Stop Motion and FCPX

Hi,
Could anyone tell me if it is possible to create a stop motion film with onion skinning effects using Final Cut Pro X?
Failing that, is there any effect in FCPX which I could use to show me where the last frame was positioned in a stop motion film?
I was wondering if I would need specific stop motion software or not,
Many Thanks
James

What versions of the software are you using?

Similar Messages

Best way to downsize images and create timelapse/stop motion sequences of various durations

I`m wanting to know should I use compressor to add image sequence and downsize images, or aperture to downsize a folder of images, (i`m talking 4000 to 10,000 photos in one folder). What app is faster and more stable (reliable in converting the whole batch without crashing) ?
I had been doing some mix of stop motion and timelapse and wanted to downsize the images, then take them into FCP.X to create a video,
from there I would be adjusting the frame duration for different groups of photos in the one time line, some groups will have slower frame durations, others faster frame durations depending on the effect I want.
Is FCPX the best choice to do this in? Or should I select the photos I want at a particular frame duration and process/output them in another software first.
Then take them into FCPX to put with other sequences of footage.
Another related question, Compressor, Ive applied a destination and setting by dragging them from the templates, but the following message comes up for the video when I click "submit.."
- Each target assigned to a job must have a setting and destination.
the source is small, for smallest quicktime output, the destination is users movies folder...
any suggestion would be great,
thanks,

If I want to keep the original image file size I would choose a different location? (to make a copy at lower resolution). (some images I want for printing at A2 but haven`t the time to siphon those out yet).
Thanks for the request I hope it is moved (will I be notified via email?)
regards my 2nd question, i`ll clarify that a bit more for the FCPx forum,
...Compressor, Ive applied a destination and setting by dragging them from the templates, but the following message comes up for the video when I click "submit.."
- Each target assigned to a job must have a setting and destination.
I already set the source to small, for smallest quicktime output, the destination is "users movies folder"...both were dragged up into the fields required near the video thumbnail.
Not sure what to do from there it wont let me proceed.

Stop Motion With OnLocation CS4???

Hi,
I'm missing something here I think. There are also no references to Stop Motion or Time Lapse in the Help Files of OnLocation CS4...
There are at least Help files on Stop Motion and Time Lapse in CS3.
How do you do Stop Motion in CS4?
In CS3 there was a Stop Motion button you pressed to record the screen and move on to the next frame using the SplitScreen Overlay to create an Onion Skin affect.
But how do you achieve this with CS4 as there is no stop motion button!
Cheers

Yes, I still have CS3 version, but I was hoping for more improvement rather than a complete drop.
Even with the CS3 version, when you took a few frames and then played back, you then could no longer capture frames to the same timeline. Capturing another frame started another timeline, which was a nuisance.
Anyway we bit the bullet as we need to use tools that do what we want rather than using a tool that restricts us to doing things according to what it decides we should do, so we purchased Stop Motion Pro HD on Friday.
Anyway Onlocation should never have been the tool to do stop motion, if you are out on a location, when do you get the time needed to do it? How many people would have actually used the stop motion option while out on a location like a beach or street or field. Maybe thats why it wasn't used very often.
Stop motion should be an option with Premiere Pro as this would be a studio environment anyway?
I bet if it was available in Premiere Pro, Adobe would see more activity of the stop motion "feature"?

How to stop motion menus or drop zones?

In iDVD 4, I was able to select a theme (motion or not), turn off motion, and drop my own custom image right on top. The preview would work perfectly.
Now, in iDVD 6, I do the same thing, I pick any theme (with or without motion), stop motion, and drop my own image on top:
1) The drop zones (or highlights) do not go away, they stay on top of my image, and
2) When I click preview (even though I click the stop motion button), motion from the initial theme starts up.
Is there something different in iDVD 6 that I need to be doing differently?
Thanks.

Sounds odd...
This frequently helps solve some problems. Quit iDVD. Search for the file named com.apple.iDVD.plist and trash it. (A new one will be created next launch of iDVD.) Or look in: User/Library/Preferences. This may solve project loading errors too. Restart and use Disk Utility to Repair Permissions.

