a scanner darkly look. how to begin? - DVXuser.com -- The online community for filmmaking

seantree · 03-28-2005, 01:42 PM

Just looking for some basic info on the look utilized in the upcoming "a scanner darkly" film. I've been wanting to utilize a look like this only in black and white. are the VFX guys painting over each frame of the footage? god, i hope not. I read that they have some in house software to assist. So is there a certain technique i should be looking into? I can use both AE and combustion. thanks

Policar · 03-28-2005, 03:43 PM

I think they're painting over each frame pretty much, though there's probably a bit of keyframing meaning it might only be every few frames for slow moving stuff and backgrounds might only be painted once for non-moving shots.

Pretty crazy, but they have a lot of money. I'd recommend tracing using flash or something; no plug in will achieve this look. (Unless you want to dress your actors in black and white only with white make up and black lipstick, etc, in which case a really bad aproximation would be possible in AE with greenscreening.)

seantree · 03-28-2005, 05:01 PM

thanks. I thought that is what they were doing, but was not sure. I may try combining some photoshop layers using the find edge tool and various other tools to acheive what i'm after. I'm not sure I want to roto that many frames :/ thanks again.

Rich Lee · 03-28-2005, 05:02 PM

yes, the scanner darkly guys are using a piece of software that aids in getting that look. from what i hear there is a definitly some hand holding that people have to do to keep it going.

i was thinking about this as well...how could you do this in a low budget way.

if you light your actors and sets a certain way, with hard shadows...no fluorescent. and have all the characters in makeup..nothing drastic, just to smooth out the skin and get rid of the imperfections and changes in skin color...kinda like a maxheadroom kinda thing i guys. i bet then you might be able to up the contrast and add some edge enhancements...you mighe at least get a bit closer to that look. you would still probably need to trace some of the edges to enhance it.

thisiswells · 03-28-2005, 05:43 PM

The word around Austin's film community -or- running joke per sey is that if you can draw a stick figure they would probably hire you to work on Scanner Darkly as an animator!

Only means they're a little short handed and have been for a while. That's the word, anyways.

Rich Lee · 03-28-2005, 08:33 PM

hey seantree...i just tried messing around in after effects to see if i could get anything that has a sort of scanner darkly kinda vibe...heres what i got...i call it ghetto darkly.

http://www.rich-lee.com/temp/sdtest_01small_CD.mov

http://www.rich-lee.com/temp/sdtest_02small_CD.mov

first i just did some minmax adjustments to a layer on the bottom, this sort of blends all the detail together...then its basicly just extracting different colors or messing with luma keys, then doing a edge enhancment on each bit of color you have pulled out and adjusted, that gives it the pencil outline thing. bluring the color after you have keyed it or extracted it will help smooth out the edges as well...which will help to get rid of the jaggies. the ae cpmosition gets pretty complex even for something like dis...anyway, i dunnoo...oh, and also grain makes the color flicker so thats kind of a bitch...but it looks kinda cool...so whateva...

its not great...but i kinda sorta works...

peace

seantree · 03-28-2005, 08:54 PM

rich, looks very cool to me. thanks for the tip. I'm working on a scene right now but gotta hit the sack. I should have something to show after working on it fo a few hours tomorrow. thanks again.

Nick Adams · 03-28-2005, 11:38 PM

I've been thinking about that look to, unfortunetly I haven't had AE since version 5 over 4 years ago..... I've been thinking about using the look in a future music video, Rich your stuff looks good, all I've been able to come with is more of a cartoonish thing which takes forever, I have to output each frame then apply the filter indiv... then bring it back in... I know scanner darkly uses a program from this company but it's not for sale until 2006 aparantly

seantree · 03-29-2005, 07:48 AM

those look great. I'm thinking I'm going to be stuck painting over each frame manually. I am looking for more of an anime style than anything. I did some tests in C3 last eve, still have a few things to wrap up then i'll post screens

uhrgl · 03-29-2005, 07:49 AM

Very cool, Rich.

