(Please move this post to another section, if you feel it belongs there.)
Hello!
Currently a student of the polish film school, I have an idea for a shot I very much would like to achieve. It would be pretty straight forward it was shot on location, but I am severely limited in this regard, so we want to build the room in the studio, with a large window with a greenscreen outside.
I suspect the question appeals more to the post-crowd than cinematographers, so point me in the right direction if this is the wrong place to ask!
Description:
Black screen, sounds of person entering room.
The black becomes a silhouette of a character, with the room, and a window with view over the city in the background.
I want the focus to be on the background, and the motions of the character revealing bits and pieces with his movements in the very near foreground. (like keeping your fingers close to your eyes while reading this! :)
Possible solutions
1. Find a perfect location in a scyscraper/highrise...
2. Find a room on ground-level, and build a greenscreen/box outside.
3. Using a backdrop (Out of budget to make one specifically for this)
and what I'm thinking of:
4. Building the room in studio with a large window with greenscreen outside. Advantages are of course choosing the perfect view from anywhere in post, mood, light, studio-shooting, longer days, almost free etc. I've been pitching the idea for this shot around the school and most say I should blur the characters in post, but I'm sceptical to this as it has to end up beautiful and realistic..
Does anyone know how to key an out of focus area? Is there a trick to it? Some filter combination or tool that can do it? It will be mostly silhouetted out of focus foreground..
Any tips or pointers most welcome.
best regards,
Thomas Fossgard
(Available shooting formats range from DV, HDV, DVCPRO HD(HVX), Progressive Digibeta, XDCAM HD, and perhaps the Sony HDCAM 750) All with 35mm adapter.)