Special Effect

nt88498 · Post by **nt88498** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:09 pm

Does anyone know how I would create this:

a silhouette dancing and a video playing in the silhouette as the silhouette is moving? Any ideas out there?

Susan

Devil · Post by **Devil** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 6:34 am

I guess it's possible using mattes/alpha keying but, before giving details, I'd like to know more about the format you are using for your work. If it is DV in NTSC, you may find it trickier than, say, HUFFYuv because of the colour space. Presumably you wish to combine three videos (background, dancer and video within the dancer). Can you please give some idea of the content/colours of each? This may allow us to give you better advice. Also, we need to know which version of MSP (MSP8 sub-timelines may allow more flexibility than MSP7, for example.

Terry Stetler · Post by **Terry Stetler** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 7:34 am

Gonna save this one to the tutorials bin too....

First film the subject in front of a white screen. If it's already a greeen/blue screen overlay it on a white background and export it with the white backgrond. This will be your overlay clip;

Now place the clip you want to show through on Va or Video1, depending on the MSP version you're using. Next place the overlay on V1 or Video2 (version difference again) and apply a luma key to remove the background. Now reverse the key by checking the "Invert Overlay Area" box. This will cause the background clip (Va/Video1) to show through the foreground subject and the overlays white background to be displayed again;

Rendering this out will give you a white background with the now transparent subject and your background showing through him/her/it.

Overlay this clip using a luma key on other footage and you'll have that original background in the shape of the original subject dancing around a whole new background;

Poof.

http://digitalvideo.8m.net/ghosteffect/shadowgirl.wmv (270k)

Starting with footage that is in front of a complex background would require creating a video matte in Video Paint using the Macro function and perhaps the Ruby Mask mode. Tedious and it will take some manual reading, but its effective.

Martin Keith · Post by **Martin Keith** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 11:32 am

Thanks again for another tip Terry.
I have a question of my own.
What would be the best way to create a "twinkle" on a lone star on a black background in an introduction? I have been experimenting with this in CG Infinity and the results were resonable but if there is an easier or different way to achieve a better result I would be very grateful for any help.

fandj · Post by **fandj** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 12:41 pm

Excellent tip (another one) Terry. Congratulations.
I will put it in my Training folder.
fandj@Portugal

TubaDad · Post by **TubaDad** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 5:39 pm

Terry, Where are you going to store this "Gonna save this one to the tutorials bin too.... "? I would like to stor a copy of this as well. This one is very cool. I can see many places that I could use it.

Thanks

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sun Jan 15, 2006 5:48 pm

This backs up what I placed in an earlier reply today about the current "Best Practice" competition.

We need a permanent tutorials section where we can all submit items like this one for all to share and enjoy. This is a shining example of why I joined this forum in the first place, a place where we can exchange ideas and demonstrate how to do things.

The forum should NOT be a whinging place for people who have poorly set up computer systems or do not use the software correctly.

Well done Terry (again) another excellent "how to".

Regards
Steve J

Terry Stetler · Post by **Terry Stetler** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 7:49 am

Martin Keith wrote:Thanks again for another tip Terry.
I have a question of my own.
What would be the best way to create a "twinkle" on a lone star on a black background in an introduction? I have been experimenting with this in CG Infinity and the results were resonable but if there is an easier or different way to achieve a better result I would be very grateful for any help.

While it would be tempting to post how to do this here, I'll cover it in a new post so others will be tempted to check it out, OK?

Look for the title "How-To: Twinkle a Star....using REGION"

Terry Stetler · Post by **Terry Stetler** » Mon Jan 16, 2006 9:19 am

I know...replying to myself....PFFTTT....

Found another way to do the "transparant dancer" in MSP8 when the "dancer" source is a green/blue screen clip;

1. load your final background to Video1 on the main timline.

2. create a new timeline; timeline1. Place the "dancers" background clip on Video1 and the green/blue screen "dancer" clip on Video2.

3. set the "dancer" clips overlay options to chromakey and adjust similarity to just erase the background. Now reverse the key as before. The background will show through, but with the original green/blue background.

4. go back to the main timeline and insert timeline1 as a virtual clip. Now apply a chromakey to it in the overlay options and adjust the similarity.

Poof2 and no need to render a clip