Topic: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

I came across a Flickr photostream a while back in which a guy photographs LEGO underwater, with some milk mixed into the water, to create dramatic lighting effects:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2598/4115187187_0b9e114788_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/4119879179_bec2e98b94_o.jpg

Avanaut's Photostream

The look of these photos is pretty spectacular, so I'm intrigued by the idea of attempting something similar in a brickfilm.  However I am concerned that filming stop motion underwater might be nearly impossible; the main thing I think you'd run into is that the pattern of the rays of light would fluctuate somewhat from frame to frame due to the inconsistency in the water's surface.

That said I haven't tried it so perhaps it may work better than I'm guessing.  However, I wonder if using some kind of dry smoke/fog solution might be better.  I don't know much about this stuff; here's a thread offering various solutions for smoke effects, though in the context of filling a whole room with it.  What with the camera equipment, LEGO, etc. I'd be reluctant to use something that might leave residue or cause damage.  I've never used any of this stuff before so I don't know what would work best.  Dry ice is the cleanest, so that seems promising to me, but I don't know how difficult it might be to control or get to be sufficiently thin and consistent.

Thoughts?

http://i.imgur.com/wcmcdmf.png

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

I've been wanting to try and animate something underwater but couldn't figure out
this guy is amazing
Its really dramatic

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

I'd have thought a liquid solution as used here would be a lot more manageable than a whole room filled with smoke. For one, once you've mixed x amount of milk into your water, you have a constant environment. With smoke/dry ice, it would drift around and escape through cracks under doors and suchlike. It would be almost impossible to keep it consistent from frame to frame. With the liquid method, you just have to wait for the surface to settle before taking each shot.

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

The consistency issues are something I've thought about more and more, yeah, especially with dry ice which dissipates very quickly.  Perhaps a liquid solution would be workable; the water surface should subside quickly enough with a smallish aquarium.

http://i.imgur.com/wcmcdmf.png

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

Shameless plug here, but I recently used dry ice in a brickfilm...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtvbWJfaWcI

It looks OK, but I think water would be better.

https://i.imgur.com/1JxY79v.png

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

This beam of light effect is actually very, very simple: it's all done with some water in an old transparent acrylic CD-disc storage box. The Lego is submerged and lit from top with one lightsource thru a black piece of cardboard with some holes punched in it. A few drops of milk needs to be mixed with the water to carry the beams of light. I do not have a photo to show the setup, but even if I had I'm afraid it would only be more confusing than revealing.   - this was written in a comment of one of his photos by him

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

Start of dry ice in ^ Hazzat's video

Yeah that looks okay in the context of the film (windy, outside, etc.) but dry ice definitely looks like it'd be problematic for the sort of thing I have in mind.

http://i.imgur.com/wcmcdmf.png

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

His numerous Hoth photographs are not to be missed either.
Avanut offers a bit of explanation here, as well as an accompanying photograph.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2584/4165941786_0bc4b087be_o.jpg

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

Yep.  The snow is cool too for sure, though I can't see it being feasible for stop-motion work.

http://i.imgur.com/wcmcdmf.png

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

The water might though, aside from the fact that the milk might settle on the bottom after a little while.

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/BGanimations/Signatures/final_400x100.png

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

Did he film underwater? Like put his camera in the water or film with the camera pressed up against the glass? I'm confused...

olol

I rearwy, rearwy like dinosaurs. Or something...

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

KrusaderKego wrote:

Like put his camera in the water...

I doubt he put his camera in the water. mini/rolleyes

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

Ark11 wrote:
KrusaderKego wrote:

Like put his camera in the water...

I doubt he put his camera in the water. mini/rolleyes

It could have been waterproof. But I think he pressed it up against the glass.

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Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

is anyone willing to experiment with this but coordinating animation instead of one shot
i am going to after i gather up some supplies

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

Those are amazing. @KrusaderKego, it seems that he pushes his camera up against the glass. From Jargon's picture, it looks like he wouldn't be able to put his camera in that tank.

Last edited by Splodge (April 3, 2010 (05:40am))

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

^ He would never have to put the camera in the tank. The way that studios film any scenes under water, is in a large glass tank, with the camera against the glass with a thick black fabric over the camera and taped to the glass, to negate any glare off the glass.

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

Yeah I'm pretty sure that is done in real movies as well... The black fabric thing.

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40195501@N … otostream/

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

Sméagol wrote:

Start of dry ice in ^ Hazzat's video

Yeah that looks okay in the context of the film (windy, outside, etc.) but dry ice definitely looks like it'd be problematic for the sort of thing I have in mind.

Maybe have your camera shooting a greenscreen and let the dry ice move slowly across the shot and be filming this in live action. Then after filming your stop motion, in post production add in the layer or dry ice to give a misting effect?

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/daragh2me/Avatarsposters/allworkandnoplay2.png

Re: Fog / Rays of Light In-Camera

The dry ice moves slowly, but when animating, it would look like its moving too fast when you play it back. That is unless you let the dry ice settle for a while, then animate when it is basicaly not even moving.