Who says that video production can’t be a family activity?

I get requests for Motion tutorials all the time, and it’s been a while since I’ve released one, so I thought we’d have a little fun in this week’s episode. In this installment of Izzy Video, I demonstrate the steps you take in Motion to turn a face into a monster’s face. The technique uses motion tracking and keyframed filters. I hope you have as much fun with this technique as we did.

You can download the video here.

Still photos can be powerful additions to your video, and adding movement to the photos can take them to the next level. Today’s episode shows you how to take the movement even further, by using an effect called 2.5D (two-and-a-half dimensions). In this tutorial, I demonstrate how to create the effect using a combination of Photoshop and Motion, but you could just as easily do it in Photoshop and After Effects, or even other software combinations.

The effect is difficult to describe. It’s subtle, and the best way to understand 2.5D is just to see it in action.

You can watch the video here.

As always, the paid members can download an HD version of this video in the member’s area. To learn more about becoming an Izzy Video Member, please visit the membership information page.

Please leave feedback and questions regarding this Izzy Video tutorial right here in the comments.

What do you do when someone wanders into your image, and you don’t have permission to include them in your video? You could try to track them down to get their permission. Or, you could try to use their image anyway (exposing yourself to risk), or you could blur their face. Most editors choose to blur the person’s face. It’s less time-consuming than the other options.

This is an easy effect to create in Final Cut Pro, as long as the subject stays still. Once the person with the blurred face starts moving, things get a LOT more difficult.

In this installment of Izzy Video I show you how to blur a person’s face in Final Cut Pro, and then I show you the easy way to make sure it stays over a moving face inside of Motion.

Very useful information for an editor. It’s an effect you tend to use frequently.

This week’s episode is for the members. If you want to learn more about an Izzy Video Membership, please visit this page.

What else is going on?

I’ve been trying to decide what I should do with all of these great links you send me via email, in the forums, or on twitter. I get so many of them throughout the week that I thought I’d post a few of them right here:

• An DIY project for a soft panel. Sure, it’s for still photography, but it would be simple to revise for a video light. Give it a try if you’d like. Just remember, Safety First!
• Greg Brown posted a video of himself working his new jib behind the scenes. In some ways, I find it more interesting than the final result.
• A free transition plugin for Final Cut Pro that creates a flash of light between video clips.
• Tim Seley and Patrick Largen posted one of the most visually entertaining songs I’ve seen. You’ll see what I mean when you watch/listen to it.

Do you have more interesting video links you’d like me to see? Please post them in the forums so everyone can see.

The Short Film Competition Is Still Going Strong

You’re running out of time! If you’d like to enter a short film into the competition, head over to PubFilms and get it uploaded. The grand prize includes a trip to Arizona for a couple days with me.

I suppose this post was more like a miniature newsletter than a blog post. Hmm… I guess there’s nothing wrong with that.

Anyway, thanks for watching and reading! That’s it for this week. I’ll see you next time on Izzy Video!

Many of you have asked me to release some more Motion tutorials, so that’s what this week’s Izzy Video is all about.

Motion is very powerful, and my personal opinion is the best way to learn it is one concept at a time. In this brief tutorial, I demonstrate an interesting way to use an Anchor Point in a 3D environment.

This video is available to members only.

Several viewers have asked me how I create the intros and outros for the different shows I produce. The answer is that I use Apple’s Motion. It’s extremely powerful, and in this video tutorial, I show the basics of how to use particles in Motion. The particle emitter is very useful, but it can be overwhelming to somebody who is new to Motion. I try to make it easy for you.

I also briefly show how to create particles in a 3D environment for a very cool effect.

This video is available to members only.

In this video tutorial, we’re back inside Apple’s Motion for a new tutorial. I show how to animate a drawing line on a map. This is a classic animation used to show someone’s trip around the world, but the technique can also be used for a variety of other purposes. For example, you can use it to circle something on the screen, to show the path a football player is going to run, and so on.

It’s a very simple effect to create, and I thought it might be a helpful one.

This video is available to members only.

Want to know how to put light sabers in your video?

It’s easy to do, and in this video tutorial, I show you how. I use Apple’s Motion to create the effect, but you can do it in many different applications, using a technique called “rotoscoping.”

This video tutorial is available to members only.

I’ve received a lot of positive feedback about previous tutorials on Apple’s Motion. I thought it might make sense to release another one.

Filters are a very powerful aspect inside Motion. In this tutorial I briefly describe some of the ways you can use filters and also delve a little into the content that is included with the application Motion.

This video is available to members only.

This weekend I’m responding to viewer requests. In a previous tutorial, I included a shot where my website was spinning against a graphical background. Many of you asked how I made that shot, so this week I’m showing you how.

Once again, this tutorial is inside Apple’s Motion, but I’m sure you can create the same effect in a number of different applications.

This video is for members only.