Christmas Star / Comet Simulation? at DVinfo.net

Aram Rian · December 7th, 2006, 02:42 AM

hi, forumers.
would anyone know of any plugin/footage/special effect simulating either a shooting star/comet or just a static bright star? this is for a Christmas scene simulation in a video. thanks.

Shawn Kessler · December 7th, 2006, 05:11 AM

Aram,
imovie has a built in effect like this. Not sure if your a mac person
but ive used this star on many dvd's ive dont you can custimize it to.

hope this helps
shawn

Aram Rian · December 7th, 2006, 06:38 AM

thanks for the reply, Shawn. yes, i'm a mac guy and i mostly use imovie. which plugin did you mean? nothing comes to mind apart from "fairy dust". is that a 3rd party plugin?

p.s. i'm using imovie hd 5.

Boyd Ostroff · December 7th, 2006, 09:12 AM

Motion can do all sorts of things like this. But you would need to learn how to use the software first...

Aram Rian · December 7th, 2006, 09:23 AM

thanks, but i mean something i can apply straight away. for example, a well-drawn animated gif, which i would insert into the footage through the picture-in-picture plugin.

Scott Sullivan · December 7th, 2006, 10:20 AM

Couldn't you just use a photo with an alpha channel? Not sure legalities, but NASA offers a lot of their stuff for free I think.

Comets don't really move. They almost look like a photo in the sky, so why not just use one. If anything just add a keyframable glow around it so the glow has a slow 'pulse' to give it some life, but even in real life they don't do that. I've seen many in my 8" reflector telescope and I feel like it's a photo.

Or, heck, just use one of those countless lens flares in most NLE packages. Just tweak it 'till it looks right.

Scott

Aram Rian · December 7th, 2006, 01:21 PM

thank you, Scott, for the ideas. will look into all of them.

December 7th, 2006, 02:42 AM	#1
Aram Rian Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Birmingham, UK / Yerevan, Armenia Posts: 93	Christmas Star / Comet Simulation? hi, forumers. would anyone know of any plugin/footage/special effect simulating either a shooting star/comet or just a static bright star? this is for a Christmas scene simulation in a video. thanks. __________________ "I do detest everything which is not perfectly mutual." Lord Byron

December 7th, 2006, 05:11 AM	#2
Shawn Kessler Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ofallon missouri Posts: 123	star effect Aram, imovie has a built in effect like this. Not sure if your a mac person but ive used this star on many dvd's ive dont you can custimize it to. hope this helps shawn

December 7th, 2006, 06:38 AM	#3
Aram Rian Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Birmingham, UK / Yerevan, Armenia Posts: 93	thanks for the reply, Shawn. yes, i'm a mac guy and i mostly use imovie. which plugin did you mean? nothing comes to mind apart from "fairy dust". is that a 3rd party plugin? p.s. i'm using imovie hd 5. __________________ "I do detest everything which is not perfectly mutual." Lord Byron

December 7th, 2006, 09:23 AM	#5
Aram Rian Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Birmingham, UK / Yerevan, Armenia Posts: 93	thanks, but i mean something i can apply straight away. for example, a well-drawn animated gif, which i would insert into the footage through the picture-in-picture plugin. __________________ "I do detest everything which is not perfectly mutual." Lord Byron

December 7th, 2006, 01:21 PM	#7
Aram Rian Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Birmingham, UK / Yerevan, Armenia Posts: 93	thank you, Scott, for the ideas. will look into all of them. __________________ "I do detest everything which is not perfectly mutual." Lord Byron

December 7th, 2006, 09:12 AM	#4
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,787	Motion can do all sorts of things like this. But you would need to learn how to use the software first...

December 7th, 2006, 10:20 AM	#6
Scott Sullivan New Boot Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 6	Couldn't you just use a photo with an alpha channel? Not sure legalities, but NASA offers a lot of their stuff for free I think. Comets don't really move. They almost look like a photo in the sky, so why not just use one. If anything just add a keyframable glow around it so the glow has a slow 'pulse' to give it some life, but even in real life they don't do that. I've seen many in my 8" reflector telescope and I feel like it's a photo. Or, heck, just use one of those countless lens flares in most NLE packages. Just tweak it 'till it looks right. Scott