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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
I have been asked to help with a school video production project. The kids are doing an "Invisisible Man" type story. Among other things, I am looking for ideas (cheap!) and how to make a notebook "float" down a hall, turn the pages of a book on a desk, move food as if it's being eaten, and have a telephone receiver float in the air as if it's being used by Ms. Invisible.
Any and all ideas will be appreciated. P.S. I will have access to "blue screen" technology, albiet a bit primitive. |
benscholz99 Loyal user 282 Posts |
Cover someone in the green material and have them eat the food or whatever. They used the green stuff for Harry Potter's invisibility cloak...so I'm sure that you can actualy have a person performing the wanted/necessary actions.
Ben |
KerryJK Special user Northampton UK 621 Posts |
Three of those four all sound like a job for IT, the fourth (the food being eaten), maybe magnets and an unseen operator under the table?
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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
The only problem with the "green" covering is it's not as easy as it seems. Remember, Hollywood has millions of dollars worth of equipment. The "blue screen" technology (or green, or pink, or whatever -- they all work) -- called chromakey -- that's available to me has some drawbacks, the main being that any shadows (wrinkles in the cloth, uneven lighting on the set, etc.) that vary much from the "key" color will show as ripples or breaks in the background. It's really hard to make look good. Additionally, there tends to be an outline around the subject. It can be made to look good, especially when in a very controlled environment like a studio with someone seated at an anchor desk, but for a lot of action like I'm looking for it's a tough piece of steak.
I still have to run a few test shots, but I think I will use the chromakey for the floating notebook. I've tried IT. The objects are just to big and heavy, requiring thicker thread which, so far, has photographed. Also, objects don't look as though they are really being held, as it's been difficult making smooth motions; things tend to resut in a "swinging" effect. I am really developing a new respect for SFX peoplem, as well as magicians who use things like the Don Wayne ball on stage. |
David Bilan Special user Clarksville, TN 714 Posts |
I had a student use a blue spandex suit and Adobe Premier in post to do the Chroma. Interesting thing was, it looked like the Hollow Man or specific scenes in Predator. If you want true invisibility, that probably won't work. On the other hand, if the script mentioned that people "thought" they saw something...
Regular fishing line works if the lighting is right. Remember, it only has to look good from one angle. If you use line/thread, use more than one, the item swings less. If you can do a lot of cuts and have the food on a pedestal, you coule always edit each bite... Remember, you aren't doing magic, you're making movies. Cheating doesn't count here. Good luck.
Yes, I am a magician. No I did not make my hare (hair) disappear... it just took early retirement.
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Jaz Inner circle NJ, U.S. 6111 Posts |
How about Black Art?
Check "The deceptive side of magic" topic. Videos and stage productions have used black art. |
mghia Veteran user Kymystical 387 Posts |
Don't try to float an actual object that might be too heavy. Think of a book made in styro or balsa wood. Hollow out the notebook so only the edges are left.
Use a fan to blow a book open and over dub the sound so it can not be heard. If you are clever you will anchor everything else down and make sure there is nothing in the shot that would blow in the breeze. This reminds me of a story I once saw about Jurassic Park. They were trying all sorts of way to make the water ripple in a cup when the T-Rex was coming. They eventually came up with putting a subwoofer under the cup to make the effect. EASY CHEAP and not their first thought. Don't under estimate the classic use of fish line and rods to move objects. The benefit of video is that you can set your lighting and angles to the aids will not be seen. Think Black Art. |
Andini Special user Columbus, OH 685 Posts |
To make the pages turn, IT is no problem for this. Just have someone out of frame to pull the strings.
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Starrpower Inner circle 4070 Posts |
UPDATE:
Here's a few of the simple ideas I employed very successfully. As with most things, it turned out the simple, low-tech solutions were the best. To make a chair, as if someone were moving it to sit down, I had someone lie on the floor and move it by its legs! We shot all but the bottom of the leg, and it looked great. To turn the pages in the book, I had someone slowly riffle the pages, on by one. We shot so their hand was just out of the frame. In editing, we reversed the footage so it was played backwrds. Again, it looked fantastic. Very spooky. |
Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
Starrpower,
I think you are passing out some very valuable trade secrets! Low tech frequently knocks the socks off high tech in good production. Simple frame control is one of the best bargains out there! Bob Magic By Sander |
sullivanl Loyal user 277 Posts |
Carefully crafted angles and a steel rod will work - keep it hidden from the lens.
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Hey Song New user 88 Posts |
I have used blue screen and green screen before and it is not that easy. I one time had an idea for a Copperfield-type illusion doing that stuff and then (with editing) walk through a locker. It is simalar to the Statue of liberty vanish where Copperfield used fake footage that the helicopeter supposedly recorded.
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ScottRSullivan Special user 874 Posts |
Bob, you hit upon a very key thing: low key usually looks better than high tech.
For example, during the shooting of 2001, they had access to computer control motors to make the astronauts 'float' outside the ship in their spacesuits. Kubrik insisted they not use that and go with black wires run over a pully that was raised and lowered by a couple guys off camera. He said it looked more 'organic' than the computer. Glad you got some great footage! Warm regards, Scott |
mvmagic Inner circle Has written 1322 Posts |
Really good tips have been given here. You allready tried reversing the footage, Experiment with that. Also thin steel wire (stiff, not a piano wire) can be used for many effects.
Also, look into split screen. That can give you amazing results. I have made a creature that sat on a table and was "alive". That was shot split screen. I was under the table, operating the thing and the scene was shot from the side, me clearly visible. Then an empty plate was shot and using a video mixer the shots were mixed together so that the view underneath the table came from the clean plate. Certainly it calls for locked-off camera (unlikely you have a motion-control rig...) but results are great. You could do things like floating an object thru an opening or the like. Once a tool cabinet was needed to suddenly shoot out all of its contents. We mocked up a room (just two walls) and had the cabinet attached to the ceiling. We had the camera on a 90 degree angle so the room looked normal and the cabinet was on the wall instead of the ceiling. Things we then just dropped from above, thru the cabinet and they appeared to flying straight out of the cabinet. Having a similar set-up and hanging a prop from a thread gives you some interesting movement as the scene looks its upright and the swaying movement happens in wrong direction-looks kinda eerie actually. You can test this really easy. Take a large box (like a TV) box and attach a light video camera to the floor of the box. Add something to the floor (like dolhouse furniture) to give some clue of orientation. Now turn the box on its side-camera still sees the floor being horizontal and you can doo all sort of neat things. REALLY cool!
Sent from my Typewriter
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