Hey so I got a birthday greeting video where u see the family members say their greetings with a background music.
Whats the easiest way to just add some balloons to come from down the screen and up as if they go to the sky?
Any birthday effect to add?
Hi.
Which version of MEP are you currently using?
Last I noticed it was MEP 2018 although I've no idea of which version.
Do you have any balloons to be able to select in your Templates section?
While I wouldn't say adding adding any animation is not hard, it can be very time consuming if you do your own of can be expensive if you buy stock footage with green screen to add as an effect.
Adding one balloon in MEP is easy enough if you have a stock image in the templates section. If you don't then it's about looking for a stock image on a black background so you can use the chroma key alpha channel to blend the image. To add more you may have to produce several clips, one at a time to then import into your project or animate individual balloons on several tracks and blend them into the background clip.
[Edit] Have now found a way around that problem. Look at the next reply from me and example.
I did a short clip for you which took me exactly the time you see on screen to produce but this method can only produce one balloon. To do more you would have to use an image instead placed on several tracks and have multiple instances of using the Key frame editor and size position effect as well as using the chroma key to blend each into the background clip.
The alternative is to look for pre-made green screen clips from places like shutter stock and pay for one or more live action clips.
Ray.
I have found a way of adding more balloons.
First cut the background clip into as many pieces you need balloons.
Then assign a balloon to each clip.
Use the broken chain symbol to separate each balloon clip from each main clip.
Drag each balloon onto a new track and expand each clip to the required length.
Then use the method set out in the video above to give each one its own timing and movement.
Make the balloons on the higher track numbers always slightly larger than those on the lower track numbers so as to make it look as if the strings always pass in front of balloons further way or it will look odd.
Ray.
Hi Ray,
I think this effect was in MEP 2013 or earlier, which I no longer have installed on this PC. But I must have copied across the effect. Because, although I cannot so far find it via the UI of MEP 2016/2017, I can create it by dragging in a file called Balloons.cfx. See if you can find that and Balloons.mxv on your PC, or email me and I'll send you copies to play with.
Terry
Hi terry.
It doesn't exist for me in MEP or VPX and to be fair your example doesn't even look as if it was an HD effect in resolution. Possibly even an SVGA resolution effect? Or was that just the upload resolution? I do notice some effects being dropped even from the 2018 version when I started using MEP.
Again I think they are dropped when the effects can't be scaled up for larger resolutions as lower resolutions are used less by people who's camera phones outperform a compact digital camera from six years ago.
Maybe this is what @DRORENGEL is remembering from his previous 2014 version.
Your video is showing as being 480 by 320 pixels. Was that it's original resolution?
Ray.
Hi Ray,
Probably, but an HD version is easily made in my MEPP 2016/2017 using the UI:
Effects > Design Elements > Image Objects > Deco > Balloons 2
and then adding a couple of position key frames.
Does that remain in current MEPP versions?
If not, it's based on this file which I'll send you if you want:
C:\ProgramData\MAGIX\Movie Edit Pro 2016 Premium\OverlayFX\Deko\Balloons_bundle_center_2.tga
Hi Terry.
Yes I have that file and three other similar files.
Do you cut the balloons up into separate images? It seems a very intensive way to produce that effect. I can see how it could be done but would take time to produce and a lot of key framing. You have the patience of a saint if that's the case.
Ray.
Hi Ray,
No, that TGA image file is the set of three shown. There are files for one and two balloons too. And you can choose whether they are right, left or centre of the screen. Very simple to apply the static images and add your KFs.
Does your MEPP 2021 have the static image effect, even if navigating to it and applying it differs somewhat? That MP4 took me about one minute to make, once I’d chosen a photo I liked.
Does MEPP 2020/2021 have many similar decorative/fun animated effects, even if (as it appears) no balloons?
Terry
No walking skeletons, no rising balloons...what are things coming to!
Hi Ray
. . . . Only the files marked mp4 show any animation movement . . . .
The Balloons effects are not video files - the images are .tga (Targa) format. If you look closely at your image showing these in the Deko folder there is also a corresponding .cfx file which attaches the effect to the selected video or image clip - it can be detached using the Ungroup button and becomes free for making the duration shorter or longer and other effects.
I suspect you may have overlooked Terrys comment . . . . and then adding a couple of position key frames. . . . . to animate the balloons
. . . . No walking skeletons, no rising balloons...what are things coming to! . . . .
Hollywood issued cease and desist notices when they got a monopoly on walking skeletons (Army of Darkness) and rising balloons (remake of Around the World in 80 days). 😂
John EB
@johnebaker @terrypin @DRORENGEL
Hi John.
I had noticed all that before hence my advice in my first two replies where I showed in the video the necessity of ungrouping the effect although that is not necessary when dealing with one instance of the same effect.
I was just trying to clarify things for Terry as to what was in that folder at present. Still wondering how he did what he did so quickly. Never saw the original effect Terry mentions. Well before my time here 😂.
Adobe still had walking skeletons as an effect. Has Terry still got flash on his system?
Ray.
@CubeAce @johnebaker @DRORENGEL
Hi Ray,
Flash irrelevant to this.
You didn't answer my question:
"Does that remain in current MEPP versions?"
but here's how I did it "so quickly".
P.S. I actually used Balloons 1, not 2; ran out of helium.
Terry
Hi Ray,
So I assume you do have the Balloons 1 and Balloons 2 static effects in MEP 2021 (not just the files, although they too are easy to use)?
Re that original MP4 example, as mentioned I don't have either the project or the effect installed now. Yes, it probably took a bit longer to make. But even without that specific animated effect, one could be easily made with Balloon 3 and Balloon 4 in a similar way to that described. Maybe need some colour changes to get yellow and green balloons too. That's if you do have these static effects. Otherwise just work directly with the effect files.
Terry
Hi Terry.
You would have to add the rotating effect and remove the strings as well, but point taken.
I thought it was a lot of work but understand that is no restriction that ever affects you 😉.
Personally I would make a jpg or png of each file and save it using the export function. Easier to change in paint.
Ray.
Hi Ray
. . . . I would make a jpg or png of each file and save it using the export function. . . . .
Do you not have an image editing program that can import tga files?
John EB
Hi John.
I suppose I could import it directly into CS6.
I've never worked with tga files before so hadn't considered it. I suppose I could place the altered images with different tags back into the folder but probably wouldn't work due to a lack of accompanying .cfx files.
Ray.
@CubeAce @johnebaker @DRORENGEL
Hi Ray,
I find working with TGA files a PITA, at least in PaintShop Pro. So I gave up on that for now, and downloaded some single balloons of several colours from the web, snipped their strings, and saved them as transparent PNGs.
But after viewing my MP4 video clip again (a 2011 DVD extract) I've now abandoned the self-imposed challenge of building a similar high res version from scratch.
Apart from the low resolution it was quite an impressive effect IMO. Even getting the audio synchronised as individual balloons hit the 'ceiling' would be tricky, as well as the 'pseudo-random' rotation you mentioned. So, I'm out!
P.S. Just found a couple of old installation DVDs, for MEP 11 and MEP 14. Might try to re-install them sometime on my ancient shed workshop PC (running Win XP) to satisfy my curiosity.
Terry