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Topic: Collage of Questions

Here's the scenario.

I've written the screenplay, drew storyboards, and built about 45% of the scenery.

However, I have a couple of questions regarding the scene.

The first part is outside. I don't have alot of bricks to constitute the "countryside".

1. Background. Should I buy a blue poster board? Or is it better to buy a poster board to chroma-key a fake background?

2. Clouds. I was wanting to place LEGO built clouds above the scene but didn't know if I should build them on stands and mask them in, or digitally insert them.

3. Surrounding area. I started getting interested in matte paintings after reading a book about special effects that was published circa 1980's. I was thinking of painting a LEGO like effect matte (maybe a bit realistic, like on the boxes?) Or should I go the digital route and digitally insert LEGO scenery?

I kinda get nervous to doing digital effects because they usually turn out so out of place.

Considering showing my storyboards. I may also have some questions concerning lighting with those clip on lamps mini/eek

Sorry for all the questions, haven't done it in awhile.

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Re: Collage of Questions

1. Don't try chroma keying.... It's super hard.

2. Why not just stick them to the poster board with Bluetac?

3. Go to Bricklink, buy some real bricks. It's worth it.

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Re: Collage of Questions

If you can avoid doing chroma keying, avoid it, I'm saying that as someone who is doing some chroma keying right now, green/blue screens take a lot of time to set up correctly and good results are hard to get. If you need to add background stuff you can always use some micro-scale models force perspective in.

If you want to animate the clouds I would use support rigs from the top, masking is not to hard especially if you are just replacing blue sky.

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Re: Collage of Questions

Okay.

Thanks for the help so far. mini/smile

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Re: Collage of Questions

You can try chroma keying.  It may be hard, but you'll never succeed if you don't try it!

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Re: Collage of Questions

It all depends on your skills. If you can do green screen (or better yet, blue screen), go for it. You can buy a blue posterboard, try bluescreening with it, and if it doesn't work, use it as a sky. If you'll be looking at the sky a lot, you may want to bluescreen the sky. As for clouds, hanging them from the top and masking is a goodie, but remember that you will be masking a lot of frames! Don't stick them to posterboard with tac or tape or anything, because it'll leave a mark on the board. Even fingerprints leave marks on posterboard, so be careful.

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Re: Collage of Questions

Don't chroma key. It's especially difficult to pull off with LEGO because plastic is so shiny and reflective. Plus, it almost never looks that good. Blue posterboard works just fine for the sky (it's what I do).

Digitally inserting brick-built clouds shouldn't be that much of a pain, assuming nothing in the foreground overlaps with the clouds. If there is overlap, you'll have to do some masking. What programs do you have?

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Re: Collage of Questions

What works best for you?
I agree with everyone here, but try both the poster board and also try chroma keying. Who knows, you might be spectacular at chroma keying, or a boss at just using poster board. Just go and try everything and do a variety for coverage mini/smile . Find what you prefer.

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Re: Collage of Questions

Regardless of what you do the further back your backdrop is from the set and the camera the better, if you aren't using a webcam you won't be forced to shoot with a wide angle lens so you should be able to move the backdrop back quite a bit. That way any imperfections won't be in focus and be all bokeh'ed out. Also if you have the space and lights use different lights to light your backdrop then you use to light your regular set.

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Re: Collage of Questions

I second the anti-chroma key sentiment here. It's no less professional to use a backdrop, it's just more practical and likely to produce better results than even a good chroma key effect. Even in the business, chroma keying is generally a last resort for things that can't be achieved by other means.

As for the clouds, if they're not moving and the camera isn't moving, I'd probably insert them digitally, so as to avoid the danger of them getting bumped or casting shadows in the animation. This kind of thing always depends on what exactly you want the shot to look like.

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Re: Collage of Questions

Thanks for the advice, guys!

I use a variety of programs.

Photoshop CS2
GIMP 2.8

After Effects
Adobe Premiere
LS Maker? (Don't really use much)

Really, my goal is to not do too much in POST production with retouching and etc.

I've decided to insert the clouds digitally; I'm guessing I can translate their positions if I wanted a little "drift" and have them as a little background element (I've tried hanging them up... the shadows were just like everyone predicted casting all over the background.).

Anyway, I'll keep trying. I'll post my decisions after I get the shot.

Once again thanks to you guys it narrowed down my ideas of what to do. mini/smile

God, I love this community.

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