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PROJECTION LIGHTS & STAGING NEWS
VIDEO DIGERATI
Vickie Claiborne
Content Creation Software
What are some of the features that
you will need to have when you
are creating video content for
the media servers on your next show?
While we’re not recommending any one
software package over another, we will
talk about some of these things that you
may find handy when you are building
custom content for your next media server
application.
First of all, what kind of content are
you creating? Will they be still images?
Video clips? Digital animations? 3D objects?
All four of these types of content
require unique tools to create professional-looking
results. Let’s look at which tools
you might need to create your own custom
content.
Static Graphics
VID
Still images are likely the easiest to
create. How, you might ask? A good place
to start is to simply snap a high-resolution
picture with your digital camera. The subject
can be anything you think is interesting.
Or maybe it can be used as a background
for another composition.
If real pictures aren’t suitable for your
application, then perhaps you will need to
create a texture completely from scratch
with a graphics program. For this you will
need a program that works with layers, visual
effects, and perhaps even with text.
If you are creating an image that will
be used to visually mask an area, then
you will have to save that image with a
transparent area, also known as the “alpha
channel.” There are many still image/
photo editing software packages with lots
of effects and plug-ins, but there are a few
primary things you will need to look for,
like the ability to easily adjust the resolution
and image size, and the ability to save
the file in a variety of formats.
Remember, not all media servers have
the same image requirements so you
Moving images, clips, and animations,
on the other hand, are a little more involved.
There are many applications that
can create animations, and not all media
servers can read the files they create without
converting them to a format that it can
accept. In other words, don’t be shocked if
that really cool digital animation you just
spent days on rendering doesn’t play back
in your media server just by dropping it
into the resource folder. It may need to be
converted to another format like Quicktime,
AVI or Flash before it can be used.
As for video footage, the frame rate
and the format are two of the most important
elements that will need to be
edited when you are exporting media for
use with a media server. And then there’s
the whole issue of codecs that we’ve discussed
before. In the video world, codecs
change as frequently as the wind changes
directions in Texas. So always check with
the specs for the media servers you’re
planning to use to make sure you are
formatting your content with the correct
video codec.
In general, when we’re talking about
the world of moving images, the things to
look for are:
• The ability to convert from one format
to another (e.g. AVI to MOV)
• Video compression tools for encoding
the content with a variety of video codecs
• Time editing tools for adjusting frame
rates and playback speed
• Imaging tools for editing resolution
and image size
• The ability to de-interlace video content
(most digital lighting media servers
recommend de-interlaced content)
• The ability to import and export captured
video content easily
• The ability to correct color, brightness
and contrast ratio
choosing the software to design an object,
and rendering the object according
to the manufacturer’s recommendations
is crucial to play back at optimal settings.
Popular 3D software programs today
provide tools for modeling and skinning
controls, animation controls, effects controls
including texture and surface mapping,
and rendering controls like blur,
film grain, reflections, and atmospheric
effects.
There are many different types of digital
content that can be used in media servers
today. Each type of content is unique
and has specific tools for creating and editing
content. There are no one-stop shopping
solutions when it comes to content
creation software either. However, many
software developers offer suites and
packages, so you can easily import and
Not all media servers have the same
image requirements, so you need
software that gives you the flexibility
to meet the requirements at hand.
export images and clips back and forth
without too many hassles. Ultimately, if
you do your research you’ll make the best
decision for your needs. And don’t forget
to be creative!
Vickie Claiborne is a Lighting, Console
and Digital Video Product Specialist for
PRG-Las Vegas. She can be reached at
vclaiborne@prg.com
Don’t be shocked if that really cool digital
animation you just spent days rendering
doesn’t play back in your media server.
need software that gives you the flexibility
to meet the requirements at hand.
Common formats include JPEG, GIF, TIFF
and PNG. You have to do some research
and make sure that you save your content
in the appropriate image format, size and
resolution that the media server needs for
optimum viewing on playback.
Animated Graphics
VID
In general, still images are usually
pretty easy to create and import into a
media server.
The Magic
VID
Effects are the unique elements that
are applied to a digital animation, so software
that provides a variety of graphic
elements is very important. These effects
can be everything from particle systems
(smoke, fire, bubbles, and clouds) to banners,
blurs and distortions.
Media servers may also be able to
map images and clips to 3D objects, so
creating custom objects is also a possibility.
It is best to know for sure what format
the media server accepts when you are
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2008 NOVEMBER PLSN
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