Initial Lightsabre tests...

Here are some initial lightsabre tests that we are doing on our project. Were trying to make our lightsabres artistic and not a white stick with a glow... were apparently getting the feeling with the blue blade, how ever, we need some work on the red and green. Comments/suggestions?

NOTE: Completely done in blender.
[image=http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/Israel_Angell/Picture1.jpg]

[image=http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/Israel_Angell/Picture2.jpg]

[image=http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/Israel_Angell/Picture3.jpg]

[image=http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/Israel_Angell/Picture4.jpg]

[image=http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/Israel_Angell/Picture5.jpg]

[image=http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/Israel_Angell/Picture6.jpg]

Thanks.

 

Why is your footage so blurry? It's hard to tell how the blades will look...

Some nice touches, though.

 

Our video capture card crapped out, so we had to use a digital camara and its hard to keep my blance, in that position, plus the fact we did the shots at night. Thanks anyways.

 

I guess the color is too strong and the white cores seem a bit washed out.

Let the colored glow fade out more; make the glow wider and with a better transition so it will blend better with the background.

And, especially in the first picture, those blades look quite Add-moded (transfermode). I prefer sticking with Screen, because when you use the Add-mode and your footage has strong variations between dark and light areas under your saber, it gets quite irregular and the inner shape gets lost. It will blow out like mad on the lighter areas and seem way dimmer on the dark areas; and I think that doesn't look too good.

 

In other words I should make the glow alot darker, or less transparent?

 

Kinda.

You see, around the white core, the color is very strong and, of course, opaque. This is because your glow isn't very wide and this is also why the glow has a quite hard drop-off, IMO.
So I suggest you just keep blurring those layers (or whatever you're using in Blender) around the white until you get a wider and more even glow.

But maybe that's just me. I'd also like to see those sabers on high-res footage, btw.

 

I think one major problem with people lightsabers is they don't match the lightsaber to the footage afterwards. They make the saber perfectly and its keyframed properly but it doesnt match with the footage. You need to add color correction possibly and grain, etc. to match your video your compositing too. It makes the sabers fit in the scene more and not stick out as much as a special effect.

Example: (a quick and rough pic to give you an idea)
[image=http://www.maj.com/gallery/kylepro88/mac/fixed.jpg]

-Kyle

 

Is this better?

[image=http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a141/Israel_Angell/JEDI-JESSE3_10001.jpg]

 

Even if thats what you want, I don't really like that way, I want the colors to "blend" more...

 

Any one?

 

I think you didn't improve too much, did you?

Oh, and try on some high res-footage, still. You may just take an unrotod picture you find on the net or here in the boards..