Matchmoving Difficult Handheld Shots

[Matt W.]

There's a lot of stuff, particularly handheld long lenses with most of the frame out of focus, where I just think–how did they match move that?

So... how do they match move it? I saw a few shots like this in Black Panther.

Are there any ways to assist the camera? Something like a SteadXP or mounting a GoPro with a wide angle lens in the cold shoe?

I'm completely serious: what about mounting a zoomed out XC10 in the cold shoe and then solving that and moving the 3d camera down slightly and zooming in? Am I genius or an idiot with this idea?

 

[Noah Yuan-Vogel]

Handheld on long lenses and shallow dof? Does that even call for 3d camera tracking? Seems like a 2d track might be adequate?

 

[Marc Wielage]

You basically hire a team of skilled VFX artists to track it. In some cases, they're aided with tracking markers on set, but it can also be done just by animating it. It all hinges on time and money.

If you need a list of Roto artists, there's quite a few who will bid on projects (even shot by shot) and provide estimates and work over the net. Some are in LA, some in NY, some overseas. Several use overseas workers but have sales offices in the U.S.

 

[Matt W.]

You basically hire a team of skilled VFX artists to track it. In some cases, they're aided with tracking markers on set, but it can also be done just by animating it. It all hinges on time and money.

If you need a list of Roto artists, there's quite a few who will bid on projects (even shot by shot) and provide estimates and work over the net. Some are in LA, some in NY, some overseas. Several use overseas workers but have sales offices in the U.S.

If you have any recommendations PM me, but this is more out of curiosity than anything. I'm surprised someone hasn't developed something like the SteadXP or a stereo camera array (with known distance/parallax between cameras and a match moving system that can interpret points between cameras somehow) that can help with match moving.

There's also a few sequences in War of the Worlds that just blew my mind from a match moving perspective.

I also have a personal project that's going to be handheld and worry that will make matchmoving more difficult, so I'm trying to figure out ways to make it easier. I'll be doing all the tracking myself and only outsourcing what I can't.

Handheld on long lenses and shallow dof? Does that even call for 3d camera tracking? Seems like a 2d track might be adequate?

Good point.