03-28-2005, 01:42 PM	#1
seantree Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: x0\|cumberland\|USA\|\|0\|0\|MD,Maryland Posts: 274	a scanner darkly look. how to begin? Just looking for some basic info on the look utilized in the upcoming "a scanner darkly" film. I've been wanting to utilize a look like this only in black and white. are the VFX guys painting over each frame of the footage? god, i hope not. I read that they have some in house software to assist. So is there a certain technique i should be looking into? I can use both AE and combustion. thanks

03-28-2005, 05:02 PM	#4
Rich Lee I shoot Pirates. Join Date: May 2004 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 2,573	yes, the scanner darkly guys are using a piece of software that aids in getting that look. from what i hear there is a definitly some hand holding that people have to do to keep it going. i was thinking about this as well...how could you do this in a low budget way. if you light your actors and sets a certain way, with hard shadows...no fluorescent. and have all the characters in makeup..nothing drastic, just to smooth out the skin and get rid of the imperfections and changes in skin color...kinda like a maxheadroom kinda thing i guys. i bet then you might be able to up the contrast and add some edge enhancements...you mighe at least get a bit closer to that look. you would still probably need to trace some of the edges to enhance it. __________________ www.richlee.com Photos IMDB Page www.dnala.com

03-28-2005, 08:33 PM	#6
Rich Lee I shoot Pirates. Join Date: May 2004 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 2,573	hey seantree...i just tried messing around in after effects to see if i could get anything that has a sort of scanner darkly kinda vibe...heres what i got...i call it ghetto darkly. http://www.rich-lee.com/temp/sdtest_01small_CD.mov http://www.rich-lee.com/temp/sdtest_02small_CD.mov first i just did some minmax adjustments to a layer on the bottom, this sort of blends all the detail together...then its basicly just extracting different colors or messing with luma keys, then doing a edge enhancment on each bit of color you have pulled out and adjusted, that gives it the pencil outline thing. bluring the color after you have keyed it or extracted it will help smooth out the edges as well...which will help to get rid of the jaggies. the ae cpmosition gets pretty complex even for something like dis...anyway, i dunnoo...oh, and also grain makes the color flicker so thats kind of a bitch...but it looks kinda cool...so whateva... its not great...but i kinda sorta works... peace __________________ www.richlee.com Photos IMDB Page www.dnala.com

03-28-2005, 11:38 PM	#8
Nick Adams Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 435	I've been thinking about that look to, unfortunetly I haven't had AE since version 5 over 4 years ago..... I've been thinking about using the look in a future music video, Rich your stuff looks good, all I've been able to come with is more of a cartoonish thing which takes forever, I have to output each frame then apply the filter indiv... then bring it back in... I know scanner darkly uses a program from this company but it's not for sale until 2006 aparantly __________________

03-29-2005, 07:49 AM	#10
uhrgl Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Los Angeles, Ca Posts: 1,231	Very cool, Rich. __________________ .:Gabe:. FAYMproductions

03-28-2005, 03:43 PM	#2
Policar Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: x0\|Boston\|USA\|\|0\|0\|MA,Massachusetts Posts: 1,679	I think they're painting over each frame pretty much, though there's probably a bit of keyframing meaning it might only be every few frames for slow moving stuff and backgrounds might only be painted once for non-moving shots. Pretty crazy, but they have a lot of money. I'd recommend tracing using flash or something; no plug in will achieve this look. (Unless you want to dress your actors in black and white only with white make up and black lipstick, etc, in which case a really bad aproximation would be possible in AE with greenscreening.)

03-28-2005, 05:01 PM	#3
seantree Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: x0\|cumberland\|USA\|\|0\|0\|MD,Maryland Posts: 274	thanks. I thought that is what they were doing, but was not sure. I may try combining some photoshop layers using the find edge tool and various other tools to acheive what i'm after. I'm not sure I want to roto that many frames :/ thanks again.

03-28-2005, 05:43 PM	#5
thisiswells Retired Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 3,156	The word around Austin's film community -or- running joke per sey is that if you can draw a stick figure they would probably hire you to work on Scanner Darkly as an animator! Only means they're a little short handed and have been for a while. That's the word, anyways.

03-28-2005, 08:54 PM	#7
seantree Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: x0\|cumberland\|USA\|\|0\|0\|MD,Maryland Posts: 274	rich, looks very cool to me. thanks for the tip. I'm working on a scene right now but gotta hit the sack. I should have something to show after working on it fo a few hours tomorrow. thanks again.

03-29-2005, 07:48 AM	#9
seantree Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: x0\|cumberland\|USA\|\|0\|0\|MD,Maryland Posts: 274	those look great. I'm thinking I'm going to be stuck painting over each frame manually. I am looking for more of an anime style than anything. I did some tests in C3 last eve, still have a few things to wrap up then i'll post screens

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