EFFECTS PHOTOGRAPHY/ CINEMATOGRAPHY
More information on the exciting process of Live-In-Camera effects will
be on this page in the near future. Please return to this site. WonderVision
is the evolution of foreground miniature photography which was once a staple
of the industry producing incredibly realistic effects. Many of the shots
were so effective that they were not even recognizable as being an effect.
Faultless footage is possible more than ever given today's technology and
yet the process has all but been forgotten.
Please Visit the new PHOTO GALLERY for
pictures of this process in action.
Today, there are "effects" films where it is obvious that an effect
is being utilized because of the shot (ie. spacecraft in Star Wars) or because
the effects work was so inept that anyone can see the matte lines or poor
model work. However, effects are useful in any type of movie or commercial
to create unusual situations, dramatic imagery or to broaden vistas.
The industry has inadvertently started a technology and price war that continues
today. People are blinded by new and innovative, high-tech equipment and
technique. More than a decade ago Star Wars advanced film making in many
different arenas including bluescreen effects. Literally dozens of companies
evolved to meet the demand. The problem now is that producers and directors
are taking this approach at the exclusion of all else. They believe that
optical effects are a Panacea but at a cost often ten times as much as a
foreground miniature shot.
There are many problems with bluescreen that are apparent to anyone who
has used it. It takes much more time to set-up and costs considerably more
than any in-camera trick could. There are frequently technical problems
of film stock and lighting matching for a perfect blend. If conditions are
not perfect, matte lines will appear to haunt everyone and they will become
worse when transferred to video. Objects cannot be transparent, or reflective,
or holes will appear in the negative. The time and cost are multiplied every
time a new element is added. Conversely, foreground miniatures are shot
at the same time as live action, therefore lighting, reflections, etc are
all interactive and real. . The client can see the end result as it is being
shot relieving any apprehension that the shot might not look right in dailies.
One simple way to think about any foreground miniature effect shot is that
the camera is a one-eyed idiot. It will believe anything it is shown and
cannot perceive distance or scale without stereo (3D) vision. Flexibility
and cost savings are part of this technique's desirability. It is conceptually
similar to a matte or glass painting without the inherent problems. A glass
painting is locked off for one camera position with a given light setting
for a particular time of day. There is little the Director can do to alter
a shot once it has been set. The three-dimensional foreground miniature
allows the director the freedom to set up alternate positions and lighting
situations, thus amortizing the cost of the miniature. Planning a shot carefully,
and involving the miniature Director of Photography, or model builder, early
can result in considerable savings, less frustration.
Brick Price - FX DP
