Once you have burned a few DVDs, you may want to add something extra or if you are not using DVD-9s to back up your movies, then many times, for longer movies, you may want to divide it into two DVD-5s. For a more finished looking project, and to show off your expertise in all matters Video-DVD, add your own insert disc 2 video clip!
Here is the clip I made as I wrote this. The end "water" scene is just a clip I had laying around so I spliced it on the end. I used Premiere Pro to create the water effects using a procedure called "track masking" if you are curious...
The basic process I want to explain here is how to use a digital still pictures as a backdrop to your clip. Any kind of a video clip will work for this project. If you have some camcorder footage or a clip from the movie itself, that can be used. It is actually easier to take a video clip and just add the text effects. I do, however want to explain how to use NeroVision Express to turn digital images into a slideshow, and then turn that slideshow into a video clip with text effects.
These are the steps to create your clip
Find the images you want to use.
Open NeroVision Express and make a video slideshow with the images.
Open your slideshow into NVE, this time using the make Movie feature.
Add an animated title to it and back it up to the hard drive.
What you need
Like any other project, a few things need to be on hand.
Nerovision Express, hopefully a current version
Some digital images
an empty folder or two on your hard drive
A DVD RW so you can check your clip out on TV before adding it to the movie!
DVD Shrink if you want to add the clip to a movie
Here's the two images I am using for this tutorial.
I would suggest that you should not use two pictures of different colors or sizes. The text we will add has to have some contrast to be seen on the background, and they do need to be the same size so the transition between the two pictures will work properly. My added text will be lime green, so it will have enough contrast.
sunset.jpg
And... blue hills.jpg
The first thing I like to do is to create a folder that I can work out of. In the editing world these are called scratch discs or scratch folders. The whole idea is to have a specific location for the files you are working with. For this project make a NVE scratch folder and put it on your hard drive. Now you need to open up Nerovision Express and select Make Slide Show .
Here is a presentation that explains the first portion of this process. Flash Tutorial!
Adding the animated text effects to the clip
At this point you should now have a simple two image video slideshow saved to a location on your hard drive. Think of this as the first layer of a two layer process. Making the second layer (The text effects) is a lot like making the first layer. (The slideshow)
The difference here is that instead of making a Nero Slide Show, you will be making a Nero Movie.
The Nero "Make Movie" feature will allow the addition of the text effects we want for this project.
I always like to add an audio track as well. This is not really covered here, however It is just a
matter of dragging an audio track into the timeline and adjusting it's starting and ending points.
Open NeroVision express and this time select Make Movie....
Then use the browser to find the slideshow.
Hopefully it is parked in your NVE scratch folder!
Right?
Add the slideshow to the video timeline
Once you have found the slideshow, place it in your storyboard. You can use the + button at the bottom of the assets window or just drag and drop the Media file into the storyboard or timeline. Double clicking the Media file works as well.
I tend to drag and drop when I can, even though Nero has provided lots of buttons to push.
I show the drag and drop method here. Use whatever method you prefer!
Add some cool text effects
The next step is to drag the selected effect into the timeline.
For this demo, I'm using Bouncing Characters. Choose the text effect from the selection found in the text effect tab. (The tab with the A)
Drag the text effect into the Timeline:
Adjusting the text effects
When you add the effect, A text effect properties window will open. If it does not open by itself, double click the text effect in the timeline. This is where you enter your text and set the controls for how the animation will play. Each type of text effect has it's own specific set of control buttons and sliders. You can control the size and font style of the text, the color and positioning on the screen. Be prepared to come back often to "Edit your Movie" to make adjustments. You can also set the duration here if you don't want to drag the effect around in the timeline. In this case there are some controls for this specific effect. A few trial and error runs will help you get it adjusted just the way you want it.
The text effect sits above the video in its own timeline. The position and length of the text effect can be adjusted by poisitioning the effect relative to the video timeline. Lengthen or shorten by "grabbing" the side of the effect bar with the mouse. Drag either end to get to the desired length.
It is a good idea to have a delay of two or three seconds before the text effect starts. The beginning transition into the clip shoud be finished, a pause, then the text effect should begin.
Finishing the project
This is what the bouncing characters effect looks like while they are bouncing up and down.
A television screen is not the same as your computer's monitor so be sure to leave some room at the top, bottom and sides so your text effect does not get cut off.
More expensive editing programs have "TV safe" indicators that let you know where the edges of a TV screen are. NeroVision does not. Before you commit the clip to your movie, burn it to a RW disc and play it in your DVD player.
Saving your project
You really don't need a menu for this clip so select the "More" button and untick the Menu box. Click "Next" and a preview screen will open. It is a good time to take a look at your project here and see if the text color, position and effect action are right. If not, use the back button to go back to the "What would you like to do menu". Select "Edit Movie" and you can make the changes.
Once you get done previewing and editing click the "Next" button untill the Burn Options screen opens. Click the "Write to hard disc folder".
Note: At this point you can also decide to select to burn a DVD-RW to see what your clip looks like on TV before adding it to a movie.
To change from the default Nero Video settings, (Default settings work fine for me) Click the "More" button, Click the "Video Options" Button and select DVD-Video from the tabbed menu that opens. Note that the first menu allows you to select NTSC or PAL. Pick what you use. I use the default settings so mine looks like this:
Aspect ratio: Automatic
Quality setting: Automatic
Sample format: Automatic
Bit rate: Can't adjust when previous settings are Automatic
Resolution: Can't adjust when previous settings are Automatic
Encoding mode: High Quality (2-pass VBR)
Audio format: Dolby Digital (AC-3)2.0
Select a location to write the files to. I put them in a VIDEO_TS folder. At this point you can burn a DVD-RW to see what your clip looks like on TV. All that is left to do is select "Write" and the process will begin.
Leave the finished folder in a location you can find it and the next time you need an "insert disc 2" clip you will have it and can add it to your movie for the finishing touch.
You probably noticed that there is a location for an audio track as well on the timeline. A 48,000khz .wav music file can be added, just like the other assets. To add the clip to a DVD, open Shrink, select open files, browse for your clip in the VIDEO_TS folder and select OK. Shrink will analyze your clip and once that is done you can select Re-author, bring in your main movie and assemble it with your clip. Make sure you drag them both into the compilation window. Put the clip at the correct location, the end of the first half.
If you have any comments, I would like to hear from you.
