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Although Midjourney is the engine behind nearly all current Zoom Films, the human EnterDirecting is important too.

 

As many of you know, any image that "Zooms-Out" is going to need more visual information outside of that frame. 

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Again, here are your button choices in the current versions of Midjourney: 

 

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For example, if you use the Zoom-Out 1.5x function the AI-diffusion system will need to create one-and-a-half times, or 50% more visual information outside of your frame. A Zoom-Out 2x will need to create two-times more image. 

 

You could possibly use the Custom Zoom to dial anywhere from 1.00000001x to 2x. But why? We do not know. When making Zoom videos we like to work quickly. We just go with the defaults. We get the difference, but just want to get diffusing.

(See Custom Zoom Update below) Please play around with it and let us know what you come up with!

 

Now if you're familiar with using Midjourney, then you know some weird stuff is going to show up sometimes. The less you Zoom-Out, the more likely your new framing will stay coherent to your original image. The more you Zoom-Out, the weirder it might get!

 

It's your choice how much to Zoom. But we highly recommended that you stay consistent in the Zoom x for each path you follow. 

 

Whatever your Zoom x choice, Midjourney will be riffing off the look of your first image. Let's say you decide to go with a Zoom-Out 1.5x on your image. As mentioned, the system will then diffuse 50% more outer-reality as it pushes out the edges of the frame. And then Midjourney will kindly offer you four different summonings for what may be subtle (or strange!) differences in that reality. 

 

More than likely, you will be quite excited by the four images that Midjourney grants you! But, again, each will be different. And most importantly, now there are four novel paths you can choose. If you plan to keep "Zooming-Out" we recommend just picking one "Upscale" each time and see where that takes you!

 

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What is EnterDirecting?

 

Midjourney wouldn't stop zooming if it was set to run by itself, so a human's intervention is crucial. At Zoom Film Labs, we believe we are in a creative collaboration with the AI-diffusion. Specifically when using the Midjourney's Zoom-Out function, your guidance is certainly required (along with knowing when it's a good time to stop! ).

 

And when your guidance and direction is meant for Entertainment we call it EnterDirecting!

 

BTW - "Entertainment" comes from the Latin word "Tenir" which means:

"to hold the rapt attention of a human being for their pleasure, information, or warning."

 

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So now you should be on your second Zoom-Out!

 

And again you need to select another one of the four choices. Take a close look at all 4 of them. There may be some interesting new nuance that appeared in the upper left corner of one that could reveal more if you zoomed out... But that U4 image has an interesting shape coming in on the right side that could be a person... Should I risk it? Could be cool. Hmmmm... Which to choose ? ? ? ?  (Please know that you can always go back and try it again!)

 

Once all is considered, we recommend three things: 

 

- Only choose one image of the four variations for now (Once you've become more experienced, have fun returning to these images and then branching off on another path!)

 

- Keep your Zoom x choice consistent (This makes putting them together into a moving Zoom way more easy to manage.)

 

- Learn to collaborate with Midjourney on its own terms(!)

 

[Look, you just have to admit that although often wondrous, we have little control over what Midjourney actually gives us. This will certainly change, but just like in life, you have to keep working with what you got. So collaborating with what Midjourney offers you generally works out better and with less frustration for you. Just accept its choices as it accepts yours. Always a little give and take, but with some dedication and persistence you can come up with some really fun trips...!]

 

So how do you make the Zoom zoom????

 

At Zoom Labs, we generally use an animated 3D camera rig in Adobe After Effects to build our Zoom filmstrips.

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Although we have some preset AE 3D cameras for 1.5x and 2x zooms, we make new ones all the time depending on the --ar setting of the originals. Plus checking and adjusting each frame "transition" is important too because the accuracy between the zoomed-out frames can be a little off sometimes. Generally we stay in After Effects to do all the Time-Remappings, and adding any final VFX touches.  

 

No matter which way you get it done, try to make it pretty straightforward as you create the Tyme Bubble film-strip.

 

Then have some fun speeding it up, slowing it down, running it backwards, running it forward, whatever suits your images!

 

And be sure to spend some time rockin' a cool sound design!

 

A last important note: 

 

As you take a deep-dive (or is a deep fall backwards...?) into making your Zoom films, you'll start to notice some influences from your previous Midjourney conjurings. Even if you decide to close off as many valves of influence that you can using prompt commands, something occasionally sneaks in! Just as with your life, your previous diffusions influence your current desires. This is actually a diffusion of your desires. Which means, of course, your diffusion history will be different than mine and everyone else's diffusion history, no matter what. So your work will always end up being distinctly yours. 

 

So as we continue to generate more weird and wonderful entertainment at Zoom Films, we would be super excited to see what fantastic Zooms you come up with! 

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To all of our dear visual explorers, adventurers, and experimenters, we wish you the best luck Zooming!

 

What will you come up with????

 

Love,

 

ZøøM Films

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Appendix:

 

Custom Zoom - Update

 

So why is the Midjourney's Zoom-Out function only limited to somewhere between 1x and 2x (or 100% or 200%)?

 

Truth is Midjourney could much more easily Zoom-Out more than 2x, but it would be harder to conjure coherent content.

So 2x is a fair amount for now. 

 

What about less than 1x? 

 

That would essentially be a "Zoom-In". With all the AI-based uprezzing available, something like this could be possible. Could even be a real lens change or 3D camera move. Although strangely feasible, unlikely to be available soon. But we'll keep an eye out (or in)!​​

Any cool things you'd like to share or discuss???

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