Content Creation Applications
All digital content is created using a camera, a digital creation application and, often, both.
Digital content comes in many forms:
- 2D images that are created and stored as a non-animated image in formats such as jpeg, png, tiff or bmp.
- Animations or video clips rendered on a timeline according to a calculation of frames per second (fps). Some examples of this type of content are .mov, .avi and flash animations.
- Rendered-content (like 3D objects) created using mathematical equations and XYZ dimensions. This type of content allows a texture or video to be mapped to the surface of the object via the creation of a UV map.
Digital content designers use a wide variety of applications to create the animations, graphics, images and video that you see in many productions today. Next, let’s look at the kind of software used to create 2D still images.
2D Still Images
When the content required for a show is simply a texture, an image or a logo, then using a graphics and imaging software application is necessary. This type of application is considered raster-based and probably the most commonly used software for the creation, editing and manipulation of 2D images is Adobe’s Photoshop. This software is pretty much the standard for digital graphic design. Images are created based on layers and filters, effects, and plug-ins can be added to the source content to create something unique and dynamic. Some common examples of 2D image manipulation tricks include:
- Color Correction. You can make the colors in the source content “pop” by lowering blacks, raising mids, slightly lowering whites and greatly increasing saturation.
- Drop Shadow. This will make the image look like it is lifted above the page, casting a shadow.
- Bevel & Emboss. The image can be made to appear dimensional by raising edges or lowering interior areas.
- Gaussian Blur. This can be used to soften the image. For example, if a background behind a foreground object needs to be softened, using a top layer of the same image with Gaussian Blur applied, specific areas of the top layer can be masked (removed) so that the layer underneath it can be visible, revealing only certain areas of sharp edges.
Image Editing Tools
Photoshop may be the industry standard, but it doesn’t have a complete monopoly on 2D image editing. Other commonly-used graphics program include Paint Shop Pro and Microsoft Paint.
- Paint Shop Pro (plsn.me/paintshopproX4): Purchased by Corel in 2004, this Windows-only software contains most of the same features found in Photoshop, but it’s packaged at a more affordable price.
- Microsoft Paint: This simple editing software comes bundled with Windows. While it can’t do most of what Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro can do, it does come in handy when you need to make a screen capture. Images can be exported as BMP, JPG, GIF, TIFF and PNG.
Text Tools
When it comes to working with Text, the designer will need software that handles Vector graphics.
- Adobe’s Illustrator (plsn.me/Adobeillustrator) is a popular companion to Photoshop, with similarities including layer structures and the ability for effects and filters to be applied to text and objects alike. Text and other objects can be altered in appearance through the use of Bezier curves, splines and anchor points, and cross-platform compatibility between Photoshop and Illustrator makes sharing files between applications a breeze. Adobe also offers both of these software applications for both Mac and PC users.
- CorelDRAW (plsn.me/CorelDrawx6) contains most of the same features of Illustrator along with web design tools for about the same money.
Animating Still Images
While a 2D image is a non-animated image, motion can be created with this type of content easily by rotating the image on the screen, changing the location in the raster, or resizing. A DMX-controlled media server allows the programmer to easily manipulate all of these attributes from a lighting console, and also to store those changes in lighting cues. However, for media servers not being triggered by a lighting console, all of these attributes have to be rendered into a video clip from within a digital video editing software application. The next section outlines a few of the more popular video editing applications being used today.
Motion Graphics refer to images that are animated using keyframes. They can be digitally created or captured using a camera and then imported into a non-linear editing (NLE) program.
Since NLE software is designed to work with file-based media, analog and digital tape, stereoscopic 3D material and film — all in the same timeline and workflow — a composited video can be rendered and exported much more easily than the old-fashioned method of cutting and splicing tape.
Digital Content Software
There is no shortage of software on the market today that can be used to create digital content creation. Here’s a short list:
Adobe Premiere Pro (plsn.me/PremierePro6) and After Effects (plsn.me/AfterEffects6) are the leading NLE apps used to create dynamic content of all kinds. After Effects (AE) combines tools for creating 2D and 3D elements with text animation, vector graphics and an endless selection of visual effects — all into one powerful application. In addition to a large third-party market of available plug-ins, AE is also fully compatible with all other Adobe products, streamlining the transfer of files between applications. AE is also available for both Mac and PC users.
Adobe Flash Professional CS6 (formerly MacroMedia Flash, plsn.me/FlashPro6) produces the ubiquitous Flash animations on the web and on smart phones today. Flash Professional helps create these dynamic animations, plus multimedia and interactive content, and it can also simplify the animated drawing process.
Apple Final Cut Pro X (FCPX, plsn.me/appleFCPX) is the latest in the line of NLE software from Apple. FCPX provides the same timeline-based editing features as AE. Many of the same third-party plug-ins for AE are available for FCPX as well. Apple Motion 5 is an additional support application that contains effects, generators and tools for titles and transitions that work directly within the FCPX application. Final Cut Pro X has grown popular with its combination of powerful, user-friendly features along with a competitive price.
Avid Media Composer 6 (plsn.me/AVIDcomposer6), from a company that offers both software and hardware for digital film and video editing, has features, workflows and options that help users work with a wide range of content sources. Media Composer, for example, lets users mix and match media formats, frame rates, resolutions and other parameters in the same timeline, and issues with motion tracking can be corrected using built-in stabilization tools. In addition, many 2D and 3D effects, title tools, transitions, key and motion effects are also built into the application, and additional effects can be added to Media Composer by adding Boris RED, one of many plug-ins created by Boris FX.
