How do I blur a background, spot characters walking, & put a character over an overlay?

[snm]

hey there! I am pretty new and even though I have been trying to get as much knowledge on directing as I can, there are still a few major things I need help with. also, I am new to the forums so I am still tryna figure this out lol. this is all for INK if that makes any difference

• how do i blur the background so i can only see the MC clear and not other characters?
  i of course got this from the story, The New Girl. there are other threads on how to do it with an overlay or background but i feel as if the background wouldn’t work right, and no one quite explained the overlay thing that i could understand. if someone could screen record this coding and explain it that’d be wonderful, or just explaining each thing so i could maybe understand? if it helps, my background is INT. PHILADELPHIA BEDROOM - DAY.

• how do i make a character walk from rear view from one spot to another? (not like center or right or anything) i feel like this is a dumb question, but i just can’t figure out the right code.

• how do i put a character over an overlay?

• a side by side phone call.
  this is the one thing i’ve really struggled with. i made a background even but what i would really like is for it to slide into the middle of a scene, and then go away later in the scene. i even made the overlay, just do not know how to use it.

• how to make a character move to a spot without them walking there (if that makes sense?)

anyway, please keep this thread positive. i am just desperately in need of help! thanks!

[Kaci.Episode]

For the last one. You could do…
@CHARACTER SPOT 1.000 1.000 1.000

[epy.kalea]

1. You can download the background and blur it with a program, and either upload it as a background or overlay. b) If you’re fine with the scene having the background blurred the whole time, then upload as a background. a) If you wanted the background to slowly blur in the middle of your scene, upload as an overlay. Put the overlay in your script in a layer below the layers of your characters. I would also suggest changing the opacity of the overlay, from opacity 0 to opacity 1 in your desired # of seconds, so that it looks like the background is slowly blurring in your scene. You can use this code to change the opacity: @overlay OVERLAYNAME opacity 1 in 0

Refer to this thread on how to use an overlay:

A Guide to Using & Animating OVERLAYS

Don’t forget to LIKE if this guide helps you! OVERLAYNAME is the overlay name x coordinate is where the overlay is placed on the screen horizontally (side to side) y coordinate is where the overlay is placed on the screen vertically (up and down) % is the scale size T stands for time in seconds # means “number” NOTE: When you test your story and move your overlay around, you will see 2 codes that look something like this (examples): @overlay OVERLAYNAME shifts to 196 223 @overlay OVERLA…

Refer to this thread on how to understand layers:

HOW TO: Move Characters / Overlays to the Layers

Moving to the layers means something or someone can be in front or behind character or overlay. You can use as many numbers as you want: -100 to 100 (probably even more) CHARACTERS: Commands: @CHARACTER moves to layer # @CHARACTER spot % X Y in zone # at layer # [image] This picture is an example to show how numbers working. Entering characters (@CHARACTER enters from left to screen right) are always in front of everything (unless you move other characters or overlays to the layers) If y…

2. @CHARACTER walks to spot % X Y in zone # AND CHARACTER faces [left or right] AND CHARACTER does it while [insert rear walking animation]

3. You have to move your character to the layer above the overlay’s layer. Refer to above link for HOW TO: Move Characters / Overlays to Layers.

4. I’m assuming you want the overlay and the other character to slide over together in the middle of the scene. If so, you would have to move your overlay and character together. I would refer to the above links on how to use the overlays. Also, this code might help if you have the character and overlay placed offscreen:

&CHARACTER walks to spot % X Y in zone # in S AND CHARACTER does it while [insert phone talking animation]
&overlay OVERLAYNAME shifts to # # in S

S is the # of seconds on how long the animation is done for. I don’t think that the # is the same for the character and overlay code since I’m assuming the overlay is bigger than the character. Play with the number of seconds until it suits your needs. Use the overlay helper and spot helper in the directing helper in the portal to pin point where you want to shift them too.

5. @CHARACTER walks to spot % X Y in zone # AND CHARACTER does it while [insert animation]
   Instead of a walking animation, use an idle animation

[snm]

Thank you so much! This answered all my questions.

[snm]

Hey, there’s is a problem with the overlay, and I thought maybe if you know how you could tell me what I am doing wrong?
So the character shows up and everything, but the overlay doesn’t show up at all.
Here’s the commands:
@overlay 5081163061526528_PC BEACH create
&overlay 5081163061526528_PC BEACH moves to layer 4
&overlay 5081163061526528_PC BEACH shifts to 154 -7 in 1
&overlay 5081163061526528_PC BEACH scales to 1.054 1.054 in 1
&overlay 5081163061526528_PC BEACH moves to layer -5
&ROB walks to spot 1.319 247 -8 in zone 1 in 1 AND ROB is listen_phone_happy_loop
&ROB moves to layer 5

5081163061526528_PC BEACH is my overlay, and Rob is my character. Just clarifying.

[Apes]

You need to add opacity command.

@overlay OVERLAY opacity 1 in 0

[epy.kalea]

Instead of the create code, I recommend just entering the overlay with your background for example:

BACKGROUNDNAME with OVERLAYNAME at layer # in zone #

So, probably something like this…

EXT. ABBEY GARDEN - DAY with 5081163061526528_PC BEACH at layer -5 in zone 1

&overlay 5081163061526528_PC BEACH shifts to 154 -7 (shift the overlay offscreen here)
&overlay 5081163061526528_PC BEACH scales to 1.054 1.054

Whatever else you have scripted here.

&overlay 5081163061526528_PC BEACH shifts to 154 -7 in 1 (shift the overlay onscreen here)
&ROB walks to spot 1.319 247 -8 in zone 1 in 1 AND ROB moves to layer 5 AND ROB does it while listen_phone_happy_loop

If that’s too much, then yep. Go with what @Apes suggested and do the opacity code.