Basic question - how to extend the back wall of a nightclub?

[Jayk2k]

I'd say pass on the whole idea...

I have years of experience in the field, and I would have a difficult time pulling this off.

Ideally, you would need some 3d matchmoving software to track the room, and then use that information in lightwave. Then build a copy of the room in 3d, and render out the extensions.

You might be able to pull the perspective of the real back wall out using a perspective pin in DF and then corner pin it back further down the hall.

Then you get into rotoing the crowd itself, and having to try and duplicate it such that it doesn't look like the same people all over the club. This in itself is a time consuming process. Not to mention other difficulties like a smoke filled room, and stage lights producing lens flares over the crowd.

I'm not saying this is an impossible shot, but it will require a lot of work. If i were you, go a head and shoot it, but shoot some coverage of another shot if it doesn't work out.

At the very least it's a good opportunity to learn some of the compositing techniques, but i'd suggest something simpler to start with. ;)

[Samizdat]

Thanks for saving me a bunch of time - I'll start out with something easier. ;-)

[jussing]

Well, let's give it a chance, shall we?

First, it's incredible what you can pull off with just one establishing shot.

So if you start off with one shot, showing the greatness of the nightclub, you can get away with not showing that angle again, and your audience will believe it.

Next issue is to make that single shot as doable as possible.

If the camera is locked off, you don't need 3D or tracking. You can extend the room with just a matte painting (which actually just might be done in 3D, but at least you won't have to track the shot).

Next is the crowd replication thing which really isn't that difficult. Except your're stuck between to hard cases:

a) keep the camera relatively low, with lots of people in the foreground, so you won't need to replicate the crowd all the way to the back of your matte painting, but then you have to deal with complex rotoscoping of everyone in front of you, or:

b) lift the camera higher, to get clear of the people in the foreground, but then having to replicate the crowd all the way to the back.

I'd go with B - that's cinematographically (is that a word??) the best establishing shot, anyway (plus, it fits with your idea of an over-the-shoulder-shot). How high's the ceiling?

You could also create some seperate smoke plates, to put over the whole thing afterwards, to "glue" the in-camera stuff with the matte painting and the replicated crowd.

I think it's absolutely doable. :)

Of course, a question still remains regarding where you'll shoot the extra crowd plates to fill in the background.

1) You can shoot them in the nightclub, which means getting the light right, and then push the plates back -- which will technically distorts their perspective in a wrong way, but that all depends on how high your camera is, how far away the crowd is, and how far you push the plates back.

2) shoot them elsewhere (like outside), in a place where you can get the camera position right according to where the crowd will be in the final composite. This means getting the perspective right, but then having to deal with light and nightclub setting.

Here I'd go with 1), but push the crowd as far back in the room as you can.

Cheers,
- Jonas

[Jayk2k]

I wasn't saying it was an impossible shot, just that it will take a lot of work. Considering this is his first attempt at VFX, it just might be more than he should attempt right off the bat.

With careful planning, and a lot of sweat and tears, it can be done, but again, depending on deadlines, and final "quality" just be sure to cover your ass with another shot if things don't work out.

(not a pessimist, just a realist)

[beaker]

roto and more roto and more roto

have fun

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