Image Processing Reference
In-Depth Information
postproduction. The object may be composited onto another image later
with proper planning. The downshooter is ideal for green screen work
because
Theimageonthetopplaneusuallygetsverylittlegreenspilllightfrom
the layer below. (This is the light that reflects back up onto the model from
below and tints the edges of that model, making it hard to pull a clean
chroma matte in postproduction.)
Therearenoshadowsonthelowerlevelfromtheobject.(Thisisbecause
your lights have been set to prevent shadows from top plane objects from
falling on the lower plane background.)
Thelowerlevelislightedevenly,whichisperfectforpullingthemattein
postproduction. (Evenly lit chroma-key green background layers are easier
to matte out in postproduction)
Practical backgrounds on the lower shooting plane of color, illustration,
light, or any other form are equally effective with the downshooter.
When I shot The Insideout Boy for Nickelodeon and the Penny Cartoon
for the CBS television series Pee Wee's Playhouse , the figures were made
out of plasticine on the top plane but the backgrounds on the lower
plane were either cutout paper or pastel drawings. The lighting can
be altered below to create any kind of atmosphere, but cutouts and
slightly elevated objects or paper on the background have immediate
shadows that are cast directly down on that plane under the artwork.
Cutout artwork on the background layer should be glued down to avoid
shadows. The shadows distract from the crisp, graphic, refined edges of
the artwork and diminish the quality of the overall picture, so they must
be addressed. If you want to have animated backgrounds, then consider
drawing them or shooting the background animation on a second
sheet of glass with color on a level below that. Joanna Priestly, another
successful independent artist and animator from Portland, Oregon,
describes her setup:
“I shot Surface Dive on my homemade, multiplane animation stand to add
depth to the compositions. I had the replacement sculptures on the top
level, a huge variety of clear glass pieces on the middle level, and large,
animated pastel drawings on the bottom level.”
Many practitioners of these art forms are working across the globe.
Independent filmmakers often still utilize these techniques because they are
affordable, conceptually appropriate to their style, and stand out in today's
computer-driven industry. Programs like After Effects and Flash have been
mastered to elicit a very refined cutout style with more control and efficiency.
The “photo puppetry,” drawn two-dimensional computer and composite
 
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