Shooting Footage and Adding Special Effects at DVinfo.net

Benji Wade · October 30th, 2007, 07:25 PM

So I'm about to resume shooting a project this weekend and I was looking for some suggestions.

I'm using miniatures, specifically two wooden model ships, and I will be shooting them with long lenses and a 35mm adapter. The shots will be static but I'm interested in adding muzzle flashes and smoke and possibly some damage to the ships in post to make it look as if they're actually doing battle.

I imagine that using the XH-A1 for this task is less than ideal.

If you were forced to use an A1, what settings would you use? 30p? What about shutter speed? I don't intend to slow anything down...but if I did, it'd be nice to know if there's an optimal shutter speed. That being said, I don't think the Brevis ground glass vibrates quickly enough to accommodate a 1/120 shutter.

Anyhow, I'd love some suggestions. I won't be able to capture direct to a laptop for 4:2:2 color space, either.

All of that being said, would be it be wise to just forego using the A1 this weekend and renting an HVX for this part of the project?

Steve Yager · October 30th, 2007, 08:27 PM

Why would the HVX be better for this situation?

Shoot the frame rate that the other footage is shot in. You said you were resuming shooting something right?

The Letus is fine for 1/120, but I think above that it gets pretty grainy. I don't know about the Brevis.

A better person to talk to would be the person doing the FX for you. They can tell you how to shoot to help them get what they need.

I suggest Twixtor for slowing something down that you didn't have the foresight to plan ahead for. You could always shoot it in both 60i and 24f that way if you want to slow it down later, you can.

Bob Drummond · November 1st, 2007, 01:36 PM

It's more important for the person doing to FX to match what you shot than to worry about what you're shooting. Will these shots be part of a bigger project? How did you shoot the other footage? Did you shoot the other stuff 60i, 30p, or 24p? What shutter speed did you use for it?

I use lightwave 3d for most of my FX work. In lightwave it's very easy to match any of those parameters (frame rate, interlaced or progressive, and shuter speed). The point is that the fx work has to match exactly the setting you shot the live action plates with, or it won't composite together well.

As for the shutter speed, I would just find a "look" you like, and have the FX guys worry about matching it (it won't be hard).

You may be actually thinking of the old days of model photography in film where FX teams whould shoot models (Like Star Trek's Enterprise) with a higher frame-rate than intended. Then when the footage was played back at a normal 24fps, the model would appear to move with some weight. The A1 can't really shoot at a higher frame-rate, can it? So I would just set your shutter to match the frame mode (60 for 60i or 30p, and 48 for 24p).

October 30th, 2007, 07:25 PM	#1
Benji Wade Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Bozeman, MT Posts: 36	Shooting Footage and Adding Special Effects So I'm about to resume shooting a project this weekend and I was looking for some suggestions. I'm using miniatures, specifically two wooden model ships, and I will be shooting them with long lenses and a 35mm adapter. The shots will be static but I'm interested in adding muzzle flashes and smoke and possibly some damage to the ships in post to make it look as if they're actually doing battle. I imagine that using the XH-A1 for this task is less than ideal. If you were forced to use an A1, what settings would you use? 30p? What about shutter speed? I don't intend to slow anything down...but if I did, it'd be nice to know if there's an optimal shutter speed. That being said, I don't think the Brevis ground glass vibrates quickly enough to accommodate a 1/120 shutter. Anyhow, I'd love some suggestions. I won't be able to capture direct to a laptop for 4:2:2 color space, either. All of that being said, would be it be wise to just forego using the A1 this weekend and renting an HVX for this part of the project?

October 30th, 2007, 08:27 PM	#2
Steve Yager Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 157	Why would the HVX be better for this situation? Shoot the frame rate that the other footage is shot in. You said you were resuming shooting something right? The Letus is fine for 1/120, but I think above that it gets pretty grainy. I don't know about the Brevis. A better person to talk to would be the person doing the FX for you. They can tell you how to shoot to help them get what they need. I suggest Twixtor for slowing something down that you didn't have the foresight to plan ahead for. You could always shoot it in both 60i and 24f that way if you want to slow it down later, you can.

November 1st, 2007, 01:36 PM	#3
Bob Drummond Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 161	It's more important for the person doing to FX to match what you shot than to worry about what you're shooting. Will these shots be part of a bigger project? How did you shoot the other footage? Did you shoot the other stuff 60i, 30p, or 24p? What shutter speed did you use for it? I use lightwave 3d for most of my FX work. In lightwave it's very easy to match any of those parameters (frame rate, interlaced or progressive, and shuter speed). The point is that the fx work has to match exactly the setting you shot the live action plates with, or it won't composite together well. As for the shutter speed, I would just find a "look" you like, and have the FX guys worry about matching it (it won't be hard). You may be actually thinking of the old days of model photography in film where FX teams whould shoot models (Like Star Trek's Enterprise) with a higher frame-rate than intended. Then when the footage was played back at a normal 24fps, the model would appear to move with some weight. The A1 can't really shoot at a higher frame-rate, can it? So I would just set your shutter to match the frame mode (60 for 60i or 30p, and 48 for 24p).