More Green Screen Footages(II)

RapidShareLink: http://rapidshare.com/files/440510630/G_SD_listening_to_music_MS.avi


RapidShareLink: http://rapidshare.com/files/440514181/Movie_07__02981_.mp4

What is “Rotoscoping”? (Part II)

For a quality keying process (Blue Screen, Green Screen, etc) rotoscoping is most important thing. In keying rotoscoping process can be use in two separate ways; one is “Effect Mask” another one is “Garbage Matte”. If we use any roto shape as “effects mask” it will help to control the area, where you wants to apply the effects of keying in particular area of footage or where you do not wants to apply the effects. But we use roto shape in keying process as “Garbage Matte” when we wants to remove any un-wanted area from the footage which is not required any more to the next level of production/output. So it is quite clear that rotoscoping is very important to control the keying process. Hope the below mentioned examples (created in Fusion) will help to communicate the importance of rotoscoping in a keying process as “effect mask” and as “Garbage Matte” more clearly, .

Example I:

RapidShare Download link: http://rapidshare.com/files/440510630/G_SD_listening_to_music_MS.avi
Footage Description: Sourav acted in front of green screen, when he was student; now he is working in Red Chillies Vfx. Using this footage you can create a composition of a mobile ad, like; he is listening to music and environment is dancing behind him, he is standing in a bus stand, he is standing beside a busy road etc. Now think about a good composition which is suitable for your showreel/demo reel, its free to use. But you can’t use it for commercial purpose.

Original Footage Print Screen:

In this example footage; nothing is important in the scene except the character and his props so you can easily define the area of “Garbage Matte” something like this:

If you create this “Garbage Matte”, then only you can able to concentrate on the details of hair and props. If you study the footage, the movement of the character is very minimum and as we are using keying conception, in that case you can use rough rotoshape to remove garbage area. The keying process will return you the cut-out/matte to composite the character with any BG.

Problem area in Matte:

In this example, rotoscoping as “Effect mask” is also important. When I am using keying method, I am facing problem to maintain solide matte for those area of sunglass where the specular is coming and bright reflection is also coming. For this area I used rotoscoping technique to remove the effect of keying. In that way I maintain this area opaque.

Final output matte/cut-out:

Example II:

RapidShare Download Link: http://rapidshare.com/files/440514181/Movie_07__02981_.mp4
Original Footage Print Screen:

In this example footage a small girl is dauncing; in that case the character is moving very fast in a wide range of area in front of green screen, according to the requirement of the music ( Gazab.mp3). That’s why I have defined the area outside of green screen only as “Garbage Matte” using multiple roto shapes.

You can use one roto shape also; you can also use roto shape very close to character to get more perfect output. But in that case you have to animate the roto shape more accurately. In my example, I had animated the shape roughly.

Final output:

N.B. : In keying process, to support keying, you can do that but in case of stereoscopic conversation and to create cutout/matte of character/object from BG you need 100% perfection. I shall discuss that section very soon with example in “What is “Rotoscoping”? (Part III)”. Your suggestions and comments are always welcome to improve and rectify my knowledge. If you are a professional please do comments on my post, I shall be grateful to you. Once again "Wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year", enjoy.

Creation method of "Happy New Year 2011" text effects in fusion:

To use this tutorial you need some basic knowledge of Fusion. Without basic knowledge this tutorial can’t help you to create the effects as showing in output video.

Part I:
RapidShare Link for Quality video: http://rapidshare.com/files/440566486/Making_of_HappyNewYear2011_in_Fusion_PartI.wmv



Part II:
RapidShare Link for Quality video: http://rapidshare.com/files/440568178/Making_of_HappyNewYear2011_in_Fusion_PartII.wmv

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

How you can create these effects in fusion? I shall publish the creation method shortly.

Matchmovie Example footage 2 Stage 1

Footage download link:
http://rapidshare.com/files/439620015/Movie_10__02747_.mov

"Now start your pre-production, what you can do with the footage. I shall publish my thinking in several stages."

What is “Rotoscoping”? ( Part I )

For a VFX/Compositing artist “Rotoscoping” is the technique to cut object or objects out of the scene, frame by frame, by creating a musk/matte using any process. In another way, animated mask to cut object or objects out of the scene is called “Rotoscoping”. In VFX/Compositing one more thing is also known as “Rotoscoping”; painting an object or objects out of the scene, frame by frame.

Now a day, “rotoscoping” is an obvious technique for a VFX artist/production house to achieve the desired result for a scene. Not only that, you can convert your 2d images/movie from 2d to 3d(stereoscopic) movie by a software like View D(Developed by Prime Focus) after creating proper matte/alpha channel by rotoscoping technique. In the present scenario if you want to be a vfx artist, rotoscoping is the 1st step to start your career. If you wants to be a good vfx artist, 1st you have to be a good rotoscoping artist also.

In India most of the production houses have the maximum number of artist in rotoscoping department working for a big number of Hollywood and Bollywood blockbusters. They are working for different types of job like conversation, restoration, cleanup, compositing, enhancement etc.

Most popular softwares for rotoscoping are:
1. Fusion
2. Shake
3. Combustion
4. Aftereffects
5. Nuke
6. Silhouette

Almost all the production houses in India are using Fusion, Shake, Silhouette etc. but they are upgrading their pipeline to Nuke very fast. As per my knowledge within next 2 years it will happen that everybody will use Nuke. Fusion is the most user-friendly node based compositing software, that’s why artist always prefer Fusion.

Software maybe any one of the above, it does not matter, just you need to have a good idea and technical knowledge of rotoscoping. If you have it then you can easily get entry into this industry as rotoscoping artist.

If you want to be a good rotoscoping artist then just follow the following things, you will be successful:
1. If you are practicing then, create a layout on the footage as they (production head) do it for their rotoscoping artist.
2. Play the footage again and again to read the movements of object or objects which you have to cut out of the scene in the footage.
3. Now start placing roto shape according to given layout. In most of the case we use roto shape with soft edge and motion blur according to objects motion. But in 95% case of 2d to 3d(stereoscopic) conversation you have to use hard roto shape. It may be blur as per requirement.
4. Now the breakdown of the footage for roto shape animation, say for example the duration of the footage is 96 frames. In step one animate the shape in a breakdown of 1-32-64-96. In step two animate the shape in 16-48-80 and thereafter 8-24-40-56-72-88 in next step 4-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 now 2-6-10-14-18-22-26-30-34-38-42-46-50-54-58-62-66-70-74-78-82-86-90-94. If you follow the same pattern, in next step your rotoscoping will complete all the frames. If the motion of object is not maximum then only you can skip frame otherwise you have to match the animated roto shape frame by frame with 100% perfection, because production houses are looking for that.

A seminar - Usage of 3D animation and Vfx for Ad Films and Live action Movie