Remember this French series? These short episodes certainly stayed with you for days and the credits and music are still fresh in everyone's minds. Declic-Video has dissected the credits and will reveal it's secrets (Luc Cuminatto is the original creator of this tutorial).

This tutorial is largely based on a tutorial found on the Internet titled "First Trip" which explained how to achieve this effect with Adobe Premiere (In case you're curious, it was under Adobe Premiere but has since disappeared ...).

Step 1 : The Setup

Making an intro in the style of "A Guy, a Girl ®": the screen is divided in two by a few broken lines. Part of the screen is blue, the other is pink. There's another effect like an "earthquake".
Here is an overview of what we will do:

Step 2 : The Theory

When we look at "A Guy a Girl ®" in detail, we see that the video is frozen (the characters don't move), there is simply the vibration effect and the colors changing hues of blue and pink.

Creating this effect is achieved in several steps :

• Extracting the image from the effect (with Studio);
• Creating images to be used for the effect (with Photoshop or Photoshop Elements);
• Creating the title (with Photoshop Elements);
• Inserting images and sound into the clip (with Studio);
• Making the whole image vibrate (with Studio).

Step 3 : The method

1. Extracting an image from the video :

To extract the image to be copied to allow us to create the effect, open Studio.

• Place the clip you want to use for the effect on the main video track;
• Position the cursor at the frame you want to use for the "A Guy a Girl ®" effect;
• Split the clip at this image using the razor button ;
• Go back one frame to move to the last frame of the first part of the clip;

• Open the video toolbox in order to extract the last frame of the first part of the clip ;
• Press the button ;
• Select the image and save it to your hard drive with the following buttons :

and then

• You can close Studio.

2. Creating images to be used for the effect :

I am not an expert in image processing, so the method shown below for Photoshop Elements is perhaps not the best, but it's one that I found works for me. If there is a simpler and/or faster way, you can let me know by leaving a comment.
It is also possible to create images with other image processing software (you'll find the method for "The Gimp" Step 4, at the end of tutorial).

With Photoshop Elements :

• Open Photoshop Elements;
• Open the previously saved image;
• Starting from this image, the goal is to create three images like those shown below. Between the 3 lines, the colors change to give the impression of movement.

To create these 3 images, we must proceed as follows :

• Duplicate the layer twice by selecting "Layer -> Duplicate Layer" two times. Name the layers Background 2 and Background 3;
• Create a new layer named lines via "Layer -> New -> Layer". Name: Lines, Mode: Normal, Opacity: 100%;
• With the brush tool, draw 3 lines on the lines layer;
• Duplicate this layer twice and name the new layers Lines 1 and Line 2.

To create each of the 3 images, we will now match a "background" layer with a "lines" layer then apply the colors. The first image is made from "background" layer and "Lines" layer. To do this select the layers like this. Click on the eyes to "extinguish" the layers that are not necessary for the first image.

The next step is to color in blue on the right side of the picture:

• Check that the active layer is the layer "lines": there is a brush in front of it (the next step is to clearly simplifiée);
• Use the Magic Wand tool, maintaining the shift key and select the right part of the picture as well as the top two segments just to the left: these 3 parts will have the marquee or "matching ants";
• Now select the "background" layer;
• Go to "Enhance -> Adjust Color -> Color Variations ...".
  A window appears. To color the right side blue :
  - press 5 times on "Decrease red
  - press 5 times on "Increase blue"

After adjusting the blue, we must adjust the left side of the image for the pink color:

• Select the "lines" layer oncer again;
• With the Magic Wand tool, select the left side of the image and the two bottom line segments;
• Select the "background" layer.
• Go to "Enhance -> Adjust Color -> color variations ...".
  A window appears. To color the left side pink :
  - press 5 times on "increase red"
  - press 5 times on "decrease green"

The first image is now ready. Save it as "Image 1". Use the "File -> Save As ..." menu. Save in the JPEG format. In the Image options, Photoshop Elements asks what quality to use, select "maximum".

To create the other two images, the procedure is the same as the first. We must
associate "Background 2" to "Line 2" and "Background 3" to "Line 3". Pay close attention to how the colors change where the lines cross on the top and bottom.

You're done with Photoshop Elements.

