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Author
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Topic: How to make a person hover instead of walk?
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yodadude
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posted 01-31-2000 11:42 PM
Ok I am going to start filming a short this weekend about a demon/monster who steals peoples souls. He hovers instead of walking and looks kinda like the strangers from Dark city.I need to do this with out the aid of a computer . For I am a poor 16 year old highschool student without a job and I can't afford a Vid. Capture card. Also can any one give some hints about editing with two VCRs. Every time I do I get a screen of static after each cut or scene. Thanks PS I just spent 45 min, in the archives. Nothing on this there. So please do not tell me to look there. |
crazy lou
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posted 02-01-2000 12:46 AM
well, if you don't have to see his feet, you might be able to put him on a dolly type thing and pull him. this would work pretty good for medium shots where you can see part of his legs.you might be able to do something similar for wide shots, just place a mirror infront of the wheels (like they did for the shots of the landspeeder in SW:ANH) it may look slightly hokey though, test it out. as for the editing, heres what you should do. BEFORE you use any of your video tapes, record over the entiire length of the tape. plug in a cable to your vcr's video in, this makes sure the whole tape is black, and turn your vcr to a channel that has no sound, like the "AUX." setting then tape away. without getting to technical this gives the VCR something to hold on when you are editing. do this to any of the tapes you plan on using (like if your camera is 8mm vhs-c or vhs, do it to them too)
later
Tom
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Wayne
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posted 02-01-2000 09:28 AM
I agree with Crazy Lou. You could put your subject on a dolly and do medium shots of your him or her from the waist up. Then cut to a shot of their feet off the ground. For this shot maybe you could come up with some kind of rig that allows your subject of roll around without his or her feet touching the ground. Or you could just come up with some fake feet and have a crew member off screen hold them a few inches off the ground. Or you could take those fake feet and attach then to rod or rig that is attacked to your camera. This will ensure you don't film anything other than those fake feet. Hope this helps |
Frank Milne
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posted 02-01-2000 11:47 AM
I agree witht he other two. It would look alot like some of spike lees walking shots in which the two people seem to hover down the street. Make one person off a dolly and the other on. It would look surreal. Something tells me though that you'd really like some major flashy see feet and hover 40 feet in the air effect. No PC editing? good luck. |
ZIMZAM
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posted 02-01-2000 02:40 PM
You need an editing VCR with flying erase heads to get rid of the unwanted static you are talking about. Some of these VCR's come with insert editing and audio dub features. You can get some pretty great results with a real editing VCR but it will take a very long time. I spent a week on a mock music video for one of my friends. It turned out excellent, but I could have accomplished the video in about an hour with the NLE set-up I have now. Look for editing VCR's on EBAY. You can get a JVCHR4500 for about 200$. Also, if you decide to upgrade to a full non-linear setup in the future, you will still need a good VCR to make VHS or S-VHS copies, so you'll be set. |
ebrigman
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posted 02-01-2000 03:24 PM
for editing... if you work fast... pause the record machine and go to where the next shot is on the player... hit play on the player and unpause the recorder.... it is important that the recorder doesn't stop... but stay paused until you need to record... if you have a halfway decent VCR that should give you edits without static, maybe some rainbowing though... if you have to stop the recorder that might give you some problems |
yodadude
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posted 02-01-2000 05:48 PM
Thanks A lot!That really helps. I will try all of the ideas and see which one works. I never thought of the mirror thing. Pretty creative.
My whole short is about 10 min and takes place entirely in a house so no special shots over canyons are needed.
Thanks for the editing tips also. That tape over it before hand sounds like it might solve my problem. Any other Ideas?
If i do up grade(if I ever get a job)what kinda stuff(camera, vcr, etc) do I need to go along with my computer stuff? Again Thanks |
yodadude
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posted 02-01-2000 07:26 PM
In the script he walks sideways past the camera, following some one down the hall. How could I hid the dolly from the side? |
yodadude
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posted 02-01-2000 07:44 PM
need......more..........help.........please |
Phil the Giant Robot
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posted 02-01-2000 08:34 PM
okay, phil the giant robot has an idea (phil the giant robot will also be reffering to himself in the third person) what you could do is get some roller skates and cover them with blue paint. then, you get the film into the puter and remove the blue. see what Phil the Giant Robot means? of course, you'll have to do something about the skates where they cover up the guys feet, otherwise, he could wind up footless.Phil the Giant Robot wrote this. ------------------
Winston Churchill once tried to predict the future, but stopped after awhile, saying, "The future is just one damned thing after another!"
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yodadude
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posted 02-01-2000 11:11 PM
that wont work because as mentione d above I have no pc editing or capturecard or any thing like that. I am in highschool with out a job . I whish I could afford that stuff. |
Ivan
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posted 02-02-2000 10:52 AM
Cheat and give the guy(s) a long robe, then have them stand on a skateboard or something and pull it with something like that steel fishing line, if you do it right(may take practice) you wont be able to see the line...or so Im told. Ive never used any screen wire myself...
hope this helps. |
KEVIN007
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posted 02-02-2000 02:49 PM
yeh just have the guy wear rollerblades and have him wear a robe so you can't see his feet...have someone give him a push when he rolls past the camera.------------------
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning...it smells like victory!" Apocalypse Now (1979) |
IR-Baboon
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posted 02-02-2000 11:12 PM
Ask Web CYAN  He knows someone personaly who has done this kinda thing before. |
Skinned Fox
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posted 02-02-2000 11:48 PM
For a short but impressive full body shot try to make some kind of little seat or harness that could be hidden under the demon's costume. This is supported by a long, sturdy lenghth of pipe with a counterweight at one end and a *secure* fulcrum/support in the middle. If you line up the shot so that the demon is in front of the pipe (you have to move the camera with him of course) and obscure some of the stuff in back you get a real "gee-whizz-how-did-they?" kind of visual.How to obscure the stuff in back? 1. Have a scene where the only thing lit is the demon, the fulcrum and guy moving it are in black paint and stocking masks ect. 2. disguise the bottom of the fulcrum (seen under the demon to go with the furniture -w- guy in ninja gear in back, this allows a shot with a bit of background. 3. Have the demon "float" past a darkened doorway with all the behind the scenes stuff happening in another, darkened room. If there's a good hardware or plumbing or whatever store near you you could pull this off with some elbow grease and less than 30 buck. If your real ambitious you can try counterweighted pipe -w- piano line tricks but that some muy mucho seroioso ****. Just mix and match the skateboard/torso, dummy legs and this and plan your shots carefully and you demon will rise. P.S. In some scenes in Star Wars Luke's tatooine hovercraft used a large scale one of these things, I kid thee not. P.p.s If you don't get what I'm saying write me and I'll try to clarify. ------------------
These are strange and beautiful days my brothers, strange and beautiful days!
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ebrigman
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posted 02-03-2000 10:35 AM
we did a non-moving hover with some cardboard boxes a saw horse two 2x4's and some weighlifting weights |
