There are many folks out there who like to watermark their videos in all possible kind of ways. Some like to use huge introductions and others, like me, are satisfied with small but noninvasive logos.

Before we start, you'll obviously need VirtualDub, and in this case for the watermark to work, the ffdshow codec. Yes, I'm afraid, yet another codec. You need this codec, because it provides filters we need, such as implanting the logo into a video. The ffdshow codec installs a plugin called "ffvdub.vdf" into your VirtualDub plugin directory. This plugin allows the access to ffdshows filters via VirtualDub.

VirtualDub has it's own internal logo filter, but the problem with this filter is it leaves a mess after encoding. The logo is barely readable, it's pixellated and all other sort of issues. Whereas the ffdshow filter leave a clear, readable logo instead.

Open your video, set your VirtualDub up to do whatever encoding your need. Here are two ideas. Now comes the logo part.

Adding a logo to a video

Open up Video -> Filters and add the filter "ffvdub" from Milan Cutka:

Now a new window will appear where all the available ffdshow filters are listed:

You're looking for the filter "Bitmap overlay". Enable it. Now select your *.bmp logo, place it to your liking via horizontal/vertical position and "Alignment". Experiment with "Mode" and "Opacity". Don't forget to enable preview it.

If you don't have a *.bmp logo or don't want to waste a lot of time, you can use the logo template I made a while back.

It's very important in what order the filters are listed! For example in the screenshot you see "Resize & aspect" followed by "Sharpen" followed by "Bitmap overlay". Although Resize and Sharpen are deactivated, if they were all enabled then the video FIRST is resized, THEN sharpened, THEN the logo is applied in this order.

This way the logo remains unaffected by Resize and Sharpen and retains its original quality (but in the end will ultimately be affected on how you set up your compression settings).

Here's how my logo looks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFBM5q98mwc (in the bottom right corner)

Related posts:

1. VirtualDub: Use ffdshow filters (resize, sharpen, wartermark) in VirtualDub
2. VirtualDub: How to prevent asynchronous sound
3. VirtualDub: How to split and merge video files

If y'all been reading my blog somewhat you'll know I'm a somewhat active YouTube user. I've my own channel and I infrequently upload mostly pc gameplay videos. A very dear friend o' mine joined recently and has been actively recording, encoding and uploading to his 'tube channel, McAkomx.

Now I've been using mostly VirtualDub, a superawesomewtfbbqomgz application by the way, for encoding my recorded raw footage into acceptable size and quality. The guides I wrote can be found here and here.

But that's it, VirtualDub, compared to Sony Vegas Movie Studio or even Adobe Premier it is relatively primitive in terms of effects, filters, etc. But that's ok it was never VirtualDubs intention to be a full blown editing suite like the aforementioned applications.

Lately I've been watching user-made machinimas and clips and I've found some pearls amongst them on YouTube. I liked the movie effects, the text effects, and any other effects they implemented into their movies, and I set out to try some of mine.

I set out to do very simple text- and movie-effects in Sony Vegas Movie Studios. And I recorded the steps I've done until the final product. Enjoy!

The how-to's:

Part 1/2:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part 2/2:

Click here to view the embedded video.

and the final product:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Boy howdy, was I blown out of my shoes when I first started Sony Vegas Movie Studio. Dood, I tells ya, I haven't seen this many options for that many options in a long, long time.

Now I'm by no means an amateur nor a professional, I'm a full blown newbie with almost absolutely none knowledge what-so-ever. The little knowledge I've got is through trying out hundreds of different options and reading up a few guides on the internet.

So my utmost respect goes to folks who know their stuff in Adobe Premier and Sony Vegas Movie Studio.

Related posts:

1. Use Sony NW-A3000 without SonicStage Software and hack its Volume Limiter!
2. VirtualDub: How to split and merge video files
3. MyDefrag: Simple Defragmenter with enormous hidden potential!

I just finished watching "V for Vendetta" (again) in 720p HD , still an amazing movie. I can only recommend it. There are two things which I pretty much liked more than the whole movie. The first was the the scene before the first explosion in which V was reciting the following:

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

Now this was the short version, the full version reads like this

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

The poem is about the famous failed Gunpowder Plot in 1605, in which Catholics tried to blown up the Parliament with King James I of England and VI of Scotland, his family and most of the Protestant aristocracy inside it.

I love poems recited in movies when and if they are fitting the moment. Which is also why I love the one scene with Captain James T. Kirk where he recites Hamlet to Q ("What a piece of work is man..").

The other scene I loved is where V introduced himself to Evey:

Voilà!

In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate.

This visage, no mere veneer of vanity is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished.

However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.

The only verdict is vengeance, a vendetta held as a votive not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.

Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose.

So let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.

In a nutshell "V for Vendetta" is about a totalitarian governed Great Britain by the right-wing fascist Norsefire party. V, the movie protagonist, is an anarchist whose only goal is the total abolishment of the totalitarian government and and the death of former detention camp employees by any means necessary.

No related posts.