removing or adding elements to footage

[Deuceofspades]

I am wondering what software you guys are using to remove unwanted stuff from your footage. Ex: A plastic modern bottle out of the period shot.

I finished editing my dry lake footage shot last week-end and see a few things that need fixing. I want to remove the headlights from a couple of my car shots. (don't ask)

So what software (if any) could do that trick and how do you do it?

Yes, I assume it is going to be very time consuming but I'm OK with that (I don't have a life LOL).

Any tips / advice appreciated

PS: I used MXFX from Raylight to convert my 1080i footage into 720-24PN and it did the job flawlessly. It removed all the pulldown and I am back in business! Life is good. Thanks for suggesting this software to fix my last booboo.

 

[plainman007]

Since noone has answered to this post for quite sometime i think ill chime in with the little i know.

To the extent of my knowledge there are 2 kinds of removal of elements that could be done.

1. A static shot correction.
2. a moving shot correction.

The latter requires complex tools involving 3d tracking also to remove scene elements. Not for the weak hearted and funded. The former is a possibility if we have a static shot and you wanted to remove a bottle as you suggested. You will need what is known as a clean plate. A frame from the same scene (with the exact same camera angle n position) which doesnt have the unwanted element. The angles of both shots must match exactly. In other words ull have to use a clean frame taken from somewhere else but within the same shot as we need that exact camera angle. Even if you dont have this you can make a clean frame by grabbing a best resolution frame from your preview window as a .png. Import the frame into photoshop and creatively wipe out the unwanted element by cut, paste, cloning etc and camouflage the bottle by using a pattern of a rear wall or greenery etc. Then use this as a backplate plate in your timeline (by dropping it on a video track lower to your existing footage of the same shot) also drag stretch the .png on the timeline to match the entire portion where you need the bottle erased. Now draw a bezier mask around the bottle trying some alternative feathering options for the mask etc. to make the clean plate show thru which doesnt have the bottle. Problem is if someone crosses in front of the bottle then you will have to animate the mask to allow the foreground object to pass by and yet continue masking when the object has passed by. This has to be done seamlessly and can be painstaking depending on the nature of the shot. Also known as rotoscoping. But it can be pulled off nevertheless.