How to edit anime characters into my video blog?

TwilightChrono · Post by **TwilightChrono** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 1:15 am

Well, I do an abridged series, DN ABP Abridged, and on my next web cam session, I want to have Light and L sitting next to me talking....except, I have no idea on how to go about doing it. I have a faint idea of how to, but, I was curious, if anyone here could help me in the regard. I've been meaning to do it for a while, and would appreciate any help given, my friend and I, will of course be voicing the characters, but, I will also be talking to the characters, and they will be responding with head and body movements as well, they just won't be stationary......they will be moving. I realize that this is gonna be painstaking, but, I really wanna do this. Any technical help would be appreciated. My questions are:

1. Will Sony Vegas suffice?
2. I'm assuming I need to pre-record my session before any editing?
3. Masking, or Chroma Keying?
4. Filtering after completion.......yes or no?

Thanks for any help I receive.

~Twilight~

NS · Post by NS » Wed Aug 06, 2008 1:44 am

Yes, this will take a lot of masking.

Filtering? I'd say no, mainly because rules for filtering anime and filtering live actio, I assume, are pretty damn different... therefore It may be hard to find a good balance.

TwilightChrono · Post by **TwilightChrono** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 2:37 am

How would I go about actually getting the characters into the live action portion though? I realize that masking is needed, I just wasn't sure on which would be more suited for the task. The masking isn't the problem. It's getting the characters into the live action that I am lost on. How do I cut the characters from the anime to my blog? Do I have to do an overlay, and then start the masking or what?

NS · Post by NS » Wed Aug 06, 2008 2:45 am

Well, You would put your live action footage onto the timeline, and then you'd put the masked anime character footage on tracks above it so they show up and everything. Then you just have to go from there... very tedious but could work.

TwilightChrono · Post by **TwilightChrono** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 3:06 am

Alright. I'll be sure to query about it here if I run into any trouble. I appreciate the help. This is more of a fan service thing for the fans of my Abridged series anyway. I've been asked to do it for so long, and finally have the time. Anyway, if anyone else wants to offer anymore help, it would be much appreciated. And also, when I get a little ways into it, would someone be willing to beta it for me? Just curious. I just wanna be sure I'm doing right. Nerdstrudel, your continued help would also be appreciated. Thanks in advance for anyone else that helps. Including you Nerdstrudel.

NS · Post by NS » Wed Aug 06, 2008 3:45 am

Sure, whateva. Depending on when you do this, I'll even supply a guest voice to give more variety or somethin'.

JaddziaDax · Post by **JaddziaDax** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 2:49 pm

essentially all you need is 3 still frames of the character cut out, one for each mouth placement, Closed, Open, Half Way Open. You can create them either with a photoshop like program or you can do it in Vegas. Then you over lay them on top of your footage.. if you want him behind something, then mask that part out so it looks like he's behind it.

you can get a little more fancy with more frames if you want him in different positions.

TwilightChrono · Post by **TwilightChrono** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 6:14 pm

Alright. Well, all I can tell you is that this v-blog should be around 3-5 minutes. So, I know I'm in for a painstaking amount of editing. It's gonna be so worth it though. Like I said, I just didn't want it to look like still frames with only mouths moving, I want their entire bodies moving and such. Again, thanks for all your help.

JaddziaDax · Post by **JaddziaDax** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 6:52 pm

then you will need a frame for every position and transitional positions as well and essentially you are going to have to animate the character to behave the way you want him/her to

TwilightChrono · Post by **TwilightChrono** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:26 pm

Well, I was just going to go with scenes to where they already moved the way that I wanted them to, not really to save time or cut corners, but because I already have the scenes I want to use planned out, and on my comp.