I'm going to attempt lip syncing,any tips on this?

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madbunny
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Post by madbunny » Tue Sep 05, 2006 5:48 pm

create your lipsync sequences and export them. Import the completed sequence and add some pan or zoom to it, this avoids the static look.
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SarahtheBoring
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Post by SarahtheBoring » Tue Sep 05, 2006 8:54 pm

I've used the razor/very-small-clip method from the FAQ linked above and liked it well enough, though I think the sync was kind of loose (my fault, not theirs).

The next lipsync-heavy video I did, though, I exported the frames I wanted to sync as stills and edited the lipflaps one frame at a time instead, as "graphics" rather than video. Ohhh, so much better. Much more control, much easier to follow moving objects/characters or avoid looping backgrounds. Of course, I wound up with a thousand individual frames to fit back into the timeline, and it took a lot longer than the clip method, but it looked much better.

Somebody's probably done a tutorial of that. No idea where, though.

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godix
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Post by godix » Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:29 pm

Something that hasn't been mentioned, making the lipsync look natural is actually more important than getting the exact mouth movements down. I was bored one day so I scanned through several anime frame by frame looking at how exactly they do speaking. Here's a few things I noticed:

1) Don't change the mouth position every frame. Scan through an anime frame by frame someday, characters have their mouths in the same position at least two frames and that's for the hyperactive talking characters. Changing each frame just looks wrong and it doubles your work.

2) Don't hold the scene too long. Most lipsync is done using shots where nothing moves except the person mouth. If that type of shot last more than a second or two then it looks entirely too static. A simple rule of thumb that will keep this in control, the longest uncut clip you use in the video should not be a lipsync scene. If you're doing a fast action where no clip is longer than 3 seconds then why the hell are you doing trying to do a 10 second lipsync?

3) To help break up the static feeling try to always have some movement in the scene. Even if it's just clouds floating in the background. If there is no movement in the scene other than the lips then add some. Zooming in or out works although a slow pan up the persons face is more in line with animes style. The best movement of course is the person speaking. Shots of their hair flowing, of them turning around before saying their line, blinking, etc just make the scene look natural.

4) Pay attention to your background. I've seen people use the speed change style of lipsync who didn't. The result was Ranma flying halfway across the screen in like 3 frames then freezing in middle of the sky for a few frames, the suddenly pops forward 1/4 the screen, etc. The person may have gotten the lips perfectly formed, I don't know, I was too busy laughing at Ranmas sporadic flight to notice the lipsync.

5) When you're done lipsyncing try covering their mouth with your hand and then watch the sequence again. Does anything look out of the ordinary or weird to you? If so you got more to work on than just the mouth movements.
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EvaFan
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Post by EvaFan » Wed Sep 06, 2006 12:16 am

godix wrote:stuff...
You forgot to include "Don't Fucking use the same lip sync sequence over and over again"

How could you POSSIBLY forget to include that after the nice QC you left me ;_;.
"The people cannot be [...] always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to [...] the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to public liberty. What country can preserve its liberties, if it's rulers are not warned [...] that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants."-Thomas Jefferson

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godix
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Post by godix » Wed Sep 06, 2006 1:17 am

Eva-Fan wrote:
godix wrote:stuff...
You forgot to include "Don't Fucking use the same lip sync sequence over and over again"

How could you POSSIBLY forget to include that after the nice QC you left me ;_;.
Thanks for reminding me.


6) Go watch Eva-Fans lipsyncing video. If you *EVER* make something that god awful horrible then shoot yourself in the head. Take a gun, stick it in your mouth, and pull the trigger. Think of it like fight club, in order to get those evil demons out of you then you need to feel the barrel of a gun tickling your tonsils. Unlike fight club, if you're still able to move after shooting yourself it doesn't mean you won and get a happy ending. It just means you need to shoot yourself again. Aim better this time and remember, only pussys flinch. You think I'm kidding? Hell no, I'm buying Eva-Fans a smith and wesson for christmas.
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EvaFan
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Post by EvaFan » Wed Sep 06, 2006 1:34 am

Your creativity knows no bounds! :lol:

But thats alot of money to be spending on a gun for me, I didn't know you cared :wink: . I'm not really too proud of the video either, I got lazy after doing the first sequences. I actually agree with you :D! Godix plz bless me with another intelligent creative QC. I love them to death, literally :P.
"The people cannot be [...] always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to [...] the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to public liberty. What country can preserve its liberties, if it's rulers are not warned [...] that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants."-Thomas Jefferson

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OmniStrata
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Post by OmniStrata » Wed Sep 06, 2006 12:35 pm

It's tough to pull it off. I lipsynched 2x my whole AMV career. First attempt was bad enough to be funny [in a comedy vid, that's a wholesome paradox] and my 2nd attempt in a recent vid was far better, but suffered the 'static scene' issue...

:cry:
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Kobe101
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Post by Kobe101 » Wed Sep 06, 2006 8:59 pm

Thanks but I use sony vegas.

As for the other thanks for the other tips!

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JaddziaDax
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Post by JaddziaDax » Wed Sep 06, 2006 9:30 pm

Kobe101 wrote:
Thanks but I use sony vegas.

As for the other thanks for the other tips!
its pretty much the same concept in vegas, you just use different tool names :P

ps i use vegas too...

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DriftRoot
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Post by DriftRoot » Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:04 am

Here's a few tips not already mentioned:

If you watch even semi-decent anime series, a lot of times, if you pay close attention, you'll see that THEY don't even lipsynch quite right. We kind of assume they do, so we don't look out for errors, but it's true, half the time characters' mouths are just randomly opening and closing. In cases like this, I've further noticed that the opening and closing tends to follow a specific pattern, open long, open fast, open fast, open long, open fast open fast, which gives the illusion that their mouths are keeping up with the tempo of speech.

From watching what are considered well-lipsynched AMVs, here's a funny little thing that seems to be true across the board - characters mouths may open on time, but what they do next is not necessarily quite right. Nevertheless, it all comes together and is acceptable as long as the lip synch sequence ends decently and on time. It's like our brain says, "Oh, he's talking...what?...ohhh now he's done, ok," and as long as it lip synch wraps up logically, our brain is happy and thinks the sequence was all OK. This goes back to what I was saying about lip synching in anime - that it's not as good as we think it is, but key elements like starting and ending kind of hide any interior flubs.

When trying to lip synch things, I use morse code. No, really, I do! Dit dot, dit, dash, dit dit dot, etc., which can be quickly and easily written out as I listen to the music by varying dashes and dots. Mouths generally have three positions - open, closed and halfway open - so dit, dot, dash fits perfectly. It's pretty easy, if you've got a halfway decent ear for rhythm, and it gives you a perfect visual representation of what your character's mouth should be doing. This morse code method of mine does not, I'll admit, work so handily with well-animated series where mouths make a lot of different shapes, but most of the time it does and even for quality animation, it's a big help.

Btw, I heartily recommend the method of creating individual frames for lip synching, rather than trying to speed up and slow down whole chunks of video just to get a characters mouth moving right. It may take more handiwork, but it avoids all the other problems that can crop up by messing around with the video.
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