3. Creating the effect with Studio:

• Open your project in Studio;
• At the cut made in step "Extracting an image from the video", insert each of the images created in the previous step in the following order: Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3, Picture 2;
• Set the duration of each image to 7 frames: double-click each image to open the window for setting and adjust the length of 7 images
• Adjust the zoom on each image: check "Pan and zoom", check "Animate from beginning to end", select "Set the start." Adjust the zoom to suit: in my example I clicked the right arrow 10 times.

• Select the 4 images and copy and paste them 2 more times, then add image 1 and image 2 in order to have a final total of 14 images.

• On the music track, place the background music in line with the first image.

4. Creation and insertion of the title :

The closest font I could find is called Adler. I tried to modify it to make it even more similar, but I quickly gave up the idea due to lack of expertise. If one of you has the courage to try it ... You can download the Adler font on this site : http://www.1001fonts.com/search.html?query=adler (also available on our download page tutorials in case of server problems)

Open Photoshop Elements and create an image size of 720x576 (720x480 if NTSC) with a black background.

The title looks something similar to this :

Open Studio : Place the image on the overlay track below the sequence of "blue and pink" images; Change the duration of the display to about 3 seconds ; Adjust the image zoom to your liking to reduce the size of the title;
At the front of the image, place the STB-off transition to have the title image fly-in like the original;

To complete the effect a little camera shake should be added to the title. I suggest using a free plugin available on WLFilter site (thank you to Clopin -Pinnacle Forum- for this information).

1. Download WLFilter101.zip available on the WLFilter site (it contains 14 effects including Vibration 2.0)
2. Close Studio and extract the contents of the ZIP file that will create a folder WLFilter. Copy the complete folder WLFilter (included in the ZIP file) with its contents to your Studio RTFx folder (10,11 or 12).
   After copying the structure should be like this:
   C:\Program Files\Pinnacle\Studio X \Plugins\RTFx\WLFilter\
   Studio will find the complete folder and it's contents and display it in the WLFilter category.
3. Open Studio and select the title;
4. Click to display the video toolbox and then on to add an effect to the video, then click (add a new effect)
5. In the window that appears choose WLFilter and the vibration (2.0) effect and press "OK" ;

6. You have to customize the settings for the vibration effect. I used the following:

7. It's not perfect but it's pretty close.

You're Done! Now just start the render to enjoy your handiwork. Good luck.

Step 4 : With "The Gimp" (Step optional)

• Open The Gimp;
• Open the previously saved image;
• From this image, the goal is to create three images like those below.
  (Between 3 lines, colors change to give the impression of movement).

To create these 3 images, we must proceed as follows :

• Duplicate the layer by selecting "Layer -> Duplicate Layer". Name the layer Background 2. Repeat the process again and name the layer Background 3. If you do not have the "Layers" option, you can also access it by pressing "Ctrl + L".
  To rename a layer, select it with the right mouse button and choose "Edit attributes layer";
• Create a new layer named lines by selecting "Layer -> New". Name: Lines, Type layer filling: Transparent;
• Select the brush tool, draw 3 lines on the lines layer;
• Copy this layer twice and name the new layers Lines 1 and Line 2.

To create each of the 3 images, we will now associate a "background" layer with a "lines" layer to apply the colors.

The first image is made from the "background" layer and the "Lines" layer. To do this select the layers like this. Click on the eyes to turn off the layers that are not necessary for the first image.

The next step is to color in blue right on the picture:

• Check that the active layer is the "lines" layer: it is highlighted in blue;
• Use the Magic Wand tool, hold down the shift key and select the right part of the picture as well as two top segments where the lines cross : these 3 parts will have the marquee (marching ants);
• Now select the "background" layer;
• Go to Tools -> Tools Color -> Color Balance ...". A window appears. To color the image in blue: for each "change intervals to" change the colors as below:

After blue, we must edit the left side of the image for the color pink :

• Select the "lines" layer again;
• With the Magic Wand tool, select the left side of the image and the bottom segments;
• Select the "background" layer;
• Go to Tools -> Tools Color -> Color Balance ...". A window appears. To color the image in blue: for each "change intervals to" change the colors as below:

The first image is now ready. Save as "Image 1". Use the "File -> Save As ..." menu.

• Save in the JPEG format;
• In the next dialog box, select "Export";
• In the new dialog box, adjust the image quality to 1 (maximum quality).

To create the other two images, the principle is the same as the first. You must pair up "Background 2" - "Line 2" and "Background 3" - "Line 3". Pay close attention to the color schemes in the above sample.

You're done with The Gimp you can resume the Tutorial.

{Thanks to Loosecannon for the fine tuning}