stock footage for greenscreen & other ?? at DVinfo.net

Lorinda Norton · August 10th, 2003, 01:53 AM

I'm driving cross-country with my son next week, with overnight stays at Cheyenne WY, Olathe KS, and Louisville KY--destination, Lehigh University in PA. For the most part we'll be driving at breakneck speeds, but is there must-have footage along that route and in PA? (I already know about the sagebrush and backsides of antelope in Wyoming :)

Also, I saw a chromakeyed commercial showing one of our senators standing with the beautiful Sawtooth Mountains in the background. Only trouble was, the far-off mountains were in perfect focus. It looked fake. So my question is, if I shoot anything at a distance with greenscreen work in mind, should I shoot some of it slightly out of focus? Seems like it should work, but does it?

Last questions: I'm flying home, so wondered, has anyone had experiences with last week's reportedly beefed up airport security measures aimed at electronic devices? And do you have special bags for your tripods and check them, or what? I'm only taking my camera and tripod, and thinking of mailing the latter home when I'm done, 'cause I wouldn't want to be mad at some airline employee for breaking it.

John Locke · August 10th, 2003, 02:01 AM

Lorinda,

Concerning your second question...I recommend you go ahead and shoot everything in focus. It's simple to blur the footage in post.

Steve Withers · August 10th, 2003, 02:04 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Lorinda Norton :
Also, I saw a chromakeyed commercial showing one of our senators standing with the beautiful Sawtooth Mountains in the background. Only trouble was, the far-off mountains were in perfect focus. It looked fake. So my question is, if I shoot anything at a distance with greenscreen work in mind, should I shoot some of it slightly out of focus? Seems like it should work, but does it? -->>>

I wouldn't shoot it out of focus.

You can always blur it in post (I've used After Effects for a little bit of greenscreening). You could probably apply a small gaussian blur to the background... maybe even animate it a little bit. Also, by doing it in post, you have more control over the amount of blur after you have your greenscreen footage to look at.

Lorinda Norton · August 10th, 2003, 02:16 AM

Okay, thanks, guys. I'm one of those people who tries to do as little post work as possible (I'm not that good at it!), but what you said sure makes sense.

Jeff Donald · August 10th, 2003, 08:20 AM

I've had several tripods damaged by airlines. I've tried the padded tripod bags, but i don't think they offer enough protection. I wrap the head with clothes and ship it in my luggage. You can also buy hard sided tripod cases, but you can't use them for anything else.

If you are taking the camera as carry on (which I recommend) be sure to have a fully charged battery on the camera. Security may ask you to power up any electrical device. If you can't power it up, it can't go on the plane. They will not hold the camera or give you a receipt for it, so you'll probably miss your flight.

Lorinda Norton · August 10th, 2003, 11:44 AM

Thanks for the tips, Jeff.

It was hard enough shipping my camera to Irvine for a service, so it's not getting out of my sight on the plane. I had padded, squishy cases custom made for the XL1s's. Taking the "extremities" off the cameras makes sure they fit under the airline seats pretty well. You've no doubt seen the way some people cram their stuff in those overheads. :)

August 10th, 2003, 01:53 AM	#1
Lorinda Norton Wrangler Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Southwest Idaho, USA Posts: 3,066	stock footage for greenscreen & other ?? I'm driving cross-country with my son next week, with overnight stays at Cheyenne WY, Olathe KS, and Louisville KY--destination, Lehigh University in PA. For the most part we'll be driving at breakneck speeds, but is there must-have footage along that route and in PA? (I already know about the sagebrush and backsides of antelope in Wyoming :) Also, I saw a chromakeyed commercial showing one of our senators standing with the beautiful Sawtooth Mountains in the background. Only trouble was, the far-off mountains were in perfect focus. It looked fake. So my question is, if I shoot anything at a distance with greenscreen work in mind, should I shoot some of it slightly out of focus? Seems like it should work, but does it? Last questions: I'm flying home, so wondered, has anyone had experiences with last week's reportedly beefed up airport security measures aimed at electronic devices? And do you have special bags for your tripods and check them, or what? I'm only taking my camera and tripod, and thinking of mailing the latter home when I'm done, 'cause I wouldn't want to be mad at some airline employee for breaking it. __________________ Lorinda

August 10th, 2003, 02:01 AM	#2
John Locke Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Austin, TX USA Posts: 2,882	Lorinda, Concerning your second question...I recommend you go ahead and shoot everything in focus. It's simple to blur the footage in post. __________________ John Locke SursumFilms.com

August 10th, 2003, 02:04 AM	#3
Steve Withers Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Haven, CT, USA Posts: 59	Re: stock footage for greenscreen & other ?? <<<-- Originally posted by Lorinda Norton : Also, I saw a chromakeyed commercial showing one of our senators standing with the beautiful Sawtooth Mountains in the background. Only trouble was, the far-off mountains were in perfect focus. It looked fake. So my question is, if I shoot anything at a distance with greenscreen work in mind, should I shoot some of it slightly out of focus? Seems like it should work, but does it? -->>> I wouldn't shoot it out of focus. You can always blur it in post (I've used After Effects for a little bit of greenscreening). You could probably apply a small gaussian blur to the background... maybe even animate it a little bit. Also, by doing it in post, you have more control over the amount of blur after you have your greenscreen footage to look at.

August 10th, 2003, 02:16 AM	#4
Lorinda Norton Wrangler Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Southwest Idaho, USA Posts: 3,066	Okay, thanks, guys. I'm one of those people who tries to do as little post work as possible (I'm not that good at it!), but what you said sure makes sense. __________________ Lorinda

August 10th, 2003, 08:20 AM	#5
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	I've had several tripods damaged by airlines. I've tried the padded tripod bags, but i don't think they offer enough protection. I wrap the head with clothes and ship it in my luggage. You can also buy hard sided tripod cases, but you can't use them for anything else. If you are taking the camera as carry on (which I recommend) be sure to have a fully charged battery on the camera. Security may ask you to power up any electrical device. If you can't power it up, it can't go on the plane. They will not hold the camera or give you a receipt for it, so you'll probably miss your flight. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

August 10th, 2003, 11:44 AM	#6
Lorinda Norton Wrangler Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Southwest Idaho, USA Posts: 3,066	Thanks for the tips, Jeff. It was hard enough shipping my camera to Irvine for a service, so it's not getting out of my sight on the plane. I had padded, squishy cases custom made for the XL1s's. Taking the "extremities" off the cameras makes sure they fit under the airline seats pretty well. You've no doubt seen the way some people cram their stuff in those overheads. :) __________________ Lorinda