Is this done with masking?

Hello,

First time posting here, though I've been reading for sometime.

I've done some searches and can can't seem to find out how to do this effect. Perhaps the problem is I don't know what it's really called.

The effect I'm looking for is the one like on the iPod/iTunes ads. Where there is a silhouetted person, in a solid color like black, and the background is another color.

Hopefully I can apply this effect to a movie, and not just still images.

Thanks for any help,
Bohh

 

You could mask with solids at full opacity, and it wouldn't be called masking, it would be called rotosplining. Google for that. You could also do it with keying, and set the levels to make everything black.

 

I knew how they did this, and then I read an article confirming it.


The chromakeyed the actors, and then they rotoscoped the iPod units and wires back on.


The way to do it is bluescreening. Rotoing would take yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrsssssssssssss.

 

You changed your avatar....now that's just confusing

 

Thanks for the quick replies.

However, adding an ipod or similar object is not what I intend on doing. Just need the shadowed person moving around on another solid background.

I did a quick search for rotosplining tutorials and didn't come up with many things.

I did find out that you can do it in a program called Commotion.

Is it possible to do it in other programs such as AE or Premiere?



Bohh

 

Yes. If you have access to a green/bluescreen, record the action, import it into After Effects, key the layer, go Effect/Adjust/Brightness Contrast and bring both down to zero to make him black. Then Layer/Add/Solid and make it your color for the BG.

 

Here's a link to the Post Magazine article that explains how the ad was done.

Post is a pretty cool magazine to subcribe to, BTW, if you're intersted in the post-production process in general. Subscriptions are free if you fill out a questionaire saying you're in the post production business (which is true if you're making a fan film) and that you'll be spending lots of money on gear this year (which may not come true, but it's a forecast based on what you would like to do ).

The thing that bluescreen gives you is detail in the hair. That would be NUTS to try with splines. Just about any software that does blue/green screen keying should be able to do this much.

Have fun.

 

it wouldnt take years to rotoscope a person, a full body articulate would take maybe a week or something (working 8 hour days), depending on the shot length of course. Things like that are common for rotoscopers at VFX houses.

 

I rotoscoped my nephew jumping in front of a four wheel drive a couple of years ago. Took me all afternoon, but it looked great (except for the crappy shadow I added. MAN, was I ever so young?)