Making Car Racing Stop Motion

I need a help.
I'm using imovie 09, and now trying to make a stop motion about car racing there. I took around 700 photos, with a tripod in order to make a photo not to moving. Then I put all the photos into iMovie, set the duration between each of photo at the second max of 0:1s, (is it the max fastest we can adjust in imovie?) . Can we make it faster cos after adjusting, the frame playing doesnt look smooth and run slowly through each frame.
Actually this is my first time doing stop motion and i dont have any experience doing this, I just think the more step-by-step photos i take, the more smoothier the frame can run. I'm doing about car racing, I want my car run more faster through frames, is there anyone here know how to solve this problems ? Please tell me, i really need a help.

for a stop-motion-project, iM isn't first choice ..
it does NOT allow 1 Photo = 1 frame as 'speed'
QuicktimePro allows import of so-called Picture Sequences and instantly converts such into any wanted 'movie'-format with any frame-rate, e.g. to process the movie in iM, adding titles, dissolves, etc.
Or, consider specialized tools as http://www.boinx.com/istopmotion/overview/ or the free (less stable...) http://web.mac.com/philipp.brendel/Software/FrameByFrame.html ...
and Welcome NCY to the  boards ...

Stop motion FCPX

Can stop motion video be done with FCPX like it can be done with adobe?

Are you looking to do real stop motion? Or create a stop motion effect from video? (the answer is yes for both... but obviously different depending on which you are trying to do.)

Working with Motion 5 and FCPX

hey guys
i am just getting started with motion 5 but i just wanted to know whats the easiest way to get them to work smoothly together please?
say for eg i have fcpx open and i have a shot where i want to add a background to my greenscreen and another where i would like to use a couple masks and other effects, whats the best way to 'get them over to motion and back to fcpx' please?
do i just export the clip then work on it in motion then export it back or is there a function where i can just seamlessly go between the 2 programs please?
any help woud be great!! thanks

Things have changed quite a bit from the FCS way of working in that (currently, at least) there is no round tripping between the two apps.
The effects that are in FCP X (including things like transitions and titles) are Motion-originated (not sure whether it's correct whether they're considered Motion projects). Much of the time they have sufficient controls available so that the user doesn't need to leave FCPX. But if necessary, they can be opened in Motion by control clicking. Once Motion is opened, you can modify them, rename and publish to FCP. You can also add adjustments via widgets and rigging that can then be made within FCPX after publishing.
For projects that are originated in Motion, they can be exported as QT movies (typically Pro Res 444), saved as templates, etc.
Hope that helps.
Russ

I'm trying to make "Stop motion videos" in Final Cut EXPRESS by using 100's of still photos and setting them to music. They are coming out blurry if viewed larger than 4x6 in size

I'm trying to make "Stop motion videos" in Final Cut EXPRESS by using 100's of still photos and setting them to music. They are coming out blurry if viewed larger than 4x6 in size.
I don't understand why this is happening.

Quick follow up, since I was on my phone earlier and am back to a real keyboard.
To access Easy Setup, hit Control Q.
If you click on the blue discosure triangles, a dropdown menu with about a dozen different presets will be displayed. Select the one you want, (Here, I've selected 720P.)
Whatever you select for a preset will not be applied until you make a new sequence. (I don't like to have sequences with different properties in the same project so I prefer to make a new project if I change the Easy Setup.)
Because photo aspect ratios are different than video, I typically put a solid generator of some compatible color on the first track (v1) and put my photos on the track above (v2). Looks better, IMO, than black bars. There are other creative ways to display them. And of course, you could scale them up to fill the frame…but then you probably would have to re-position them.
Good luck.
Russ

Imovie frame speed adjustment for stop motion

Now I'm on imovie 10.0.6, I can't seem to get the software to let me adjust my frame speed.
I'm working with stills, that I want to edit into a stop motion piece for some of the film, and show other images as stills for other sections.
The speed editor is greyed out, as is the FF option. Also, the duration is showing in seconds, where as in old imovie i would go into the preferences to show frames per second.
Any one overcome this issue and can help how I get the functionality I need?
thanks

your workflow is - sorry to say that - a bit ... inconvenient
the usual workflow is: record using some plain green or blue background, create matte/key new background in, color-process video.
'matting by hand' skips 50 years of video-processing ...
you can accomplish that with iMovie, Motion or FCPX. iM and FCPX come with a bundle of 'presets' which allow similar coloring/contrasting/de-saturation as pixlr. FCPX for sure allows much more, in detail manual manipulations of color, although the 'video' tab in iMovie11 offers enough 'knobs' to create the few looks pixlr offers. Motion wouldn't be my first choice, as the app's name implies, it is basicly not meant for such simple color-corrections.

Looking for a free stop motion software for my Macbook Pro?

