What are some of the features that you will need to have when you are creating video content for the media servers on your next show? While we’re not recommending any one software package over another, we will talk about some of these things that you may find handy when you are building custom content for your next media server application.
First of all, what kind of content are you creating? Will they be still images? Video clips? Digital animations? 3D objects? All four of these types of content require unique tools to create professional-looking results. Let’s look at which tools you might need to create your own custom content.
Still images are likely the easiest to create. How, you might ask? A good place to start is to simply snap a high-resolution picture with your digital camera. The subject can be anything you think is interesting. Or maybe it can be used as a background for another composition.
If real pictures aren’t suitable for your application, then perhaps you will need to create a texture completely from scratch with a graphics program. For this you will need a program that works with layers, visual effects, and perhaps even with text.
If you are creating an image that will be used to visually mask an area, then you will have to save that image with a transparent area, also known as the “alpha channel.” There are many still image/photo editing software packages with lots of effects and plug-ins, but there are a few primary things you will need to look for, like the ability to easily adjust the resolution and image size, and the ability to save the file in a variety of formats.
Remember, not all media servers have the same image requirements so you need software that gives you the flexibility to meet the requirements at hand. Common formats include JPEG, GIF, TIFF and PNG. You have to do some research and make sure that you save your content in the appropriate image format, size and resolution that the media server needs for optimum viewing on playback.
In general, still images are usually pretty easy to create and import into a media server.
Moving images, clips, and animations, on the other hand, are a little more involved. There are many applications that can create animations, and not all media servers can read the files they create without converting them to a format that it can accept. In other words, don’t be shocked if that really cool digital animation you just spent days on rendering doesn’t play back in your media server just by dropping it into the resource folder. It may need to be converted to another format like Quicktime, AVI or Flash before it can be used.
As for video footage, the frame rate and the format are two of the most important elements that will need to be edited when you are exporting media for use with a media server. And then there’s the whole issue of codecs that we’ve discussed before. In the video world, codecs change as frequently as the wind changes directions in Texas. So always check with the specs for the media servers you’re planning to use to make sure you are formatting your content with the correct video codec.
In general, when we’re talking about the world of moving images, the things to look for are:
- The ability to convert from one format to another (e.g. AVI to MOV)
- Video compression tools for encoding the content with a variety of video codecs
- Time editing tools for adjusting frame rates and playback speed
- Imaging tools for editing resolution and image size
- The ability to de-interlace video content (most digital lighting media servers recommend de-interlaced content)
- The ability to import and export captured video content easily
- The ability to correct color, brightness and contrast ratio
Effects are the unique elements that are applied to a digital animation, so software that provides a variety of graphic elements is very important. These effects can be everything from particle systems (smoke, fire, bubbles, and clouds) to banners, blurs and distortions.
Media servers may also be able to map images and clips to 3D objects, so creating custom objects is also a possibility. It is best to know for sure what format the media server accepts when you are choosing the software to design an object, and rendering the object according to the manufacturer’s recommendations is crucial to play back at optimal settings. Popular 3D software programs today provide tools for modeling and skinning controls, animation controls, effects controls including texture and surface mapping, and rendering controls like blur, film grain, reflections, and atmospheric effects.
There are many different types of digital content that can be used in media servers today. Each type of content is unique and has specific tools for creating and editing content. There are no one-stop shopping solutions when it comes to content creation software either. However, many software developers offer suites and packages, so you can easily import and export images and clips back and forth without too many hassles. Ultimately, if you do your research you’ll make the best decision for your needs. And don’t forget to be creative!
