Comments

Spot|DSE wrote on 2/15/2004, 8:06 AM
to do it with people like you do in photoshop with stills, you need a good rotoscoping program, or you need to shoot them in front of a greenscreen.
Extracting motion video is challenging in all circumstances without a greenscreen, but it can be done with experience and a good rotoscoping tool. Chromakey work is always the best way to accomplish this.
mrmike wrote on 2/15/2004, 9:22 AM
OK, so how is it done with a green screen? Say I shoot the video with one, is there a function in VV 4.0 that would allow me to separate the components I want, or do I still need rotoscoping software?

How, or perhaps best where, would I find step-by-step instructions detailing how to accomplish this; i.e., Chromakey work, rotoscoping, and using a greenscreen?

I'm new to this, but I know creatively what I want it to look like. So far I have been naive to think VV could accomplish what I need to to.

Thanks in advance for your input.
busterkeaton wrote on 2/15/2004, 1:06 PM
VV can accomplish what you need it do, if you plan correct and do a chromakey. Spot's point was that to do it correctly you need to think of the finished project before you shoot the video. If you have someone walking down a busy street and you want to pull them out of that shot, that's rotoscoping. Because you don't have any control of the background. You need to define your subject and track its motion and then the rotoscoping tool would erase the background. That is complicated and is not within the scope of most (if any?) NLEs.

You can control the background by shooting in front an evenly lit greenscreen and then doing a chromakey to pull you subject out. Unlike rotoscoping which works by defining the edges of your subject. Chroma-key works by defining a color, hence the "chroma" aspect of it.

In Vegas video effects you will find a chroma keyer. The color that you pull the key from cannot be in your subject. If he has a bright green shirt and you shoot a greenscreen, the shirt will be removed along with the background. So you still have to plan carefully.
busterkeaton wrote on 2/15/2004, 1:22 PM
http://www.slashcam.com/directory/HowTo_Shooting-Keying.html

Has some chromakey links.
JackW wrote on 2/15/2004, 2:33 PM
Take a look at my posting (which just went up) "Chromakey links." These may be helpful.

Good luck.

Jack