Movie Night

It's time for Movie Night!
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WHEN/WHERE
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Cowell Amphitheatre at 2pm on Saturday, 17 February.
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WHAT
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This is an experimental collaboration that is intended to be fun and entail a minimum of stress. Here's how it works:
Each person sends a 10-20 second snippet of SL machinima to machinimanight@gmail.com

Salazar Jack* will retrieve the snippets and through the magic of reverse-sawing-a-snippet-in-half will join them together into one weird random movie. Then we'll watch the movie at Cowell Amphitheatre at 2pm on Saturday, 17 February.
It will be set up in Cafe Jack and the Photography Studio to play for the following week or so.
*a doctor of snippology

Any questions ask Osprey Therian (pc) or Salazar Jack (Mac) - we are learning, too.
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You can use any editing program but try to keep to about 1mb, 320x240, 30 fps after processing.
This is an experiment, so we will doubtless have some problems, but no worries. It adds to the fun!
If you can't stick to the rules don't worry - my rules might be loony.

I processed one using these settings:
MPEG-4 Files
24 bits, 320 x 240, 30 fps
Frame-based
MPEG-4 SP Video: 720 Kbps
48000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo
MPEG AAC Audio: 128 Kbps

MP4 is a good format to use if you can.

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HOW TO
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If you haven't made any machinima do this:

Get the FREE Fraps from fraps.com
You can set the FPS on the movie tab. 30 works well.
You can record 1/2 or full size - setting on the movie tab.
You can record sound or not.
Set where you want the movie to be saved.
Set a key to use to start recording.
I always record in a 640x480 window but you don't have to.

Start SL.
Start Fraps and see the yellow numbers that indicate it's running.
Suppress the UI by using control-alt-1
Record and see the numbers turn red.
Stop recording.
Get your UI back by using control-alt-1
Run off to see what you did :D
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Fraps records uncompressed video, which is big.
Now you need to resize it and format it so it can be used.

You can use any editing program but try to keep to about 1mb, 320x240, 30 fps after processing.
An mp4 would be best, but you can do it other ways if you have to. If it doesn't work we'll tell you.
This is an experiment, so we will doubtless have some problems, but no worries. It adds to the fun!
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WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER
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If you have XP you have Windows Movie Maker.
You can open the Fraps footage into it, trim it as you wish,
then save to your computer.

I processed one using these settings:
Video for broadband (512 kbps)
WMV
320x240
4:3
30 fps
It's not an mp4 but email it and I'll change it to an mp4 and give it to Salazar.
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MAC DIRECTIONS BY SALAZAR
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Capturing Video from Second Life on a Mac
Updated January 16, 2007

Using:
Mac OS X 10.4.8
Quicktime 7.0

This method only allows capture of the video source. To capture Sl video, SL audio and user audio try using Snapz Pro for Mac (US$70). Snapz Pro does not allow you to edit clips together.

Run Second Life
Choose File>Set Window Size>320x240
Choose File>Start/Stop Movie To Disk (CMD-SHIFT A)

Select video option:
Compression type: Video
Motion: Frames per second = 30, Keyframe every 24 frames
Compressor Quality: Best
Enter file name and click the Save button (This begins writing the video capture to disk.)

Type CRTL-OPTION 1 to hide the UI
Begin filming 20 seconds of video
To end filming, choose File>Start/Stop Movie To Disk (CMD-SHIFT A)

Video file will be approx. 10 megs.

You won't be able to edit the video segment if you have basic QuickTme. Basic QuickTime only allows you to play video.

QuickTime Pro (US$30) allows you to make basic edits, cut clips out of longer segments and combine separate clips together with basic cuts. You can also export video to a variety of formats. For more editing control use iMovie (US$80) or another QuickTime based video editor. I am looking for lower cost/free video editing software for Macs, too.
((Daedalus Young has suggested Jahshaka - a free editing program that runs on Mac, Win, Linux...))

Send video clips to : machinimanight@gmail.com


Salazar is looking for other ways to transfer video clips like FTP transfer, Public Folder, etc.