I think I'm doing this the "wrong" way at DVinfo.net

Steve Tenuto · November 22nd, 2006, 02:30 PM

So I'm trying to get the simple editing technique of having multiples of the same person doing different things in one scene. I've tried the opacity trick where everybody looks like ghosts and I've also tried the cropping trick, but that leaves a faint line in the clip where it had been cropped.

What's the real way to do this? (I'm using FCE/FCP if it matters)

Thanks.

Nate Schmidt · November 22nd, 2006, 05:15 PM

do you mean in like a split screen type of view? all you have to do is stack up all your clips in the timeline and turn on image and wireframe view. from there you can scale and re-position and crop them to fit on screen.

Chris Harris · November 22nd, 2006, 06:21 PM

You're doing it the "right" way. The problem is, the lighting probably changed just slightly in whatever you were shooting. It only works when the lighting stays the same. You might be able to color correct it, but it works better if you just do it in a room with fixed lighting.

Peter Ford · November 23rd, 2006, 10:18 AM

You could always try feathering the edges of the crop, so you dont get a harsh line?

Martin Mayer · November 23rd, 2006, 11:12 AM

Assuming you have a static identical background for all the footage. try SUPERIMPOSING one cropped image (with feathered edges) on top of another uncropped one, and NOT butting two cropped edges up to one another (to avoid the visible border).

Maybe you're doing that already!

Steve Tenuto · November 23rd, 2006, 02:53 PM

yeah thanks guys... I totally forgot about feathering the edges.

Jonathan Jones · November 26th, 2006, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Tenuto

What's the real way to do this? (I'm using FCE/FCP if it matters)

Well, depending upon the complexity of your scene and the desired result as well as overlapping action, a preferred method for some would involve 'keying'.

Without overlapping action the split screen would likely work fine. Otherwise, if action does overlap, you might that if you have to use opacity filtering, elements in one layer might 'ghost' the target elements in other layers.

If the stuff is already shot and you need complex layering for the multiple elements, depending upon how much work you want to put into it or how precise you are looking your result to be, you can alway roto a matte for each target element, but that is a major PITA.

Good luck.

November 22nd, 2006, 02:30 PM	#1
Steve Tenuto New Boot Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Sandpoint, Idaho Posts: 6	I think I'm doing this the "wrong" way So I'm trying to get the simple editing technique of having multiples of the same person doing different things in one scene. I've tried the opacity trick where everybody looks like ghosts and I've also tried the cropping trick, but that leaves a faint line in the clip where it had been cropped. What's the real way to do this? (I'm using FCE/FCP if it matters) Thanks.

November 22nd, 2006, 05:15 PM	#2
Nate Schmidt Major Player Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Welland ON Posts: 515	do you mean in like a split screen type of view? all you have to do is stack up all your clips in the timeline and turn on image and wireframe view. from there you can scale and re-position and crop them to fit on screen. __________________ "We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty."

November 23rd, 2006, 11:12 AM	#5
Martin Mayer Major Player Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Oxfordshire, UK Posts: 416	Assuming you have a static identical background for all the footage. try SUPERIMPOSING one cropped image (with feathered edges) on top of another uncropped one, and NOT butting two cropped edges up to one another (to avoid the visible border). Maybe you're doing that already! __________________ Martin at HeadSpin HD on Blu-ray Last edited by Martin Mayer; November 23rd, 2006 at 12:36 PM.

November 22nd, 2006, 06:21 PM	#3
Chris Harris Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Francisco, California Posts: 487	You're doing it the "right" way. The problem is, the lighting probably changed just slightly in whatever you were shooting. It only works when the lighting stays the same. You might be able to color correct it, but it works better if you just do it in a room with fixed lighting.

November 23rd, 2006, 10:18 AM	#4
Peter Ford Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: London, uk Posts: 99	You could always try feathering the edges of the crop, so you dont get a harsh line?

November 23rd, 2006, 02:53 PM	#6
Steve Tenuto New Boot Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Sandpoint, Idaho Posts: 6	yeah thanks guys... I totally forgot about feathering the edges.