View Full Version : Episode 11 - Human Cloning and Camera Technique
In this episode we show how to duplicate your actor and break down some basic camera set-ups.
Cloning can be very easy if you keep a few things in mind while you’re shooting. Be careful of shadows, don’t move your camera (unless you plan on motion tracking), and shoot where the light won’t shift.??First...lock your camera on a tripod and have your actor play out the scene in all the positions you need. Again, be sure not to move the camera at all! Any shift will ruin the effect. Next...bring your footage into your editing suite or effect software; placing one clip on top of the other; then just mask your actor out of the clip on top, add some feathering, and you should have a pretty good effect.
Watch or download this episode now! (http://revision3.com/filmriot/cloning)
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Great episodes, I did a cloning effect for a film a while ago, I used 3 techniques:
Split screen:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2451/3794950852_921f03d769_o.jpg
Which surprisingly worked really well.
Face replacement:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2574/3794951808_db2fd2dfbe_o.jpg
An idea I came up with and failed dismally.
Double:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3455/3794129417_54047acd7c_o.png
Which work as well as I thought it would.
Another case of me wishing I had seen filmriot a long time ago, the video I made is over 2 years old.
If anyone is wondering, you will never get to see that video I made with the evil twin, trust me it's bad.
Also there is a continuity error that the two peoples glasses disappear.
I just remembered I've been using the split screen cloning effect even longer than that, one of my very first videos I only had two actors.
It was a fantasy film and one of the scenes was at a funeral, it was the same two actors over and over again with different masks on.
We couldn't even afford a coffin so used an Amazon box wrapped in cloth, at the time we thought it was so high budget, ahh, those were the days.
Enough nostalgia, great episode like I said, the explanation of all the diffrent types of shots were really good and WTF was "Warning!" that was a bit of a non-sequitur, verry funny.
You guys have to look at the automatically genirated transcript here: http://revision3.com/filmriot/cloning maybe it's because you talk so fast but none of it makes any sense.
oliverblank
08-06-2009, 10:29 AM
Another really cheap way to do a dolly shot is go to a second hand store and find a cheep wheel chair. I got one for 4 bucks. You can either set up the tripod in the wheelchair, secure it as you see fit and be VERY CAREFUL, or have the cameraman, with a tripod or monopod for stability, sitting in the chair, while someone else pushes it. You can get a reasonably good dolly in closed areas, or other places you can't easily get a car, like hallways and rooftops.
It also makes for a nice piece of furniture. Mine is the desk chair I'm sitting in RIGHT NOW.
Unfortunately, I have little use for dollies, I do a lot of faux documentary style work, and, while precarious, it generally works best for the effect, to just have the camera man walk around following the actors.
Another really cheap way to do a dolly shot is go to a second hand store and find a cheep wheel chair. I got one for 4 bucks. You can either set up the tripod in the wheelchair, secure it as you see fit and be VERY CAREFUL, or have the cameraman, with a tripod or monopod for stability, sitting in the chair, while someone else pushes it. You can get a reasonably good dolly in closed areas, or other places you can't easily get a car, like hallways and rooftops.
It also makes for a nice piece of furniture. Mine is the desk chair I'm sitting in RIGHT NOW.
Yea, I've never seen a wheel-chair cheap but there are 3 in the school medical room so if I'm shooting something there I'm allowed to nab one.
Basically anything with wheels can be turned into a dolly, although somethings need more work than others.
Although whatever you used be prepared to dub all your audio, especially if you used a car because you won't be able hear a thing.
oliverblank
08-06-2009, 01:21 PM
My wheelchair is also relatively quiet. Most of the trouble I've had with it can be masked by dubbing in background noises.
MrPopular
08-06-2009, 03:39 PM
Another Great Episode.
Question to anyone out there on the interwebs. I have Motion 2 & FCP, but in FCP i only get 8 point mask which isn't enough for in depth masking. In motion 2 You can mask all you want, til you blue in the face. But I can't find a spot to add a keyframe so that in the next frame I can move the points around the subject? So if anyone has Motion and has some insight, Plz Clue Me In.
xfuuey
08-06-2009, 05:01 PM
hilarious episode. i honestly have never given two shits about film editing, but you guys make it interesting & fun. it actually makes me wana mess around with that stuff in my free time. thanks for a great show. keep it up :)
Another Great Episode.
