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Digital Hair?
So let me tell you a little about the problem I’m having. First of all, I have very little experience within After Effects, but I’ve absorbed the tutorials on this site in a pace that only the truly obsessive achieve.
Anyway, I’ve been asked to do a videoclip, and one of my ideas was to have a whole bunch of shots where the actress within it is cut-out. Now, a mo-co camera is out of my reach, but with static shots and some basic motion tracking some nice images can sure be made. The problem is the cut-out. One of the defining shapes to recognise a female form in outline (not just profile) is hair. However, while the rest could be done relatively easy/cheaply by means of clothing her entirely in bright green, and make her up likewise, I doubt hair-colour is a feasible means to get this outline. However, the most obvious alternative is to go by hand and mask it out in every single frame. So my own creative (if I say so myself) has as the major problem that while I know it should be possible, I’m not sure if it is, and if it is, how. This solution would be to just tie down the hair under a cap, and overlay digital hair. Seeing as it would only be an outline, I’m thinking it wouldn’t be too difficult, though it might cost some render-time (just a bunch of lines, right?).So, is this possible? If so, how?
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8 Replies
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Can you get the hair “Outlines” by importing images of models with the correct hairstyles, then make a shaped mask with the Pen Tool, and copy/paste the resulting mask shape onto solids named for the hairstyle?
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Do you mean basically making a mask from a still-frame, doing the entire annoying outlining only once? I hadn’t thought of that, it might very well work. Thank you!!!
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An alternative option possibly:
Could you take a portable green-screen backdrop on location? Shoot the background plate and then bring in the green and shoot your actress on that. The camera won’t have moved and then you can key out your actress, use that as an inverse alpha matte to drop your FX onto the background plate. Alternatively, if you can’t use a portable kit, you could take a bunch of measurements and reset up the camera position in a studio.
And one final alternative. Clothe the actress all in green, hair hidden in a skull cap and buy a green wig for her.
Just trying to help. I did something slightly like this a while ago, and ‘cheated’ by having the actress (actually in my case she was digital) transfer mode-ed (yes I know I’m making up verbs) over the fx footage. This way I didn’t just have a 2D outline, I also had 3D shading.
Graham
https://www.quinceweb.com – web design
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https://www.shiveringcactus.bravehost.com – Free FX for amateur films -
The final alternative was something I was thinking of, but the green wig is a pretty neat idea, hadn’t thought of that. I just don’t know how to get my hands on a green suit. Also, I’ll need to shoot clean plates, because the green would probably reflect upon the surroundings. So if I can somehow match up two shots from the same position, by somehow sticking two motion trackers on eachother, I’ll bypass the whole motion control rig.
Thanks!
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I just did a quick search on Google for chroma key catsuit, and while I’m not going to click on a link at work, seems there’s a fetish-wear store that sells these things for TV and film keying.
🙂
Graham
https://www.quinceweb.com – web design
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https://www.shiveringcactus.bravehost.com – Free FX for amateur films -
Well, seeing as I’m working on a no-budget, and I live in the Netherlands (surprisingly little fetish stores), the chroma key catsuit’s not gonna be a viable option. However, with some basic painting, possible bodypaint, a coloured legging and a coloured wig, it should be possible.
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If you only need the outline, why would you need any greenscreen? I believe you would only need the foreground to stand clearly out from the background.
You could shoot her against the sky or a bright wall, which would make her seem entirely black as you point the light at the background. Or you could do the exact opposite: Light her up from many directions and thereby making the background seem black (or just very dark).The hair could still be a problem – but it will be smaller than if you want to use a keying tool (other than extract, which I would use in this case).
Chortorn
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Ah, the problem is that I want her walking around a house. I think it’s fitting to the song to have shots from inside of a house, and have her walking around the house, but cut-out, if that makes sense.
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