Green object in the frame...

[John Harrison]

Hello,

 

I am interviewing for a music video tomorrow (6/27) and recently received a treatment of the project to review before meeting with the director. I am wondering if anybody has any advice on the following visual trick described in the treatment:

 

One of the band members is writing on a postcard in a medium shot; when he finishes writing on it, he flips it over and we see that the image on the front of the postcard is a video of his band rockin' out. It's a magical postcard of sorts, one with moving images on the front.

 

Throughout the video, we see the postcard in different locations as it makes its way across the country via the postal service. There is always some moving images on the front of the postcard.

 

My question is, does anybody have any thoughts on how to shoot these scenes so that the post-production process is as simple as possible for the visual fx team that will be making the postcard come to life? Is it enough to simply give the band member a green-sided postcard to hold, and then expect the visual fx team to make it work? Or are there specific angles, qualities of light, even color temp.'s that I should be aware of?

 

Any thoughts would be helpful. As would any links you may have to videos or films that do something similar.

 

Thanks so much,

 

John

[Andres Pardo aka Gral Treegan]

Hi!!

 

of course you can use a postcart with green (green like a green screen) athe front of the postcard, where de pic must be and dont forget the tracking point so you can do a 3D track and the compse the image there. a goo idea is to compose the image with some paper texture so it looks like a real postcart.

 

anyway youre gonna have two ptions to do that

 

1- put green with tracking points. that way youre gonna be able to compose that shots in after effects, shake or kind of flame suits. the ting is that if the fingers of the guy holding the postcart are touching the green his finger will copy green so in the final copmpose youre gonna need to color correct his hand.

 

2- you can use a plain postcart with tracking points with NO green. that wy youre gonna need to rotoshape the poscart, its kind a squeare so theres no problem with it and rotoshape the fingers. anyway... howlong is gonna be that shot? that way the hand will no need color correction to substract green.

 

i hope it helps!

 

i run alittle postproduction company here in mexicoc ity and we deal with that kind of footage every day so feel free to ask!

 

best wishes!!

G.T

 

Hello,

 

I am interviewing for a music video tomorrow (6/27) and recently received a treatment of the project to review before meeting with the director. I am wondering if anybody has any advice on the following visual trick described in the treatment:

 

One of the band members is writing on a postcard in a medium shot; when he finishes writing on it, he flips it over and we see that the image on the front of the postcard is a video of his band rockin' out. It's a magical postcard of sorts, one with moving images on the front.

 

Throughout the video, we see the postcard in different locations as it makes its way across the country via the postal service. There is always some moving images on the front of the postcard.

 

My question is, does anybody have any thoughts on how to shoot these scenes so that the post-production process is as simple as possible for the visual fx team that will be making the postcard come to life? Is it enough to simply give the band member a green-sided postcard to hold, and then expect the visual fx team to make it work? Or are there specific angles, qualities of light, even color temp.'s that I should be aware of?

 

Any thoughts would be helpful. As would any links you may have to videos or films that do something similar.

 

Thanks so much,

 

John

Edited July 5, 2008 by General Treegan

[Bob Woodhead]

Done a few angles of that gag a number of years ago (in a Quantel Editbox)... I'd suggest using the green, and trying to art-design the postcard to give tracking points that don't LOOK like tracking points. That way you get the best of both worlds. Problem with tracking points is they need to bo roto'd out. Even in the green, they won't key, and need roto (well, if they HAVE to be in the green, keep them well inside the green so you can do a sloppy (ie, fast) roto, rather than a "finesse" job. But if your tracking points are some lines, stamp, etc, printed on the postcard, you can track 'em and not roto them. Remember it's a 4-point track, so try to not cover them with the hand.

Other approach, "full bleed" video on the postcard. Not inset. In that case, I'd just track the corners of the postcard, or marks well in from the edges. Easiest track if the talent doesn't change their hand position during the shot.

 

Only time it gets tricky is when the postcard is flipped over to reveal the video side.... suggest make the action fast so it's harder to see frames where the video is edge-on to camera... harder to sell.

 

Have fun.

Edited July 5, 2008 by Bob Woodhead