Static Foreground, Activity in Background? at DVinfo.net

Frank Howard · May 29th, 2006, 09:12 PM

In a piece I'm working on, I'm working on a scene where the foreground would be frozen (as if in time) while a figure in the background is active. How is that accomplished? The opposite is fairly straight forward, but...

Many thanks from this naive...

K. Forman · May 30th, 2006, 05:48 AM

You would shoot your foreground scene, cut out the background, and lay it over the top of your new background. Since you don't mention what programs you have, you might need to do this differently-

Take a single frame, and export it into photoshop. You will then paint over everything that is supposed to move. Use a single color that you can use for a chroma key. Then, lay it over top of the background, and key out the colored in portion.

You will need to extend the length of that single frame to match the length of the background video.

Frank Howard · May 31st, 2006, 08:13 AM

Doh!
Of course. Thanks a million Keith.

Jean-Francois Robichaud · June 1st, 2006, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Forman

Take a single frame, and export it into photoshop. You will then paint over everything that is supposed to move. Use a single color that you can use for a chroma key. Then, lay it over top of the background, and key out the colored in portion.

Instead, while in Photoshop, erase the areas you don't want and save in photoshop format (or anything else that can keep an alpha channel). Just import that file in your NLE. There is no need to do a color key, as the areas are already transparent.

Also, instead of starting with a video frame, you might be better off starting with a digital still photo, which would give you better resolution, options for reframing, and no interlacing artifacts.

Emre Safak · June 1st, 2006, 06:31 PM

If you are going to use a matte, like J-F describes, then be sure to add the grain back in otherwise it will look suspect.

Frank Howard · July 2nd, 2006, 08:22 PM

Thanks all. I think for my purposes Keith's approach will be the best because it will be easy enough to film the area twice as long as I block it correctly.

May 29th, 2006, 09:12 PM	#1
Frank Howard Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 157	Static Foreground, Activity in Background? In a piece I'm working on, I'm working on a scene where the foreground would be frozen (as if in time) while a figure in the background is active. How is that accomplished? The opposite is fairly straight forward, but... Many thanks from this naive...

May 30th, 2006, 05:48 AM	#2
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	You would shoot your foreground scene, cut out the background, and lay it over the top of your new background. Since you don't mention what programs you have, you might need to do this differently- Take a single frame, and export it into photoshop. You will then paint over everything that is supposed to move. Use a single color that you can use for a chroma key. Then, lay it over top of the background, and key out the colored in portion. You will need to extend the length of that single frame to match the length of the background video. __________________ www.SmokeWagonLeather.us

May 31st, 2006, 08:13 AM	#3
Frank Howard Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 157	Doh! Of course. Thanks a million Keith.

June 1st, 2006, 06:31 PM	#5
Emre Safak Trustee Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brookline, MA Posts: 1,447	If you are going to use a matte, like J-F describes, then be sure to add the grain back in otherwise it will look suspect.

July 2nd, 2006, 08:22 PM	#6
Frank Howard Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 157	Thanks all. I think for my purposes Keith's approach will be the best because it will be easy enough to film the area twice as long as I block it correctly.