Sorry if this is in the wrong category; I am new here.
I'm currently working on a 40 minute stop motion film. I've experimented with various stop motion apps, but none of them fit what I need. I'm making the film in 9 parts, and I want to be able to export each video as a .mov file and later import into FCPX to make edits and combine everything. I have the audio completely recorded and I plan to take the pictures using my Macbook Pro's built-in webcam. (This film doesn't need to be very fancy; it's for my family.)
I'm looking for something free (not a free trial) and without a watermark. Each of the 9 parts is inbetween 3-8 minutes. What do you recommend?
Thanks
-Jenni16

Tontothetank wrote:
I want to find a 1080p projector that I can connect my macbook pro to wirelessly and mirror what is on the screen... Or maybe a way to go about doing so, I knwo that you can mirror your iphone and ipad with ios 5 and apple tv...not sure on macbook pro? This might be too strange of a thing to be looking for but it would be so nice to eliminate wires from my life as much as possible...i.e. wireless headphones, printer, and projector (rather than a television) Anything help on this would be great! Thanks everyone!
You can do it, but are you prepared to spend? it won't be cheap. It may be cheaper than I thought.
You will need a projector with an HDMI input, and you will need a method of transmitting the HDMI signal, complete with all ancillary protocols (so HDMI 1.2 at least, 1.4 is safer) via wireless. That means way more bandwidth than 2.4 or 5G wireless can offer.
I have had success with the TruLink 60Ghz WirelessHD transmitter/receiver, 30ft range (20 is more 'real world') 1 hdmi in and 1 hdmi out, so they replace the cable. Last pair I bought were $600, but I just saw that Amazon have them available at $141 ....
However these are line of sight devices, no motion and no obstruction between the pair or fuzzzzzz

Is there a way to detect motion and set markers automatically?

My video includes walking around with the camera. I walk, then stop and hold the camera in one area, then pan, then continue walking (and repeat).
While panning, there is some annoying flicker of vertical objects (beams, poles, whatever). I can use a horizontal fast blur to fix this, but I only want the blur applied when there is panning (not when the camera is relatively still). Doing it manually is cumbersome.
Is there a way to detect when motion is going on (over a certain threshold)? I would like PP to tell me when there is significant motion, and place markers in the points where it begins and ends (when motion goes over a threshold and then when it falls below the threshold).
Thanks, experts!

One thing you can try is to bring your footage into Prelude - it will lay out the entire clip so you can see thumbnail snapshots for the whole clip at once - that might give you a good start to see where there is a lot of motion. Then, you can add markers very easily at all of those points - and when you send it over to Premiere, the markers will show up on your clip.
Not automated, but a good workflow to achieve what you are looking for.

Encore CS4 Missing Frames/Stops Starts and Blue Screen Crashes During Playback

I'm opening Premiere Pro CS4 with the default presets of HDV Capture, HDV 1080i30 software only mode. I'm capturing from my Canon HV20 using firewire HDV out 1440 x 1080. All goes well during the editing process but when I Dynamic Link and playback in Encore CS4 I observe dropped frames or stop and starts in Encore timeline sequence. At times I may even crash Encore with a Blue Screen. While still running Encore I can go back to Premiere Pro and play the timeline sequence with no issues. I will mention that I have the Matrox RT.X2 installed. But when starting a project I'm doing software only and disabling RT.X2 hardware playback. If I remove all effects in the timeline sequence and then Dynamic link to Encore the playback is normal with no effects. I did exported the Premiere Pro CS4 project using Adobe Media Encoder CS4 with a setting of MPEG 2 Blu-ray 1440 x 1080i 29.97 High Quality. I than import this MPEG2 back into Adobe Encore CS4 and it plays without dropping frames or hang-ups.
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Try to remember this:
Encore "Tries" to playback from premiere pro. If you have a full set of previews available, it will play those, but you are probably seeing a lot of dropped frames and choppy video if your previews in premiere are set pretty low. What you can do to combat this--in my experience--is export your video from premiere into a whole file in full format (in a non-lossy format with full frames, and in it's proxy equivalent; I use Prores LT for many projects, and export that as a final output from premiere), then have that encode in an h.264 format (which will maximize smooth motion and quality playback). Now... ...In your encore project, you should be outside of your original formats and in the intermediary that encore will recognize, so you should have it "Locate transcoded file". Once you have done so, it will playback that movie in the preview. I've done it. With CS6 and 4gb ram with a vidcard at 256mb and a core2duo 2.16ghz, it plays fine. With CS4 the encoding takes a while, and if you go to dvd, even longer for compression to work properly. I use Compressor to output AVCHD .264 stream and an AC3 file. When I locate the transcode for BD, I locate the .264 file first, then I get asked for the AC3 file. This allows me to import them both, and have Encore encode them into the transport stream without transcoding. I use Distributed processing to get the job done quickly, as I have minimal access to several computers and have connected them by that method for a Render Farming setup. It works well. With a hardware based device playing back your files, you won't see the same performance in Encore. It has to make two hops already to get to your video, and adding a third (goes from encore to Premiere, then to codec, then plays normally; third step is to external hardware, which eats up processing like crazy when it has to come all the way back to an encoding output to screen through encore, adding more steps for the system along the way) really can slow down the performance in Encore. IF you take the Steps out by encoding a finished playback stream, Encore will handle it quickly with it's own processing. It really does work well. If you don't like it, make your changes in Premiere, then re-encode with your hardware and make an h.264 file for encore again. You can use AME, but you'll always get standard Blu-ray (old file-stream format; lesser res and quality). You can use Compressor to make AVCHD which allows for 264 output that is PSF or progressive that is interpreted as simultaneous fields (fake interlace), or even solid progressive formatting for AVCHD compatible players, and you can render-farm it to speed up the encoding process.

