How to Make Special Effects in Indie Films
Video editing software can alter the look of your indie film. As a general rule, it is best to create as many of the effects as you can while filming, rather than leaving things for post-production. If you must delay most of it, however, improved digital processing software has made it possible to alter and improve the look of the film during post-production. In fact, adding such effects in post-production can make otherwise banal footage look vibrant and interesting. Even less expensive video editing software can do things that were impossible only a few years ago.
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Instructions
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Upload the original footage into your computer. Import the footage to your video editing software (see References) and place it on a time line. Wait until you have finished editing your film before applying any effects. Get a feel for the film and see how you can implement your vision using available post-production effects in your software.
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Select a small portion of the film to preview the effects you want to try. This will save time in case you create an effect you might not use in the finished film. Select an effect from your menu, for example the "sepia" function. Look at the results to determine whether you want to have this effect in the entire film, for a segment only, or not at all.
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Continue experimenting with other special effects. Try using functions that make your film look antique, or change its color scheme. Adjust levels for contrast and brightness to enhance the look of the footage. The effects bank in your editing software is extensive, so it will take some time to review all your special effects options.
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Stretch or compress clipped sections of footage along the time line to create slow motion or increase speed. Compressing to create a high-speed segment will create a gap in your time line.
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Keep track of and fill any resulting gaps as you re-edit the footage with the added effects. Stretching will cause the footage to lengthen, so that subsequent footage will have to be moved further down the time line.
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Create good transitions between clips with different effects. Use fading, for example, to soften the transition. Avoid using too many different effects as this can take away from the story.
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View the film (with rendered effects) in its entirety and re-edit as necessary. Create different versions of the film with different effect settings to find the one you like best.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
