New to Movies

mccarthy211 · #1 (**permalink**) 07-14-2006, 10:17 PM

Hey everybody, I'm new to making movies and videos, and I can make titles and stuff, and basic effects like fading video and music, and adding sound effects and things. But I need to know how the heck I can make gun effects, lazers, and other visual effects. What programs should I use (preferrably free ones) and I need to know how to do these things. I'm writing the script for a new movie sequal to the first movie I ever made, and I want it to be good.

RiW · #2 (**permalink**) 07-15-2006, 10:59 AM

Unfortunately 'good' and 'free' rarely go together!

Simple effects like lasers are included with Pinnacle Studio by default (maybe only in Plus version - I'm not sure sorry) or alternatively you could try getting a plug-in for Windows Movie Maker - there are tons of forums for this type of thing. You could also have the laser beam on a separate track, and chroma-key out the background, but this may not look very good, depending on your current editing software.

What do you mean by gun effects?

(Check out Wondertouch's Particle Illusion (demo available for free but includes watermark) which can be used to create tons of particle effects)

mccarthy211 · #3 (**permalink**) 07-15-2006, 01:21 PM

Buy gun effects I mean like when somebody shoots a gun, have a blast come out of the barrel. I've seen this before many time on internet videos but I don't know how to do it! its killing me! I need to know soon because I plan onhaving a movie with a huge gun battle but it will suck without the effect.

Mark W · #4 (**permalink**) 07-15-2006, 11:12 PM

Check out my s reel, at 3 min 44 sec is the effect you describe. All I did was look for a pic of a muzzle flash and paste it on.

Easy to say fiddly to do. Often with editing it's not a clever plug in but lateral thinking and hard work that does the trick. I think it works rathyer well...

http://www.zaskarfilms.com/filmPages/showreelpage.htm

Nikosony · #5 (**permalink**) 07-15-2006, 11:13 PM

You don't need effects coming out of every gun, it might be seen on only a few, use sound effects instead (have you got those?) and show the reaction of either people falling or bullet holes appearing on a surface. Can you buy crackers or small fireworks in Canada without having the RCMP standing beside you every step of the way? To break items such as glass, you could use a catapult - or do you call it a sling shot in Canada - I can't remember, with a hard garden pea (the vegetable variety) or a small ball bearing - just make sure everyone is standing behind you. A thing I've noticed about battle scenes is a lot of the action takes place off screen and you just hear the sound effects and see the aftermath - usually with smoke drifting across the screen, and if it is done correctly it can be very effective.

mccarthy211 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-16-2006, 12:58 AM

You say you found a picture and pasted it on, but how did you do that!?

Mark W · #7 (**permalink**) 07-16-2006, 11:27 AM

Look for a decent muzzle flash pic (google it), put that on the track above the gun. Select 'event pan crop' by clicking the icon at the right end of the muzzle clip onb the time line, select 'mask' in the event pan / crop window, make the mask, job done.

Position / resize the flash using keyframes and track motion. As Nikosony says get the sound right too.

Whgat you are asking is not basic editing and it will require some application to master if all of this is new. Have a fiddle.

miwhel · #8 (**permalink**) 07-16-2006, 09:56 PM

Create your own with an image editing app.

You will need a good image editor to help with the creation of effects in video, any editor that exports to a file type that supports transparency is an essential tool in video editing. Photoshop is the obvious 1 but Paint shop pro and others will do this and are very cheap considering their capabilities.

Mark W · #9 (**permalink**) 07-17-2006, 12:46 AM

I cant draw, hence my 'cheat'.