• Location: In The Mouse Hole
  • Joined: December 5, 2011

Topic: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

In my up-coming film I wish for all my interior sets to have ceilings. After building the first set and attempting to take a few test shots I found that every now and then the ceiling would shake a little and I'd have to restart from scratch.

The way I build the ceiling was first to line the top of the set with flat bricks then line the bottom of the ceiling set with even more flat bricks and piece them together with a hinge on the back of the set and every time I wish to animate the character(s) I'd just lift the ceiling up - move the character(s) - Lift the ceiling back down and take the shot.

For the first few frame this works perfectly and I am really happy with the footage but after shooting a whole scene I would notice I slight shake in the ceiling. I then get really frustrated and decide to start from scratch but after two attempts of filming like this the outcome is still the same, shaky.

I would like to know if anyone has any solutions for this problem other than to just not filming with a ceiling.

Thank You  -AngryMouse-

AngryMouse - Youtube
  • Location: Welcome to Darkmoor
  • Joined: March 27, 2011

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

I usually just have rooms with tall walls. mini/tongue

I'd kinda like to have sets with ceilings. But the biggest problem with it is the lighting, as the ceiling blocks your lamps. So the only way to properly light it is to actually build light sources into your sets (lamps, windows, chandeliers, ceiling lights, et cetera).

-Squid | Twitter | Welcome to Darkmoor

Squid's Website

  • Location: In The Mouse Hole
  • Joined: December 5, 2011

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

Because the set I've build is an office building what I've done is put hole is the ceiling and taped paper over these holes and then attached a florecent light to the ceiling, on camera it gives a brilliant lighting affect, although I may have the issue you have later when I have to film in a normal house , i suppose i'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it mini/wink

AngryMouse - Youtube
  • Location: Somewhere only I know
  • Joined: April 7, 2011

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

Onion-skinning.

Youtube]
  • Location: In The Mouse Hole
  • Joined: December 5, 2011

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

What does that mean?

AngryMouse - Youtube
  • Location: East Yorkshire, UK.
  • Joined: December 27, 2008

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

If the camera isn't moving, just add a ceiling in post production... not sure how onion skinning would help this Mr Rundown... lol

Straight to the Biscuits

Rsteenoven's Website

  • Location: In The Mouse Hole
  • Joined: December 5, 2011

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

I didn't even think of doing that xD although I'd have to match up the lighting and my camera is moving so it's probalby not the best route for me to take :S

AngryMouse - Youtube
  • Location: East Yorkshire, UK.
  • Joined: December 27, 2008

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

Whats the shot like? is it high res? You'd just need to track the scene then parent the ceiling to the track.

Straight to the Biscuits

Rsteenoven's Website

  • Location: In The Mouse Hole
  • Joined: December 5, 2011

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

The camera tracks the side of the character through an office building but when he reaches an elevator the camera turns to show his back, then when he enters the elevator the camera does a 180 degree turn around the lift to again only show his back. So lots of camera movement.

Last edited by AngryMouse (December 9, 2011 (09:38am))

AngryMouse - Youtube
  • Location: Seattle-ish
  • Joined: May 2, 2009

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

The hinged roof is a clever idea. I'll have to try my hand at it sometime.

YouTube | Voice Acting | Twitter

Jargon's Website

  • Location: In The Mouse Hole
  • Joined: December 5, 2011

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

I would take a picture to show you but my camera is placed and set up to film a scene.

AngryMouse - Youtube
  • Location: East Yorkshire, UK.
  • Joined: December 27, 2008

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

Ah okay sounds like you'd have to 3d track it, but yeah I like the hinged roof idea.

Straight to the Biscuits

Rsteenoven's Website

  • Location: In The Mouse Hole
  • Joined: December 5, 2011

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

I'm starting to think I should copyright the design for the hinged ceiling mini/lol JK

AngryMouse - Youtube
  • Location: gone
  • Joined: November 27, 2010

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

I think Mr.Rundown meant you use onionskinning to have the celing in the same place in every frame.

Anyway, I think you should use a wall of bricks turned on its side for the celing.  The major advantage of this is you get to build in light fixtures (clear bricks for flourecent lights, for example) so you get more even lighting.  I call it an Elyar wall, after the person who uses it often, Alex Elyar (Profound Whatever on Flickr).  You can add your hinge thing to that, but make it secure so it doesn't move from side to side when you open and close it.  Smooth hinges will be better than click hinges for this (click hinges jolt things, which loosens connections).

Personally, I don't film with celings so I get even lighting (having the right lighting is crutial for the webcam I have, a Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000).

Last edited by minifig051 (December 9, 2011 (03:50pm))

Not literally dead, just no longer interested in Lego or animation.
  • Location: California
  • Joined: December 18, 2010

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

Here is a pic from mobiledeli's setup for a scene in Egyptian Holiday.

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab3/mobiledeli89/IMG_1236.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/RnPzz.png
*Signature made by Mighty Wanderer*
Youtube | Twitter

coolasice11's Website

  • Location: In The Mouse Hole
  • Joined: December 5, 2011

Re: Tip On Animating An Interior Shot With A Ceiling

Ill give the upside down ceiling thing a try for my bar scene as there are no holes needed in that set. I suppose I best change the hinge I'm currently using to a different one and see how that turns out. Also I'm using 2 QC9000's to shoot every scene and I've found that lighting has never been an issue.

Thankyou for the tip coolasice I think you might just of found the solution mini/wink although I cannot be positive untill after the weekend due to the fact I'm away from my set and cannot modify it.

AngryMouse - Youtube