freeze frame with tracking at DVinfo.net

Baldwin Li · September 22nd, 2007, 06:26 PM

Hi folks,

i'm planning a frozen people effect for a video i'm making, i've got a pretty good idea of how to do it with double-shooting on a tripod and masking but i was wondering would it be remotely possible to do a frozen people/object thing with a track as well, that is, without doing some rather complicated 3D modelling SFX.

Basically, how did the new Birds Eye advert with Suggs in? See:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-chd1v38Kho

I'd be interested to know how they did it anyway. There's stuff like Heroes too where he stops time and it then starts again but of course, that's some serious budget SFX. I'm sure there's a low-budget way of doing this kind of stuff... there's always a cheaper option out there somewhere. hehe.

cheers,

baldwin

Daniel Ross · September 22nd, 2007, 06:32 PM

My bet is that the cards were duplicated in CG, and the camera was just moved like that. Everyone stopped, and some FX were applied to fix some things (like a swinging piece of jewelry on the woman walking, or something like that).

A friend of mine did a test that worked fairly well to copy the effect in Heroes.

It really depends on how much movement there is in the shot. Creativity will get you a lot further than complex FX with this.

Use as many 2D layers as possible and manipulate them to simulate a 3D environment.

Then add in what you need as real footage of the location that is rotating (but not moving).

Mix stills, FX, and some real live action plates for the most efficient method.

Jim Montgomery · September 22nd, 2007, 09:24 PM

http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorial.html?id=23

Jim

Daniel Ross · September 22nd, 2007, 09:27 PM

Trouble with that is that it doesn't move. Fairly easy with some layering. Certainly worth starting there, but to get movement into the shot, it'll get more involved, especially when shooting. That's definitely the most important part of such a shot. If shot well, the FX shouldn't be too impossible.

Baldwin Li · September 24th, 2007, 02:47 PM

Yes that little online tutorial is great and is the kind of technique i'm going to use in this upcoming video, but as daniel says there's no movement in this one. i'd be interested in seeing the tests your friend did daniel and how exactly he managed to achieve them.

best,

baldwin

Daniel Ross · September 24th, 2007, 03:02 PM

This was a while ago. I may ask him if I can post some links. I can't remember if he did put them on the web or not. He was just experimenting.

September 22nd, 2007, 06:26 PM	#1
Baldwin Li Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Manchester Posts: 69	freeze frame with tracking Hi folks, i'm planning a frozen people effect for a video i'm making, i've got a pretty good idea of how to do it with double-shooting on a tripod and masking but i was wondering would it be remotely possible to do a frozen people/object thing with a track as well, that is, without doing some rather complicated 3D modelling SFX. Basically, how did the new Birds Eye advert with Suggs in? See: http://youtube.com/watch?v=-chd1v38Kho I'd be interested to know how they did it anyway. There's stuff like Heroes too where he stops time and it then starts again but of course, that's some serious budget SFX. I'm sure there's a low-budget way of doing this kind of stuff... there's always a cheaper option out there somewhere. hehe. cheers, baldwin

September 22nd, 2007, 09:24 PM	#3
Jim Montgomery Major Player Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Vero Beach Posts: 392	Try this http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorial.html?id=23 Jim __________________ http://www.billfishadventures.com \| http://www.sfgmedia.com \| http://vimeo.com/2015915

September 22nd, 2007, 06:32 PM	#2
Daniel Ross Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Marin & Davis, CA, USA Posts: 418	My bet is that the cards were duplicated in CG, and the camera was just moved like that. Everyone stopped, and some FX were applied to fix some things (like a swinging piece of jewelry on the woman walking, or something like that). A friend of mine did a test that worked fairly well to copy the effect in Heroes. It really depends on how much movement there is in the shot. Creativity will get you a lot further than complex FX with this. Use as many 2D layers as possible and manipulate them to simulate a 3D environment. Then add in what you need as real footage of the location that is rotating (but not moving). Mix stills, FX, and some real live action plates for the most efficient method.

September 22nd, 2007, 09:27 PM	#4
Daniel Ross Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Marin & Davis, CA, USA Posts: 418	Trouble with that is that it doesn't move. Fairly easy with some layering. Certainly worth starting there, but to get movement into the shot, it'll get more involved, especially when shooting. That's definitely the most important part of such a shot. If shot well, the FX shouldn't be too impossible.

September 24th, 2007, 02:47 PM	#5
Baldwin Li Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Manchester Posts: 69	Yes that little online tutorial is great and is the kind of technique i'm going to use in this upcoming video, but as daniel says there's no movement in this one. i'd be interested in seeing the tests your friend did daniel and how exactly he managed to achieve them. best, baldwin

September 24th, 2007, 03:02 PM	#6
Daniel Ross Major Player Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Marin & Davis, CA, USA Posts: 418	This was a while ago. I may ask him if I can post some links. I can't remember if he did put them on the web or not. He was just experimenting.