Goal: Learn to create a PIP effect with input and output movement. Display two video scenes simultaneously on the screen (a background and a "thumbnail", thumbnail with input and output movement).

Please Note: This tutorial is taken from our old website and was updated. Of course, there are now a number of other methods in approaching PIP in a similar way. At the time, it was about the only alternative around to make a PIP. It remains a stylistic composition today and allows you to save a video track... while learning a little bit more about Hollywood FX.

This effect is "continuous" and does not appear as a transition: the progress of both scenes is simultaneous. The second scene gradually appears on the screen by moving over the background from off-screen and it leaves the same way.
In this lesson, stage 1 (or clip 1) will be the video that runs in the background and stage 2 (or clip 2) will be the scene in the small window.

Step 1 - Let's get off on the right foot...

Strictly follow step 1 and step 2 of Tutorial "Creating a PIP (Picture In Picture) with fade in/out" (except the recording phase where you name your effect PIP Move example).

Step 2 - On the Move

As we will have to move scene 2 through across the screen, let's try to understand the "Position" option which is in the Settings panel.

Perform some tests. Click the "Back 2" object to select it.

then try to change the settings in the "Position" window for this object by following the directions below:

The easiest way to move the object lies in the "Move" selection tool in the monitor panel

It'll just move the "Back 2" object using the mouse directly in the monitor panel. Note that you can also move the cursor to the "Position" panel and change the values themselves, always keeping in mind that it is necessary to select another box for the change to take affect. Change gradually as you view the result in the preview window:

Position : X=-1.030 Y=0.651 Z=0.100

Position : X=0.962 Y=-0.766 Z=0.100

Position : X=-0.822 Y=-0.474 Z=2.000 (changing the value of Z)

it's helpful to switch to the "Quad View" for a better understanding of what's happening.

The blue dotted lines represent the boundaries of our point of view, the viewer (or camera) is placed in the intersection of these two blue lines. The yellow line represents the currently selected object (scene 2 in the example). The darker gray line represents the other focus of our effect, "Flat 1" or scene 1. Play with it a little to watch how the object moves.

Once the tests are complete, return the object to a location that suits you (in our example:X = -1.031; Y = 0.651; Z = 0.100).

Step 3 - Edit the "Position" envelope

We saw the basic concept of envelopes during older tutorials (Creating a PIP (Picture In Picture) with fade in/out).

You should understand, to ensure that scene 2 moves across the background video, that we will have to modify the movement over time. Reminder: Hollywood FX uses the term envelope to denote a series of keyframes describing the successive changes in the value of an option over time. We will therefore vary the settings in the "Position" (spatial movement) of "Back 2" (scene 2) object over time.

What do we want to do? In the example shown here, the duration of scene 2 is about 4 seconds (3.14 sec to be precise). We will ensure that scene 2 is outside the screen (left outer edge) at time t=0" and that it moves to its final position at one second (t=1"). One second before the end of the track, ie at 2.14 sec, scene 2 will start moving off the screen again towards the left outer edge, a position it attained at the end of the effect at t=3.14 sec.

To change the "Position" envelope, we must display the envelope window.

To change from "panel content of the albums" mode to "envelope", simply click the small folder in the upper right of that panel.

Check that the object is currently at position: X = -1031 Y = 0651 Z = 0100
Now let's change the time values for the "Position" option for the "Back 2" object to apply what has been described above:

Select the "Back 2" object if it isn't already selected. Then select the "Move" tool

Create a keyframe

Change the behavior of the keyframe by selecting linear

Create a keyframe

Change the behavior of the keyframe by selecting "linear"

We have just defined both of the key positions at the moment in time of t=1.00 and t=2.14

What's left is to define the movement between t=0 and t=1.00 and between t=2.14 and t=3.14. With the concept of envelopes, it is not necessary to define all the points in between but only to define keyframes at t=0 and t=3.14.

Move the "Back 2" object outside the screen, you will see the path which the object will follow over time (gray dashed lines).

The capture screen during the movement of the object (in this example, I chose to change only the value X -2606, Y and Z unchanged)

Now place the time inidcator at 00:00:03:14 (at the end of the effect)

Once again, move the "Back 2" object outside of the screen. If you wish to have your item at the same place at the t=0 instant, you can "paste" the keyframe using the appropriate buttons that we saw during the previous lesson:

In this case, place the cursor at t=0, click "Copy" then change the location to t=3.14 and click "Paste".

The envelope display should not have been changed from point 7

You can preview the effect by clicking the "Play" button, the creation portion is complete! Save your effect (remember before saving place your time indicator so that the thumbnail representing the effect looks like what you wish - File > Save). For the backup method, see step 2 and 3 of Tuto-3 Prepare the saving of HFX effects).

If you did not understand everything or if you prefer not to follow this tutorial, you can download the effect: pipmove.hfz

To use HFZ files, see the tutorial Tuto-1 Files with .HFZ extension

All that's left is to render it in Studio to view the effect!

And voila, it's done!

!! BONUS 1 !!

In step 3, according to the duration of your scene 2, you can completely customize the values of the time for which you will create keyframes (the first keyframe is always set to 00:00:00:00 and the last keyframe at the end of the effect). Thus for a scene 2 that lasts 30 seconds, the second keyframe can be created at 2 seconds, the third keyframe to 28 seconds.

!! BONUS 2 !!

In step 3, it is quite possible to create "silly trajectories" during the course of your video. You can play around with the 3 components of the option "Position" (X, Y & Z). It is even possible to use the previous lesson to add a fade out at the end of the effect for example!

I'll let you play with that idea yourself, however you will find an example in this video:

!! BONUS 3 !!

Another Bonus you say! ... But if you watched the video example provided here, you may have noticed that it is not quite what you have created by following this tutorial ... My apologies! The reason is this: the effect was integrated into the middle of scene 1 to ensure continuity in the scene. You can totally do the same in your video creations, to get a truly seamless creation. For more information, see the tutorial BONUS 2 Creating a PIP (Picture In Picture) with fade in/out.

!! BONUS 4 !!

And finally, the icing on the cake, the last nice bonus ... You can mix "Position" options and "Rotation" options for the "Back 2" object.

Note that if you simply "play" with the "Rotate" option of your object, it is necessary to:

Change the "Back 2 object to "Flat 2" (so that the video appears on both sides of the object!)

If you run some tests, you will understand the concept right away! I'll let you figure it out for yourself, however you will find an example in this video:

Download the associated HFZ: pip-movebonus2.hfz
It's done!

{Thanks to Loosecannon who fine-tuned the tutorial}