• Location: Austria
  • Joined: February 26, 2011

Topic: Urgent question regarding bluescreening!

Hi,

at the moment I'm planning a new Brickfilm. Yes, you've guessed it, it will in fact have a background (preferably by bluescreen), so I need to clear some things up before getting to work.

The issue is:
When I use a wide angle in the beginnung looking down at the overall scene (and there's a bluescreened scenery in the background) and then ZOOM IN to the characters, I DO NOT want the scenery in the background to be scaled down (obviously), but rather have the scenery to be zoomed in, too, so that I'd just see a cutout of the former background (and NOT just a smaller version of the exact same picture as before). Is there a comfortable solution for this? Because cropping the image from hand and using different blue screen files (some normal, some down-scaled) and so on isn't precise at all, is it?

Another aspect is the focus. When the background is totally blurry in a scene, how can I comfortably make the bluescreened image (the scenery) blurry to? Does this somehow run automatically or do I have to make ALL changes in the background manually? I mean, a ZOOM IN into the foreground should naturally also cause a ZOOM IN into the background! And defocusing in the foreground should also cause defocusing in the background - I hope you understand my question. 

I'm quite new to bluescreening, so if my concerns are somewhat noobish, please pardon me. mini/tongue

Big thanks in advance

pacific

-pacific
  • Location: Gravity Falls, OR
  • Joined: February 4, 2009

Re: Urgent question regarding bluescreening!

What software are you using for compositinng? My issue with blue/green screening is it is hard to get results I am happy with, I try to avoid it whenever possible.

If you are using software made for video compositing (After Effects, Compositelab Pro) you will be able to easily scale and blur the image to match the camera, you can easily animate image scaling and blurring. If you are not using software made for video compositing you are insane, Some people talk about using the gimp and such for video masking, it's no wonder they think it's so hard, I can't imagine doing visual effects without animation ‘tweening on masks and image effects.

Compositelab Pro is just $150 which gives you the most bang for your buck, it can do a lot more then just greenscreening, I tend to find masking and grading more useful then green screening.

Beyond the Eleventh Dimension - Subterranean: A LEGO Cyperpunk - Face animation cutouts

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  • Joined: December 26, 2008

Re: Urgent question regarding bluescreening!

After Effects can track the zoom and apply it to the background image precisely, but most video editors will allow you to keyframe the scale of the image (you'll just have to figure out the values by trial and error). Focal changes will have to be guesstimated using keyframes no matter what program you're using. If you tell us what program(s) you're using, we can provide more precise instructions.

The fact that you've even thought of these issues is quite encouraging... we get a lot of films submitted that ignore them entirely, with distracting results.

(completely off-topic) EDIT: Firefox accepts "guesstimated" as a valid word. I find that amusing.

With all due respect Noodle, I don't want you here. - Ratboy Productions
  • Location: Austria
  • Joined: February 26, 2011

Re: Urgent question regarding bluescreening!

Thanks a lot for your answers!

As to the post-production programme I'm using, I have yet to purchase it. I do own Adobe Premiere Elements 4 but I highly doubt that will be enough.

Meh, I don't really like the sound of "guesstimating" mini/smile - is CompositeLab Pro a good programme? Can it do the precise stuff really precise? I mean, is it comparable to After Effects or do the two play in a(n) (entirely) different league (in bluescreening mainly)?

Cheers!

-pacific
  • Location: Gravity Falls, OR
  • Joined: February 4, 2009

Re: Urgent question regarding bluescreening!

CompositeLab Pro does not have the automated tracking that AfterEffects does or the advanced 3D options but it can do very good work, I did a lot of my work in my film True Love Waits with the c tools, you can see the film here Just about any shot with a sky features compositing (although no green screening was used in the film)

http://www.closedtothepublic.net/films/tlw/ShipBA.jpg

AfterEffects is a better program and can do MUCH more, HOWEVER you are looking at a $150 program vs a $650 program. I also have found CompositeLab to be much easer to learn, I am doing the effects work in my current film in AfterEffects but about 90% of the effects could also be done in CompositeLab (stuff like this is the 10% that you can't do with cheaper software)

You can download trial versions of the software, I believe it will render with a watermark but you should be able to watch a few tutorials and try to do some blue screening, FXhome has video tutorials and places like Creative Cow should have lots of After Effects tutorials.

Beyond the Eleventh Dimension - Subterranean: A LEGO Cyperpunk - Face animation cutouts

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SlothPaladin's Website

  • Location: Austria
  • Joined: February 26, 2011

Re: Urgent question regarding bluescreening!

Hmm...
Is semi-automatic bluescreening (like compositelab pro does) comfortable even if there are changes of perspective in the film? I mean, I will put a lot of effort in the film, so of course I also want the background to be very nice. In the actual films, do you notice changes in quality  between After-effected and composite-labbed backgrounds? Or are these really marginal? The output of my stop motion film will, in all probability, be full HD for television.
Pacific

-pacific
  • Location: Gravity Falls, OR
  • Joined: February 4, 2009

Re: Urgent question regarding bluescreening!

you should be able to stretch or skew the image to match your perspective changes, both programs are able to create high def movies although CompositeLab is limited to 1920x1080 as far as I know there is no size limit on After Effects.  In both programs I have been able to match backgrounds, I often find I need to add a tiny amount of digital noise so backgrounds match the foreground animation. I do find that most 'automated' tasks need a little babying to look right.

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SlothPaladin's Website

  • Location: Austria
  • Joined: February 26, 2011

Re: Urgent question regarding bluescreening!

Sounds good! And you can definitely do bluescreen too just as well? Because they only advertise green screen on their web page.

Anyway, I really appreciate your help. Thanks a bunch! mini/smile

pacific

-pacific
  • Location: MN, USA
  • Joined: July 28, 2009

Re: Urgent question regarding bluescreening!

pacific wrote:

Sounds good! And you can definitely do bluescreen too just as well? Because they only advertise green screen on their web page.

Anyway, I really appreciate your help. Thanks a bunch! mini/smile

pacific

Yeah, I tried a trial version of CompositeLab once a while back, and I'm pretty sure it's possible to key out all sorts of different colors.

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/BGanimations/Signatures/final_400x100.png
  • Location: Gravity Falls, OR
  • Joined: February 4, 2009

Re: Urgent question regarding bluescreening!

Blue green and red all have presets I think but there is a color key option which allows you to choose any color. I think that most people who do digital film making use green screening because most digital cameras pick up green better then other colors.

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