ATR
August 18th, 2009, 02:51 PM
Recently some chat developed about PiPs vs Split Screen. The Split Screen that came across in the original question sounded to me more like a before/after that would not benefit from invoking the PiPs effects (Effects/Presets/PiPs)….maybe better served instead with some crop/motion steps. PiPs can be very useful for the appropriate project goal. Here is but one example where I believe the PiPs effect shines.
Frequently you will see a how to request from a Premiere Elements user and family historian who is putting together a movie and wants to show pictures of a generation in one image. Others may just want to show a group of related scenic photos in one image. The Premiere Elements Picture In Picture feature (called PiPs) offers one approach for obtaining that kind of an effect.
This presentation will use a simple model with five scenic photos to demonstrate some basic principles on which you can build. The idea here will be to have a the main photo spin in to the center from the top, followed by one at a time placement (appearance, non spin in) of a photo in the lower left, lower right, upper left, upper right, and concluding with all 5 photos displayed for a designated amount of time.
We start by setting up the Timeline with:
Our background, in this case a blue color matte, on Video Track 1.
And
A Photo on each of Video Track 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6
To make it easier to follow what is going on at this stage, we stagger (train look) the position of the photo on each of the tracks with respect to one another.
In the Edit Mode, we click on the Effects Tab, set the category to Presets, and get to PiPs by clicking Show All and selecting PIPs from the drop down list.
The PiPs category contains numerous options, offering simple placement as well as placement involving Scale In or Out, Spin In or Out, or Slide In or Out. We will go the simple placement route for photos on Video Tracks 3, 4, 5, and 6 and use Spin In for our Video Track 2 photo which we will use as our center photo.
We highlight the photo on Video Track 3
We select the 25% LL (lower left)
We click Apply, although we could have instead dragged the 25% LL into the highlighted photo on Video Track 3.
In a similar manner, we apply PIP 25% effects to photo on each of Video Track 4, 5, and 6
Video Track 4, 25% LR (lower right)
Video Track 5, 25% UL (upper left)
Video Track 6, 25% UR (upper right)
Now we highlight the photo on Video Track 2
And, apply the PIP 25% UR Spin In
We move the Timeline Indicator at a spot on the Timeline where the Monitor shows the final resting point for the placed PIP 25% UR Spin In, click on the image in the Monitor to bring up the photo’s bounding box, and then drag the image to the center position.
Now it is time to put things together.
With the Timeline Selection Tool, we drag the photo file on Video Track 2 to the start of the Timeline. We then move the images on Video Tracks 3, 4, 5, and 6 so that they start 2, 4, 6, and 8 seconds respectively from the start of the Timeline. A handy way to do this is utilizing the time readout below the Monitor and left and right arrow keys of the computer keyboard.
Then, with the Timeline Selection Tool, we drag the ends of the images on Video Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 so that they all end at the same Timeline time.
Some Finishing Touches are the last steps.
1. Adjusting Photo positions. We place the Timeline Indicator at a position on the Timeline where all five photos are displayed together in their final stationery position in the Monitor. If necessary, we click on one photo at a time in the Monitor to bring up its bounding box for repositioning and resizing. (Make sure that the correct video track photo is selected.)
2. Applying Additional Effects. Consider going to Presets category and applying one of the Drop Shadows or Bevel Edges options. We applied Drop Shadows to each of photos on Video Tracks 3, 4, 5, and 6 and Bevel Edges to photo on Video Track 2. Also, check out the variations on these effects that can be achieved with Edit Effects.
Now let us see what all this looks like after our finishing touches. If you try it, please let me know how easy or not so easy the instructions were to follow and if it worked for you.
ATR
Frequently you will see a how to request from a Premiere Elements user and family historian who is putting together a movie and wants to show pictures of a generation in one image. Others may just want to show a group of related scenic photos in one image. The Premiere Elements Picture In Picture feature (called PiPs) offers one approach for obtaining that kind of an effect.
This presentation will use a simple model with five scenic photos to demonstrate some basic principles on which you can build. The idea here will be to have a the main photo spin in to the center from the top, followed by one at a time placement (appearance, non spin in) of a photo in the lower left, lower right, upper left, upper right, and concluding with all 5 photos displayed for a designated amount of time.
We start by setting up the Timeline with:
Our background, in this case a blue color matte, on Video Track 1.
And
A Photo on each of Video Track 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6
To make it easier to follow what is going on at this stage, we stagger (train look) the position of the photo on each of the tracks with respect to one another.
In the Edit Mode, we click on the Effects Tab, set the category to Presets, and get to PiPs by clicking Show All and selecting PIPs from the drop down list.
The PiPs category contains numerous options, offering simple placement as well as placement involving Scale In or Out, Spin In or Out, or Slide In or Out. We will go the simple placement route for photos on Video Tracks 3, 4, 5, and 6 and use Spin In for our Video Track 2 photo which we will use as our center photo.
We highlight the photo on Video Track 3
We select the 25% LL (lower left)
We click Apply, although we could have instead dragged the 25% LL into the highlighted photo on Video Track 3.
In a similar manner, we apply PIP 25% effects to photo on each of Video Track 4, 5, and 6
Video Track 4, 25% LR (lower right)
Video Track 5, 25% UL (upper left)
Video Track 6, 25% UR (upper right)
Now we highlight the photo on Video Track 2
And, apply the PIP 25% UR Spin In
We move the Timeline Indicator at a spot on the Timeline where the Monitor shows the final resting point for the placed PIP 25% UR Spin In, click on the image in the Monitor to bring up the photo’s bounding box, and then drag the image to the center position.
Now it is time to put things together.
With the Timeline Selection Tool, we drag the photo file on Video Track 2 to the start of the Timeline. We then move the images on Video Tracks 3, 4, 5, and 6 so that they start 2, 4, 6, and 8 seconds respectively from the start of the Timeline. A handy way to do this is utilizing the time readout below the Monitor and left and right arrow keys of the computer keyboard.
Then, with the Timeline Selection Tool, we drag the ends of the images on Video Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 so that they all end at the same Timeline time.
Some Finishing Touches are the last steps.
1. Adjusting Photo positions. We place the Timeline Indicator at a position on the Timeline where all five photos are displayed together in their final stationery position in the Monitor. If necessary, we click on one photo at a time in the Monitor to bring up its bounding box for repositioning and resizing. (Make sure that the correct video track photo is selected.)
2. Applying Additional Effects. Consider going to Presets category and applying one of the Drop Shadows or Bevel Edges options. We applied Drop Shadows to each of photos on Video Tracks 3, 4, 5, and 6 and Bevel Edges to photo on Video Track 2. Also, check out the variations on these effects that can be achieved with Edit Effects.
Now let us see what all this looks like after our finishing touches. If you try it, please let me know how easy or not so easy the instructions were to follow and if it worked for you.
ATR