Getting 'The Kid Stays in the Picture' effect with Photoshop files in FCPX
Moving up a level from the Ken Burns moves is the technique of modifying and animating layers of a photo for 'The Kid Stays in the Picture' effect. What it is, and how to do it in this new MacBreak Studio episode.
The Kid Stays in the Picture is a biopic about the Paramount producer Robert Evans. In the film and TV graphics world, it will be remembered as the production that used many multilayered composites to bring action to old photographs. It was done before and has since been done many times, but it is always that film that gets referenced.
In this new episode of MacBreak Studio, Steve Martin shows Mark Spencer how to achieve this effect in Final Cut Pro X by using (let's mix our references) Ken Burns effects on Photoshop layers. They've already done the hard bit of cutting the girl out and replacing the background!
Done well, it's a great effect and if you haven't seen the movie it's a great showcase for what you can do with stills and of course a great Hollywood story as well. We believe the animations were done in After Effects.
One thought, please use this effect sparingly and take time to build it correctly. TV channels are awash with badly cutout and badly animated photos, it takes time to get this effect exactly right.
To see more advice from Steve on Final Cut Pro X, head over to the Ripple Training website where they have a large range of tutorials from beginner to advanced level.
