the Predator chameleon/camouflage effect... How? at DVinfo.net

Dylan Couper · September 15th, 2007, 11:08 AM

I need to recreate the Predator (you've all seen it by now) chameleon/camouflage effect.

Can anyone tell me the easiest way to do it, what software would handle it the best?

I have both Mac and PC solutions available.

If anyone's ever seen a tutorial on it on the web, that would be great too.

Thanks!

Daniel Ross · September 15th, 2007, 11:09 AM

That's just infra-red, basically, right?

Use various filters and see what happens.

Filters like posterize, solarize, etc., would help.

You could also just shoot with nightvision, then change the colors around.

EDIT:
http://www.xbox.com/NR/rdonlyres/271...tercell005.jpg

After looking at that... let's see.

It does seem a bit difficult.

The night vision idea is promising, I think.

That you'd want to use levels/curves with individual colors to bring it out the right way.

You would really need to film heat to get the exact look you want, so you'll just have to play with it to find the right way to do it.

One important question is whether you have shot the footage yet or not. If not, you can find some big ways to help while shooting.

For example, shoot someone with a bright red outfit. Then don't like the background much. Use the red channel, and you've got a good start.

You could also go the route of masking/etc to get it to look right. Or shoot on a blue/greenscreen and make the foreground elements stand out a bit more.

Dylan Couper · September 15th, 2007, 11:44 AM

Hey Daniel

No, sorry, I mean the chameleon type invisibility camouflage effect of the Predator's cloaking device.

I did want to know about how to do the infrared effect too though, thanks, I'll test the red-suit duy/red channel and see how that works too.

Emre Safak · September 15th, 2007, 12:32 PM

http://www.digitalvideofuel.com/predator.htm

Dylan Couper · September 15th, 2007, 01:40 PM

Emre, you rock!
Thanks

Daniel Ross · September 15th, 2007, 07:44 PM

By the way, I quickly typed "red suit/red channel" without a lot of thought. It is certainly an option, but you should look into various ways to achieve the effect, and which channel might work the best.

The tutorial above seems simple enough. Using the displacement map is the key, obviously, no matter how you get to that point (though greenscreen is certainly a good option).

September 15th, 2007, 11:08 AM	#1
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	the Predator chameleon/camouflage effect... How? I need to recreate the Predator (you've all seen it by now) chameleon/camouflage effect. Can anyone tell me the easiest way to do it, what software would handle it the best? I have both Mac and PC solutions available. If anyone's ever seen a tutorial on it on the web, that would be great too. Thanks! __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

September 15th, 2007, 11:44 AM	#3
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	Hey Daniel No, sorry, I mean the chameleon type invisibility camouflage effect of the Predator's cloaking device. I did want to know about how to do the infrared effect too though, thanks, I'll test the red-suit duy/red channel and see how that works too. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

September 15th, 2007, 01:40 PM	#5
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	Emre, you rock! Thanks __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

September 15th, 2007, 11:09 AM	#2
Daniel Ross Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Marin & Davis, CA, USA Posts: 418	That's just infra-red, basically, right? Use various filters and see what happens. Filters like posterize, solarize, etc., would help. You could also just shoot with nightvision, then change the colors around. EDIT: http://www.xbox.com/NR/rdonlyres/271...tercell005.jpg After looking at that... let's see. It does seem a bit difficult. The night vision idea is promising, I think. That you'd want to use levels/curves with individual colors to bring it out the right way. You would really need to film heat to get the exact look you want, so you'll just have to play with it to find the right way to do it. One important question is whether you have shot the footage yet or not. If not, you can find some big ways to help while shooting. For example, shoot someone with a bright red outfit. Then don't like the background much. Use the red channel, and you've got a good start. You could also go the route of masking/etc to get it to look right. Or shoot on a blue/greenscreen and make the foreground elements stand out a bit more.

September 15th, 2007, 12:32 PM	#4
Emre Safak Trustee Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brookline, MA Posts: 1,447	http://www.digitalvideofuel.com/predator.htm

September 15th, 2007, 07:44 PM	#6
Daniel Ross Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Marin & Davis, CA, USA Posts: 418	By the way, I quickly typed "red suit/red channel" without a lot of thought. It is certainly an option, but you should look into various ways to achieve the effect, and which channel might work the best. The tutorial above seems simple enough. Using the displacement map is the key, obviously, no matter how you get to that point (though greenscreen is certainly a good option).