Backdrop ideas

[Nicolaas Kroone]

Hi all, 

For an upcoming product shoot we need to film a camera 'flying' around a shoe using a motion control system. 
I've done this before no problem, however only with a dark 'empty' background. 

The client wants a gradual grey background and they referenced the 'starting position' of the movement like this... which is relatively simple if we use a paper system. However once we move into the shoe for close up details on the back of the heel we will then see the edge/ end of the paper system. The only solution I can think of is filming on the floor at the foot of a limbo but this means we will be filming on the ground and I would prefer a solution that was waist height. 

Could anyone suggest an alternative? I was considering using a 2.7m wide paper background but utilise the width to make it very long. Or placing 2 paper systems together?

Thanks in advance!
Nic
 

[Stephen Sanchez]

Well the point of the paper is to make a "seamless" backdrop. Stitching two paper rolls together will create a seam that you can't remove. It's thin paper and won't do what you want. But I do see a few options.

1. Have a smaller scale infinity wall made for your shot. This might depend on budget.

2. Find a really long seamless paper backdrop. Keep in mind that even an infinite length paper backdrop will not give lots of rotation room.

3. Look at doing a pass for just the product and a chroma screen behind it, then a separate pass for the backdrop on a longer lens to extend the travel space?

4. Spin the product instead of the camera. Then you can do it on a regular seamless. Lay the paper over a table, drill a hole through the table to stick the rod through attached to a spinning platter. They make electronic platters that give consistent spin as well.

[Justin Hayward]

Since the reference picture is a shoe floating in mid air, then the client must know there is going to be some post-removal-of-something work involved.  As Stephen said, I would guess a combination of a rotator with motion control.  Only thing is their reference is gradual white to grey fall-off in the background and there's a shadow underneath the shoe (if they don't create in post) which we would need to see move and change according to the MC moves.  In that case, a rotator wouldn't work.  The shadows would give away this wasn't done with camera moves, but with a rotator.  

The worst case scenario is often the obvious.  They want to move a camera around a shoe with clear lighter and darker areas in the background without any post work?  You have to have a very big background and a lot more light than you would usually use to light a shoe. ?‍♂️

Edited April 11, 2020 by Justin Hayward

[JD Hartman]

Suspend the show from three points and rotate from above with the camera fixed. Shadow will be genuine.  Do wire remove in post.

[Nicolaas Kroone]

Yeoow!

Firstly thanks for all the input and ideas. We are still very much exploring how we can do this in the long run that gives us most flexibility.

plan a - we designed a cyc / limbo that can be placed on tables and is waist height and made from poly. It would be around 3m x 1.5. The poly makers can make this in sections to allow us to remove ‘slices’ depending on lighting and shots + transport and it can be painted when necessary. The joints can be filled in with polyfiller . I’ve attached a mock-up as an example of a circular version. FYI this costs around €3000 to make. Probably long term solution. 
 

plan b -  we just ordered a longer paper backdrop (3.4m) and told client we don’t want to go that far to the axis of the shoe that we see the background. So that’s solved. 

I’ll post the final here once it’s online. I would love any comments or feedback :)

Thank you,

Nic

 

 

 

 

[Stephen Sanchez]

Cain't wait to see your solution, friend!