AMF Productions is an independent production company out of Fresno, California. We have produced over 20 short films and have contracted on a multitude of media projects in the Central Valley ranging from lectures, instructional videos, and commercials to live webcasts, PSA’s, and documentaries. However, narrative filmmaking remains our passion. Click here to learn more.
Someone asked in the forums where I get all the sound effects for my films. Well… I don’t remember. Most paid libraries offer free downloads, so I’ve collected a lot of those overtime. But instead of suggesting where to go, I’ll just let you download mine. click (50mb).
What types of sounds are included? Well, if you’ve seen my films then you already know!
Or… how to composite someone into a shot so it LOOKS like they’re being hit by a car. We accomplished this in our film “Freddy” using AE and Premiere.
First lock down the camera on a tripod. Get one shot with Freddy standing there, one shot of just the background with the car driving past, and one clean shot of the background (called the background plate or back plate). Now you have all your elements.
Use the pen tool in Adobe After Effects to create a matte and patch the shots together. At the moment of desired impact, make a mask around Freddy and animate it so he rotates, like he’s getting hit and thrown out of frame. Apply motion blur or other effects if you’d like.
A similar effect could probably be accomplished frame-by-frame in Adobe Photoshop. But the AE route is much easier and more efficient.
Muzzle flashes done well can really add production value to your movie. I create the muzzle flashes in Adobe Photoshop frame-by-frame using the paintbrush tool.
Export your gun shot clip as a filmstrip file then import that into Photoshop. You’ll see the sequence frame-by-frame. I create a new layer over the filmstrip file and set the layer to “color burn.â€
Then I just paint something that looks like a muzzle flash (to me, at least) over two consecutive frames. Sometimes I use the blur tool to further shape the muzzle flash.
Then save the filmstrip file and re-import it into Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, Avid, Sony Vegas, or your NLE of choice.
Alternatively, you can create muzzle flashes in Adobe Premiere or After Effects by overlaying still images of muzzle flashes onto your video and then keying out the background.
Most microphones come with a “windscreen.” This does exactly what it sounds like, it screens the wind from your microphone and thus your recording. But sometimes, especially on very windy days, a simple windscreen is not enough.
That’s where blimps and softies come into play (also called zeppelins and dead cats, because well… you can figure it out). These are larger windscreens made from different materials that prevent bigger gusts of wind from disrupting your audio signal. Click to check out some blimps and softies at B&H Photo/Video Online.
Another common noise problem arises from mic handling. You think its wind causing your noisy audio, but it may just be small movements from your hands, body, boom pole or even camera. In this case, you should get a shock mount. These contraptions mount to your boom pole or camera, and use rubber bands or other material to stabilize your mic and prevent handling noise. Click here to check out some shock mounts at B&H.