Can Motion do this?

[Jay Carr]

I think Motion could likely do that. The steps would be vaguely like this.

1) Take awesome video of oneself dancing around in front of a green screen. Preferably with a really high quality camera because pulling a key with shadows like that would be difficult with a low quality camera.

2) Key out the background and replace it with whatever you want.

3) At different points in the video pull out still shots. Leave those shots layered on top of each other.

4) Ah the trick. It seems pretty clear to me that he is not in fact moving after he leaves a position. Rather, he is quite cleverly manipulating a still shot. Contracting and expanding could be easily done by simply resizing the image in and out. The part I don’t know if motion can do is actually bending those photos… Maybe it could be done with a 4 corners keyframing effect? Not sure…

Anyway, that might get you started right there. You just need to figure out how to make the arms bend is all…

[Zach Shore]

Jay beat me too it. The one thing I would say is that a green screen is not required. If you look carefully at the video, it looks like they just rotoscoped the freeze frames. Since it’s only a few poses this wouldn’t be too difficult. To do the bending of the arms in the freeze frame, I’d try distortion maps.

It’s a great effect.

“You can come push the buttons, or you can let me do my job.”

[Jay Carr]

Oh duh. Yeah, you’re totally right on the green screen thing. I seem to have green screen on the brain these days… It can certainly be done with clever use of masking.

Personally, I’d still do the green screen, but that’s just because I can always use the practice ;-).

PS — I was looking through the distortion effects list and they have one called “underwater” that looks like it would create almost the exact effect you are looking for on those arms. I’d try that one first.

[Stephen Smith]

Green screen would make it much easier. Take a look at this Movement Through Time tutorial.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Shawn Miller]

Actually, I think that’s a chromakey effect. Look at the way the edges break appart when there is a lot of motion blur. I might be wrong, but this doesn’t look like rotoscoping to me.

I do think Jay is right though, the warping of the hands was done in post… my guess is that they used the puppet tool in AE.

Thanks,

Shawn

[Stephen Smith]

I agree, I can’t think of any reason why it would not be on green screen. Green Screen would be so much easier. In stead of using the puppet tool I would guess that they Time re-mapped it so it slows down and moves super slow.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Shawn Miller]

“…In stead of using the puppet tool I would guess that they Time re-mapped…”

Hey Stephen, I was inclined to think that at first as well. But if you look a bit closer, you may notice that none of the hands or arms seem to turn or rotate after the freeze frame, so you essentially get the same flat view of each ‘still’. What makes me suspect the Puppet Tool here, is the way the arms distort. You’ll notice that some of the forearm graphics seem to bend and stretch. At least, that’s what I believe I’m seeing. 🙂

Thanks,

Shawn

[Stephen Smith]

Shawn,
I looked again and you are right. The hands bend and then bend back into place and repeat. For those that don’t have access to the puppet tool take a look at this link: 3D move on 2D Photos

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials

[Shawn Miller]

Awesome, so you used the Morph FX plugin (https://www.chv-plugins.com/cms/FxPlug/Morphing/Morph.php) to create a similar effect? Is that right?

Shawn

[Stephen Smith]

Correct, the 3D move on 2D Photos video used the CHV Morphing plug-in to make the still photo of the boy jumping on the bed move. The plug-in comes with a Morph and Deform filter. I used the Deform one. I think it turned out great. Keep in mind I’m biased.

Stephen Smith
Utah Video Productions

Check out my Motion Training DVD

Check out my Motion Tutorials