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Author: Topic: How do I create a soft focus as good as the one in iMovie?
Gizzer
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 Gizzer
Posted: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 10:37AM
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Hi, I'm using FCE HD and I need to add a soft focus effect to some footage. iMovie HD has a fantastic soft focus effect that also adds "glow" to the subject matter. I'd like to duplicate this in FCE but don't know how to get the glow effect.

Can anyone help? I've tried searching the web but the only thing that the search ever returns is to "add some Gaussian Blur". This isn't a patch on the iMovie effect which lets you add the Glow as a parameter.
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Author: Topic: Topic Icon Re: How do I create a soft focus as good as the one in iMovie?
dondiego
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 dondiego
Posted: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 03:44PM
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Gizzer,

Hi

I have FEC HD also and latest version of iLife including iMovieHD.

Some of the effects and transitions in iMovie are fantastic and I can't understand why these could not have been incorporated into FCEHD.

However I use a work around using many of the iMovie effects and then import the project or clips from iMovie into FCEHD. FCEHD can read iMoie project files and clips since they both use QT format!! (I think).

Why don't you import the footage into iMovie first, apply the soft focus effects and "glow" and then save the file and import into FCEHD. The footage will probably need rendering in FCEHD but that's no big deal.

Hope this helps,

Good luck!
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Author: Topic: Re: How do I create a soft focus as good as the one in iMovie?
Gizzer
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 Gizzer
Posted: Fri, 03 Feb 2006 11:38AM
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dondiego,

Hi,

Thanks for the advice. I must admit I'd already thought of that work around. It's just fairly time consuming, so I was hoping there would just be a decent soft focus filter as good as the iMovie one that somebody out there would know about.

As you say - I don't understand why Apple doesn't incorporate some of iMovie's filters and transitions as they ae really good!!
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Author: Topic: Re: How do I create a soft focus as good as the one in iMovie?
tvpro
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 tvpro

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Posted: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 08:43PM
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Gizzer,

It can't because the two applications have entirely different architectures.

There are some free plugins for Final Cut on the web. I think there is a Silk Stocking filter that will do what you want.

You can also recreate it in FCE. Put two copies of the clip in the timeline, one on top of the other. To the one on top add a gaussian blur filter amount 30 pixels. Take the opacity of that layer down to about 40% and to that layer apply Modify>Composite Mode>Add or Screen
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