Vic,
How are they interacting with the background if it is a green screen, especially the expresso machine and her reflection in it? Do you think they put that much work into it to actually get the movements and interaction to match up with the background?

j razz

It's a good example of how bad acting can ruin an otherwise interesting effect. Never skimp on the talent.

You might be able to do this very simply.
Light everything but the talent very dark then use a luma key to generate a mask (might need some rotoscoping to clean it up), then use the mask to separate the talent. Bump background up a stop or two, apply edge FX and composite it all back together again.

Failing that then green screen. Just remember that a green screen can contain practical props, they're just painted green so they can be composited out later. For example if the talent puts a real cup down on a table they'll perhaps need to hold a real cup but for some reason you need a CGI table. No sweat, you make a green box the same size as the CGI table.

You then build the real set using CGI and track the real camera moves, from that render a background plate and composite the talent back into it. Given the amount of FX applied to the set a photorealistic render isn't needed, probably Truespace would be more than adequate for the task.

All this advanced trickery usually needs at least 4:2:2 sampling and 10 bit doesn't hurt either. Just take a look at some of the green screens used in film, no big effort goes into lighting them, I've seen ones where the screens weren't even remotely the same color. High end compositing software does a way, way better job. Of course it's usually fed better fodder than what we can get out of prosummer cameras.

Also don't forget that some of the most effective FXs are done in front of the camera, there's many optical FXs that are done with ingenious lenses or clever set design.

Bob.

Farss, pointed out, green screening has many options. One common method is put to X's (greentape) , arrows, and numbering in the layout for the talent to work with. Plus in post the location markers permit placement of objects or other "talent: in place in 3d. You can put non-GCI items into the 3d space, but the objects need to be mapped if movement in video exceeds 2dspace movement around object( if object and camera has does not a fixed space location, camera angle and camera distance.

I was wrong about the greenscreen, although it might have been a lot easier, if they had proceeded in that manner.

This video was produced using a "line trace effect" , masks, and a LOT of hand work. It was produced in Photoshop, After Effects and Premiere.

It was definitely NOT a big budget production. How do I know all this?

Well - here is a direct link to the animator's web site, telling exactly how they did the effects... :>))

Just a bunch of kids proving what I say at every lecture I give...
"Don't think! Try it out!"
It's the process that's the most fun, and the only way you'll get truly creative results.

Check it out.

http://blog.arlomidgett.com/2004/05/28/once-upon-a-time-on-a-dark-and-stormy-night/

v

there's alot of reflection coming off of the counter when the lady in red... hmmm, reminds me of a song... anyway, when she's pouring coffee or something. i don't think the background was greenscreen. this was dif.

im workin gon it tho....
let you know next year....