How tough is a fake TV screen to make for a scene? at DVinfo.net

Bryan Roberts · May 17th, 2006, 01:33 PM

Hey all -

Well I'm editing a scene for a feature shot on the HVX and there's a few shots with TV screens in the window of an electronics store shot at night (but there's plenty of ambient light from neon signs on the characters singles so glow is not an issue) that need to display video that was shot to emulate a news report. I can avoid the dolly shots on the tvs so that I only need to cover stationary shots but is this effect worth trying to pull off or is it better left to send out for fx? The only tricky caveat is my character walks past one of the tv screens in a shot we must keep from her OTS shot. My tools are FCP 5, After Effects 6.5 (on a pc that is) as I know nothing bout motion or shake.

Is this worth it, and can results be believable with a slight glare etc.?

Thanks guys!

Cole McDonald · May 17th, 2006, 01:41 PM

Depending on the type of tv, you'll have to account for screen roll with shutter speed, you could shoot the news cast before hand and hook up a vcr or dvd player to the tv's in the window playing that on a loop. Cut to close up on the screen when she looks at the tv screen.

Cole McDonald · May 17th, 2006, 01:42 PM

sorry, other than that, just bluescreen it...most tvs r dvd players will go to a blue screen when in standby anyway. Shoot that and overlay the other footage under it punching out the screen using keying softwware.

Bryan Roberts · May 17th, 2006, 01:47 PM

Both are LCDs, one is wide screen aspect, the other 4:3. The scene has already been shot, it's a tight budget indie for Lion's Gate so there's no reshoots to get a blue screen on them, they are turned off televisions (nothing displayed, just black or dark gray) with white targets on them (marks in the corners and a + in the middle). I assume FCP 5 doesn't do keying? It'd be a job for After Effects?

Dylan Pank · May 18th, 2006, 04:15 AM

It shouldn't be too hard of there's not that much movement. Where the character walks passed it would require frame by frame rotoscoping.

Whether or not yopu're going to farm it out is one of those deadline/budget balancing acts. How much will a firm charge ytou for it. It seems like the sort of thing a good effects studio could do in an afternoon, but it would cost you. You could probably do it yourself, but you've got to figure out how, do you have the time?

FCP does do keying, but it's the other effects you'll need in AE in order to make the keyed images gel into the shot.

Brad Richmond · May 18th, 2006, 06:44 AM

Try this:

http://www.chv-plugins.com/motion.html

I haven't used this particular plug-in, but do have several others by CHV and they work pretty well. Fairly cheap too!

Bryan Roberts · May 18th, 2006, 08:56 AM

Thanks guys, I'll check out these options, Dylan - yeah not sure if this is something I want to tackle and potentially be the hero, or end up looking like an ass when the tv effect looks terrible :)

Cole McDonald · May 18th, 2006, 12:30 PM

Is the frame static...or does the camera move...do any of the screens get obscured in the footage (actor, car, dog, baby stroller going between the camera and the screens)?

Bryan Roberts · May 18th, 2006, 12:35 PM

Static shots, but she does move past the camera in one obstructing the tv just for a second...

Cole McDonald · May 19th, 2006, 09:03 AM

You could cut to a close up on the screen when she crosses...the rest can just be separate video tracks scaled and skewed to match the screens of the LCDs.

May 17th, 2006, 01:33 PM	#1
Bryan Roberts Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 436	How tough is a fake TV screen to make for a scene? Hey all - Well I'm editing a scene for a feature shot on the HVX and there's a few shots with TV screens in the window of an electronics store shot at night (but there's plenty of ambient light from neon signs on the characters singles so glow is not an issue) that need to display video that was shot to emulate a news report. I can avoid the dolly shots on the tvs so that I only need to cover stationary shots but is this effect worth trying to pull off or is it better left to send out for fx? The only tricky caveat is my character walks past one of the tv screens in a shot we must keep from her OTS shot. My tools are FCP 5, After Effects 6.5 (on a pc that is) as I know nothing bout motion or shake. Is this worth it, and can results be believable with a slight glare etc.? Thanks guys!

May 17th, 2006, 01:41 PM	#2
Cole McDonald Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sauk Rapids, MN, USA Posts: 1,675	Depending on the type of tv, you'll have to account for screen roll with shutter speed, you could shoot the news cast before hand and hook up a vcr or dvd player to the tv's in the window playing that on a loop. Cut to close up on the screen when she looks at the tv screen. __________________ Web Youtube Facebook

May 17th, 2006, 01:42 PM	#3
Cole McDonald Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sauk Rapids, MN, USA Posts: 1,675	sorry, other than that, just bluescreen it...most tvs r dvd players will go to a blue screen when in standby anyway. Shoot that and overlay the other footage under it punching out the screen using keying softwware. __________________ Web Youtube Facebook

May 18th, 2006, 06:44 AM	#6
Brad Richmond Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Overland Park, KS Posts: 81	Try this: http://www.chv-plugins.com/motion.html I haven't used this particular plug-in, but do have several others by CHV and they work pretty well. Fairly cheap too! __________________ Brad Richmond Doubledogs Video Overland Park, KS www.doubledogsvideo.com video@doubledogs.com

May 18th, 2006, 12:30 PM	#8
Cole McDonald Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sauk Rapids, MN, USA Posts: 1,675	Is the frame static...or does the camera move...do any of the screens get obscured in the footage (actor, car, dog, baby stroller going between the camera and the screens)? __________________ Web Youtube Facebook

May 17th, 2006, 01:47 PM	#4
Bryan Roberts Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 436	Both are LCDs, one is wide screen aspect, the other 4:3. The scene has already been shot, it's a tight budget indie for Lion's Gate so there's no reshoots to get a blue screen on them, they are turned off televisions (nothing displayed, just black or dark gray) with white targets on them (marks in the corners and a + in the middle). I assume FCP 5 doesn't do keying? It'd be a job for After Effects?

May 18th, 2006, 04:15 AM	#5
Dylan Pank Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Portsmouth, UK Posts: 611	It shouldn't be too hard of there's not that much movement. Where the character walks passed it would require frame by frame rotoscoping. Whether or not yopu're going to farm it out is one of those deadline/budget balancing acts. How much will a firm charge ytou for it. It seems like the sort of thing a good effects studio could do in an afternoon, but it would cost you. You could probably do it yourself, but you've got to figure out how, do you have the time? FCP does do keying, but it's the other effects you'll need in AE in order to make the keyed images gel into the shot.

May 18th, 2006, 08:56 AM	#7
Bryan Roberts Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 436	Thanks guys, I'll check out these options, Dylan - yeah not sure if this is something I want to tackle and potentially be the hero, or end up looking like an ass when the tv effect looks terrible :)

May 18th, 2006, 12:35 PM	#9
Bryan Roberts Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 436	Static shots, but she does move past the camera in one obstructing the tv just for a second...

May 19th, 2006, 09:03 AM	#10
Cole McDonald Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sauk Rapids, MN, USA Posts: 1,675	You could cut to a close up on the screen when she crosses...the rest can just be separate video tracks scaled and skewed to match the screens of the LCDs. __________________ Web Youtube Facebook