Machinima Class Notes ----- Pia Klaar (SL)/ Majenna Jewell (TSL)

There are 6 sections to the class.

1) Setting our User Preferences
2) Shortcut Keys
3) Using Camera Controls
4) Shooting the footage
5) Editing and compressing files
6) Sharing Videos

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Section 1: Setting the User Preferences:
The first one is setting up our preferences... so I think it's best to go ahead and do that now... then we'll move onto section 2
So. The first thing we will be working on is setting our user preferences to optimize the browser for shooting machinima
Press CTRL-ALT-D and you should see the client and server menus on your menu bar to the right
Let's all make sure we have the debug menu active. Press CTRL-ALT-D.

There are lots of preferences that will optimize your SL browser for shooting video and for cleaning up the screen so it will look better:

a. Draw Distance:
Go Edit | Preferences
Go to the Graphics tab.. On the left navigation bar of the window
It is the 5th item down
So in terms of being kind to your computer... lower is better
It ranges 64-512
I usually set mine to 512 when I am doing distance shots from above.. etc
So, I would suggest 128 for most filming
Set to 128
Click apply

b. Chat Bubbles
Who has chat bubbles?
Click on Edit/ Preferences?
General tab
Under Show Names: click “Never”

c. Mouse Sensitivity
Under Edit | preferences | input & camera. You can increase the mouse sensitivity
Mouse sensitivity 10 and I also like to invert the mouse so that when I move it upwards it moves me up

d. Close Chat Text
Edit/Preferences
Under Chat tab: select checkbox “Close chat after hitting return”
When filming this will allow you to use the shortcut for Mouselook: M (otherwise, use View/Mouselook”
Use Escape key to get rid of Mouselook
Also: Red Arrow
So does anyone have a red arrow showing on their screen from using the map and teleporting here?
Select Map on bottom task bar--Clear tab
Section 2: Keyboard Shortcuts:
Mouselook
Let's practice the M for mouselook and then we'll tackle getting rid of our user interface.
Make sure your text/chat window is closed
Now press M
And then press Escape to get out of it

Now that we have our chat box set to close after we hit enter, we can use the other shortcuts
M is mouselook
Escape to get back...
E is to jump up
C is to come back down

If you jump up very high you can go into mouselook....and then you can use the C key to come back down while you are filming..
User Interface
Let's try getting rid of the User Interface (UI)
Hide/Show Interface: CTRL-ALT-F1
Full Screen Mode
To get out of Full Screen Mode
Option/ Enter get you out of full screen

Note:
If you do want to receive the IMs on the screen, set your IMs to log with your chat and set your chat to LARGE then you can see it when recording, should you have permission and want to do so.
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Section 3: Using Camera Controls:
Setting up our shots using camera controls (edit | camera controls) and also using the alt-zoom (alt-click - moving mouse forward or backwards)

Open up our camera controls and use them to get a close up view of our av's face
View | Camera Controls
So using the left blue wheel on the camera control, use the left or right arrow to spin yourself around
Now, use the + sign at the top of the zoom bar to put yourself in the middle of the window.. close up

Can you see yourselves?
Ok. now, you can do a number of things. You can take a snapshot using the snapshot button or shortcut (ctrl-shift-s) or you can shoot a video clip
Section 4: Shooting Footage:
Ok... to shoot a video clip of what is in your window...
You want to set your window so it is not TOO large
Otherwise your file will be HUGE
That's ok if you have a lot of disk space or want to shoot high resolution...
So let's set our windows to 640x480
So File | set window size
Set window size (small) to reduce the file size, 640X480
Get rid of UI ----CTRL-ALT-F1
Shoot movie ----File/Start/Stop Movie to Disk or CTRL-SHIFT-A
Save Dialog Box appears
Choose a place to save video (will save as an avi file)
Click Save
A Video Compression Box appears
Select---"Full Frames (Uncompressed)"
OK
Now you will be able to capture video (without mouse and no sound)
To stop---File> Start/Stop or CTRL-SHIFT-A

Using other Software:
Many people prefer to use other software... that sits on top of SL and you just start it and stop it when you are ready to film and stop filming
It's much easier (FRAPS for PC.. you just press F9 and it starts.. you will see the frame rate in red... a number at the top corner.. and you stop it with F9.. you have your movie...)
Some Movie Recording Programs:
PC-----FRAPS, CamStudio, Taski, WeGame, Camtasia
MAC – Capture Me, IShowU, Snapz Pro X,

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Section 5: Editing and Compressing Flies
Note: This can be complicated.. as you see, and compounded by the issues of SL browser support for macs and in some configurations of video cards and operating system (vista) there are issues saving video from sl... but there are third-party options available from the machinima wiki..

Some Video Editing Software:
Imovie, MovieMaker, Adobe Premier, Final Cut
Compressing Film:
DirtualDub:
With FRAPS, on the instruction page (short one at the site for the paid $37 download) they suggest using VirtualDub for compression after you have saved your file or using a video editing program that compresses the file after you edit it.

Then save it as a streaming video to put on the web..
Quicktime Pro:
Will compress files and convert to a format to be uploaded or shared.
I save my quicktime .mov files as fast quicktime movies so they will play in SL

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Section 6: Sharing Videos:
Can upload video to:
Jumpcut.com
Blip.tv
YouTube

Some Machinima Tips

1. Screen capture software------FRAPS http://www.fraps.com

2. Dolly shots ----free scripted camera --- Alt-Zoom Studios http://alt-zoom.com

3. Try to isolate your action ----no extra objects or scripts in view

4. Mouselook Mode – smoother camera movements

5. Capture footage --- 640 X 480 ---has a higher quality

6. Capture extra frames in front of and at end of scene

7. Do not move camera too fast

8. Hide User Interface –UI—CTRL+ALT+ F1