Special Christmas effects

D

Deaf Raiders

Member
Anyone know how to make the lights and video blur like this:
I want to use my Sony DV14E camcorder with my tree and make it like the background that guy has at the start for my Family Christmas DVD this year, I rather start creating it now before I get too drunk and forget it all lol.

I have all the Adobe Master Collection of CS5.
 
Set up your camera far away from the tree with lights. Set your aperture wide open (f1.4 or f2 or f2.8). Zoom all the way in to the lights. Set focus to the minimum focus distance (probably around 1'). This should get you the look you want. Now, adding the classy snowflakes is a whole different trick.


Jason
 
Sorry i have don't any idea what aperture is. sorry the camcorder is Sony DCR-TRV14 Mini-DV Camcorder.

I am pretty sure Google is my friend.
 
Just zoom in, set the focus to manual and adjust it until you get the size of bokeh (out of focus circles) you want.
 
If there's noting else visible onscreen, you may also be able to fake defocusing in post-production. But doing it in-camera is pretty easy, and certainly the simplest option if there'll be other stuff onscreen that needs to stay in focus.
 
If you don't have anyone moving in front of the tree and if your still having trouble with the camera you could do it in post.

Basically what your looking for in your NLE is a blur capable of ngon blurring, 5 or 6 sided.

Some programs like Fusion have this capability.
I just did a quick test in photoshop CS2 with a Lens Blur filter.
You could even process an image sequence in PS if your NLE can't do it. It's another option anyways assuming you have PS.

Anyways, Lens Blur or NGon blur is what your looking for.


Here's a quick test I did in PS. It only took a few seconds to rough in the idea.
christmas-tree-lights1.jpg


filter-blur-lensblur.jpg
 
Deaf Raiders said:
I got manual focus but not aperture any idea where to find that settings as manual focus is not good enough.
Click to expand...

How do you mean it's not good enough? Are the circles too small? If you've zoomed all the way in, moved as far away as possible and focused as close to the camera as possible you should get the maximum size.
Your camera's automatic exposure will be using its maximum aperture if you're pointing it at a dark Christmas tree. Your aperture setting is probably controlled, along with the gain, by the 'Exposure' control.
 
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