Any Effects to make Video footage look dreamy/heaveny

A soft focus or diffusion filter can help. Add to that a white vignette with a heavily feathered edge. And a chroma glow filter ... any or all of the above might help get the look you want.

-DH

I usually use FCP and I don't even have FCE on a system at this location, so please forgive me if I advise something that isn't available in FCE. There should be a vignette filter, but if it's not available in FCE you can make one in Photoshop (or other graphics creation program) or in FCE by using this method: http://imnotbruce.blogspot.com/2007/09/super-fast-vignette-effect.html

There should also be a Chroma Glow filter in the Video Effects bin of the Browser. If not, they are available from several third party vendors.

For the diffusion, my personal preference is Joe's Diffuser; part of the Joe's Filters package: http://www.joesfilters.com/

-DH

Pretty much all the filters that are in FCP are in FCE, except timecode reader/generator and smoothcam and 3-way color corrector. There may be others, but off the top of my head those are the only ones I can think of. The vignette and glow filters are the same.

Thanks, Tom. I seldom use FCE so I easily forget what's there and what isn't.

-DH

The "Joe's Diffuser" I linked to above has this and so much more. Black Input and output levels, white input and output levels, diffusion amount, opacity, etc. It's a much better diffusion filter.

-DH

Hi - One way to go is to use third party plug-ins, another is to learn how to combine and use filters in FCE to achieve the effect you want. Final Cut contains dozens of filters, that when combined can achieve very nice effects, and allow you a lot of control. I actually prefer the filters layering process as it keeps me in control of subtle variations of the effect. Here is one way to make your images a little more romantic. The following demo is done on Final Cut Pro, but as Mr. Wolsky pointed out, most if not all of these filters should be available to you in FCE:
I start by editing my scene to the timeline, and locking the audio:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/FinderScreenSnapz002.jpg!
It is a harshly lit shot of Meg The Dog ( a self portrait) with a cheap Kodak Zi8 camera:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/FinderScreenSnapz001.jpg!
To make it look nice, I edit the exact same scene in the exact same position on the timeline to V2:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz001.jpg!
I double click *on the clip on V2,* which is above our untreated clip, and it opens in the viewer. I select the Filters tab (which is empty).
I then go to the Effects Tab > Video Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur, and drag the Gaussian Blur filter to the Filters tab in the Viewer window, and set it to around 20 pixels of blur:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz002.jpg!
This gives the image a nice soft look:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz003.jpg!
but everything is soft - and I just want the highlights to be soft and hold the detail in the non-bright parts of the picture. So I return to the Effects Tab > Video Filters > Image Control > Brightness and Contrast and drag the Brightness and Contrast filter to the Filter pane in the viewer, setting the brightness and contrast up slightly:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz004.jpg!
Which makes the bright parts of the picture even brighter:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz005.jpg!
Now I want to combine this with the "normal" image on V1, keeping only the blurred highlights on V2. So back to the Effects Tab > Video Filters > Key > Luma Key, and drag the Luma Key to the Filters Pane in the viewer. Note that I switch the Key Mode to Key Out Darker:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz006%20copy.jpg!
Which now gives me nice soft highlights while keeping detail in the scene where the luminance is in the more normal range:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz007.jpg!
To complete the effect, return to the Effects Tab > Video Filters > Stylize > Vignette and drag the Vignette filter to the Filters Pan in the viewer:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz008.jpg!
and this gives me a natural Vignetting look which focus attention more to the subject and has a more cinematic look:
!http://www.spotsbeforeyoureyes.com/DiffuseHighlights/Final%20Cut%20ProScreenSna pz009.jpg!

Kudos to MTD for going above and beyond in providing an in-post tutorial!

-DH

With effects, less is more. Anytime viewer notices an effect, then they are losing focus on the content.
Always ask yourself - is this effect gently and correctly helping tell the story?
If it is, then use it. If not, then drop it.

Just because you can, does not mean you should.

Here is a reel from some Special Effects masters - see how the effects disappear into the scenes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clnozSXyF4k&feature=player_embedded

MtD

Fantastic tutorial MTD. All of you teachers here are so terrific. Keep up the good work. We are all your students out here in the dark.

Cheers,

Nice to see you Meg. You are a lucky dog to be allowed to put your paws on that lovely carpet. But you deserve it after all the help you give us. Keith