Our research into flash video manipulation, on the face of it may appear to be purely for entertainment purposes, however, when you consider a criteria was set from initial tests and the resulting proof has been achieved without the need for expensive softwares such as ‘photoshop’ or ‘after effects’, this may be actually a remarkable discovery.
A brief description of how this can be achieved is as follows. Flash is recorded in layers, one layer overlays another, just as icons on your monitor desktop, when you open an application it appears on a layer above the icon.
In flash applications, one can call up a base layer, such as a video skin, then float another layer, (the actual video footage), on top of the base layer. Further layers of flash animations may be added for effect.
The latest development of our study has enabled us to stretch the video footage rather like shaping putty, and record as a separate file, then load it into the flash layers.
Initial trials, (as shown in the video below), are not 100% as yet but improvement is expected as we hope to provide an alternative method of video presentation.
The task I was presented with was to to upload a raw wide screen video to our online flash workshop. The video was selected from YouTube (see picture), then to create an entirely new presentation by adding a background skin with textural overlay titles.
The day the earth stood still 2008
The chosen video is a compilation of trailers on “The day the earth stood still” ~ 195, the original movie was set in full screen cinemascope ~ the 2008 version and is quite clearly in wide screen format as most new movie trailers are presented. By careful expanding of the new trailer’s flash file, I was able to move the layer over the background skin and record the sequence using simple screen capture software, therefore creating a continuous viewing flow.
To my knowledge, after a wide internet search, there have been many experimental studies in flash manipulation but by utilizing intricate softwares. This I believe is the first attempt to stretch video footage using simple online tools that anyone can master.
Further tests shall be carried out before revealing the sources of this simple method.
