Flashing/flickering Light Bulbs in Still image

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Flashing/flickering Light Bulbs in Still image

Hi!

Have a quick question about my methodology of doing the above!

Basically, I have a still image with light bulbs in it. I want the image to start dark and slowly get lighter. During this time, i want the light bulbs to flicker or flash on or off as if broken.

My thinking is to get 2 layers of the picture. in V1 have the filter for darker to lighter, then in v2, to mask everything but the lights and then use keyframes to simulate the flashing...and im pretty sure i have to do something with compositing aswell...

is this right? haha!

Many thanks in advance!!

imac, Mac OS X (10.5.5)

Posted on Oct 7, 2008 7:39 AM

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Answer 1

Oct 7, 2008 9:40 AM in response to yongy28

One thing that pops in my mind about your bulb ..
open your still in your photo editor, lasso just the light bulb and create a second layer via cut. save it as a PSD file extension, import the PSD into FCE. open the PSD in FCE. then select just the lightbulb layer and apply the flicker filter , video filters > video > flicker filter

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Answer 2

yongy28 Author

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Oct 8, 2008 12:26 AM in response to JustCallMe Dude

hi

unfortunately i dont have a photo editor, just using iphoto atm.

im assuming that the same principle can be applied via composite layers? which one would i use if the v1 is dark and v2 is brighter? then i assume i can apply the flicker filter after?

thanks

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Answer 3

Oct 8, 2008 4:21 AM in response to yongy28

Don't give up yet
Gimp is a free photo editor.
http://www.gimp.org/macintosh/
It uses X11 on your Mac but, it still works just fine. You my already have X11 on your machine.
http://developer.apple.com/opensource/tools/X11.html
Be sure to set up Gimp to work off of copies or, just be very sure to always work by duplicating your still image. I have used Gimp for years. It has been compared to PhotoShop and, the best part is it's free..

I would more than likely use a mask as well.
Video filters > matte > mask shape > circle , set your center point on the light bulb
Also I would apply the mask feather
Video filters>matte>mask feather
Set the feather to 100% , this will give you a nice fading effect for the lighting .
So , just food for thought and, thoughts just off of the top of my head. This may work....

Install Gimp.

Open the still with Gimp

Duplicate the still

Create a a second layer of the still

Select layer 1
Using the lasso ( or free select tool ), or your could use the scissors tool, in fact that is what I would use. ( http://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-tool-iscissors.html ) , select the lightbulb

Revers selection and cut out the background.

At this point you could, if you wanted in Gimp go to filters > lighting effect and, add a lighting effect
as well. You could even use a lighting effect as another layer.

Do not flatten the layers and, save out as PSD.

Import into FCE

Put the PSD in your time line and open.

Right click over the bulb layer and open in viewer.
add your flicker filter and render ( you may even add a light rays filter in FCE at this point, )

Right click the background layer and open in viewer.
Apply your matte/mask and feather filters-render, center your matte/mask over the bulb and, turn the feather way up.- render

As I said this is all off the top of my head but, I'm thinking it will put you on the right track.

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Answer 4

yongy28 Author

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Oct 8, 2008 1:24 PM in response to JustCallMe Dude

hey!

thanks for your answer! very very much appreciate it! haha..

quick question tho, before i go down the Gimp path, i tried the matte mask shape, and that looks like it will work fine. However, when trying to move the mask using the centre haircross, the mask NEVER goes to that centre, its always under the mask. its gettin quite annoying, cos that means the centre of the mask will never be at the top.

if it helps im using the mask on a still image.

thanks again!

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Answer 5

Oct 8, 2008 1:59 PM in response to yongy28

Not sure I fully understand the question but .
I'll try and answer just the same.

Apply the mask filter , be sure to check the invert box. Use your center to place it in the needed location, if you need to move it again just click on " center " and you'll get those cross hairs again .
Set it in the right place and feather.

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Answer 6

yongy28 Author

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Oct 8, 2008 2:42 PM in response to JustCallMe Dude

hi

what i mean is when i click on the "center" button, and then click on the canvas with the cross hair, the centre of the mask never moves to the place where i clicked the cross hair. the centre of the mask, is always below the point where i clicked the cross hair.

erm...hope that makes sense! haha

as the lights im highlighting are rectangular shaped aswell with perspective, ive tried the 4-point matte, but again, when i click the cross hair on the canvas, the point moves somewhere completly different!
arghhhhhh....

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Answer 7

Oct 8, 2008 3:04 PM in response to yongy28

Are you clicking on the cross hairs and dragging the mask ? if not you should be
It's not a click and click thing , you click and drag

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Answer 8

yongy28 Author

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Oct 8, 2008 3:16 PM in response to JustCallMe Dude

thanx for your answer, i think ive found the cause (but not the solution just yet)

so my picture size is 3872x2592!! haha! and what i realised was that when i clicked the cross hair the mask would only go so far away from the centre of the picture.

i then looked into the motion tab (viewer) and the scale was on 20. when i put it upto 100, the picture zoomed in and then i could easily place the crosshairs for the 4-point matte. but because the picture is zoomed in, over 60% of the pic has been cropped. when i scale back to 20 in motion, the crosshairs dont behave properly.

should i then resize the picture? if so what size? in easy setup, ive put DV PAL as the setup.

thanks again!

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Answer 9

Oct 8, 2008 3:23 PM in response to yongy28

good deal, unless your going to do some type of panning or zooming in your still, I would scale that bad boy way down. that image size is over five times the size needed for DV,

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Answer 10

yongy28 Author

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Oct 8, 2008 3:28 PM in response to JustCallMe Dude

hey man!
thanks for all your help! much appreciated!

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Answer 11

Oct 8, 2008 3:34 PM in response to yongy28

Your welcome was glad to be of some help....

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