creating really Black Eyes

i like to make a scene with a person who has black eyes like the ones in 'the x-files' when the persons get infested with the black oil. they have then this really black eyes.
my problem is the reflection that is on an eye and i have no idea to make that look real.
if someknow how to make it, plz tell me

thx

 

Best bet's probably to use contact lenses on-set instead of trying to do it in Post. Easier all around.

 

i thought about that but that's the problem. i get then problems with my eyes. they hurt and that's not funny

 

you could get a mask of the character's face with eye holes and put a black shirt inside of the mask


Edit: If you have photoshop you could get the file into an .flm and on each frame paint over the eyes to make them black. I've heard that MSP has a frame-by-frame image editor too.

 

If going with the filmstrip-in-Photoshop route, it would be quite simple to select only the eyes in each frame and darken the colors accordingly. You wouldn't want to just paint black over them, it would look beyond silly.



Rick McCallum loves you!

 

Contacts probably aren't good enough, I'm afraid. If you want the whole eye, and not just the iris and pupil, to be black, you'll need full-on scleral shells. Those cost out the yin-yang, alas...

 

The cheapest method if not the funnest (yes I know funnest isn't a word) would be to roto the eyes out in Photoshop. However, if you just filled in the eye area with a matte black, it would look kinda silly. It would take a little work, but you could use the tutorial from phong as a base so you could have a reflected image.
Check it out and see what you think....well, I can't seem to get to it right now, but you can try at Phong.com and do the reflective sphere tutorial. Obviously you wouldn't have to make it so detailed, but you could get the general idea.

Another thing that I have done, is in filmstrip, you make selections of all the eyes you want to use and render clouds with cool colors that compliment your actors look. With a little tweaking here and there, this can be a great look because it looks like the clouds are moving in the eyes instead of just being blank. Let us know what you do, and post some screens.

Insatiable Alcobra

 

Here's a bit of lateral thinking (translation - stupid idea)

How about getting the guy/girl to close their eyes, and then just paint their eyelids jet black.

Sure they won't be able to see, but it's a heck of a lot easier than rotoing out eyeballs all of the time. Maybe get them to open their eyes quickly if needed, then close them again, and just roto out these small moments of 'eye-openness' Paint them carefully and no-one will know the difference (except maybe on ultra-tight close-ups)

 

i give the toturial from phong.com a chance because this was something i'm looking for. i'll post a test pic soon and you guys can tell me what you think about this.

thx for the tipps

 

good luck, I have a feeling you are going to need it... oh and A LOT of patience too!

 

here is a little test pic i made. i used a picture of angelina jolie and make her eyes black.

black eye test

ps: in the phong tutorial was told that you must click on the 'Preserve Transparency' button in the 3rd step. i use ps7 on mac os x and i couldn't find that damn button. if someone knows where it is, please tell me.

thx

 

looks good, maybe a little blurring around the egdes of the eye would help with the harsh transition. I feel sorry for you that your gonna have to do this frame by frame, good luck!

 

the pic was done in ps7 but the film will be made with after effects. it'll be easyr than doing it with photoshop.

 

how does that guy from LimpBizkit do it, he has totally blacked out eye's sometimes.