Zoom effects

nater · #1 (**permalink**) 03-27-2004, 05:22 AM

Hey guys,
I was wondering how you get those cool zooming effects you see alot. For instance the bullet zooming through the air while the camera follows in Paycheck. Or CSI, where it actually zooms into their bodies and stuff. Is most of that computer? I'm slightly adept with Lightwave and Poser (a 3d editor) and was wondering if that would be the kinda of program needed to work it in. If so, how exactly would you integrate 3d renders into a movie?

Crusty · #2 (**permalink**) 05-12-2004, 04:34 PM

The bullet zooming effect you saw be done with CGI or an actual bullet model against a blue/green screen background and merged in to the footage later. The latter is probably cheaper for a studio, since CGI costs a bundle and brings it's own headaches while blue screening is a known quantity.

If you can render frames with alpha channel data, you should be able to merge things pretty easily. If not, you may want to emulate bluescreening with a solid color background. I think most video editing packages will do 'chroma-key' effects.

MoJoe · #3 (**permalink**) 05-12-2004, 09:32 PM

and if it doesn't have chroma-key, it blows

tongachutt · #4 (**permalink**) 05-18-2004, 02:23 PM

If your goin the CGI route bear in mind that the difficult bit when mixing real footge with CGI is motion tracking, synching your real camera's motion with your CGI camera motion. The more complex your camera pans, tilts, tracks etc the harder it becomes to get your footage to match up.
Big budget- get a motion control camera rig!
Low budget- it can be done but youll need a decent 3D compositor like shake or combustion as well as modelling SW (Maya, Max et al). Carefully plan your shot and try and keep things simple!

tonga

MoJoe · #5 (**permalink**) 05-19-2004, 02:50 AM

MAYA!!! MAYA!!!

My friend can do anything in maya. He can do bullet time stuff like that. We're currently working on an intro for our group which looks quite the shit :twisted:

Will post when done.