Stop-motion - how to equalise lighting

AmonRag wrote on 4/4/2003, 4:16 AM

I have 5 minutes of stop-motion footage shot with a DV camcorder but, as I'm new to stop motion, I have problems with the lighting levels which sometimes change on a per frame basis (let's say I learned a lesson..)

Does Vegas 4 have a facility which will allow me to equalise the lighting level across a clip or movie so it looks less like a school disco and more like a coherent movie.

If not would something like After Effects do a better job? I have money to spend - I just need to know where to spend it !

Comments

Spot|DSE wrote on 4/4/2003, 9:06 AM

The color correction, HSL, Color Curves, Brightness and Contrast, and other similar tools will all do what you want, question is, how acceptable will it be when you are done. As light shifts over time, it's very, very challenging to have keyframes to counter those changes without looking too fake or weird. If the lighting is changing on a cut, such as changing when the stop motion begins, staying the same for a couple frames, then you've got a good chance to make it decent and matched, but it's going to be a slow and long road if all the clips are different through out. You might be able to create a few presets and then choose various presets to fit to different values on clips. Just a suggestion.

BillyBoy wrote on 4/4/2003, 9:58 AM

Like SPOT said, it is a s l o w process, but I've done it many times with good success. It just takes a long time to make subtle changes with the various filters. What you want to avoid it making stark changes from one scene to the next. Instead break it up into smaller events that slowly ramp up or down changing curves, levels, etc., over multiple frames with key frames. I also find it useful to extend the event by stretching it a little. You don't want slow motion, but just adding enough frames to maybe drop down to 85-90% or so of real time speed adds enough frames to make the changing in lighting more natural and not happen as abruptly.