Another effect that I have tested out was the mirror effect. This is when the reflection does a complete different thing than the actual moving object. I and Frouzon decided that we want to include this scene in our trailer seeing as many successful films has adapted this into their films which they received positive feedback on and that it managed to create a sense of terror towards the audience.
To ensure that I knew what I was doing, I researched different examples of how people set their camera position and what they did to edit and achieve the mirror effect. After that, I have asked the same classmate that acted out for the Demon face to act in this scene, which was set at the bathroom to create an eerie sense towards the audience. I positioned the camera on a tripod so that the shots do not appear to be shaky and that the whole scene would be consistent and realistic. I also put the camera at an angle which would show my classmate's back and her reflection clearly; this would also help me at the same time because it would be easier for me to identify the intersecting lines in which I can edit to achieve the horror mirror scene. At first, my classmate acted as if she was just washing her hands and glancing quickly towards the mirror. Me and Frouzon asked her to repeat the same thing, however, she must look into the mirror and act as if she is looking into herself whilst smiling and that she must not wash her hands.
After the shooting, I used After Effects to edit and acquire the mirror effect. The first thing that I have done is place both shots on top of each other, starting with scene 2 on the top. After that, I created a path around the scene 2, which had my classmate acting as if she was staring at her self in the mirror, and hidden everything apart from the mirror itself. Scene 1 revealed itself from below apart from the mirror in which it had scene 2. I tested it out and found out that my classmate had crossed the intersecting line which differentiates the mirror reflection and the object, so I had to key-frame and change the path around scene 2 so that scene 1 does not look like it has been cut from several areas. Having the whole scene put together, I decided to change the tone and grading of the whole scenes so that it can create an atmosphere and ambiance towards the audience.
Seeing as this is my second time using After Effects, I think that I am getting a grasp on how to tone and grade the scenes. Also, it was my first time creating this kind of effect on this software and I think that it has been successful in terms of testing out the ways in which I can use this technique in the trailer that me and Frouzon will be creating. What I could evaluate on this scene is the timing seeing as my classmate's reflection appeared earlier than her actual body which decreases the verisimilitude and makes it less more believable. Also, I have noticed that there was a slight shake on scene 1 which has ruined the consistence of the whole scene and that it appeared to have been edited. If I was to include this scene in our trailer, I would have changed more mise-en-scene such as the costume, the lighting and actions. I would also make the reflection somewhat different than the actual person by having it dressed up as a zombie, etc... During the process of editing, I have learned how to deal with a problem such as the intersecting line and still manage to achieve a realistic mirror scene.
This is an example on of the mirror effect, including the demon face warp.
Here is our test of using the mirror effect technique.
Friday, 19 October 2012
Technique Test - Demon Face
Here, I have taken several video shots of a classmate in which I have asked her to act out in several ways so that I can edit it.
The first one is called the 'Demon Face'. Me and Frouzon have decided to include part of this in our trailer as it is a conventional technique that is relative to our chosen genres. We started off by doing a small amount of research on how different people used this technique in their scenes. We both found out that the most average convention that they use is mostly big eyes, wide mouth and offset colors to the face which is supposed to resemble a demon. After that, I asked my classmate to look into the camera and act out as if she is screaming. I have also done a close up of her face so that I can focus more in the transformation of the face and that the audience can see better. Seeing as this is only a test, I did not think about the mise-en-scene or sounds because I wanted to see how well I can adapt the demon face into my classmate.
I have used Adobe After Effects to create this adaptation on my classmate. Because I did not know how to stabilize and motion track, I used an online tutorial on how I can achieve the demon face to help me learn more about after effects. During the process, I have morphed my classmates face whilst motion tracking so that the morph does not move away from the target area. I have also applied contrasts and coloration so that the demon effect could look more realistic. To test out the color grading I decreased the brightness, added contrast and added a tint of color on the whole of the scene so that the effect will add verisimilitude towards the way the audience would address to whole scene.
Overall, I think that this has been a successful try, especially since this is my first time working on motion tracking and morphing faces at the same time. What I could improve about it is the timing seeing as my classmate had her mouth open for more than 2 seconds, which gives the audience more time to focus around the face and even if there was a small misplaced detail, they would be able to see it. Also, one way I could distract them from seeing the small mistakes is by adding more props or change the costume or even the background so that the audience would look around the scene and not notice the small details which can change their point of view towards this scene. I think that this technique would be very applicable to include within our actual trailer seeing as it is quite advanced and that we've overlooked through other ways of creating a horror scene. Also, by using After Effects, we can create a variety of demon faces and add many other effects that can help us with creating a conventional horror/thriller trailer.
This is an example of a previous demon face that somebody has created.
Here is the first test of the 'Demon Face' technique that I have created:
The first one is called the 'Demon Face'. Me and Frouzon have decided to include part of this in our trailer as it is a conventional technique that is relative to our chosen genres. We started off by doing a small amount of research on how different people used this technique in their scenes. We both found out that the most average convention that they use is mostly big eyes, wide mouth and offset colors to the face which is supposed to resemble a demon. After that, I asked my classmate to look into the camera and act out as if she is screaming. I have also done a close up of her face so that I can focus more in the transformation of the face and that the audience can see better. Seeing as this is only a test, I did not think about the mise-en-scene or sounds because I wanted to see how well I can adapt the demon face into my classmate.
I have used Adobe After Effects to create this adaptation on my classmate. Because I did not know how to stabilize and motion track, I used an online tutorial on how I can achieve the demon face to help me learn more about after effects. During the process, I have morphed my classmates face whilst motion tracking so that the morph does not move away from the target area. I have also applied contrasts and coloration so that the demon effect could look more realistic. To test out the color grading I decreased the brightness, added contrast and added a tint of color on the whole of the scene so that the effect will add verisimilitude towards the way the audience would address to whole scene.
Overall, I think that this has been a successful try, especially since this is my first time working on motion tracking and morphing faces at the same time. What I could improve about it is the timing seeing as my classmate had her mouth open for more than 2 seconds, which gives the audience more time to focus around the face and even if there was a small misplaced detail, they would be able to see it. Also, one way I could distract them from seeing the small mistakes is by adding more props or change the costume or even the background so that the audience would look around the scene and not notice the small details which can change their point of view towards this scene. I think that this technique would be very applicable to include within our actual trailer seeing as it is quite advanced and that we've overlooked through other ways of creating a horror scene. Also, by using After Effects, we can create a variety of demon faces and add many other effects that can help us with creating a conventional horror/thriller trailer.
This is an example of a previous demon face that somebody has created.
Here is the first test of the 'Demon Face' technique that I have created:
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
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