How to Create a Countdown Timer With a Video in the Back
A countdown timer can create a great sense of drama and anticipation in a video in which the outcome is known or suspected, such as in the classic Hollywood movie scenario of a bomb needing to be defused. It can also add tension to sporting events, such as timed three-point contests. Whatever the reason, this is fairly easy to accomplish. Possibly the most challenging aspect is choosing the style of the timer you want.
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Things You'll Need
- Internet connection
- Video editing program
- Camera
- Firewire
- Screen capture software
Instructions
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1
Download a desktop countdown timer. There are plenty of sites, such as Timeleft.com, that offer free downloads of a variety of timers (see Resources 1). Getting the timer from a site like this, rather than choosing the one that may be offered by the editing program, will allow you greater choice in style.
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2
Connect the video camera to the computer. Usually you will do this through a Firewire, but you can also use USB, and HD users can simply insert a memory card.
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Capture and import the desired video to the editing program. If the camera is connected, the editing program will automatically recognize it. Choose the "Capture" option from the "File" menu, which will take you to a screen that allows you to cue the video and record the information to the hard drive.
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Pull the desired video into the timeline. Usually, the editing program will store the video in the media library section. You can simply drag the desired file into the timeline.
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Cut the clip you wish to count down to the desired length. By eliminating the shots that you don't want, you will be able to tell exactly how long the clip is by reading the time code on the timeline, simply by checking that the clip begins at the start of the timeline and then moving the cursor to the end of the clip.
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Set the countdown timer to the same length as the clip.
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Launch the video screen capture software. If you don't have this, there are a number available by searching Download.com, which recommends Jing, for example, as a top-rated screen capture tool for Mac (see References 1).
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Select the area around the countdown timer. With most screen capture software, this simply involves drawing a box around it.
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Press "Capture." This will begin capturing whatever is in the box.
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Start the countdown timer. Be sure that you follow this order, for if you push "Start" before you begin capturing, you won't get the first few seconds.
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Save the captured video to a recognizable directory when you stop recording the timer. When the "Save" prompt appears, select a destination that will be easy to find, such as "Desktop."
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Import the video of the countdown timer into the editing program. The "Import" tool is usually under the "File" menu.
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Resize the video of the countdown timer and place it in a desirable location on the screen. You can accomplish both of these tasks by accessing the "Video" menu and putting it in "Wire Frame" mode. You can then resize and move by dragging.
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Pull the resized video into the timeline. The video of the countdown timer should be placed over the video of the event so that it overlays.
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Sync the countdown timer to the video. It's likely that the countdown timer video will be slightly longer since you began capturing before the timer began. Move the cursor to the frame that the countdown begins and make a cut. Then, you can drag the beginning of the clip to the beginning of the event clip, and trim off the excess time at the end of the countdown timer clip. You should now have a successfully synched countdown timer on the video.
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Tips & Warnings
If you don't want to pay for the video capture program, you can also just videotape the computer screen. Focus the still-connected video camera on the countdown timer. Be sure to zoom so that the timer takes up as much of the frame as possible. Also, turn down the gamma on the camera if the screen is emanating strange lines and waves, and be sure that there is no significant glare.