Question to anyone out there on the interwebs. I have Motion 2 & FCP, but in FCP i only get 8 point mask which isn't enough for in depth masking. In motion 2 You can mask all you want, til you blue in the face. But I can't find a spot to add a keyframe so that in the next frame I can move the points around the subject? So if anyone has Motion and has some insight, Plz Clue Me In.
Same problem here, I can only mask up to 16 points :(
The only way I can find to do it, is apply the masking effect once and do half the image then apply it again and do the other half and then again to get the details.
Takes a LONG time, that's why I prefer greenscreening.
Depending on the shot you should be fine with 8 points, for cloning I normally only use 4 or just straight crop of the image.
wouldy0ukindly
08-06-2009, 06:33 PM
I think you guys are more suited to high energy comedy, like in episode 1. Still a good episode tho.
masterevilace
08-06-2009, 07:23 PM
This episode was amazing. Best show on Rev3, at the moment.
It's not only tutorials, but the way you guys present them. These comedy sketches are hilarious and really pull you into the effects
az0madman
08-06-2009, 09:13 PM
Another awesome episode of Film Cooperation Josh. I always knew Ryan was holding you back.
edit: Whoops, wrong forum. Ignore post please. I <3 Film Riot!
PeppersGhost
08-06-2009, 09:29 PM
Funniest episode yet.
danhauk
08-06-2009, 09:52 PM
Another awesome episode of Film Cooperation Josh. I always knew Ryan was holding you back.
edit: Whoops, wrong forum. Ignore post please. I <3 Film Riot!
haha, awesome. This has quickly become my favorite show on Rev3 I think. It's just so helpful while being very entertaining at the same time. Plus I love the little things thrown in like "Quick Tips" and whatever it was that Tim was doing this week with his proverbs.
Keep up the great work, guys! Always looking forward to next week.
cyborger
08-07-2009, 07:13 PM
So far so good. Another Revision 3 show that I like.
nextgenxbox
08-07-2009, 10:54 PM
Film Cooperation joke was hilarious.
eddieh
08-10-2009, 05:40 PM
Agreed. I loved that twist to the episode. For once I did get some popcorn before watching the show.
aiiaznsk8er
08-12-2009, 02:30 PM
Will Premiere Elements handle the human cloning technique? I can't figure it out from their website. What about After Effects? is it a stand alone editor? Do you have to buy Premiere Pro to use it?
This show rocks, your commercials are so effective, I bought a squarespace account.
Guytheninja
08-12-2009, 05:42 PM
Another awesome episode of Film Cooperation Josh. I always knew Ryan was holding you back.
edit: Whoops, wrong forum. Ignore post please. I <3 Film Riot!
Awesome! That was hilarious.
I love this show, its a laugh a minute!
Will Premiere Elements handle the human cloning technique?
Yes, I'm a BIG elements user and in version 2 it's really simple:
Put all the clips of the clones on the time-line one on top of the other.
Go into effects and transitions
Go into something like 'Green screen and keying' (can't remember the exact name)
Then drag either the 'Four point garbage mat', 'Eight point garbage mat' or 'Sixteen point garbage mat' to your top clip
Adjust the effect to crop your clip how you want.
Repeat for all the other clips.Not sure were everything is in each of the versions of Elements, I know the later ones have less features and control but are more user friendly.
Also I believe after effects is a stand alone effects program (you can do basic editing in it to)
MrPopular
08-19-2009, 01:33 PM
Bored in the basement, So I decided to try my luck and some human cloning real quick. nothing crazy just real quick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lotl4gk-cag
ryanconnolly
08-19-2009, 09:45 PM
Bored in the basement, So I decided to try my luck and some human cloning real quick. nothing crazy just real quick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lotl4gk-cag
haha! Great job!
rabidbadger
08-26-2009, 05:12 PM
Bored in the basement, So I decided to try my luck and some human cloning real quick. nothing crazy just real quick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lotl4gk-cag
Very convincing, the fact that there is overlap, and a second person, helps make it look more real. Good job.
ryanconnolly
08-26-2009, 09:08 PM
Very convincing, the fact that there is overlap, and a second person, helps make it look more real. Good job.
Looks great. Well done sir.