Plz Check Out My Short Film - Lightsabers + Bullet Time + HK Action

Ok guys..
Heres my first attempt and doing a lightsaber fight. Ignore the story as it was part of Uni project.
Would appreciate any feedback. Good or bad.
Cheers
Jordan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjm1Anodb3c

 

Not bad Jordan. One thing I'd be careful with is the rounded edges on the bottom (hilt) end of the sabers. When the blue lightsaber first enters the frame it has a rounded end near the hilt. Doesn't look very good. You can create a second mask that will eliminate that rounded end from your saber. If you need more information just ask. Also, I'd probably expand the masks a little on the sabers to cover up the guide sticks. Overall it looked pretty good, but there were a few spots where you could see the toy sabers underneath. Muzzle flashes were ok, but I'd probably kill the ricochet sparks. Just my personal opinion on thought.

I think it was pretty good overall. Just putting together a three minute action sequence can be pretty daunting. Good for you for completing it and posting it for review.

 

Cheers for the suggestions.
It was a 2min Uni project so yea kinda rushed.
Takes so long to do light sabers as it is. Will keep the round edge thing in mind for next time.


Cheers Again.

 

I totally hear you. For being a university project I think it was just fine. Best of luck with future projects.

 

Another Property of Andrew Kramer Reel.

 

Now now, there's no need to demean anyone's work. Kramer certainly has made certain techniques very accessible for aspiring filmmakers, but isn't that ultimately his goal? For his techniques to be used? I don't see how it could be helpful to tear down someone's work just because you don't agree with the methods they used. Try pointing out some things that might help him improve, or better yet, some things that he did right.

 

Regarding lightsaber rotoscoping, I have found that the best way to go about it, assuming you are using the traditional masking way as opposed to a plugin like Andrew Kramer's(Which I have no experience with and I am not too fond of the glows I have seen from it) or the using the beam tool(Which I haven't heard of anyone using in a while to do sabers) is to go through and rotoscope every ten or fifteen frames and then go back and progressively fill in the gaps until you are satisfied with the roto. After Effects does a pretty good job of doing a lot of the work for you. A lot of the time, all you will have to do is move the mask slightly and it will work.

Just my 0.02
All the best,
Mith

 

I'm not being demeaning just establishing facts. If you would like me to critique your visual effects work I'll be happy to. Show me YOUR work not a tutorial you buzzed off the net. As far as I'm concerned this is hardly your work effects-wise.

Yes, I do agree that his [Kramer's] goal is for people to use his techniques. His technique is to find a "problem", eg. complicated effects shot, and then to break it down and learn problem solving skills to come up with your OWN effects.

Any one can copy and paste a tutorial onto their footage. It takes creativity to come up with your own work.
I've spent years doing this and I guess the lack of creativity and the celebration of mediocrity these days just gets to me at times.