Process Review: Keying

At the beginning of class, we will review processes related to keying. The work students will be doing could potentially include chrom key effects as part of the work flow. We briefly addressed this topic earlier in the semester but will spend some time working towards a better understanding of the process.

Working with a key can be done in a lot of different ways. The following are some references for how to think about working with keys:

• Chroma Key & Luma Key
• Chroma Key: general any color not visible in subject, commonly Blue or Green
• Premiere: Ultra Key
• AE: Keylight + Key Cleaner + Advanced Spill Supressor
• Process:
• Consider and/or create a garbage mask/matte
• around subject
• masks any extra space
• allows smaller area to focus your key on
• Sample color to generate key
• Switch between "Final Result"/"Composite" and Alpha Views
• Adjust settings like "Tolerance" etc to refine key
• Alpha view helps to understand alpha channel and any partially transparent elements
• Repeat adjusting settings, trial and error is starting point for understanding process, all footage is different, you will always need to refine settings
• Always review and preview, high quality key shows little/no evidence of compositing
• Resources:
• Blue Screen Room (back of 2051)
• Portable Green Screen Backdrop (photo/video studio)
• Blue/Green Portable Screen
• Tabetop Photography Setup
• Various Lighting Equipment

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Project 2 Review and Pre Production

VFX Project 2 is our current project. Please review the project page for more details about the expectations for the work. This project is scheduled to last through the end of the semester.

First steps will be to explore and practice the processes/effects you are interested in using within the guidelines of the project. This could be considered a "Pre Vis" stage in our visual effects pipeline. You will need to explore processes as a way to create a "proof of concept" for the effects you would like to use. Then adapt and develop those processes/effects for your own concept. It will not be satisfactory to simple reproduce a visual effects - it must be developed/remixed/explored with more depth and show your own/group creative/conceptual voice.

At our next class session, each student/group will need to submit some of their Pre Production materials. These materials can be submitted in the D2L dropbox and should be contained within one single PDF document. The following are what should be included in Pre Production materials:

• Decriptive Narrative
• Short/Brief summary describing project
• Consider as a pitch or synopsis
• Proof of Concept & Pre Visualization
• Screenshot/Video of VFX process learned from tutorial
• Screenshot/Video of VFX process adapted for project
• Storyboards
• Images that show what the sequence will look like at different times
• Visual summary
• Useful as a guide for production
• Sketches, Thumbnails, Photos, etc
• Shotlist
• List of shots needed from production
• Spreadsheet summary
• Includes Shot Type, Shot Angle, Location, Position within sequence, etc
• Useful as checklist for production and for scheduling
• Shots included in vocab list
• Script or Outline
• Script: Dialogue, sequence, stage directions, etc
• Outline: Sequence, order of shots, etc
• Equipment Needed List

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Project 2 Work Session

The remaining time in class is designated as work time for VFX Project 2. Use our time together in class as much as possible for things like sharing ideas, brainstorming, recommendations for processes based on your concept, assistance with some processes, experimenting with keying and shooting footage for VFX, general project research and development, focused development of Pre Production materials.

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