our TimeFest movie title (see banner below). YOU can join the mental giants and nerd-types who have gotten entrance the hard way. YOU will have access to the never-seen-in-public images of Blaine Golden and Disjecta!!! All you gotta do is enter the VFX fest!!! Remember ... if you don't have time to do a quality entry you always have time to do a crappy one!!!!
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And for you character animators, next time we are considering taking this frame and animating me:

1206496106.jpg
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CODECS​


There hasn't been much discussion of what would be a nice universal and frame friendly codec.

Many codecs out there will NOT accept footage that is not strict NTSC dimensions.

But there is one that does and gives great results. Quicktime has a codec that is called Photo-RGB. They also have 2 codecs for Motion-RGB. Do not use that latter.

Photo-RGB is an older codec and yet gives surpassingly good results with a fair file size. Set it not to Highest, but to High, and give it a test.

My 8 second video came out at 16 megs, and was indistinguishable from the highest setting which gave me 64 megs. Also, is does not care about frame dimensions, bit rates or anything else that may be of hindrance. So I suggest we all use that. Yes, I know h.264 is even better, but I can't run Quicktime 7 on my computer, it has issues with After Effects.

This is a really good codec, and especially handy for non NTSC frame sized animations.
 
Mark Johnson said:
As an added incentive, EVERYONE who enters will receive the link to the Fat Monster ultra uber secret confidential website that has to this point ONLY been available to those who deciphered our TimeFest movie title (see banner below). YOU can join the mental giants and nerd-types who have gotten entrance the hard way. YOU will have access to the never-seen-in-public images of Blaine Golden and Disjecta!!! All you gotta do is enter the VFX fest!!! Remember ... if you don't have time to do a quality entry you always have time to do a crappy one!!!!
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Ok, what is fat monster (aside from my mother in law) and what the hell is in the Timefest thing that has it?

I be confused.
 
help with contrast

help with contrast

I have am having one hell of a time creating a loss of contrast of the pic gets "further" in.

Its a look I really need. Has to do with this project.

Any ideas?

I'll be using Photoshop and After Effects.


Thanks for the help


m
 
Matt Grunau said:
Ok, what is fat monster (aside from my mother in law) and what the hell is in the Timefest thing that has it?

I be confused.
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Ah, Matt! Perhaps you need to come slum in the TimeFest section a little bit. :) Click on my banner in my sig to visit our thread for our short film entry for the TimeFest competition. Fat Monster is our production company (co-owned by myself and Tim Hyten). We shoot commercials, music videos and some film production.

We are shooting a very interesting short for our entry that we're keeping a bit secret for now (thus, our film title is encrypted and must be solved to figure out what it says).

Most teams entering the competition set up a thread to promote their film. Our threads almost always sort of end up like a big frat party with lots of inane and sophomoric humor. However, its all in good fun and it would be cool if you came over and visited some of the threads.
 
Matt Grunau said:
I have am having one hell of a time creating a loss of contrast of the pic gets "further" in.

Its a look I really need. Has to do with this project.

Any ideas?

m
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I recommend using using a gradient to apply a neutral gray that basically operates from horizon to foreground. By adjusting the transparency you'll be able to simulate the loss of contrast that results from natural haze.
 
Mark Johnson said:
Agreed. This IS going to be a lot of fun. Its a tight deadline guys (what else is new) so get cracking. We'll be setting up an upload page by this weekend.

As an added incentive, EVERYONE who enters will receive the link to the Fat Monster ultra uber secret confidential website that has to this point ONLY been available to those who deciphered our TimeFest movie title (see banner below). YOU can join the mental giants and nerd-types who have gotten entrance the hard way. YOU will have access to the never-seen-in-public images of Blaine Golden and Disjecta!!! All you gotta do is enter the VFX fest!!! Remember ... if you don't have time to do a quality entry you always have time to do a crappy one!!!!
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Jesus, I just saw that picture of me. My mom swore it would never see the light of day. How in the hell did you get it??? :Drogar-Kriz(DBG):
 
Steven,

I have been receiving requests for that photo to be made into wallpaper and screen savers. You shall get $2 for every sale.
 
Matt Grunau said:
...There hasn't been much discussion of what would be a nice universal and frame friendly codec....

...Photo-RGB is an older codec and yet gives surpassingly good results with a fair file size...

...This is a really good codec, and especially handy for non NTSC frame sized animations.
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I don't think 10 second maxim clips will be an issue for file size as of yet and I really don't want to learn handling a new codec . If I'm not mistaken, can't VLC handle mp4's and .mov's?

I almost always use VLC because QT can't play some .movs on this PC and neither can WMP but VLC seems to come though every time. Maybe it's just the codecs installed here. If you don't have it give it a try. Either way let me know.

//Oh, as for frame size, I assume a 720 x 480 with a slight black border is fine.
 
Raptor365 said:
I don't think 10 second maxim clips will be an issue for file size as of yet and I really don't want to learn handling a new codec . If I'm not mistaken, can't VLC handle mp4's and .mov's?

I almost always use VLC because QT can't play some .movs on this PC and neither can WMP but VLC seems to come though every time. Maybe it's just the codecs installed here. If you don't have it give it a try. Either way let me know.

//Oh, as for frame size, I assume a 720 x 480 with a slight black border is fine.
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I believe Matt's rules say to use the exact frame size of the image because it is an off-frame size. Thus, make your rendered clip the EXACT size of the source image please.

Let me discuss with Matt the required output. As you know, in the main DVXUSER fests you are required to use a specific codec and, I believe, render as a .MOV file. I think it is important to standardize a codec and file size. Not only does it put everyone's entry on an equal basis for comparison purposes, but it also is good for people to get used to rendering to specific output requirements. That's how it is in the real world so treat this like a client request.
 
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oneinfiniteloop said:
I just tore the photo apart, this should be fun...a good lesson in projection mapping and the complexity of snow.
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I already hate you. :evil:



EDIT: Important announcement. Oneinfiniteloop is better than I am so is not alllowed to participate, unless it is to help generate elements for my work.


End of line. :)



One, you are going to stomp ass, I just know it. Oh well, here's to feeling like a rank amature again . . . :beer:
 
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Raptor365 said:
I don't think 10 second maxim clips will be an issue for file size as of yet and I really don't want to learn handling a new codec . If I'm not mistaken, can't VLC handle mp4's and .mov's?

I almost always use VLC because QT can't play some .movs on this PC and neither can WMP but VLC seems to come though every time. Maybe it's just the codecs installed here. If you don't have it give it a try. Either way let me know.

//Oh, as for frame size, I assume a 720 x 480 with a slight black border is fine.
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No, 720X480 is not fine. Only because that is not the original dimensions of the pic,and to be honest Rap, you don't need to go that route.

And you don't have to worry about learning a new codec. When you go to export make it a quicktime with the Photo-JPG filter set to High, not Best. You would be suprised at just how that little jump in quality you can't even really see will quadrouple your file size.

Plus if you are having problems, you can always send it to me and I will encode it for you, or even better, we could do a remote assistance, let me take control of your PC (sounds scary, but I do it all the time) and I will show you.
 
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