Running across the screen... how to?

kylelewis1

kylelewis1

Well-known member
Alright folks. I am wanting to have some small figures run across the lower third of my screen, but have no background for them (I want to use the background from the main part of the screen). Also, I just want them to be "shadows," like just black shadows that look like people running across. Whats the best way to do this? ::)
 
Re: Running across the screen... how to?

Blue/Green screen them... ??? Mask them black to get them shadowed. I don't know exactly what you are looking for...
 
Re: Running across the screen... how to?

If you want them to look like actual people running across the screen, yes shooting them on a greenscreen and compositing them would be the best bet. You could also hand-draw and animate figures to run across the screen and bring that into your project.

If greenscreening and compositing, there are many ways to make them shadows. One such way is to drop their brightness (so the figures turn black), and lower their opacity so that they are semi-transparent. Just one way that comes to mind.
 
Re: Running across the screen... how to?

Kyle there is someone that has a Music Video in the screen grabs section of this site that has a little animated man running across the screen. The director of that video said he added that to protect his work but it looks like its a part of the video! I believe it was done in After Effects. I don't know how it was done because it was a cartoon looking image.
 
Re: Running across the screen... how to?

Do you have a link to the video?

The way (off the top of my head) I would go about doing it is simple. I would greenscreen some random guy running (in place?) I don't know. Then I would take that into AE and remove the greenscreen and composite that into my final video...I dunno, that to me seems like the easiest..
 
Re: Running across the screen... how to?

There is an easier way. You can shoot a sillhouette of the guys running, make them totally black, and luma key the rest of your image so it becomes transparent where it's more exposed, and you will have the shot with the shadows running to put in a layer over your shot and you'll be ready to go. Just a tought: you will have to get this shot from a distance, at wide angle and get your runners to be small on the screen. If you shoot 'em big to shrink in post, your runners will dissapear in the middle of the frame (get the idea?). Shoot your runners on the actual size you want them to be in your final composition.
 
Re: Running across the screen... how to?

Doesn't really sound like an easier way (there's as much involved in that way as the other suggested ways). But a fine way to go about doing it nonetheless :)
 
Re: Running across the screen... how to?

you're right, I guess it's just hard for me to have acess to a grenscreen of the needed size. But as Kyle said, the guy could be running in place...
 
Re: Running across the screen... how to?

DVXShooter, Do you know what the link is to music video you were talking about?

I don't have easy access to a green screen, so the other ways would be better for me. How could it be done in After Effects? Is there a way to animate it (like any kind of program with it) so nothing has to be filmed?
 
Re: Running across the screen... how to?

Flash animation...??? Could that be a possibilty? I have actually seen some really nice stuff come out of Flash..
 
Re: Running across the screen... how to?

Here is the link. I just copied it out of the Screen Grabs Section and pasted it here. If it is not clickable then that is why. You may just have to type it in the box. The video in question is a Hip Hop video by a group called BIG LOGIC. That might be the name of the group, I don't know. The director (Rob) told me he wanted to do something different to protect his work from someone stealing it so he had someone add this little animated man running around the screen. It almost looks like its a part of the video!


http://homepage.mac.com/rburnsdirect

Below is his reply to me about how he had it done.

DVX100-

I paid a guy to come up with the art work which was done in shake, then we just export the work out to a QT file. Layed it on top of the video.

The funny thing about that is the MTV and others like it. And it was just use to protect the video. What can I say it.. luck and thank you for the replies.

Rob
 
Re: Running across the screen... how to?

I took a look at the video. What he has is pretty cool but not what I am looking for. I am looking for more of a real motion shadow in the shape of a person running across the lower third of the screen. I thought for sure I had seen it done before on another video from some program, but maybe I am imagining things now.
 
Re: Running across the screen... how to?

The idea posted above about backlighting someone and using Luma keying isn't as hard as it sounds!

Try filming someone against the background of a well-lit white wall, or better yet into a very bright "just-before-sunset" sun (careful!). You want the subject heavily backlit and with as little front lighting as possible. Open your iris as much as you can (avoiding too much light spill around the runner) and that'll give you a big-time backlit silhouette.

Now, you can use Luma keying in either FCP or perhaps something like AE or Combustion to make the subject full black (contrast move?), and then tell FCP "everything that isn't black should be transparent/masked."

Voila!
 
Re: Running across the screen... how to?

Why don't you just light someone with a key light and then shoot their shadow up against a plain wall...
 
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