Incorporating Still Images into Video

[bsmall]

I'm curious as to what some of you do when encountering a project that requires you to incorporate still images (digital photography) into your film. What kind of cool effects, or tricks can you share or link me to?

You see ESPN do it on almost everything they do, and they have great pans, and backdrops which really add some sizzle to their piece.

This is more for a montage piece, though, and not so much for films, as most of you create. I do a lot of montage video work, shooting sports, and team videos and present them at "end of the season" banquets, etc.

Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated, as I am getting a little video block.

Thanks.

bsmall

 

[jonnyq]

An old trick is to use a combination of panning and zooming, as done in documentaries... Called "The Ken Burns effect," you can read up more on it in Wikipedia...

There's a couple of programs that can do it...

 

[milksac]

Since you mentioned ESPN, have you seen their "5 reasons you can't blame" series? They use a bunch of stills along with a gritty motion graphic treatment. IMO it's very well executed and presents a fresh way to deal with still images (photos, newspaper articles, etc.). It may not fit in with the style you're loooking for, but it's definately worth checking out. I think it runs on ESPN2.

 

[bsmall]

The obvious is the Ken Burns Effect. I'm looking for something like milksac is mentioning. Something with more "pop" that ol' Burnsie.

I've piddled around with some ideas and am coming up with something a little outside of the Burns box. I need high octane sizzle.

Any other cool ideas like ESPN offers, lemme know.

bsmall

 

[saulsx]

I usually "animate" stills with keyframes in either FCP or Premiere. Like jonnyq said, the Ken Burns effect.

 

[bsmall]

At about the 2:30 minute mark of this video clip, there is a still image effect that I would LOVE to be able to produce.

http://www.yourlifeonfilm.tv/samplefilm.aspx

Any idea how they did or, or how it could be recreated?

 

[RWM]

Have a look at the cow on Aharon Rabinowitz tutorials: Creating a Flock of Birds - Part 1 and 2

Here are the direct links:
http://forums.creativecow.net/cgi-b...cles/rabinowitz_aharon/bird_flock1/index.html

and

http://forums.creativecow.net/cgi-b...cles/rabinowitz_aharon/bird_flock2/index.html

 

[milksac]

Looks like AE. Place a bunch of stills in 3D space at various Z depths. Set your lights. Set a shallow depth of field for the camera. Animate the camera by parenting it to a null and animting the null. Hit the render button and find something to do for the next few hours because it's going to be a long wait.