viewmaster

Rachel23 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-16-2006, 04:04 AM

I'm working on a film in which several people are playing with a viewmaster (the orange toy that's used to view images). I want to be able to take some stills and make it look as though we are seeing inside the viewmaster and I want to do this within after effects. I have a viewmaster in front of me right now for reference and I can see how the images come in and out, and I know how to do the basics of animating things in after effects, but what I really want is some advice on how to make this look realistic. For example, when I look at the real viewmaster, it works by taking in light, so the images all look lit up from behind...how can I do that? What else should I know before I try doing this?

Nikosony · #2 (**permalink**) 09-16-2006, 11:14 PM

I remember that toy aswell, I can't remember though whether it was called Viewmaster on this side of the Atlantic but you'll need to create some kind of mask in Photoshop to resemble the view you see when you look through the viewer. Did the images swing in from the left or right? That would involve using an anchor point and keyframing a rotation from 90 degrees vertical to 0 degrees horizontal. Wasn't the image slightly blurred aswell or maybe the colours were slightly off aswell? As far as lighting it from the images from behind, you could put a white image on a layer below the images and use blend modes to see what effects are achieved.

Rachel23 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-17-2006, 01:15 PM

Thanks, I'll try some of the stuff you recommended. I think I can figure out the animation of how the images come on and off, it was really the lighting of the images that I had no clue how to do. They are very lit from behind.

Are they slightly blurred? well the one I'm playing with now has pretty clear images, but I think it's safe to say that some of the pictures I'm going to be using are somewhat blurred already, so whether or not the real view-master has blurred image, mine certainly will.

When you mention using a white layer undrneath and then trying different blends, could you pleae go into more detail? Thanks.

miwhel · #4 (**permalink**) 09-19-2006, 10:29 AM

add a second layer above of the animated picture and change the blend mode to screen.

If this is too bright just lower the opacity of the top layer, also try adding a point light and turn down the intensity and maybe try adding a vignette to the screen part of the mask to give the impression of light through the middle and shadow at the edges, as if the light was coming through a tube like the original toy.

komatoast · #5 (**permalink**) 09-19-2006, 10:46 AM

is not the point of this toy that you see the images in 3D?

i think to get this looking real its going to take a lot of effort and im not sure if the shot would be worth the amount of time it will take to create.

have you tried taking a photo through one eyepiece with to get the actual look of the inside? not sure if that would work.... but if it did you could just mask out the background and animate the motion of the picture wheel turning..

if you do this i would very much like to see what you come up with.

Rachel23 · #6 (**permalink**) 09-19-2006, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by miwhel

add a second layer above of the animated picture and change the blend mode to screen.

If this is too bright just lower the opacity of the top layer, also try adding a point light and turn down the intensity and maybe try adding a vignette to the screen part of the mask to give the impression of light through the middle and shadow at the edges, as if the light was coming through a tube like the original toy.

Hi. It sounds like you get what I'm trying to do, even more then I get what I'm trying to do! Anyway, could you please explain a few things to me? When you say add another layer, do you mean when it gives you the option to add a solid layer, and if so, what colour would I be making it? Also, and this may sound dumb, but where do I go to change the blend mode? I only saw that option in the paint pallette. Thanks for the help.

Nikosony · #7 (**permalink**) 09-20-2006, 12:02 AM

The Blend Modes in AE (6.5) are located in Layer -> Blending Mode (about half ways down the palette). You will need to have a video clip or still image visible in the Comp window and in the Timeline for you to be able to access Blending Mode.

Rachel23 · #8 (**permalink**) 09-20-2006, 02:36 AM

Originally Posted by Nikosony

The Blend Modes in AE (6.5) are located in Layer -> Blending Mode (about half ways down the palette). You will need to have a video clip or still image visible in the Comp window and in the Timeline for you to be able to access Blending Mode.

Ok, thanks. But what do I need to put on the layer above my photos? And also, how do I apply the blending mode so that it stays that way for the duration of a clip? I tried it and it only applied it to the exact spot on the timeline where I was currently situated.

john12 · #9 (**permalink**) 09-20-2006, 12:38 PM

Your obviously trying to do something way above your capabilities,
no disrespect intended, but if you don't know how to blend layers, then all the advice in the world won't really help with something like this because all the people giving you advice are running through their own idea's but using their own capabilities to come up with these idea's.
Most would find it hard to do this and make it look real, actually I shouldn't say hard, more time consuming than anything else!
But anyway, good luck with it!

komatoast · #10 (**permalink**) 09-20-2006, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by john12

Your obviously trying to do something way above your capabilities,
no disrespect intended, but if you don't know how to blend layers, then all the advice in the world won't really help with something like this because all the people giving you advice are running through their own idea's but using their own capabilities to come up with these idea's.
Most would find it hard to do this and make it look real, actually I shouldn't say hard, more time consuming than anything else!
But anyway, good luck with it!

please ignore this crap...

the whole point of people telling you how they would go about making this effect if for you to learn techniques such as blending.

i agree making it look real is going to be very hard but you will never do it if you dont try! the key is to have a gon you may not get the result you were after but chances are that you will have learend lots on the way which can be applied to other projects.