Dream / Flashback Effect

[Mindbreak_net]

Hello all,

I am trying to find the typical (and usually cheesey) dream or flashback effect to place between two clips of a character thinking, and imaging a certain outcome. Then back again out of his imagination to reality.  I edit on Windows Vista and XP, have CS3, and don't see this rather common effect.

- Is it called something else?

- Or is there another effect I can use that will achieve the look I want once I mess with the settings in Effect Controls?

- Is it only available as a plug-in?  If so, where can I download it?

Thanks!

[the_wine_snob · Accepted solution]

I did similar some years back. There were a lot of very good suggestions here, but those threads are now history, since the forum changeover.

What I did was a bit of a combo of Feather Edge, Wave Warp and then Highlight & Shadow with some Levels adjustments. In my case, these "dream sequences" were revealed as PiP, and were animated on Scale and Position, kind of like a "thought balloon."

ProDAD has a set of plug-ins with VitaScene, that probably would package things into just a few parameters, rather than a half-dozen Effects.

Good luck,

Hunt

[the_wine_snob]

Here is a more recent THREAD, that might offer some tips too.

Good luck,

Hunt

[able123]

I dont know about you, but when I dream and have flashbacks everything tends to get sorta blurry and wierd looking....depends sometimes on what I ate just before going to sleep.  Like Mr. Scrooge seeing the ghost of Christmas Past... and blaming it on some unpleasant sauce with his Pheasant dinner !

Maybe you don't see the same effects I see when YOU dream ( or the character / talent you are editing ?)

If you have a sample ( link to sample ) of this "common effect" you mention I'd love to see it.  Would make it easier to try and duplicate too...

Don't forget...  if the dreaming / flashback effect becomes too common it will probably look a lot like the infamous "page curl " effect...which might work too ?

hehe..."turn the page, go into dream, turn the page, come out of dream"...works for me !

[able123]

I can't resist this...temptation to take this further.

from about 200 bc to last year, we got thousands of "dream sequence/ flashback " effect.

1) stick figure cave drawings

makes primative mankind wonder about what happened "yesterday" or in their dreams about getting that hunted animal to survive...

2) avatar 3d movie

makes modern people wonder about what happend " tomorrow" or in their dreams about not hunting that animal to mine the planet....

to reduce the art of editing and vision to wanting a "template" of "common device" is sorta like looking for a shortcut to something that cries out for more personal input and imagination....know what I mean ?

Think about what "you" see in your mind's eye when you start daydreaming in the situation you are editing...and try to duplicate THAT.

[the_wine_snob]

Rod,

Did you get to the article on Di Caprio's Inception in the American Cinematographer that I sent? Interesting treatments from the director. Now, he wanted to keep the audience slightly off-balance, regarding dreams and reality, and not "give it away," too clearly. Have not seen the film, so cannot comment on the effectiveness.

I think that for most "dream sequences," some little tip-off is good. However, over the decades, various directors have rather walked a thin line with them. Some to good effect, like La Jetée. Or was anything a dream... ? See 12 Monkeys. Also, some might suggest that much of Fight Club is actually a dream.

Hunt

[able123]

yeah, I agree ..many ways to do that dream stuff...or "un" reality... xmen etc

I didnt really get into the article on deception so much cause of the hydraulic sets ...as we dont do that in nyc so much..thats more an LA thing....bigger stages for that out there.

so as soon as I saw that I sorta lost some interest re: solving in post.

However, the one you sent with salt and the sorcerer's apprentice ( both shot ny area ) I am reading now and enjoying.

a little known fact of life in nyc now ( which I experienced on "arthur" stunt stuff with batmobile )...because of the crash in times sq. on sorcerer's apprentice nobody can do chase scenes anymore above 30 mph.

you dont know how sad the batmobile looks going 30mph...

since we couldn't abide this over reaction to "safety" concerns on the part of Mayor Bloomberg ( the dictator of NYC getting $1 / year salary) we basically waited until there were more "motion picture friendly" cops on the scene to get the ol batmobile up to speed.

It did indeed go pretty darn fast !  especially with the jet flame thing on full blast !

note about the stupid apprentice crash fiasco...

idiots did no half speed rehearsal, on wet night, with freshly poured asphalt .....in big hurry to save money ( disney pushing ).

sorry but thats the bottom line and if I was on that job as dolly grip I woulda said, "without half speed rehearsal, you do this shot without me ! "  period.  Time to stand up and get real....grrrrrrrrrr.

ps...did same on arthur, by the way...made that happen ...half speed thing...by talking to stunt guys ...not just production...more ways to get real and safe than you think when you have done it before, etc.

[the_wine_snob]

..in big hurry to save money ( disney pushing ).

Maybe they had a deal with Hasbro to sell a toy Ferrari, that crashes into pizza parlors?

Hunt

[Mindbreak_net]

Hahaha, thanks guys!