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Achieving "Rear Projection" Look for Driving Scenes


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Hi there,

 

I am in the early stages of Pre-Production on a script that will have an extensive number of driving scenes. It's looking like

everything will be shot on Red. However, the director, for stylistic reasons, wants to emulate the now-antiquated rear projection look of

driving scenes.

 

As opposed to doing live rear-projection like they used to do, I plan to do this with Green Screen. However, I have a few questions about this new process for

me and would be so grateful if anyone had thoughts or ideas to share.

 

1.) Seeing as cars are so reflective, I have a concern about the green screen behind the car reflecting green along the curvature of the car, creating

keying problems later. I'm especially concerned because one of the vehicles will be a WHITE Volkswagon bug! Any ways to predict how this will work out in a studio?

 

2.) Although the film is being shot on RED, is it as necessary to shoot the background plates with RED cameras too? Since the plates take up a smaller part

of the frame and will likely be blurred in post, perhaps one could get away with 7Ds? I say this also because the ideal way to shoot the plates is to roll 3 or 4

seperate cameras at once off the bed of a pickup truck (a budget for 4 REDS is out of the question).

 

I will definitely plan on shooting tests before production begins but just wanted to hear if anyone has dealt with this or knows of any good reading materials about it. I'm also interested in techniques people have used to shake the car and emulate movement, ways people have created the illusion of passing lights at night or shadows of trees during the day etc. Anything at all!

 

Thanks so much in advance. I'm looking forward to bringing back this old style of filmmaking...

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To reduce green spill or green reflections - try to restrict your greenscreen to cover the framing of the shot (obviously take into account any camera movement) and use blacks to mask off any parts of the greenscreen not seen in the shot. Most green spill comes from parts of the greenscreen not directly behind the subject but rather from off to the side of the subject.

Edited by Will Earl
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