Comments

TheHappyFriar wrote on 8/29/2014, 6:46 PM
Unless you're up close to a swarm, it looks like a cloud. If you're up close they move so fast it's hard to tell what they are (visually) unless they land real close to you.

I'd say the sound is more important then the visual.

I've been through a couple swarms while driving and also have had some when I've pissed them off in the hive next to our house.
vtxrocketeer wrote on 8/29/2014, 7:10 PM
Sound of buzzing and people running maniacally sure would do it for me... ;)
Mark_e wrote on 8/31/2014, 12:21 AM
If you have sony vegas suite you can do that in Hitfilm ultimate for sure. Motion track the shot with the included mocha 3d camera solve if it's not locked off and use the particle simulator to create the swarm of bees in 3d space use some bee images as the particle source enable motion blur for the particle system roughly mask out actors and layer so the bees don't all appear in front of them comp together. Obviously it's a little more involved than that but it's doable with a little research. Pretty much any tutorial covering swarms of flys etc for after effects could be adapted for hit film that uses a similar way of doing it.
Quassos Music wrote on 8/31/2014, 4:17 PM
Thanks guys. I do agree with you that the sound is probably the thing that will make the effect convincing. Mark, I don't have Sony Vegas Suite, because I decided to buy BCC9 instead of Hitfilm
Mark_e wrote on 9/1/2014, 5:06 AM
Type in "green screen swarm" into google, that actually gives some interesting results you could perhaps use that as well as an alternative ?
TheHappyFriar wrote on 9/1/2014, 6:45 AM
Of course he could always go find a hive and give it a swift kick. :D
Quassos Music wrote on 9/1/2014, 7:29 AM
LOL. Kicking a hive might produce some stinging after effects!

I think I will go with Mark's suggestion, as those green screen clips are probably just what I need and it will save me some time.

Mike
rmack350 wrote on 9/1/2014, 2:22 PM
Although this isn't what you want, the last time I did a shoot with bees we blew puffed rice into the scene. This was an Isuzu commercial many years back. What you probably want is bees in the foreground to sell it and then the background stuff can be pretty basic blobs or specks. And, as has been said, the buzzing will sell it.

I can't even remember why we used the puffed rice exactly but you can get it to realistically bounce off an actor and they can wave and cover their face convincingly.

Rob
JohnnyRoy wrote on 9/1/2014, 3:17 PM
> "I have BCC9, but I am not sure the particle tools are good enough. "

They certainly should be. I would use Particle Array 3D for creating a swarm of bees. I show you how to use this plug-in in my Boris TV Episode 189: Particle Array 3D Title Wipe



I would use a Grid Sphere array of even proportions, make the particles smaller but more of them, and use Displacement, Fractal, and Twist with 3 Control Maps and then animate the while thing on the Y axis to make the swarm spin.

This should give you enough information to get the particles swarming. They really only need to be black dots.

~jr
Quassos Music wrote on 9/2/2014, 6:21 AM
Thank you John, I have watched your video and will give it a try.