How to make a movie (the basics)

[Nemorosa]

I did not write this myself, I got it from wcm.



This is not a guide to make effects (though it includes a bit of them)

First of all.. Video making has millions and millions of different ways to go, and I am not here to give you any advanced help, so please stfu and be gone if you think the 'guide' is newbish.


FRAPS
1. Basics.
For recording you will almost always need some software to do it. In this case we will use probably the most common software, Fraps.
Fraps is incredibly handy and easy to use even if you have never used it before. You can have the program from Frap's website (FRAPS show fps, record video game movies, screen capture software). If you prefer a direct link, please visit: http://www2.fraps.com/FRAPS260.EXE.


1.1 Installing.
As long as this is a starter guide, I must lead you through almost everything, which means installing and some basic information. Okay let's get to business, you have the FRAPSXXX (XXX being the version number) on your hard-drive, please execute it. A full-screen window will appear in front of your eyes, giving you the 'Fraps Software License Agreement'. I suggest you to read this and make your decision to install or not. After pressing the 'I Agree' -button, the installer asks you where the software should be installed. You can manually type the path on the text field or you can browse it by clicking the 'Browse...' -button. Once you are ready, please click 'Next' -button and enter (or accept the default) name of the start menu shortcut and click 'Install' -button.

Now the installer will install the software to your computer (install speed may change on different computers, due to CPU and hard-drive speed). You can finish the installation by clicking 'Close' -button.


1.2 Setting Fraps up.
After installing the software, open it. A small, handy program will open. Move to the Movies tab and choose the folder to save the movies in. Then choose the button for start/stop recording (default: f9). Now it's the most important thing, choosing the FPS.. The better computer (basicly CPU,
graphics card and memory) the higher FPS you should put, in order to make the quality look good.

Choosing Full-size and/or choosing high FPS will require extremely much from your computer, so be wise in this part. Please do not ask "how much FPS I should use with this computer: xX XX XX", use your head and go try it yourself (remember, having multiple users will need more from the computer and therefore lower your FPS).


1.3 Recording.
So you want to record something? Well this is quite easy.. Just log on the game (wow for example) and press the video capture hotkey (default: F9) and once you are finished, press it again to stop the record (unregistered fraps will only let you record for 30seconds each time). Now you have a video clip and you can continue to take more of them and when you are ready you may put all the video clips together.


VIDEOMACH
2. Basics
For combining many video clips, you will always need software to do it. In this case we will use probably the most common software, Videomach.
Videomach is incredibly handy and easy to use even if you have never used it before. You can have the program from Videomach's website (Gromada.com). If you prefer a direct link, please visit: http://gromada.com/dl/videomach-3.4.0.exe.


2.1 Installing.
Like many other installers, this one will ask you to click 'Next' -button. Of course you can't forget the license agreement, which almost every software has. If you agree with these terms, choose the 'I accept the terms in the License Agreement' and click the 'Next' -button, otherwise click 'Cancel' -button. Now you will have to enter the path to install the software to, you can manually type the path on the text field or you can browse it by clicking the 'Browse...' -button. Once you are ready, please click 'Install' -button.

Now the installer will install the software to your computer (install speed may change on different computers, due to CPU and hard-drive speed).
You can finish the installation by clicking 'Finish' -button.


2.2 Combining files.
Now it's the time to combine the 1-X (x being any number) movies together. You can easily 'drag & drop' (Drag-and-drop - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) the movies to the first list (Video list). If you wish to have music on the movie, please 'drag & drop' the music files to the second list (Audio list).

For adding effects, you must click the Video effect -> Add... and choose an effect of your choice. After having all the video clips and audio files on the lists, please click the 'Save output file' -button (the floppy disk icon). Now you are asked for the video Attributes.. The most important is the Mode and the Format, for Mode you can choose 4 different things:
- Video and audio - same file
- Video and audio - separate files
- Video only
- Audio only

I don't think I have to explain what they do, since you can read it above. Once choosing the mode, you need to choose the Format. Since this is a movie making guide, you should choose 'AVI, Windows audio video interleaved' and click Start (don't forget to pick the destination for the movie by clicking the 'Pick..' -button.

Now you've made a 'movie'. The file is at the movie destination folder and the size of it is HUGE. If you wish to make it much, much, much smaller, you have to compress it.


VIRTUAL DUB
3. Basics.
For compressing movies, you will always need software to do it. In this case we will use probably the most common software, Virtualdub.

Virtualdub is incredibly handy and easy to use even if you have never used it before. You can have the program from Virtualdub's website (Welcome to virtualdub.org! - virtualdub.org). If you prefer a shorter link, please visit: VirtualDub download (at SourceForge) - virtualdub.org.


3.1 Installing.
There is no installing o/ you will only need to unpack the file from the .rar file, and it's easily done with Winrar which you can get from WinRAR archiver, a powerful tool to process RAR and ZIP files or 7zip from 7-Zip, sorry I don't have time to help you with that program. (Just install it and open the .rar file).


3.2 Compressing.
Open the VirtualDub.exe and click File -> Open video file (or press CTRL O). Browse your video and click Open. Now click Video -> Compression (or click CTRL P). From now on, you just have to experiment the codecs by yourself. I can give you a hint: The higher quality and higher bitrate, the higher size will the movie be. After choosing and configuring the right codec, click the 'OK' -button and click File -> Save as avi... (or click F7).

[Daboss]

Nice guide.

[Kartio]

WarcraftMovies.com - World of Warcraft Movies
This is the original link btw.
(Like he said, it's not he's guide.)

[Rwpexpert]

I would just use windows movie maker for it, it lets you put in different video clips and compress the file though cant compare on how good the compression would be next to virtual dub. If you guys do use WMM please if you write text don't use the plain blue background, and try not to use the multi-color changer alot, when I see these I have an urge to kill that person.

[Fragmad]

Nice guide +rep.

[Klein~]

Nice guid! Im trying to make videos too

[FedeCarbo]

very nice guide

[Nemorosa]

Well tbh for editing I suggest Sony vegas, friggin awesome.

[Linkin.Park.]

Very cool