FCE: Ghost "special effects"

nericksonnerickson
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
I am in the last week teaching a computer class to some 7th graders. We are just messing around with the vid camera and FCE/iMovie. In the "movie" they have written they want a girl to run up and try to hug another girl, who is a ghost, and the running girl passes right through the ghost and hits the wall. So, here is what I did....



Kept the camera in one spot for two shots. First I filmed the girl running, pretending to hug, and going into the wall. The second shot was the ghost girl standing.



In FCE I put the running girl on the first video line at full opacity. I put the opacity of the ghost girl's clip at 50% and put it on top of the first on the second video line. Initially it looked great, but as soon as the running girl gets on the screen she becomes 50% transparent as well as the ghost. I think I sort of understand why this is happening but haven't been able to do anything about it.



Any ideas of how the running girl can stay full opaque?



Hopefully I have explained myself ok.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    maskermasker Posts: 451member
    If the running girl is 100% opaque, but there is a 50% transparent layered video over her, then she will appear to be transparent.



    You need to block out all the imagery in the transparent 50% opacity layer except for the girl.



    Correct?



    MSKR
  • Reply 2 of 7
    nericksonnerickson Posts: 20member
    How can I block out everything but the transparent girl? I would have to blue screen, right? That I can do. I have a blue sheet that works pretty well.
  • Reply 3 of 7
    kraig911kraig911 Posts: 912member
    or you could cut her out with a mask... (very time consuming...)
  • Reply 4 of 7
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Yeah, I pretty sure you're going to want to refilm the front-most person on a blue or green screen and use a color key to make a mask. The hard part is that you're going to have to light the scene *very* carefully so the background is evenly lit. Also, remember to not let her wear anything anywhere close to the color of your backdrop.
  • Reply 5 of 7
    k_munick_munic Posts: 357member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by nerickson

    I am in the last week teaching a computer class to some 7th graders. We are just messing around with the vid camera and FCE/iMovie. In the "movie" they have written they want a girl to run up and try to hug another girl, who is a ghost, and the running girl passes right through the ghost and hits the wall. So, here is what I did....



    Kept the camera in one spot for two shots. First I filmed the girl running, pretending to hug, and going into the wall. The second shot was the ghost girl standing.



    In FCE I put the running girl on the first video line at full opacity. I put the opacity of the ghost girl's clip at 50% and put it on top of the first on the second video line. Initially it looked great, but as soon as the running girl gets on the screen she becomes 50% transparent as well as the ghost. I think I sort of understand why this is happening but haven't been able to do anything about it.



    Any ideas of how the running girl can stay full opaque?



    Hopefully I have explained myself ok.



    well, you do video, not film - on a "chemical" film, your procedure would result in what you want...



    hmm, now to fce...



    you shouldn't just do "opacity", i'm not quite sure, but doesn't fce offer the possibility to "mulitply" the two pictures? i need to look in the handbook (pffffffff, 780 pg).... when you combine 2 frames by "multiply", it should result in somethign you want..... or, do i mix somethign up here with photoshop???
  • Reply 6 of 7
    nebagakidnebagakid Posts: 2,692member
    i know fcp does Multiply....
  • Reply 7 of 7
    taliesintaliesin Posts: 117member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by k_munic

    well, you do video, not film - on a "chemical" film, your procedure would result in what you want...







    Thanks for pointing that out. One of my pet peeves that... Speaking as film cameraman, filming something requires well... um film. By extension, you are not a filmaker if you do not use film in the process of telling your story. No dishonour in that, mind you just hate the imprecise language that gives people credit for something they do not actuallly do. Sorry Now back on topic...
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