Question: Using Vintage TV in set design

[Jim Scott]

This is the After Effects forum, which is software used for special effects and compositing, but since you asked…

If you gut the old TV and replace its CRT tube with a PC monitor you can run whatever image or video to it that you want. You will have lost the look of the old, rounded CRT tube though. If you’re thinking about somehow dismantling the old TV and keeping the curved face of the CRT tube, forget it. If you break it, it will implode… making a neat sound but leaving lots of broken glass. If you want the guest’s name to appear on the face of a non-working TV you could use a program like After Effects to composite the text onto the TV, making it appear to be displayed there. This is something done in post production… meaning, after you have recorded the episode.

Good luck.

[Cale Stelken]

Dang, I thought I posted in a set design forum…

Thank you, Jim. That’s a tricky situation. I can’t find a mid-century TV for cheap, regardless of its functionality. But if I did have a non-functioning, gutted TV, I wonder how easy it would be to get curved glass that would fit the TV frame. This could, in theory, distort the PC monitor inside. Of course I would need a monitor that matches the size of the TV frame, too…

Using After Effects on the footage in post is a clever idea, though, so I appreciate the idea. It’s something worth considering. Great tips, Jim.

[Isaac David quesada]

I know the easy path is just overposing the video and masking the shape of the tv set but come on, if you get the opportunity to use an actual device I don´t think it would be too difficult to send the signal to be played through the vintage tv and the texture you will get be as authenthic as possible, since it will be authentic. I do VFX , my main tool has been AE but now I am reconsidering a bit and trying to do everything analog. It is worth it. There is nothing like the real thing. Go the extra mile friend, you will not regret it.

The tv set probably has a coaxial entry, I think there should be an HDMI – Coaxial device of some kind. Worst case scenario get a VCR.

Always telling stories through animation.

[Joseph W. bourke]

I did just such a project several years ago with multiple vintage TVs. They were non-functional. Look around your area, and you may be surprised at the collectors you might find who are willing to rent or loan the TVs to you for your project. I’m in the boonies of NH, and I was able to find a collector and, for a fee, borrow several TVs for a week. I put markers on the outer glass of the TVs, and then tracked the camera moves (using Combustion at the time, which had a great tracker). It worked beautifully.

Joe Bourke
Owner/Creative Director
Bourke Media
http://www.bourkemedia.com