Autodesk Smoke 2013 (plsn.me/AutoDeskSmoke) has been completely redesigned and now integrates all its previous familiar editing and compositing tools directly in the same workflow, eliminating the need to jump back and forth between different applications for different tasks. Autodesk’s line of entertainment and media creation software also includes Mudbox and SketchBook Designer, plus a host of 3D animation and modeling software apps that we will look at later in this article.
Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11, Vegas Pro 11 and Acid Pro 7 (plsn.me/SonyVegasMSHD) comprise the company’s suite of professional Windows-based digital editing software. The software can be used with a variety of digital video and audio editing tools, including Grass Valley products (plsn.me/EDIUS6), a leading provider of hardware and software solutions targeted at broadcast applications, with product groupings including cameras, switchers and NLE software. The Grass Valley desktop NLE application, EDIUS 6, includes video transcoding capabilities, fast rendering, full HD support and all of the visual effects and tools for creating anything visual in the world of post-production.
Media 100 (plsn.me/media100HD) develops HD and SD editing software that is full compatible with third-party peripherals and plug-ins. Media 100 HD Suite is its advanced SD and HD NLE and features all of the 3D compositing, titling and effects that needed for postproduction editing. The Media 100 Composite Suite included with the Media 100 HD Suite contains additional tools for 3D compositing, titling and effects applications. It also combines vector titling and painting functionality with tools for detailed 3D modeling and animation. It also supports third-party plug-in packages from companies like BorisFX.
Plug-ins
There are plenty of new plug-ins that work with NLE editors like After Effects, Final Cut Pro X, Vegas Pro, etc., and they can be the digital content creator’s new best friends. Here’s a sample:
Boris (plsn.me/borisfx) includes Boris RED (for text, transitions and advanced composites); Boris Blue (for real time 3D compositing and motion graphics); Boris FX (for effects and transitions) and Boris Graffiti (for 2D and 3D title animation).
Cycore (plsn.me/cycorefx) offers CycoreFX HD, now included with After Effects CS6. It can be used to blur, color-correct and distort images. Cycore’s CFX Path Tools 1.1.1 has tools for working with paths, and CFX Sphere Utilities 1.1.1 offers tools for creating, editing and animating spherical maps.
Digieffects plug-ins (plsn.me/digieffects) include Delirum 2.5 (particle generators, color effects, distortion effects, mood effects and compositing tools) and Damage 2.5 (visual tools for altering the source content through effects including aged film, artifacts, destabilization, interference, overexposure and skewing).
Noise Industries (plsn.me/fxfactorypro) is the developer of FxFactory Pro, a suite of visual effects, filters, transitions and more, for NLE applications like AE and FCPX. FxFactory includes effects to blur, color correct and distort images, along with image generators and glow, halftone, sharpen, stylize, tiling, transitions and video upscaling effects.
Trapcode (plsn.me/trapcode) plug-ins include Shine (for fog, glow, ray and shimmer effects), Particular (with smoke text, atomic text, light up, point of light trails, fire text, orb text creator and metal wipe presets), Form (for particle animations), Lux (to create effects mimicking automated lighting), Echospace (with trailing replications), 3D Stroke (useful for animating streaks of light), Sound Keys (which animates using audio), Horizon (which maps 2D images to 3D worlds) and Starglow (for multi-directional glow effects).
OpenGL
OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) plug-ins and scripts are also available for some NLE apps like After Effects. Here’s a sample:
Fractal Noise 3D (plsn.me/noise3D, makes 3D “noise” that interacts with After Effects cameras and lights), Voronoi (plsn.me/voronoi3D, for abstract textures and backgrounds), and AE Flame (plsn.me/aeflame3D, with keyframable fractal animations.
3D Modeling, Mapping
For content that requires 3D animation, there are digital editing software packages designed for 2D and 3D modeling and animation. Here are a few of the many options for working for 3D models in 3D space.
Cinema 4D from Maxon (plsn.me/maxon4D) includes Cinema 4D Studio (advanced 3D modeling with character tools for hair and a physics engine to produce realistic collisions and interactions between objects, Cinema 4D Broadcast (used to add 3D into motion graphics through rendering tools like 3D models, cameras, global illumination and lighting setups) and BodyPaint3D (advanced tools for 3D digital painting to create textures for 3D objects).
Maya from Autodesk (plsn.me/autodeskMaya3D) is used for 3D modeling, animation and rendering to realistic standards. It’s widely used in digital film productions. Autodesk also offers 3ds Max (plsn.me/autodesk3DS) for 3D modeling, animation and rendering of low polygon models; 3ds Max also lets users quickly add textures and UV maps.
Cheetah3D (plsn.me/cheetah3D) is an affordable alternative to 3ds Max or Maya for 3D modeling, UV maps, joint-based character animation and global illumination rendering.
Blender (plsn.me/blend3D) is even more affordable — it’s free. It’s an OpenGL modeling tool with many advanced features for modeling, shading, animating, rendering, compositing and interactive 3D. 3D models can be animated using shape-morphing and/or skeletal animation and sculpted with organic looking results. Blender includes tools for baking textures, raytrace rendering, UV unwrapping and shading, and it also contains a physics engine for dynamic particles and object interactions. Blender is a very powerful 3D creation application for a great price, and it’s available for Windows and Mac.
Wrapping Up
Whether it’s a still image, a video or a 3D animation, great content starts with the right tools. Since there are many options for designers to choose from, it’s worth taking the time to explore all of them in order to find the right one for you. And you can usually try before you buy — almost all of the software developers listed above offer free demo software for a trial period. Be sure to do your homework before committing to a suite of design applications. At that point, you’ll be in a better position to decide which of the many options is best tool to use to unleash the creativity inside your brain. Happy editing!