12-Core Mac Pro w/ 32GB of RAM and FCPX is S..L...O...W....

This is annoying. I'm trying to cut a feature film on this. On a two week old Mac Pro. 12-Core Mac w/ 32GB of RAM. It's becoming a liability and I'm starting to think I made the wrong choice going with Apple and Final Cut Pro X BOTH. The amount of time this software is adding to MY life timeline is ridiculous. I'm only running FCPX. No other programs. And anyhow, I should have enough RAM to run more than that w/o these problems.
A feature film means I have 400GBs of clips in the Event. This is a real life situation and a editing program needs to be able to handle that. All the media ia on a different internal 7200RPM drive that isn't running the OS.
Renaming a clip in the Event Library is slow. Adding scene and other information to a clip is slow. Processing after importing a clip from tape is slow.
I just imported 10 clips ranging from 30 secs to 3 minutes in length. They are SD from a DVX100 tape. Not even talking HD here. It's supposed to be analyzing in the background but the rainbow ball spinning constantly and allowing me only enough time to click something once before it spins again isn't "processing in the back grond" in my opinion.
I bought the best so that I wouldn't have to deal with garbage like this.
I haven't even started editing yet. I understand this is first gen of a new revamp so it's going to be buggy and crash on occassion. I know what I signed up for. but these are basic tasks. I can't even imagine how performance would be with hi res stuff.
So my question is: What the heck is the deal here? Does Apple check up on these discussions? When will I get a professional level program that actually utilizes the tools I have running under the hood?

Just to update everyone reading this thread. I have begun to cut a teaser trailer for the film (ThereAreNoGoodbyes.com if you're interested!) to premiere at a film festival next week and the editing process has gone smoothly. Editing itself appears to be fine thus far. Although im dealing with a very short project runtime at this point (90 seconds).
At this point it appears the major issues are with importing, transcoding, and analyzing. all headaches and much more time consuming than i have had experience with in the past (on other NLEs). my assumption is maybe it's the "analyzing" thats the main problem here. for my personal curiousity i wanted to see what FCPX came back with in the a/v diagnosis, but if i turned all of those things off on import (just guessing here) perhaps the process would have been much faster.
whatever the case may be it should NOT be advertised as something that can be done in the background until that's an actual fact.
after this trailer is finished (this week) i will start working on the assembly cut of the film which will clock at anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours and then ill get a better idea if FCPX can handle what id consider to be a normal-sized project. I'll post back here with my impressions...
side note: i had to do some basic effects in Motion on some footage and that was smooth and painless working within Motion and coming back to FCPX with the footage.

What programs/functions do I need to master in order to create stop motion animation?

Hi,
Im just starting a new job, and will be creating a handful of films for my new employer.
I want to create something interesting, and have been leaning towards stop motion animation.
What initially inspired me was this music video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfcHq0hhFWg
To me, it looks like a bunch of stop motion ( ex; the paper balls and hand colored individual frames of the guy playing guitar), paired with some digital animation (walruses). Please correct me if I am wrong about this.
So - to focus my question:
1) What program does one use to play all the individual pictures taken to create the stop motion animation? In other words, once I have shot all the individual pictures of the objects I want to animate, and am ready to organize them and set a playback speed, what program would I use? Do most people just throw all the pictures into final cut and do it that way?? Or is there a better program?
and
2) How do you cut portions of pictures / drawings / frames out to allow for a deep layering effect? I figure most people take each frame and manipulate it individually using photoshop (cutting portions of an image out so something else can be seen through the void). But is there a better way??
For example, lets say I have two crecent shaped pieces of black paper, and I want them to move towards each other from the left and right sides of the screen, and eventually completely obscure whatever is going on in the background behind the paper images. First I would take a series of pictures, moving the pieces of paper in small increments, until they closed the gap and overlapped each other. From that point, I would lay down whatever video I wanted playing in the background into the timeline. Next, I would import the series of photos with the pieces of paper moving towards each other - then comes the problem. The portion of the pictures used for the animation that is NOT PAPER would be obscuring my background video. So at this point, is it easier to shoot the animation against a white background and just chroma key the white out? Or do most people cut the non paper part out using photoshop? or is there a better way?

