Slide Show Based on "Travel" Theme.

[Chris B]

In another thread gpecht talked about doing a slide show in the "travel" style that comes with Windows Live Photo Gallery (or at least did - it seems the latest version has dropped this). I have tried to streamline this process so it can be easily adapted. Here's what I've produced in PE8. Below I'll talk about the technique.

[Chris B]

OK - first you need to prepare you photos. Ideally make them all the same size. Rotate any portrait ones 90 degrees to make them landscape (this makes boarders easier). You'll also need a background image or video.

Secondly I created a project with two placeholder images. These were placed onto the timeline with the various picture layouts and movements. My timeline looked like this. Some of these images expect to be used on Landscape photos and some on Portrait ones.

When you play this video you get this:


I then imported my photos (using scale to frame size). After this I placed the background image over the templates. I then put my photos onto the time line and copied and "Paste attributes" from each of the template images according to what effect I wanted to achieve onto the photos. Each effect can be used multiple times. This allows you to go through the photos quite quickly using each "pre-set" as appropriate.

A simple cross-fade transition was added between each photo (20frame duration). The final timeline looked as follows.

Note that the templates are still in the video - but never visible because they are behind the background.

As a final hint when transitioning from one to two images visible (or vice versa) ensure that the start and end of the transitions line up - not the photos:


Hope this helps.

[Steve Grisetti]

Very nice work, Chris!

The thing I like about it is that it's an interesting technique -- and yet the technique doesn't distract too much from the content of the photos themselves.

[Gerlinde]

Thanks, Chris! This looks very nice and will help a lot with the project I'm working on. Although I started this in Avid Studio, the principle is basically the same. I like your idea putting the dummy layouts on the lower tracks.

The background used in the WLPG is a brown background, that looks like old paper with postal stamps on it. I downloaded a bunch of free PS brushes from the internet and used a background available in PSE and here is my version of the background I'm using.

[Chris B]

Nice background. I just downloaded something roughly the same colour from the internet - Yours looks great.

The whole "below the background" thing was the only way I could think of of having "presets" - which you need for the project. If you want I can upload the .prel file somewhere as a template - although it's only 4:3 NTSC.

[Gerlinde]

Thanks for the offer, I don't have PE8, but I have PE9. Can you post the project file into the gallery? Or I can pm you my email address if the file is not too big.

[Chris B]

Here's the file - let me know if it works!

http://muvipix.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10215/travel.zip

[Gerlinde]

Got it Chris, many thanks. It opened without a problem in PE9.