"3D" effect with stills

[Evan Shaw]

Lately I've been noticing that alot of sequences are using an effect that seems to take the subject of a still photo and make it stand out from the rest of the frame. It seems that the subject might have been cut out and then overlayed on a slightly blurred or defocused background, but I'm not sure. Maybe this has been going on for quite a while and I'm just now catching on. Anyway, if anyone knows how this is being done that'd be great because I'm working on some projects soon that can really benefit from this.

Here's an example.

www.pittsburghpirates.com The video should play automatically, but if it doesn't, just click on the video link for the Pirates history on the right side of the screen. Thanks a lot.

Also if this should have been posted somewhere else feel free to move it.

Thanks
Evan

[Jim Montgomery]

Check out Cutting Class:Moving Pictures. Be prepared for a long session to accomplish this task!

http://www.digitaljuice.com/djtv/seg...how=all_videos

[Grant Harrington]

Originally Posted by Evan Shaw

It seems that the subject might have been cut out and then overlayed on a slightly blurred or defocused background, but I'm not sure.

Photoshop or other similar photo editor is needed for sure. Look at the tutorial Jim posted, I've already bookmarked it. Seems like a cool new effect to add to my workflow.

Grant

[Jim Fields]

It is not hard to do simple motion pictures. I try to include at least 1 or 2 in my montages now.

I use Photoshop, and Motion. Thats all. Takes more time in PS than anything, and layers are your friend.

Here is an older Montage I did for a wedding project, sorry about the crummy You Tube version.

Hint: Looks for candle flames, water, weeds, and more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AmyWq-pzs4

[Andrew Garland]

Very nice montage Jim. I liked your additions to the photographs. It really made the pictures stand out. May I ask how you did the photo book effects? Was that a pre-made CG video that you dropped the pictures into or did you create it all from scratch?

[Jim Fields]

Originally Posted by Andrew Garland

Very nice montage Jim. I liked your additions to the photographs. It really made the pictures stand out. May I ask how you did the photo book effects? Was that a pre-made CG video that you dropped the pictures into or did you create it all from scratch?

Ok, secret is out.......iMovie.

I used basic templates in iMovie, took 5 minutes to do. I then placed those several movies in the timeline of FCP and cut them up, slowed down certain parts, keyframed, moved, placed, speed up, slowed down, until it was just right. Took alot longer to work it in FCP than it did to come up with the idea, and make in iMovie.

[Dick Campbell]

Maybe you are thinking of something like this?

Animated Still (lo-res ver)

[David Scattergood]

^^ That's the one.
I've seen other examples were the 'cut out subjects' are turned into 2D flat paper shapes (so you eventually see them 'thin side on').
I guess that takes a little more technique but essentially just another PS tool.
You could play around with this and other PS/FCP plug ins to your hearts content and your minds furthest reaches....I never picked up PhotoShop (I miss it) when I transferred to the mac, I guess ebay's a callin.

[Neil Rostance]

http://fatfreemedia.co.uk/Files/photomontage.mov

It's the only way i use stills now, brings them to life.

If you're a FC Studio user, and you've got photoshop, you're sorted.

Open the image into Photoshop, then seperate the main components into 3-4 layers.

In Motion you can import PSD Files and their seperate layers, then animate each layer individually.

Only problem you have to overcome is when moving one layer, gaps will appear, but nothing that a little clever clone stamping can't cover up.

Good luck with the effect...

[Giroud Francois]

you seems to be all on Mac, but there is a software for windows called gITIP that doest the trick easily.
If you got a mac with some way to run XP, it could work for you
great samples in the Download section
http://www.cse.ust.hk/~cpegnel/glTIP/

[Dick Campbell]

Only problem you have to overcome is when moving one layer, gaps will appear,

To eliminate gaps, go back to the original image as the total background, and use the "smudge" tool around the areas that have been cut out - not noticeable unless you look really hard.

[Evan Shaw]

Yep, thats what I'm looking for! I've been playing with Photoshop all day and I'm starting to figure it out. Tomorrow I'll throw it into Motion. Thanks a lot!

Evan