How to Create Specific 70's Psychedelic Backgrounds?

F

finklefilms

Active member
Hi all you talented folks,

I was wondering if anyone out there could provide some insight on how I could create the psychedelic backgrounds based on this video? I've scoured the web and haven't found anything. Any suggestions would be most most appreciated.

The psychedelia really starts at 1:50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoIN0XlALDA
 
You really want to do that?

Look up mattes, track mattes, layer masks, depending on what software you have, and what they call it. You need to separate the actor from a background, so green screens are good. Once separated, you can make a mask over the layer you want and put a funky weird color pattern on it. That you need to figure out yourself, depending on what you're looking for.
 
Thanks for the reply mail4joeg. Yes I want to do that! I understand I'll have to green screen. Sorry I asn't more specific. I'm actually looking for how to create the psychedelic effects themselves--as per the example video.
 
Disclaimer: This is not a tutorial on exactly how to replicate the video, just a quick idea for you to play with. This is using After Effects.

Create a solid and Generate>Ramp with default settings. Then add ColorCorrection>Colorama again with defaults. You should see a rainbow of bright colors. IF you tweak the Phase Shift setting you'll get moving color.

To add complexity add a Fractal Noise effect IN BETWEEN the Ramp and Colorama effects. Mess with the scale settings, take the Scale Width very wide so you get horizontal bands of noise. Probably want to lower the Complexity setting in the noise too. Then play with the Evolution of the noise and you'll have crazy colors all over the place.

That should get you started. You'll have to tweak everything to get the exact look you are going for.
 
There's all kinds of ways to do this stuff - but making it look "really" 70's will take some creativity. There's fractal noise, there's taking line-graphics and making interference patterns (a lot of hippie posters used that trick to make posters seem to 'throb" and vibrate). Doing something like this correctly starts with scouring for reference - like 60's light shows that were essentially overhead projectors with colored oils and water interacting, color wheel effects, etc. And in your example, it looks like a lot of messing with analog video generators and maybe doing things "wrong" was done.

Find reference and figure out how to do it with your tools; you can play with your tools and see what they come up with as well, but it may not be "period correct" - my guess is colors, shapes, motion could be psychedelic enough to sell it without being exact to the techniques of the era. Remember, this stuff was usually damn cheesy!
 
ok, if you have not done it before, it needs some caution.
1) run visualizer in a windows, some visualization/screen grabber are very slow in high resolution or full screen, and you probably don't need it in full HD. (800x600 is good and already pretty high)
2) if the visialization use directx, there is chance that your screen grabber software just grab a black screen. So either disable video acceleration or use
a screen grabber made for game like FRAPS.
3) if it is too tricky for you, just use your cam to shoot the screen. I will give a nice "RGB pixel" effect if you shoot close enough
4) possibly you do not even need to capture and key your actors, if you can project the screen on a wall and put actors in front of it , it could looks even better.
 
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To do it practically instead of computerized:

In a large (clear) sealed baggie mix colored water with vegetable oil. Now place this on clear glass or plexi table. From under your table take a powerful light and shine up and through the oil and water mix. Now mount a mirror of needed size on a c-stand at about 45 degrees. Shake the oil and water mix and it will be projected onto wall or into lens.
 
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