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Rear Projection - Driving Sequence
- Thread starter MrSadler
- Start date
I think it has to be a stylistic choice because it WILL look fake. Even large budget efforts at this (Mad Men for example) are very obvious when they do it.
That being said, it can be a cool stylistic choice. There are some tutorials from Film Riot and others out there on it.
I went the car on trailer route myself.
That being said, it can be a cool stylistic choice. There are some tutorials from Film Riot and others out there on it.
I went the car on trailer route myself.
Camera mounted to hood.
Camera mounted inside to windshield
cameraman in back seat of the car.
$100 Suction cup camera mount from film Tools. We did use some additional cups and triangulate it for the shots where he was actually driving, but on the trailer we just used the single cup most of the time. The trailer is just to stop "Driving while acting".
Rear projection is still a viable option, but as with VFX, if done poorly it looks ... bad. In the 30's & 40's audiences weren't bothered by poorly shot RP & obvious cut-away cars. Today, the audience (and the filmmaker) expect more.
There are many issues to tackle when shooting RP, and although the following list is by no means a how-to, here are some things to consider:
- Matching FG & BG key to fill ratio. Use a light meter & a green or blue viewing filter to help you judge this.
- Interactive Camera & Car movement.
- Steady BG photography
- Synching actor's 'driving' with BG
- Matching perceived speed difference between front and side shots (The 100/80/60% Rule is a good guideline)
- Planning coverage first so you can shoot BG element for projection.
- Camera movement limited to nodal pan/tilt.
- Exposure: If exposing for interior, the BG will want to be over exposed (or vice-versa).
- DOF: If you are focused on an actor in the car, the projected image may need to be blurred. This is a common mistake that screams 'Rear Projection' to the audience.
- BG image scaling to match the FOV used in the car photography. This also scream 'RP' if done incorrectly.
- Tilt: Horizon line between BG & FG.
- Match Camera Elevation between BG & FG
- Rear Projection hotspot.
- Color grading & Black point of BG
- Properly scaled exterior set pieces but introduce further DOF issues
- Splash light from the RP
- Test shoots are absolutely necessary.
- Shoot a few angles as possible, and sped your time getting it to look good.
Then, there's always green screen. This gives you the ability to mess with your FG/BG levels & colors within the composite. I usually choose GS over RP EXCEPT in one situation where there was rain running down the windows of the car, in that case I went with RP: Some SFX water on the glass, hit it with some e-Fans, and the water looked awesome. I still get some people arguing with me that it wasn't RP.
But if VFX is out of your skill set, and RP is too complicated, I recommend Poor-Man's Process , which is perhaps your best option if you need to get some simple night-driving shots, with good audio, in the safety of a stage environment; and you can move the camera!
Rok
There are many issues to tackle when shooting RP, and although the following list is by no means a how-to, here are some things to consider:
- Matching FG & BG key to fill ratio. Use a light meter & a green or blue viewing filter to help you judge this.
- Interactive Camera & Car movement.
- Steady BG photography
- Synching actor's 'driving' with BG
- Matching perceived speed difference between front and side shots (The 100/80/60% Rule is a good guideline)
- Planning coverage first so you can shoot BG element for projection.
- Camera movement limited to nodal pan/tilt.
- Exposure: If exposing for interior, the BG will want to be over exposed (or vice-versa).
- DOF: If you are focused on an actor in the car, the projected image may need to be blurred. This is a common mistake that screams 'Rear Projection' to the audience.
- BG image scaling to match the FOV used in the car photography. This also scream 'RP' if done incorrectly.
- Tilt: Horizon line between BG & FG.
- Match Camera Elevation between BG & FG
- Rear Projection hotspot.
- Color grading & Black point of BG
- Properly scaled exterior set pieces but introduce further DOF issues
- Splash light from the RP
- Test shoots are absolutely necessary.
- Shoot a few angles as possible, and sped your time getting it to look good.
Then, there's always green screen. This gives you the ability to mess with your FG/BG levels & colors within the composite. I usually choose GS over RP EXCEPT in one situation where there was rain running down the windows of the car, in that case I went with RP: Some SFX water on the glass, hit it with some e-Fans, and the water looked awesome. I still get some people arguing with me that it wasn't RP.
But if VFX is out of your skill set, and RP is too complicated, I recommend Poor-Man's Process , which is perhaps your best option if you need to get some simple night-driving shots, with good audio, in the safety of a stage environment; and you can move the camera!
Rok
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