VFX with Miniatures & Set Build combination - Shot on 16mm

[Luke Dryden]

Hi all, 

Looking for some advice on a music promo I have coming up and wanted to get an opinion if what I think is the right approach, actually the right approach! 

The concept is...
Artist is sitting on a windowsill of a classic NYC apartment building (fire exit stairs and drain pipes), the camera starts at full body and creeps forward then up above the window following a drain pipe to find the windowsill of the apartment above where a couple are fighting. We then move higher still tilting up as we go to reveal the sky and two (VFX) birds playing, once held on this for a moment we return down the building to the upper window, where the couple are, hold for a moment, then once again back down to our artists performance. (There is more action within the windows but unimportant for my query) 

How I look to approach this is; make a set build of the windowsill where the Artist will be performing (then re-dress the inside for the couples apartment) & then for the transitional shots where we leave the window and follow the stairs, brick work & piping along the wall, build a miniature scale (roughly 5ft in height) of the corner of the apartment building with green screen behind. Then with some clever transition - be it with a hard edge of the stairs - or something clever with the brick work - we would be able to stitch the set build (hopefully) seamlessly with the miniature set. By having the green screen behind the miniature build, we can create the rest of the 'world' if needed in post. 

The camera move will be done via a jib in a studio, and we're looking to shoot on the Aaton XTR with 500T (I feel I will need the speed of the 500T as I will have to stop down for the miniature set) & The 16mm Ultra Primes or Digi Primes. 

Is there anything I have missed or any alarm bells anyone see's in this approach, also any tips on lighting or if I would need anything specific lens accessory wise?

I would love to hear from you!

Cheers, 

L

[Karim D. Ghantous]

Sounds fun to me. I wonder why you are mixing in VFX with miniatures, though. Although that would be easier. But why not do it all with VFX?

The only thing I can think of is that for the miniatures, you will have to pay attention to light fittings. If you're using clear miniature bulbs, find the ones with the smallest filament possible.