filmstrip look

hey all....
fcp4.5
i want to create an effect in which a "filmstrip" speeds by over a background and then slows to show one particular frame. i want the "frames" to be a number of still pictures i have taken, and the strip will go by so fast you won't be able to see what the frames are.
i have a psd of 3 frames of a filmstrip.
how can i do this? any ideas?

thanks!!!
greg

I would probably arrange your stills over that filmstrip before you import it into Final Cut. In Final Cut, you would have to do each still as its own motion setting, but if you arrange them in Photoshop, you can just put one motion setting on the nested PSD clip.

You can create multiple "versions" of the strip by making each group of three stills one layer. Then in FCP, just hide every other layer except the layer of three frames you want at any particular moment.

Kind of hard to explain in a message - this would probably be a good tutorial. But here's a starter..

Make sure all your pictures are the same size and length.

Put each picture on a separate layer, so clip one one V1, clip two on V2, and clip three on V3. Now offset the clips so that they are staggered in time. So, say, clip one starts at 1 second, clip two starts at 2 seconds, clip three starts at 3 seconds.

Now use keyframes to drag your first clip across the screen at the rate you want them to move. Since keyframe pasting is broken in some versions of FCP, note down the positions of the clip in the motion tab, and apply these same positions to the other two clips.

Your offset on the timeline will determine how close together the clips are as they move across the screen.

Repeat as often as required with copies of the three clips, layered above the originals.

To slow the clips down when approaching the stopped clip you will need to manually adjust the keyframing. This will probably be painful, but then, what's the point if there's not a bit of pain, eh?

For the slowdown, I would suggest that rather than use the keyframes to increase the time taken, that you export the arranged filmstrip as a QuickTime movie first. This will allow you to use a simple speed setting to time the slowdown, rather than have to keep playing around with running length and keyframe parameters. Just arrange all the pictures on one big long filmstrip at constant time (resting on your final frame) and export it. Again, I'd also arrange the strip in PSD first so you don't have to apply motion settings to every single frame.

Greg,

I would consider the CHV plug-in that you can look at by going to the link below. This will probably work for you and will save you a lot of time.

[www.chv-plugins.com]

and then there's is the graeme Natress "VideoStrip" filter..

[www.nattress.com]

nick

Thanks Nick. I was just about to suggest that the original poster take a look at the videostrip.

Graeme



[www.nattress.com] - Plugins for FCP-X