Masking a Moose? (not an April Joke)

garo wrote on 3/31/2005, 8:45 PM
As it turns out moose are very particular about surfaces (no this ISN'T a April fools joke so please read on) they might encounter. We have moose farms over here in Sweden so I am speaking from the information of expertice. I have a client that needs a moose to walk across a section of their wooden flooring - preferably in a (human) living room enviroment.

So, "the talent" isn't going for it. Also asuming the talent would balk att a green screen/tarp etc. I wonder about masking methods in Vegas to accomplish a moose walking from point A to point B - a distance of about 4 yards.

tia, Garo

Comments

Spot|DSE wrote on 3/31/2005, 8:50 PM
CAn you get a shot against an all blue sky? What about in front of one of your famous Swedish yellow buildings? The red won't work, but the yellow would. You could also Bezier mask it, but that will be a TON of work.
Been to one of those in Dalarna. Pretty scary to see those things more or less be docile. Back home, they'll kill ya just as soon look at you in the spring.
garo wrote on 3/31/2005, 8:55 PM
yeap probably could but it's feet upps!, I mean hooves that are the problem as I need to see the flooring with the talent more or less centered verticaly in the scene.
TorS wrote on 3/31/2005, 9:21 PM
Go further north and get it against the snow. With hard-packed snow (like on a road) you would see its hoofs. There may be stock-footage available of moose crossing roads in winter. Try Finland, too. The animals will be in winter-fur anyway, this time of the year.
Tor
garo wrote on 3/31/2005, 10:12 PM
Hej Tor!
Who would have stock footage here in Sweden? You have a source?

//Garo
TorS wrote on 3/31/2005, 10:16 PM
Sveriges Television perhaps? At least the would know where to get it.
Tor
chaboud wrote on 3/31/2005, 10:52 PM
Difference masking is a decent answer (with a bit of bezier masking thrown in for good measure).

Prepare for your first crack at it to not work, but I've done some pretty fun stuff with it.

Here's a clip that makes use of this trick to have two copies of one person.
Joe White wrote on 4/1/2005, 1:39 AM
My sister was bitten by a moose............
TorS wrote on 4/1/2005, 3:55 AM
A masked moose, no doubt.
Tor
B_JM wrote on 4/1/2005, 6:09 AM
http://www.fotosearch.com/CRT753/000411cf/

http://www.moosevideo.com/ms_page.html

http://www.buyoutfootage.com/pages/titles/max_n1.html
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 4/1/2005, 7:54 AM
My sister was bitten by a moose............

Monty Python fan, there :)

Dave
TorS wrote on 4/1/2005, 7:58 AM
Mind you, a moose bit can be really nasty
Tor
dand9959 wrote on 4/1/2005, 10:42 AM
If the moose doesn't work out, try Ralph the Wonder Llama.
BillyBoy wrote on 4/1/2005, 11:57 AM
This moose is house broken and talks too. He probably can walk through a room with no problem, but he may run into something. There's been rumors about Rocky and Bullwinkle being more than just "friends".

http://www.abc-kid.com/rocky/pictures/004.jpg
baysidebas wrote on 4/1/2005, 1:08 PM
What you need is a Moose Wrangler...
dand9959 wrote on 4/1/2005, 1:13 PM
We apologize. Those responsible for this thread have been sacked.
Coursedesign wrote on 4/1/2005, 4:36 PM
Moose are probably the same as cattle of all sizes: they don't like to cross straight lines, and I assume that's one feature of the wooden floors you got.

Spot, if you saw a truly yellow house, I think it must have been in Norway. Seriously, they have a very different view of house colors, I believe they see themselves as more eclectic than their neighbor.

Of course, this is the year of grief for the Norwegians, as it's now been 100 years since they had the benefit of the union with their best buddies to the East :O).

vicmilt wrote on 4/2/2005, 5:37 AM
Back to reality - what you need is a program that allows you to strip out the background or "rotoscope" the necessay footage.
Using cutaways and close-ups you can probably limit the necessary work to three or four seconds on the wide shot, which will be your most demanding.
Check out Commotion - I believe it will do the trick.
You might also simply look for a professional rotoscope service to do the couple of necessary seconds of footage for you.
v.
Spot|DSE wrote on 4/2/2005, 6:00 AM
Garo,
I realize you're not in Stockholm, but Lasse Gunnarsson in Stockholm does a lot of work for Nyetsmoron, and has a great skill at rotoscoping. Look him up, tell him I sent ya. He had a live crime series on Canal 4 for a few years.
goshep wrote on 4/2/2005, 8:36 AM
Hejson!

Stop thinking like a director and start thinking like a biologist.

Go to your local hunting supply and pick up some "Moose in Heat." Lead the moose to his mark. From the opposite side of the room, direct a tiny hint of scent towards him with a fan on low (you want to get his attention, not have him mount the nearest piece of furniture.)
He's apt to get quite cranky so get the shot in the first take. You may not have a set left when he's done. Oh yah, whoever is directing the scent better the let the big guy down easy.... a half-ton moose with a broken heart is an accident waiting to happen.

Good luck!

Hejdo!
B_JM wrote on 4/2/2005, 1:15 PM
spraying "moose in heat" right in front of a 2000lbs+ bull moose would qualify for a Darwin award ...


vicmilt wrote on 4/2/2005, 1:55 PM
...but if you DO this moose in heat spray (and who gathers THAT scent?)...
be sure to have a second camera filming the whole thing - it should be hilarious!
v.
Spot|DSE wrote on 4/2/2005, 3:37 PM
you guys have obviously not seen an unhappy moose :-)
on the serious side, we have at least one moron a year killed near where we live, thinking that moose are such "cute" animals. I don't know if Swedish moose are the same....but in the West, they're downright cranky moost of the time.
http://www.vividlight.com/articles/3505.htm has an interesting bit of info on shooting a moose.
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 4/2/2005, 5:05 PM
spraying "moose in heat" right in front of a 2000lbs+ bull moose would qualify for a

But heck - I'd vote for it on the VASST site - no doubt ;)

Dave