Removing Reflections in After Effects 7

[Machine_Rebirth]

I've just recently started using the adobe suite and need help removing a reflection in a window of someone that wasn't supposed to be in a scene. If anyone can help me I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

[kai]

you could use the pen tool to create a mask in the window, cutting it out. Then just place another clean glass shot behind the layer. If your camera is moving it just got a whole lot more complicated.

[Machine_Rebirth]

I appreciate that kai and *crossing fingers* I hope it works...

[Neil Rowe]

..yeah, pending your background in the reflection, you might be able to get away with cloning the surrounding portion of the reflection using the clone tool within the layer view for that layer. however ..as Kai said. if the camera was moving .. your day just got more interesting.

[SomewhereinLA]

seeing a frame would be helpfull

[dailyrushes]

I don't recall if After Effects has "Lighting Effects" but Adobe Premiere Pro does, and it works to minimize the light on one part of a scene and enhance (with colors if you want) another.

If the reflection isn't too bad, you can just minimize it with lighting effects.

[grahamdunn]

If there's a moment in the scene where your character is not in front of the window, then essentially you have what's called a "clean plate," where there's no reflection whatsoever. If you make this frame a still that lasts as long as the person's reflection, you can fix your problem. Put the clean layer under your reflecting video in the timeline, and use a mask (you might have to key frame mask position) to cut out the reflection. What shows through will be the clean glass. Hope that helps!
Graham

[Machine_Rebirth]

Sorry I haven't replied back sooner... I am really grateful for everyone's help on this problem that I had.

[kai]

How did it turn out for ya?

[Matt Grunau]

yeah, we wanna see some before and afters!

[Machine_Rebirth]

I haven't been able to make it work...I couldn't find a scene where the reflection wasn't there. So I assume that I need to try the pen tool to create a mask as my other option to remove it. Also i'm not real familiar with using adobe products so I don't know how to show you a before and after of the frame anyway. If anyone knows let me know and i'll show you...

I thought about trying to take a frame over to photoshop and see if I can remove it in there then paste it over the original frame. I'm not sure if that would help or not, any ideas are appreciated. Thanks again for everyone's help so far!

[Machine_Rebirth]

Thinking about it again... Can the clone tool only clone an area in the same spot as the reflection or can it clone from other areas in the same or like frame? I tried to clone a nearby area on the next frame to use to cover over the offending reflection but it seemed to only grab the general area of the reflection not the area I tried to grab from.

This reflection is starts to piss me off I can get it close sometimes but to me it looks funny. *Sigh*

[timbrinker]

I found this topic through a search and was wondering if anyone knows how to do this exact same thing, but with a moving camera? Apparently it's a whole lot more complicated, but re-shooting is an impossibility, so if anyone knows, or knows where i could find out i'd appreciate it. Thanks.

[redfuse]

tracking&masking, If that doesn't work rotoscoping.
A bit too difficult to explain it this way. You're much better of reading this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-After-Effects-Studio-Techniques/dp/0321385527/sr=8-1/qid=1172230749/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-2698690-2128800?ie=UTF8&s=books