I’m sure you’ve seen Orad, which is probably the top of the line virtual set, camera tracking company. As you said, they are expensive. What they give you, however, is way more than any other product line. I think they include the workstation and software to create any look you want. What it takes is talent to use it. Designing and adapting virtual sets is a full time career. Using Digital Juice Juice Drops and Jump Backs anyone can create some great backgrounds but it takes Photoshop and 3dsMax, Lightwave or Maya to make it all move realistically. The Chromavault stuff is nice, and so is VirtualSet, but something an adept PS user could duplicate or create those with mattes in a few hours. It’s the tracking of the cameras to the moving video of the virtual set that really sells it. Backgrounds won’t get you that. Careful design and planning using After Effects or your NLE 3D effects could allow you to insert backgrounds and change angles from camera to camera. For live studio virtual sets, nothing beats the dollars it takes to buy the real thing. The thing is, where I work we can’t afford them either. 🙁
Del
fire*, smoke*, photoshopCS3
Charlotte Public Television
del underscore edits at wtvi dot org