Freeze Frame / Extract From Clip

[paul_zimmer]

I frequently want to "freeze" the video at one point while I insert narration, then continue. The only way I have found of doing this is to extract the frozen frame as an image, and insert that into the storyline.

 

Two questions:

 

1) Is there a better way to do freeze-frame?

 

2) Is there ANY way to extract the frame directly from a clip? Right now, I have to ctl-C the clip, create a new production, paste the clip, render the clip into a file, go back to the original production, select the rendered file and extract the frame. Give the LONG "Creating production preview" times (several minutes), this is very painful...

[Guest mlpasley]

You cannot 'extract' a frame from the clip on the storyline.

 

However, there might be a way to get the frame.

 

If you know which frames you want to freeze, do that portion of your video first. Put the video on the storyline, find where you want to freeze the frame, split the video at that point. Make note of the time.

 

Now that you know the time where you want to freeze the action, right click on the video in the media manager, find the time, and extract a .jpg file. Then you can put the .jpg picture in the storyline and adjust the duration to the amount of time you want the freeze frame.

 

I don't know if this will work if you've mixed other video, pictures, or transitions on the storyline before you do the split and extract. I've never tried it, but I'd be interested to know what you find.

[REDWAGON]

Not sure Paul if this is what you are asking but yes, you can extract a frame from a video clip and save it.

 

In the Media Selector, browse to the collection containing the video clip you want to extract a frame.

 

Right click on the video clip and choose EXTRACT IMAGE

(The extract Image box comes up showing the video in a preview window.)

 

(Couple of Methods to get to your frame)

Drag the slider left or right to move back and forth through the frames or

Use the regular preview controls to get to the frame you want.

 

When you get to the frame you want to extract, click EXTRACT, then the SAVE AS box comes up.

 

Browse to the location on your HD where you want to save the image.

 

In the FILE NAME box, enter a name for it and choose the format or extension you want to save it as (BMP, JPG, etc)

 

Then click on SAVE

 

Hope that helps

 

Frank...........

[paul_zimmer]

The dependency on time would make this only work if you only had one source file, I think. I have lots of source files. So, it's back to "spin it out to its own file" I guess.

 

Thanks.

Paul

[bimicher]

The dependency on time would make this only work if you only had one source file, I think. I have lots of source files. So, it's back to "spin it out to its own file" I guess.

 

Thanks.

Paul

 

Unless I don't understand, this is what you want to do:

 

1. Extract a frame

2. Use the extracted frame and display it for a fixed duration

 

Easy to do.

1. Switch to Timeline

2. Click on Tools/Extract frame option on menu

3. Advance to frame you want to capture (note time)

4. Click extract frame and save it

5. Close Extract Image editor to return to main editor

6. Advance to the frame extracted (time noted above)

7. Split the video at that point

8. Switch to Storyline

9. Insert saved image over the panel to right of split

10. The new panel should contain your extracted frame

11. Adjust the duration of the panel

 

This will of course disrupt any audio you have inserted

[Guest mlpasley]

I have lots of source files.

That's what I was afraid of. Lots of source files makes it difficult, but maybe not impossible.

 

The only other thing that might work is this..... (and please let me know if it works.) On each one of those source files, don't split the video until you decide where you want the freeze frame. Then find where you want to do the freeze frame and do a Split. Now on the scene BEFORE the split, do an Adjust duration.

 

If I remember correctly, the time on the Adjust duration will reflect the time since the beginning of that source file to the point where you split the video, not the time from the beginning of the production. The ending time will be the time on the video file where you want to extract the frame. Then you can extract the frame in media collection.

 

I'm not at the computer where I have EMC7 installed, so if I'm wrong, I apologize in advance.

[paul_zimmer]

I think maybe I didn't phrase the question correctly - I'm still learning the lingo.

 

By "clip", I meant one of the things in the "storyline". Let's say I moved a video file into the storyline, clipped it, then adjusted the duration, etc. Now I want to freeze-frame.

 

I can go back to the original clip, and hope I can actually find the exact frame that is now my first/last frame. Or I can cut/paste from the storyline into a new production, render it, etc.

 

But I want to just extract from the duration-adjusted clip itself. The one in the storyline. The one that knows my true start and end frames. Is there any way to do that?

 

Thanks,

Paul