How do I perform a Ken Burns (Still or video zoom in or out) on Final Cut Pro 7

I have a tutorial for that...

http://library.creativecow.net/articles/ross_shane/movement_on_stills.php

Use PREVIEW then...you have that in your APPLICATIONS folder. Part of the applications that come with Mac. But know that making it bigger there won't be any better than doing it in FCP or Photoshop. Enlarging something that small will just show off the compression artifacts more. Best to start with pics with big dimensions. But, if it is all you have, then you'll have to accept that quality won't be the best.

Open the image with Preview (in your Applications folder). In Preview, go to the TOOLS menu and select "Adjust Size." Set to the pixel dimensions you want then save it. As Shane said, if the image is small, making it bigger will make it look worse, quality-wise.

-DH

>I am wondering how to change the initial image size (to double it). I am not using Photoshop just Final Cut Pro 7. I cannot find the image site to first adjust the pixel size.

You stated that you wanted to make the photo larger - "to double it." From your post now, it's hard to tell what you're really after.

-DH

The Adjust Size dialog in Preview tells you what the current dimensions are.

Or you can have it display as a percentage value and simply type 200 in one of the boxes.

First of all, even though Apple calls it "The Ken Burns Effect" it really isn't. Ken just (over)used it a lot, but film makers have been using that effect long before Ken was old enough to spell his own name.

Anyway, I have no idea who told you to double the size. Perhaps you misread or misunderstood something in the tutorial. I do advise people that if they will be pushing (zooming in) on an image in FCP, it's a good idea to use images that are about twice the pixel dimensions as your FCP Sequence. For example, if you're working in an NTSC DV Sequence, the pixel dimensions are 720x480 (rectangular pixels). So the images you should use (if you want to push) should be around 1440x960 or so, depending on how far you want to push. Of course, still images rarely have the same aspect ratio as video, so if you're working with vertically oriented photos (aka portrait orientation), the actual image size may be 960x1440 or somewhere close. The thing is, if you're scanning images to use in this project, you need to plan ahead and scan them at the appropriate pixel dimensions for what you intend to do with them once in FCP.

So now you import your image and place it on the Timeline. Set the duration for what you want it to be, add transitions if needed, then double-click the image to load it into the Viewer window. Click on the Motion tab. At the top of the Motion tab are the controls you'll be using: Scale sets the size of the image, Rotate sets the image's rotation angle and Center sets the center point for the image. All of these controls are keyframe-able so they can change value over the duration of the image.

Set the Viewer playhead near the beginning of the image and set the values as you want them. Now click the New Keyframe button to add a keyframe for each value you set (or that will change over duration). Next, set the Viewer playhead where you want the changes to stop. set the new values for each control - FCP will automatically add a new keyframe as long as you set the initial keyframe as described above.

It may help to put the Canvas window in Image+Wireframe mode so you can grab the image and move it were you want - this is the same thing as manipulating the Center control. If you grab one of the corners of the Wireframe and drag it to resize it, it has the same effect as changing the Scale value. Essentially you have a beginning keyframe and an ending keyframe. The image changes scale and center (and whatever else you set) from one keyframe to the next.

Also note that you can smooth each keyframe parameter if needed, but that gets a little complicated to explain here.

Practice a little with a few images and you'll get the hang of it.

-DH

Hi Shane,

wondering if you have any tips how to smooth out the pans (moving the center of the image) -- I followed Larry Jordan's tutorial, control clicked the canvas movement line, but when the bezier handles appear, it all goes haywire (for instance, the move will double back at the end, or re-size entirely, very bizarre) I just want the move to "land" softly, and it should n't be that hard; what am I doing wrong?

Thanks,

-Tom

The interpolation of values between FCP key frames is linear (or constant). You could switch to Motion (if it was installed with FC Studio) or After Effects to get an ease in and/or ease out.

-Warren

You can't use FCP for this smooth stuff. It just doesn't do it. For that you use Motion or After Effects. There used to be a tutorial for how to do it in motion, but the link doesn't work anymore.

Yep, I finally came to the same conclusion, although it shouldn't be a big deal ... in the meantime, I found a great FREE plug-in that does everything I want -- Pan & Zoom, part of Noise Industries' FxFactory --

http://www.noiseindustries.com/fxfactory/panandzoom/

demo by Steve Martin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6rr1NfIwW8