DVD intro chapters
 

Hi, i was wondering, at the beginning of each DVD chapters like the grand entrance, cake cutting, and etc. what type of intro or effects do you guys used before going into any DVD chapters? I am looking to get an idea on how I can redesign my chapter intro. Currently, it has a black background with a white text indicating what event will be playing next. Boring, huh? Anyone want to share theirs? Thanks

-Joe

Hi Joe,

I'm actually going the opposite way and trying to use less titling and effects between segments and trying to get them to flow into one another. I personally think the whole video is much more enjoyable if it can be made into one 30-40 minutes creative piece that all flows together.

If that doesn't work for you, how about trying a thirty second title, perhaps bottom thirds, with a song in the background and some quick random shots from throughout that segment. You could bleach out the video or apply some sort of effect to separate it, but it might be a nice and fancy intro.

Why do you feel the need to intro each segment with "text"? Or maybe I don't quite know what you mean by chapter intro. Are you talking about an actual title on the video or on the DVD menu?

Some just do one continuous edit of the entire day. (45 minutes to 1 hour maybe) The only "intros" might be a scene fade and/or change of music. I've also seen them done with only a strategic dissolve and the music never skips a beat. Chapter marks are placed at certain scene changes for quick access. (or even merely spaced randomly every 5 minutes or so).

I on the other hand I'm just a black and white kind of guy... I like my stuff neat and orderly. I do seperate segments with seperate titles on the DVD menu to denote formal photos, ceremony, reception, etc. Each segment is its own "event" with different music and begins/ends with a simple fade. Everything is put on the DVD in chronological order. I also might put an "index" menu on the DVD for immediate access to things like, "bride's entrance, bouquet toss, first kiss, etc.

But I don't intro any part of the video segments with "text". The viewer was there and should know what it is they're about to watch. And if they weren't there, they've got a pretty good idea it's going to be related to the weddiing. I just think its redundant to title a clip, "The Dance" and then the scene starts with err... dancing. :) Plus it just looks cheesy IMO.

I too am trying to make the reception flow better, so depending on the actual reception, I may or may not title transition etc. I edit in a very long form, including as much as is interesting, so I try not to break the video up so much.

The exception I can see is very distinct events, such as the first dance, or a slide show presentation. I had a slide show presentation which I overlayed atop the crowd laughter, prior to the slide show starting I had a fade to black and several seconds of black, the video started with music in black, so it seemed appropriate to have that break.

I think the flow of your reception can give you clues as to how to or not to use titles transistions etc.

I have used boring text before, but prefer to do a dip to black between "sections." I normally divide the video into appropriate sections: pre-ceremony, ceremony, photoshoot, introductions at reception, speeches, yadda yadda. Between each section I don't use text, but rather a dip to black to create a kind of visual divide between time frames. People know the order of events of the wedding and can figure out what they're about to see.

Then I add DVD chapter stops during these dips and a few in between. For example, I put a chapter stop as I dip to black between the ceremony and photoshoot, a chapter stop when I dip to black between the photoshoot and pre-reception, a chapter stop after each speech even if I don't dip to black, etc. I then make a menu on the DVD with links to the specific events.

I'm not totally against text, but like another user said before me, maybe try a lower third? I haven't used lower thirds myself but can imagine you could make it look nice and have it flow well.

I prefer to present my videos as a continuous flow. Film like, I suppose. No fades to black between sequences, no titles to introduce new sequences. Chaptering is done after the project is complete.

u dont see titles when u watch movies, so my line of thoughts like Wal's

i do have some clients who want the whole thing all titled and shit liek that, but to me its rather cheesy and pretty lame as its breaks the flow of things..

i usually just fade to black, or as an example, use 1 track across 2 scenes, such as the signing and the photoshoot, or the photoshoot and the intro to the reception. My menus and chapter markers are set to intervals, which is indexed on the disc case, so theyve got the info, it just doesnt break the flow of the wedding edit itself..

Less is More
 

For my sections (venue, photography session, ceremony, reception, cake, dances, tossing things) I just have a 1 second fade to black, 1 second fade in to script title usually no more than two words, then 2 second fade out and then 1 second of black and the next section.

I keep it simple.

jason

intro segments
 

wow thanks for the responses. I guess it's a habit from the beginning and seeing other videographers used it on their videos for each segment too. Thus, I probably keep on doing it since its in all my videos already, but I want to dress it up a little bit better. once I get a chance, i will post a screenshot of my intro or post a small clips, maybe we could come up with something better.

-Joe

i use "intros" only for the wedding preparations, then for the ceremony, then for the reception. an "Act I" "act II" and "act III" if you will. in some cases, i've just done a dip to black but usually i like to end each "Act" with an interesting or creative shot and fade to a blur and key in text while the music changes up. i like so called intros because there is such significant time between the 3 events in real time that i want to separate it in the video with something equally significant. it ends up feeling like 3 short films which i like. the audience feels like they are getting more.

DVD chapters are separated at my liking in the end during DVD authoring to keep things looking symmetrical if needed. i don't separate individual events with anything other than a change in music if even that. often, the cake, bouquet and garter are all on one song.

i definitely would not have intros for every event like the cake, bouquet, dance etc. i think that would really kill the flow and insult their intelligence.