user3110: I'm very much an amateur video maker, but I am trying to broaden my skill set a bit and start creating my own effects and short video clips to supplement the recordings I make in a more substantial way.  As an example, one of the first things I'd like to do is to make a small clip that functions a little bit like Megaman boss select screen of yore; moving a selector around some pictures and scrolling in a text label to briefly explain it.
I can handle the resources that go into it to a large extent; the portraits, the actual selector graphic, the text, all no problem.  However, I have no idea how to properly overlay and tie all this stuff together!  I'm most familiar with AviSynth and Lightworks, and I've pored over the documentation for both the best I know how.  It seems like I'm just missing out on a structure for the basic work flow.  Can anyone help me out with an approach to making basic animations and movies when you have a large amount of static content to go into it?

user-1: You will need so-called video composition software such as Adobe After Affects or even Blender.
A few years ago Combustion was available which was very good for things like this, but Autodesk came along and purchased it, sucked it dry of blood, and put it in a drawer never to be seen again.
AE comes with a price tag, while Blender is free (site http://www.blender.org appear to be down when I tested it now - see Wiki link above for information on it). Both have a pretty steep learning curve though if you never used composition software before. But there exist a lot of free learning material on the web to help you up and going.
Update: Adding some links to resources that hopefully can be of use:
After effects, layers, compositions - This will show how you can first create elements, then how to place them with different position and angle onto another video. The more relevant part starts from about 8:30 or so:
http://library.creativecow.net/articles/rabinowitz_aharon/Jumbotron/video-tutorial
After Effects introduction:
This site gives you bucket loads of video tutorials on AE and composition effects, layers and so forth:  
http://library.creativecow.net/
Video editing with Blender (part 1):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sODml0PBlo
Special video effects with Blender:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3ytZrGJ1ZQ
Hope these will be of help!

3110: <p>I'm very much an amateur video maker, but I am trying to broaden my skill set a bit and start creating my own effects and short video clips to supplement the recordings I make in a more substantial way.  As an example, one of the first things I'd like to do is to make a small clip that functions a little bit like Megaman boss select screen of yore; moving a selector around some pictures and scrolling in a text label to briefly explain it.</p>

<p>I can handle the resources that go into it to a large extent; the portraits, the actual selector graphic, the text, all no problem.  However, I have no idea how to properly overlay and tie all this stuff together!  I'm most familiar with AviSynth and Lightworks, and I've pored over the documentation for both the best I know how.  It seems like I'm just missing out on a structure for the basic work flow.  Can anyone help me out with an approach to making basic animations and movies when you have a large amount of static content to go into it?</p>
 -1: <p>You will need so-called video composition software such as <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects.html" rel="nofollow">Adobe After Affects</a> or even <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blender_%28software%29" rel="nofollow">Blender</a>.</p>

<p>A few years ago Combustion was available which was very good for things like this, but Autodesk came along and purchased it, sucked it dry of blood, and put it in a drawer never to be seen again.</p>

<p>AE comes with a price tag, while Blender is free (site <a href="http://www.blender.org" rel="nofollow">http://www.blender.org</a> appear to be down when I tested it now - see Wiki link above for information on it). Both have a pretty steep learning curve though if you never used composition software before. But there exist a lot of free learning material on the web to help you up and going.</p>

<p>Update: Adding some links to resources that hopefully can be of use:</p>

<p>After effects, layers, compositions - This will show how you can first create elements, then how to place them with different position and angle onto another video. The more relevant part starts from about 8:30 or so:<br />
<a href="http://library.creativecow.net/articles/rabinowitz_aharon/Jumbotron/video-tutorial" rel="nofollow">http://library.creativecow.net/articles/rabinowitz_aharon/Jumbotron/video-tutorial</a></p>

<p>After Effects introduction:<br /></p>

<p>This site gives you bucket loads of video tutorials on AE and composition effects, layers and so forth:  <br />
<a href="http://library.creativecow.net/" rel="nofollow">http://library.creativecow.net/</a></p>

<p>Video editing with Blender (part 1):<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sODml0PBlo" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sODml0PBlo</a></p>

<p>Special video effects with Blender:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3ytZrGJ1ZQ" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3ytZrGJ1ZQ</a></p>

<p>Hope these will be of help!</p>
