Sniper rifle Composite

Horsefly wrote on 1/14/2010, 9:51 AM

Hello,
I am going to be editing a scene where a police sniper is tracking a suspect, and I am going to be cutting shots from 3rd to first person perspectives and wondered how good it would look to have a shot from the scope that displayed the relevant markings to composite over an infared style plate.
Is there anything like this available ?

Thanks,

Glenn

Comments

Yoyodyne wrote on 1/14/2010, 10:17 AM

I think I understand what your asking for. Try google image searching sniper scope - I turned up a ton of scope looks. A few minutes in Photoshop and you should be good to go.

Horsefly wrote on 1/14/2010, 11:17 AM

thanks YOYODYNE,
Will give it a go, obviously I dont need to mess about with opacity on the layer as whatever is under the alpha channel should come through, I guess its just a matter of cutting into the actual footage and masking a circle into the scope ?

That doesn't make a ton of sense......Could it be an After Effects type deal ?

Jay Gladwell wrote on 1/14/2010, 11:33 AM

"Could it be an After Effects type deal ?"

Nope. Can be done very easily in Vegas on the timeline.

goshep wrote on 1/14/2010, 12:12 PM

You need to add a little chromatic abberation and maybe some dust or hair or it's going to look like a video clip with a cookie cutter crosshair on it.

edit

Sorry, I missed the IR part of it. Cancel the CA

Former user wrote on 1/14/2010, 12:33 PM

Film noise will help the scope look more "real" - remember to blur the outer edges of the scope, as well as brighten the center just a touch. Another nice little thing to try is to reduce the contrast in the scope view.

I've used this page as an exemplar of different IR/heat sensor looks:

http://www.imaging1.com/thermal/monocular14.html

busterkeaton wrote on 1/14/2010, 12:40 PM

If you just want crosshairs, you could actually find FONTS that mimic this.

It's real simple with a font, but I don't know the level of versimiltude, you're going for.

Jim H wrote on 1/14/2010, 7:00 PM

I just made one in photoshop:

http://vimeo.com/3650866

Saved as png file with transparency:

http://www.jameshoughtaling.com/TEMP/scope.png

Rory Cooper wrote on 1/14/2010, 10:33 PM

Place the PNG under your video track . track it in the parent motion window add red glow and composite the video to add

If the PNG is white add light rays select red for color but set rays to 0 that will give you a more laser light feel

JJKizak wrote on 1/15/2010, 4:29 AM

You guys nust use cheap sniper scopes with the bright centers and chromatic edges. My 2" Unertl Ultra Varmit Scope (15 power) has none of this. At 700 yards I can see the sides of a full size ketchup bottle on either side of the crosshairs. It helps not to be a nervous type. It might be better to actually look into a scope and try duplicating the "eye relief" problems of older people's diminished vision skills.
JJK

busterkeaton wrote on 1/15/2010, 4:58 AM

Call me out of touch, but I prefer to hunt for my ketchup the old fashioned way.
Here's my weapon which was good enough for my Daddy and it's good enough for me.

Horsefly wrote on 1/15/2010, 5:39 AM

Thanks a lot to everyone for their advice,

Jim
Great little video there was all that done on Vegas ?
The only time I get blood to look like that is in AE, then again on a white background I guess is should come up better.
So I got the scope, you mentioned its all keyed and ready for putting on the timeline ?

Thanks again,

Glenn

www.wigofdeath.com

Rory Cooper wrote on 1/15/2010, 6:04 AM

Yes busterkeaton but your weapon is far more dangerous and it has a mind of its own