Painting an object out of a moving shot
This is a rough test to see if it’s possible to paint out a moving object from a moving shot.
Obviously this is possible, but it is very hard as one would have to go in frame by frame and even then there would be a strange jittering where the object was. I used a different, easier and faster approach to tackle this. Using 3d motion tracking software and basic camera mapping, one can achieve the effect quite easily.
This is only the first (but usually the most important) stage of a complex visual effects shot. After one is able to remove a person, and construct a ‘clean’ plate behind him, one can do all sorts of things with the person, like having him disintegrate into particles. Again, these effects are easy with a static camera or with bluescreen/ greenscreen footage, but this shot is real; the guy (Lars) is really running at the location, and the bit where he disappears is constructed from the same shot. It is not a 3d environment or anything else like that. The moving camera is also real and ‘live’
This might be a bit technical, and the end effect as it is isn’t that great (there’s no ‘wow’ factor) but as I said, it’s only the first stage of a scala of nice effects that wouldn’t otherwise be possible, or much more expensive to achieve.
Julius Horsthuis
Comments
I am very curious how you used camera tracking to paint out Lars. Do you perhaps have tips where I could learn the basic of camera mapping and motion tracking.
How & where did you start? (books, links, online tutorials...)
Thanks,
Zoot
for this one example I really don't know any tutorials, maybe I'll write one myself when I have some time. For now, about camera mapping, I only know some cool tutorials from Chris Stoski, he's a matte painter but uses camera mapping for some fake 3d effects, very cool stuff. It should get you through the basics. On motion tracking there's a lot,it depends what software you use, such as boujou or pftrack. Most software come with a easy to follow tut.
good luck!