Ease In/Ease Out Photographs

[Josh Woll]

I'm currently working on a short documentary piece and I need the Ken Burns Effect in FCP. It drives me crazy to see a still image move like a robot. I want the image to ease in and ease out just like a dolly shot.

I've been able to get the Ease In/Ease Out feature to work with some still images, but for some reason if the motion path is not long enough, when I set the in and out frame at the beginning and end of the clip, the picture likes to make a backwards/forwards movement in the middle of the movement?

Here is an example:

http://www.mosaicinmotion.com/example

I really want to understand how and why this does this? I don't have the money right now to buy an expensive $300+ filter just to use for this feature in FCP, so if anyone could help...I would be great appreciative!

Thanks for your time and assistance!

[Scott Shama]

what's the $300 filter that does it?

Thanks,
Scott

[Loren Simons]

I'm pretty sure the program is called "MovingPictures" by stagetools. http://www.stagetools.com/ my dad uses it on his avid and love it, and it has that same affect. It is available for trial download, and its only 200, still alot of money, but less than 300+.

[Liam Hall]

I'll teach you how to do it for $250;)

[Robert Lane]

This effect of panning/motion in stills is often referred to as the "Ken Burns" effect, an editor who really started this creative method en-masse.

There are a handful of plug-ins and stand-alone apps that can do this, some with more control than others, one of the more advanced is "Photo to Movie" which is not a Final Cut plug-in but an app that can create QT's of the images you use in sequences.

You can also easily create this effect manually by using keyframes in Final Cut or, some of the built-in effects in Motion but these methods are more laborious than using a plug-in, but they also offer the greatest control and options.

Google the Ken Burns effect for plug ins and you'll come up with a short list of options.

[Yeo Wee Han]

As Robert has mentioned, keyframes really is your cheapest way and its precise enough for my needs. You can also enter the values if you need fine tweaking.

[Aric Mannion]

I'm guessing you don't have after effects? It's really freaking easy with AE. There's kind of a trick to it though that makes the process really fast.

[Scott Shama]

Originally Posted by Aric Mannion

I'm guessing you don't have after effects? It's really freaking easy with AE. There's kind of a trick to it though that makes the process really fast.

What's the trick? If you don't want to type it all out, can you offer a link so I can teach my self? I would love to try it in AE....

Thanks,
Scott

[George Kroonder]

If you don't mind watching the short commercial at the start, Digital Juice has a 7:41 min. clip on animating stills in FCP and creating a 3D effect using Photoshop and After Effects. Worth watching.

Start here: DJTV - Cutting Class: Moving Pictures

George/

[Scott Shama]

Yeah, I know how to do all that... I specifically want to know what trick Aric is referring to that makes the process fast in AE.

Scott

[Aric Mannion]

Originally Posted by Scott Shama

Yeah, I know how to do all that... I specifically want to know what trick Aric is referring to that makes the process fast in AE.

Scott

There is a video tutorial and I think it's in a thread here somewhere. The trick is basically you make a new comp in AE at the length you want each picture in the slide show (10 seconds?). Drag all the pictures into the comp in the order you want and you get 10 second long stacked layers. Highlight them ALL and add a keyframe for scale AND position say 1 or 2 seconds in (I think all layers will simultaneously get a key frame there).
On the first layer's keyframe position and scale how the photo should start, maybe close up. 2 seconds before the end of the layer move and scale how it should end, maybe so it zooms out or pans. Hide the layer and do the one below, repeat for all layers. To add an ease to a keyframe go animation>keyframe assistant>ease out for first keyframe and ease in for the second.
It doesn't take long to blow through all those pics I promise! Make a new LONG comp. Highlight all these layers copy and paste into the new comp. With the layers highlighted in the new comp go animation>keyframe assistant>sequence layers: duration 2 seconds, cross dissolve front and back layers. DONE.
Not as easy as you hoped I'm sure, but I did two epic slideshows like this and it was a breeze!

[Scott Shama]

Thanks! Sounds easy enough.

Cheers,
Scott

[Bill Davis]

Originally Posted by Josh Woll

I'm currently working on a short documentary piece and I need the Ken Burns Effect in FCP. It drives me crazy to see a still image move like a robot. I want the image to ease in and ease out just like a dolly shot.

Yep, you COULD do all the other things mentioned in this thread.

Or, you could possibly just read page 319 in the FCS2 Vol III manual that explains precisely how to do this.

It's "hidden" in the INDEX under the code phrase "Ease in-Ease out"

; )

[Jeremy Hughes]

Josh, if you can do it in AE, I just started using a great script on a project this week I was introduced to called Ease and Wizz + the name is great. Its JS that gives you the same kind of expression easing you can get with actionscript easing in Flash. http://ianhaigh.com/easeandwizz/

[Bill Davis]

Well, perhaps I phrased it poorly, but I too got "iffy" results when I started using the Ease-in Ease-out function in FCP without referring to the manual to understand exactly what the ramping curves did. In fact, I got PRECISELY the same results the poster did - with my uninformed guesses as to what my changing the graphic representation of the speed vectors would do to my clips.

When I went back and actually READ THE MANUAL - I began to understand that what I *thought* the control should do was WRONG.

And once I understood what it ACTUALLY did, I was able to get the results I (and I believe the poster) was looking for.

So I'll stick by my answer.

I believe it's possible to get precisely the results the poster is looking for WITHIN FCP.

However in order to do so, you need to read how the effect designer implemented the interface - not assume that because you see the X-Y plot that you somehow magically understand what each axis represents - or that merely looking at it teaches you how to invoke it by using the traditional spline handles to ramp speeds.

If the OP comes back and tells us that he did, in fact, RTM - and that after operating the interface correctly still couldn't achieve the results he was after - then I'll gladly apologize for my "tone."

But I'll be surprised, Because I can speed ramp motion vectors using the speed ease vector handles on even complex multi-position photo moves without much problem, now that I understand how it ACTUALLY works.

FWIW