[Antony Buonomo]

That’s more like it, thanks. It’s not the one I had found but it does look very interesting, although I think they should get a designer to revamp the UI, very 2001. It has all the features I was looking for but with a different pricing structure; it looks like you buy and download a software client rather than a monthly charge and access to online tools.

I would be interested to hear if anyone has any recommendations as I think this way of working will be used more and more.

A

Vertigo Productions
https://www.vertigo.co.uk

[Antony Buonomo]

Thanks Steve, the closest I have found so far is ConceptShare, but the one had I found previously had a video timeline allowing clients to put notes and scribbles at any point in a clip.

Damn internet, why is it so big? If only some smart person could invent a way of somehow ‘bookmarking’ various places so I could find them again… 😉

A

Vertigo Productions
https://www.vertigo.co.uk

[Antony Buonomo]

There is a showreel piece over on Imagineer (makers of really good motion-tracking and roto software Mocha, Monet etc) which shows a man in an interview situation. He is sweating and the client asked for the removal of the beads of sweat and the shiny patches. It looks great but what you have been asked to do is much harder. Think about it: you will need to motion-track and re-sculpt her face in 3D. Very subtle and very hard to make invisible and believable. You may be lucky that softening/lightening a couple of shadows will do it, but probably not. My advice is; don’t commit to it but experiment. I think there are very few ways to make it look good but very many ways to make it look bad.

Convince her that she’s beautiful.

A

Vertigo Productions
https://www.vertigo.co.uk

[Antony Buonomo]

I’m totally with the idea of removing the establishing shot and trying to be a bit cleverer about it using the editing… BUT if you want to try it digitally remember that flipping a photo of a car doesn’t look like a car that has been flipped. The first and most obvious thing is that a car that has been flipped will have an exposed underside (to a normal standing pov) so somehow you have to light and photograph the car from below…

Or make sure your camera stays high (lo when flipped)… Or get out the red pencil and put a line through it in the script. Good luck and don’t forget to show us the results if you attempt it.

A

Vertigo Productions
https://www.vertigo.co.uk

[Antony Buonomo]

Really nice spot John and lots of useful tips. Would you elaborate a tiny bit more on why you used 2 control (null) layers to animate the camera? I didn’t quite follow that. Also, was there a specific reason why you didn’t use AE’s built-in fx to separate xyz?

Thanks

A

Vertigo Productions
https://www.vertigo.co.uk

[Antony Buonomo]

It’s hard to know exactly without seeing your footage, but I think you need to search the COW for ‘rotoscoping’.

A

Vertigo Productions
https://www.vertigo.co.uk

[Antony Buonomo]

Hi Dave

Thanks for replying and I’m sorry if I was being a bit obscure!

By ‘pitching’ I simply meant that I have been asked to suggest a design direction for some movie titles but without any obligation from the producers to accept them if they don’t like the ideas. I don’t usually do this but it’s too good an opportunity to pass up.

Anyway, you make it sound easy! Which of the AE presets do I use (2K, 4K, Cineon)? How do I ask for the footage? And what is the standard way of giving the finished titles back to the production? As far as I know the film is primarily for theatrical distribution and then a showing on UK television.

Cheers

A

Vertigo Productions
https://www.vertigo.co.uk

[Antony Buonomo]

Hi

Sorry to piggyback on this thread but it is very pertinent to my work at the moment.

I have been asked to pitch some movie titles and the footage that I will be given is 35mm 24fps. I have zero experience with film and all the talk of unusual frame-rates, pull-downs, cineon/log-lin (I understand that a bit) is spinning my head and seems like a deep dark tangled forest.

Can anyone recommend a good primer?

A

Vertigo Productions
https://www.vertigo.co.uk

[Antony Buonomo]

David

Yes GEP can be used, but the key is in the last sentence ‘clearance’. Also, they will tell you that the logo must be shown throughout, there will be no exceptions. I don’t know what your working contract is with the people that hired you but the clearance stuff is the producer’s job and the decision about an onscreen logo is editorial. Either make sure you are being paid to make these choices or kick them upstairs.

A

Vertigo Productions
https://www.vertigo.co.uk

[Antony Buonomo]

Hi Dave

I was asked to do something very similar for another UK channel. The bottom line is it has to be bought and cleared and you should talk to the producer about this. There are a few places where you may find the wider elements of what you need easily and cheaply, but the rest is jealousy guarded and protected and quite expensive. Of course if you want to rip something and take a chance you can, but bear in mind what is being risked.

Possible solutions:
– Start with satellite imagery and then switch to vector (much cheaper and easier to find)
– Persuade your producer to use Google Earth Pro (con is that the logo must be visible at all times)
– Sometimes local environment groups/research universities have commissioned their own imagery

Good luck

Antony