Looking into a mirror but seeing someone else's reflection!

Michael Anthony Horrigan

Michael Anthony Horrigan

More Cowbell Pictures
Looking into a mirror but seeing someone else's reflection... what is the best way to pull this off? I want a conversation to take place with a guy looking into a mirror, but his reflection is that of different person talking back at him.

What's the best way to create this illusion? They need to have a conversation this way, but I want it to look real/convincing.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Mike
 
Shoot the scene with a green cover over the mirror. Then remove the mirror and shoot the other half of the scene with the camera where the mirror was and the other character. Then in your NLE, flip the footage and composite it in the mirror.
 
Sorry, I don't quite follow. When you say remove the mirror do you mean take it off the wall? Or remove it in post?

I was hoping that there was some sort of trick that would work aside from green screen and such...
 
He's not saying to "remove the mirror". He means, I think, remove the greenscreen in post. You would then need to shoot your scene with your actor and you would need to shoot your other actor with greenscreen and you would need to shoot a plate with no one in front of the mirror.
 
Actually, I meant to pull the mirror out of the wall, and put the camera in it's place. Then, the other character would be looking into the camera, instead of the mirror. When you flip the image, it would appear to be the reflection, complete with the bathroom in the background. Then you composite the footage over the greened out mirror.
 
2 shots:

Camera locked down.

One as shot with the desired "reflection" in the mirror.

Then shoot the foreground, cover the mirror in green if you like (not necesarry.)


Then simply either greenscreen out the forground, or (if you didn't shoot with green) simply manually mask out the mirror to allow for the reflection from the background layer.



To help keep dial conving, have the opposite "off screen" actor stand by the camera just out of shot (the on-screen actor will see their reflection) and deliver their lines to match in time.

- Mikko
 
camera locked down is important or else its going to be a pain. Dont greenscreen.....waste of time. Do what Mikko said and shoot 2 shots and mask out on of them.
 
Hey man, tihs is my video i made a while ago, its me, and then another me in the mirror, but my reflection is dancing....I greenscreend me, and put me in the mirror dancing....then i recorded the shot with me in front of the mirror just standing thre, and then i shot it WITHOUT me in the mirror, then i grabbed a 4 pont garabage matte, and rotoscoped the mirror, and then placed that with the greenscreened footage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1mzX70_dS8
 
LOCK the camera position! most important step of any split screen composite.

Like Mikko says, split screen, two shots,

Composite in after effects , fusion, shake, combustion or nuke.

Please dont use any greenscreen. I do effects all day every day and many high end films still think they have to greenscreen everything. Just creates more green spill and such.

Good luck,
Brian
 
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