Reframing in Post - Just like Fincher in Dragon Tattoo - on Scarlet!

[Jarvis Alston]

Hey All,

Just been doing some research and I think I have found that shooting on a Scarlet we will all be able to achieve the same kind of "workspace" that David Fincher has just done on Dragon Tattoo.

While they shot in 4.5K and 5K on the Red One and Epic, we still can get a similar kind of play around room and exactly the same extraction they got from their footage but in 4K. Got me pretty damn excited to be doing the same kind of stabilization and re-framing that they do in Hollywood (or Sweden).

Here's a little "action safe zone" that I've done from some 4K footage I've shot compared to the GWDT re-framing chart I've found online.

Let me know your thoughts.

Jarvis

 

[Brandon J.F.]

This is exactly what I have been doing for Hybrid Vigor. 3600x1500 frame. The extra area I use to reframe and stabilize. Works great.

I got the idea from an article by Light Iron about how GWDT was done. Probably the same article you are referencing.

“We had a 4352x2176 image sequence with the Red One footage,” explains Nelson (below), “and we are extracting a 3600x1500 center. We also have something similar on our Epic footage: a 5120x2560 image sequence and we’re extracting 4122x1718. We’re matching those two center extractions in my After Effects timeline and scaling that down so we’re outputting one single resolution.”

http://lightiron.com/news/post-magazine-girl-dragon-tatoo

 

[Jim Hoffman]

Fincher’s split-screen technique uses a sophisticated repositioning of multiple camera angles or takes in a single frame.

Do they mean they are just combining best performances from different takes?

 

[Matt Ryan]

Fincher’s split-screen technique uses a sophisticated repositioning of multiple camera angles or takes in a single frame.

Do they mean they are just combining best performances from different takes?

yeah. They have the camera locked off and the characters never cross the half way point so they can take any take and "split screen" it seamlessly to create one perfect take.

 

[Marcos Montenegro]

Jarvis: Thanks for this. Here's a PNG with those dimensions in case anyone wants to play with it on their NLE.

 

[Les C.]

Got me pretty damn excited to be doing the same kind of stabilization and re-framing that they do in Hollywood (or Sweden).

So, you're using SynthEyes for stabilization?

 

[Brandon J.F.]

Fincher’s split-screen technique uses a sophisticated repositioning of multiple camera angles or takes in a single frame.

Do they mean they are just combining best performances from different takes?

It's described in detail in this video: http://www.adobe.com/products/after...creativesuite-production-the-social-network36

 

[Les C.]

Here's an article on "Conforming and Compositing 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'"

http://www.creativeplanetnetwork.com/node/16615

As shown below, they used AE, but also used SynthEyes to generate the stabilization data for AE to use:

Managing data was one of our biggest challenges, especially because we were working with half a dozen different VFX vendors. Kirk [Baxter] and Angus cut the film using Apple Final Cut Pro again, but when it came time to conform the film and create the digital master, we used Adobe After Effects CS5.5 and Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 software. We also brought data extracted from [Andersson Technologies] SynthEyes, a third-party 3D tracking program, into After Effects to create a cost-effective, desktop-based stabilization and tracking system.

 

[Maik Müller]

And now imagine how handy the motion-sensor data will be, once it's used by some software.
Using the the higher resolution for some crazy re-framing and stabilization wasn't on my radar, i just wanted 4k and don't want to trade that. But after reading into it and especially after seeing those great "examples" i think i'll have to give it a try.

 

[Patrik Kisucky]

While we are on a subject of footage stabilization, what software do you guys use? I've tried the warp stabilizer, and it could be pretty good. Also, how do we get to use the new Gyro stabilizer technology built in the Scarlets?

 

[Brandon J.F.]

And now imagine how handy the motion-sensor data will be, once it's used by some software.

Yeah, I really look forward to seeing that. I have a hunch Adobe may be one of the first to implement it...

 

[Maik Müller]

Yeah, I really look forward to seeing that. I have a hunch Adobe may be one of the first to implement it...

This or a major update for RCX Pro. Can't decide on which to bet.

 

[Mitch Pierias]

These settings will give you a guide for the resolution below that which you are shooting.
In this case I was shooting 4K so my guides where showing me 3K with corresponding thirds grid.

Below are the settings I used to acheive this.

Frame Guide
Size: User
Colour: I chose Green
Opacity: 100%
Aspect Ratio: I chose 2.4:1
Scale X/Y: 87.88% x 87.91% (Gives 3600x1500px box)
OffsetsX/Y: 0% x 0%

Action Guide
Mode: User
Colour: White
Opacity: 25%
Line Style: Solid
Scale X/Y: 99.90% x 33.36%
Offsets X/Y: 0% x 0%

Title Guide
Mode: User
Colour: White
Opacity: 25%
Line Style: Solid
Scale X/Y: 33.34% x 99.44%
Offsets X/Y: 0% x 0%