background motion software

[Richard Tamayo]

I am looking for a way to make motion backgrounds, so I can lay stills on it for photo montages. I have seen digital juice products, so basically that is what I want. Problem being cost of there products are so expensive. I have used Photoshop to create backgrounds, but obviously they don't move. Is there a software that I can create moving backgrounds? I am using Adobe Premiere 6 also if that is of any help. So, that is what I will import them into and use to make my montages.

[Christopher Lefchik]

MainConcept has a compositing program called MainVision, which they say has a "unique Image Processor can be used to generate organic, looping background textures with a few mouse clicks." You can learn more at http://www.mainconcept.com/mainvision.shtml. I've never used it so I can't comment on it. They have some free texture loops that were probably created with that program available for download at http://www.mainconcept.com/texture_loops.shtml.

[Peter Jefferson]

quite afew do this..
vegas with pixelans spicefilter FlowTexture, also Vegas compositing tools based on a displacement mapping routine works really well.. u can get similar results in after effects

umm.. particle illusion is one of the best applications i have ever used.. with bump mapping and displacement emitters, and practically unlimited use of emitters to generate digital images..

[Pete Bauer]

Hi Richard,

I wasn't familiar with Digital Juice, but if the samples in this link on their web site is the kind of thing you're looking for:

http://www.digitaljuice.com/products...13&tab=t3#tabs

my thoughts would be that 1) yes, they are surprisingly expensive, and 2) they are so expensive because such 3D compositing work is complex enough to be a bit beyond most of us -- or at least not worth the time and effort to tackle for ourselves. Thus, for many of us, if we want it badly enough, we'll buy it.

MAYBE somebody with a real knack and a lot of time could do something almost as snazzy as these on Premiere 6, but I'm sure Digital Juice uses purpose-built 3D compositing software to create these in no time flat.

Me...I share your reservations about spending that much money for a short looping clip. Personally wouldn't even consider it without first fiddling around on PPro 1.5 and/or After Effects Pro 6.5 to try to make my own (maybe pulling in the various layers of my Photoshop files as separate clips/compositions in PPro/AE). The effects capabilities of these programs are commensurate with their high price. Although far from an expert, with time and effort I think I could probably fiddle with them enough to create SOMETHING along the lines of these Digital Juice Samples. Maybe not quite as complex and cool, but usable.

MainVision would seem to be a competitor to After Effects, but I haven't used MV. Maybe someone else has experience with it and can comment further on that.

[Kevin Shaw]

If you shop around you can find discounts on Digital Juice products through various vendors: I just picked up one set for about $80 when purchased with the Ulead DVD Workshop 2 upgrade.

Also try Digital Hotcakes, which offers more reasonably priced backgrounds:

http://www.animationsforvideo.com/

[Patrick King]

Sony has three free moving media backgrounds on their website:

http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.co...reevisions.asp

Might as well buy Vegas while you're there ; )

[Richard Tamayo]

I checked main concept and that was cool. Around $200. Not bad .
Do you use this christopher? Do you think It will work ok, creating my motion backgrounds in it and using it in conjunction with premiere 6? Do you create avi as out put? Is there anything else to be aware of , snags, as far as what I want to use it for. I did also chek out particle illusion that was cool too.