frisbee681 wrote:
Hi,
Im just starting a new job, and will be creating a handful of films for my new employer.
I want to create something interesting, and have been leaning towards stop motion animation.
Congratulations on the job. Not many of them out there.
frisbee681 wrote:
1) What program does one use to play all the individual pictures taken to create the stop motion animation? In other words, once I have shot all the individual pictures of the objects I want to animate, and am ready to organize them and set a playback speed, what program would I use? Do most people just throw all the pictures into final cut and do it that way?? Or is there a better program?
Easy to search the app store, as mentioned, or just google stop motion for macintosh. Mastering the application is easy. Learning how to animate is where you need to start.
frisbee681 wrote:
2) How do you cut portions of pictures / drawings / frames out to allow for a deep layering effect? I figure most people take each frame and manipulate it individually using photoshop (cutting portions of an image out so something else can be seen through the void). But is there a better way??
In the odlen days, we used multiplane stages. Each set of drawings was placed on a glass stage, one under the other. INcredibly fun, absurdly difficult to keep clean and properly lit. Now all of that stuff is done with alpha channels and compositing software like Motion or Afer Effects.
frisbee681 wrote:
For example, lets say I have two crecent shaped pieces of black paper, and I want them to move towards each other from the left and right sides of the screen, and eventually completely obscure whatever is going on in the background behind the paper images. First I would take a series of pictures, moving the pieces of paper in small increments, until they closed the gap and overlapped each other. From that point, I would lay down whatever video I wanted playing in the background into the timeline. Next, I would import the series of photos with the pieces of paper moving towards each other - then comes the problem. The portion of the pictures used for the animation that is NOT PAPER would be obscuring my background video. So at this point, is it easier to shoot the animation against a white background and just chroma key the white out? Or do most people cut the non paper part out using photoshop? or is there a better way?
Umm, yes. You're only guessing. And, honestly (Did you want honesty?), your heart may be in this but you don't have much a clue. Techniques and effects (and the experience to guide the decisions to do them in camera, on the shooting stage, or in software) are not where you start animation. You start by learning how cameras work, how shutter speed and f-stop relate to ISO speed, how to shoot on-2s (or if you should), how to do eases and stretches and squishes, how to develop characterization in inanimate objects so you can invoke emotive responses from the audience, how to shoot to hooks in the soundtrack, how to plan, how to storyboard, how to budget time, how to establish and maintain quality shooting conditions, how to do animatic or rough tests, how to learn from the tests, how to have fun, how to make money, how to get it done.
This is kind of like saying you've just inherited a hundred acres and are thinking about getting into farming. You plant some seeds and do some stuff and then pick it and sell it. How hard can it be?
bogiesan

Can I use canon eos40d for stop motion capture in premiere elements 9?

I Want too do stop motion capture but when I click get media, the pop up dialog box proceeda as if to import still photos. How do I get the "capture panel" that is talked about where I can select stop motion? Is premiere elements 9 supposed to work with a still camera like mine for stop motion at all? Thanks!!' Kimberley

Kimberley
Thanks for the reply. This is my take on the situation that you describe.
You wrote
The camera was linked to PC with USB cable and then the software showed on the PC what would normally be in the camera viewfinder. The enter key on the PC worked as a shutter release and onion skinning worked. Can premiere elements do this?
That more or less describes the Premiere Elements Webcam experience if Premiere Elements recognized the Webcam.
If you have made a USB connection between the Canon 40D and the computer and you are not getting a Capture Window when you use Premiere Elements' Add Media Webcam or WDM compatible device, then Premiere Elements does not support that simple route. It is my understanding that WDM compatible device represents Windows Driver Model (a framework for device drivers).
I have done some Google searching, and I have found instance where claims have been made for the Canon 40D as a webcam. I post one of these links for informational and non promotional purposes.
http://extrawebcam.com/
Have you explore any utilities that came with the Canon that might supply drivers for the Canon as a webcam?
Have you tried to use the Canon 40D as a webcam with Windows Movie Maker?
Please review and consider. (Also, 9.0.1 Update can be downloaded and installed from the project's Help Menu/Update or obtained online from
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=4929
We will be watching for further developments.
Thank you.
ATR

Stop Motion and FCPX

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