The World’s Top Tips for
Pinnacle Studio Video Editing software
(with some Avid Liquid snippets)
HOLLYWOOD FX,
With the latest Studio ranges it is possible to have TitleDeko titles on the top or overlay video lines, and have overlay TitleDeko titles on a special title overlay line. This opens enormous possibilities for creative titling. Here are just a couple of examples.
- A PLETHORA OF SCROLLING TITLES IN ALL DIRECTIONS ... On the video line, create a
full screen sliding title, and on the overlay line, add a sliding title in a different
direction. By rendering and saving the title to an avi, and re-
loading it - you can keep adding 'sliding titles' on the overlay, to get a range of titles moving across the screen in different directions. - POP-
UP PICTURES WITH OVERLAID TITLES . I often use this technique to provide an end title sequence that 'reprises' the video. First, grab four key frames from the video, and save them to disk. On the video line, create a background for your titling sequence. Copy the background (CTRL+C), and paste it (CTRL +V) to the right. Add the first of the four grabbed pictures, and resize and reposition it to the top left quarter of the frame (watch that safe area!). Copy this frame, then paste it to the right, as before. Add the second grabbed picture, resize and reposition to fit the top right quarter of the frame. Repeat this process for the other two grabbed pictures, adding them to the bottom left and bottom right respectively. Now, add dissolve transitions between the titles, and adjust the length of each title so that it is fairly short: the effect should be the four pictures dissolving onto the background one after the other. Now go to the overlay line -and add the overlay words - Example of 'Title overlays on Full screen titles'maybe just 'The End', or whatever, and add transitions at the start and end as you wish (for scrolling or dissolving). Adjust the timing of the entire title sequence ... add sounds if you wish ... and you have a pro ending to your movie! 
The four pictures dissolve onto the screen one after the other, while the title itself dissolves onto the screen while the first picture is appearing, and stays on throughout the rest of the sequence. Very effective, and very very simple!!
FLASHING TITLES -Or titles with that 'neon sign' effect. Simply create your initial title text and accept the title. Then copy it, and paste it along side - and then change, for example, the look of the letters - making them brighter, or perhaps making just one brighter. Save and copy again - until you have a sequence of title clips: remember you can copy earlier versions of the title clip too, for pasting in. Make each clip suitably short - and lo! you have an animated title sequence of your own design. - USING HOLLYWOOD FX -
You can use Hollywood FX at the beginning and/or the end of a title overlay, to create special titling effects. Be careful with HFX FX added to the start of an overlay title though - remember that the title becomes 'Host Video 2', and that there is no 'Host Video 1' - which can make the effect behave differently to what you might imagine! You can also 'join' two overlay titles with an HFX effect.
To download a demo of the Title discussed -
I have had a number of requests asking how the 'Magic Title' was created (available
above for downloading) -
Basically, it is a series of full screen titles (appearing on the video line), with no transitions.
1. Open Titledeko -
2. Select the 'Background' button (bottom left of the Titledeko window) and set up
the background to a colour gradient (I always find it looks best if these are different
intensities of the same colour -
2. Add the opening title (of course -
3.SAVE THE TITLE! (Use the File menu of Titledeko, and save the title in the 'Titles'
directory. It will then be available in the album of titles so you can use it again).
For a smooth title sequence -
4. 'Accept' the title -
5. Now place the scrubber on the video line after the title you have just created, and open Titledeko again for another full screen title (it is probably easiest if you go to the Toolbox, select the Titles icon, then 'Full screen title')
6. Go to the File menu of Titledeko, and open the title you have just created. The
next step is to add the 'spotlight'. This is achieved with two graphics -
7. Draw an oblong to cover the text area, and drag the top of the oblong off the
top of the screen (more than is shown in the following pic). You will most probably
find that the oblong takes on the colour scheme of the font you just created/selected:
don't worry about that yet -
8. You can now set up the colour scheme for this oblong. Make sure it is the selected object, then click on the 'Change font look' button ...
9. For the 'Face' you want a 'spotlight' colour -
10. The next step is to add an ellipse ...
11. Drag it's size and position to fit the base of the rectangle -
12. The title should now look something like the next pic -
13. SAVE THE TITLE WITH A NEW NAME before accepting it.
14 If you want a second part to the title, open Titledeko again, load the last title, and carefuly change the text whilest preserving its position on the screen...
15. MAKE SURE all the titles segments are a reasonable length on the video time
line. Then ...Choose your music -
16. This concept is capable of a myriad of variations -
This title was created over ten years ago -