Internet Bad, Effects Good

I would simply like to state simply that Verizon DSL sucks slimy murloc ass. Luckily my host plans to switch to high-speed cable soon, being just as fed up with having to call tech support on a daily basis, as I am.

With that out of the way, I thought I'd talk a little bit about one of Sony Vegas' most powerful tools(masks), and how I've used them to invent a new effect. If you've played WoW (and I can only assume you have) you may have noticed the trail left in the air for a moment when a projectile spell passes by. I had never actually seen this replicated with model viewer footage, so I came up with my own solution.

I cut the trail out of a solid color layer, adjusting the mask points to until it looked right.


Then, imagine my delight when I discovered that Vegas masks are boolean.

With a little animation of a second, negative mask, I suddenly had an ice trail that looked remarkably similar to the one in-game, and thanks to the flexibility of masks, I can tailor it to just about any shot.

With every little discovery like this, I grow to like this program more and more. I don't care what the After Effects proponents say, Vegas ROXORZ.