ok tried the photoshop way, its cool and all but i dont have time to do it 7,756 times. So please tell me there is a better way. thanks

There is! Keyframe it like we discussed

What software do you have again? FCP can do it.

You got 7,756 frames? Well, hmm, maybe you should try using Tracking, but I don't really think that'll work that well, rotoscoping is the best. But lookup motion tracking in your VFX program help files (like in AE).

Gotan

TD, keyframing isn't really a good solution noting that the lightsabers will probably move fast and therefore at 24fps pretty much no frame will be the same, except for shots where one is just holding the sabre.

I use FCP 4. There is this one effect on there called Guassian Blur. I'm thinking about using that one, but i need to make the sabers very vibrant in color for it to work i think.

No, no, no, guys, keyframing will totally work! Let me explain it in detail

You draw a lightsaber in photoshop. Get a rectangular document and make the background black. Using a wide blue airbrush at about 50% opacity draw the shape of the blade. There's a good way to make it straight, which is to hold down shift as you do it. Now, using a smaller white airbrush draw the center. It should look like this. I drew the blade on a second layer, and used free transform to make it a bit pointy, but you don't need to.

Here's mine - it took about 30 seconds.


(feel free to download and use that, btw)


Now, import it into FCP. Drop it on V2 above your movie clip. Very important - before doing anything else: move the anchor point on the saber layer to the HILT END of the saber glow.

Set the layer to the mode "add." This will drop the black background out (no need for alpha channels) and make the colors really GLOW.

Now, move, scale, and rotate the layer so the saber lines up over your saber prop.

Go to the motion tab for the layer, turn on keyframing for position, rotation, and scale. If the actors are moving their sabers slowly (the "join me, luke" part of the fight) you can get away with keyframes pretty far apart.

Play through it frame at a time, when there's a big movement, go back to right before it, match the saber up (making new keyframes, FCP does this automatically), then forward through to the end of the movement, update the saber position again, and continue.

You'll generally only need key-frames at the beginning and end of an individual movement. If it's a tricky one you'll need a few in the middle. The fewer keyframes, the smoother the motion will be.

The saber is anchored on the hilt, so the movements WILL be realistic, even if the actors are really swishing those sabers around.

The last step (do it last, cause it makes stuff really slow to work) is to go to the motion tab for the layer, expand the motion blur section, and turn on blurring. You want shorter length, but the highest steps.

Goodluck! Please let me know if this makes sense.

Yes i understand totally and thank you for an informative responce. Other wise i would have been clueless. But i just wish there was an effect i could put on it, twek it then render. Bing problem solved. But are lightsaber fight is going to be about 15 min long. so i think this could take me the rest of my life to complete. grrrr. but het its fun.

I'm experimenting with this right now on a sword fight clip I already had. Beleive it or not, I've never actually DONE the saber effect. I just know how

Anyway, sometimes you want the "screen" mode instead of "add". If you're using my saber set the first anchor point field in the motion tab to -150. You could probably change the color in photoshop with Hue/Saturation.

You can animate cropping to make it come in and out, or to let it go behind stuff.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: titaniumdoughnut,

Woohoo! That was fun. I just animated my very first lightsaber effect! Not bad, if I don't say so myself.

quicktime - 800kb

Titaniumdougnut i have an offer u cant refuse. well you could but i'd be heart broken. How would you like to do the special effcts for our movie. just the sabers. will do sound and all of that????????? please

Oh man, I'm just wayyyyy too busy getting everything wrapped up in time for college. Sorry man! But, if you run into trouble with the effects feel free to email me or something. I'm glad to advise

The FCP thing is really easy, I did that saber effect in about 20 minutes. It could be better, but it's a good start.

Alright man its cool. College is way more important. im sure ill be able to manage ive done motion before so ill give it a shot

hey dude i wud be more than intersted in doing the saber sequences for ur movie.but theres only one problem i dont have fcp.i can maybe do it for u on after effects.feel free to tell me if ur interested.

did you say a 15 minute fight scene? Holy Crap, I've never done anything that long.

Of course, my fights are usually so fast and furious, it would take weeks to shoot something that long.

Anyways, awesome job, I wanna see the fight when its all done!

Reduce the framerate to 15 fps. Trust me, it's not a huge difference, you get too caught up in the action to notice any choppiness. That reduces your workload by half. I've rotoscoped a ton of lightsaber stuff before, it's patience that wins.

Here is an idea. Use a Chroma key filter where you want the saber. Have your actors do the sequence in slow motion. Then speed the sequence up after your finished.

does anyone else have any ideas of how to do this in FCP.

you really can't do this in Final Cut, you need rotoscoping software, and I'm sorry, but that's the only way. There's no software in the world that can track, and accurately draw on, the sabers for you.

I'm sorry dougnut, but your lightsabers look like crap :P

No offense meant though! you don't do this alot and it's your first time.

for Lightsabers you should use AE, you make a white solid, click the button to make it invisible, then you need make a mask around it, rotoscoping it. Then, after doing all the frames, copy that layer 3 times, and put a gaussian blur of 5 on the first one, a gaussian blur of 10 on the next one, a gaussian blur of 20 on the next one, and finally, on the last a gaussian blur of 40.
then, on the most behind layer(the gaussian blur with 40 one, that must be behind all others) but a colorize and take the color you want. then, take that composition, REMOVE THE VIDEO FILE!

create a new composition with your videofile, import the composition with the lightsaber effects, set mode to screen for it, and voila, you have lightsabers.

there is no other way than doing it frame by frame, AE can Keyframe it a bit tough.

That's amazing! Now you should create the typical saber audio effect to complete the work... you know how, yes? mic and... cathode tube