Adv Post week 6: Color Keying

Week 6 keying
Color channels: red, green and blue.
in 8-bit color, 256 shades of red green and blue.

combining the 3 colors makes all the others.

computer breaks down each color channel into shades of grey
White=the pixel is at 100% ON of any color.
Black=the pixel shows none of that color
Grey=the pixel kinda shows some of that color.

Keying is a way to avoid excessive roto
-selecting an area of the screen to keep or remove, based on its color.
-Effect/Keying.

Ways avoid roto:
-Shoot well on a well-lit screen
-Screen should not contain any colors that are present in your subject.
-Bad colors: black, cream, white, brown
-Good colors: green (brighter the better), blue, magenta
-Good lighting on your screen.
-As many lamps as you can sign out of checkout.
-And some.
-Bounce cards
-Lotta stands
-Things to diffuse your light
-Help
-Time

Diffuse light that bounces onto your screen
-no hot-spots
space between your actor and the screen
-avoid shadows on the screen
light your actor with his/her own lights when possible.

blondes should be shot on bluescreen.
the shadows from their hair go toward green.

1-shoot it properly
-make sure it's lit well, it's high-res as possible, and the focus is sharp
-do test footage to make sure your setup is good. bring a laptop and proper cables on set to check my key in AE before the shoot.
-if shooting someone tall, turn the camera instead of short-changing your composite
-this allows for possibility to shoot SD output HD
No black or white clothes or accessories.
Grey is ok
shoot as High-Res as possible.
Autofocus OFF. zoom in, focus. turn off auto, zoom out.

2-import it properly.
import it at the size it was shot at.
3-look at it.
-try a simple keyer, like color key or linear color key

-turn on the channels, one at a time.
-see which one gives the highest contrast.
-it might be a channel other than the obvious.

4-create a matte

Draw 3 circles on your screen
-Use the Shape tool set to Ellipse, change stroke value to 0 and these values for each circle:
-Red:255, others 0
-Green 255, others 0
-Blue 255, others 0
-set the blending mode to Add for all of these.

each pixel has 4 values.
Red green blue and alpha
see a b&w picture of each of these in Olympics symbol (located next to resolution below comp window)

the best keys are based on a good matte.
matte is a window thru which we see our footage.
-matte can be black-and-white
-or have alpha.

Color Key: 4 values
key color: eyedropper the color of screen
tolerance: higher the number=more pixels picked.
edge thin: sucks in your edge
feather: makes the edge so Soft.

Always do the following when keying:
-change the BG color to Yellow, Hot Pink
-Look at it thru the Alpha channel
-View it in High Res and 100% zoom
-look around your image with the Hand tool
this way you stay at 100% and you can see each part of pic.

Don't scale footage up more than 115%
-edges and pixels will go to crap otherwise

Edges of your matte should be sharp when dealing with solid stuff, soft when dealing with fluff, hair, fur.

Linear color key (LCK): has more settings than regular color key.
-Turn off the little Fx in the effect controls for LCK
-Click eyedropper and click the background
-For an average of pixel values, hold apple-key while clickdragging in your screen color.
-Default matching softness is 10%: too high.
-2-3%
-Change matching tolerance up from default value of 0%
(Apple-scrub on any slider to change the value to something in the 10ths, or click change the value by typing in numbers.

After Effects Studio Techniques by Mark Christiansen

Creating a matte:
-drag our footage from proj win to below proj window (comp icon)
-draw garbage masks using pen tool to get rid of bluescreen stands
-Set the Mask mode to Subtract

wineglass: channel keying
Photoshop Channel Chops
-Duplicate your layer
-remove all effects: Ap Shift E
-delete other masks
-rough roto of wineglass, 2 sec min
-look at channels indiv.
-apply the effect Shift Channels
-Alpha=alpha
-all others=blue (or which is high-con)
-levels, move sliders to ends of mtns,
move grey till you like what your matte looks like.
(red giant software Composite Wizard)
-add blurs as needed

Name this layer "glass matte"
Edit/Duplicate
-layer 2: call it glass. remove all effects (apple shift E) but keep masks
Rt-click the column heading and choose Modes
Set the TrkMat column of layer 2 (glass)
to Luma Inverted Matte the top layer (glass matte)
-uses the b&w info of the top layer as a window for the bottom layer.
-inverts that.

delete mask off of top layer if you're getting a line

Apply the effect "spill suppressor" to the glass and the girl.

precomp glass and glass matte, then add
simple choker
channel blur

homework:
shoot something with green
keying footage available here if you don't want to be clever:
http://antidotefx.com/afx_hdtestftg.zip

Adv Post Week 5 Notes

Review of Masks
Masks are best worked with in Layer window
-Composition/New Comp
-NTSC/DV, 5:00 duration
-Layer/New/Solid
-Doubleclick the Solid: this opens the layer window.
-Why is Layer window Best?
-This way we don't accidentally re-position or rotate or scale
our layer.
-All we want to do is create Mask Shape keyframes.

The rules of masks & mask animation
-mask keyframe: is the diamond-shaped thingy in the timeline
-mask point: is the dot that the curved line connects.
-handles are the lines that come off of curved mask points.
-mask point 1 on this mask keyframe stays consistent with point 1
on next mask keyframe.
-Never remove (as in delete) mask points over time. 

You can add them though.
-Removing mask points later in timeline removes them from
earlier mask shapes as well. Example: instead of deleting
mask points from an ear you don't see anymore, smush the
mask points against the side of her face.
-Avoid using too many points. Create shapes with as few mask
points as possible. Fewer points=fewer chances of error.

Pen Tool Actions
-Clicking creates a sharp mask point
-Click-dragging creates a rounded mask point
-You can change a rounded point to a sharp
one by using the Convert tool <. 

-This lives at the basement of the Mask Drawing Pen. 

On your New Solid, create 4 mask path keyframes. 

-Square to a triangle to a circle to marshmallow 

Creating the square:

-Dbl-click solid to open in layer window 

-Click to start the square, move mouse (not clicking) to Right 

hold shift and click again, move down (not clicking) 

hold shift and click, move Left (not clicking) 

shift and click, 

-Close the shape by going back to the 1st point we made. 

This gives you a circle next to your pen tool. 

Click to close when you see that circle. 

-Hit M for Mask Path. 

Hit stopwatch to enable animation on Mask Path Property. 

-Under Layer window, turn off Render box. 

This way you see your whole layer, not just the part you masked off. 

Creating the triangle: 

-Go to time 1:00 

-Select the top 2 mask points. 

Click the first, hold shift to select the second with it. 

Release shift. 

-Double-click them to get a Transform box 

Creating the circle:

-Go to time 2:00 

-Select the 1st keyframe Copy, Paste 

-Go to Convert Tool, located under Pen. (or hit G till you get it) 

Convert tool is only for changing the nature of a mask point.

Continue moving the handles with your Black Arrow tool.

Creating the marshmallow:

-Go to time 3:00, with Black Arrow deselect all your points. 

And then click on one. 

-Select the Convert tool. 

Use it to break the handle of your Mask Points 

Tools: Pen tool for everything. 

Pen on its own -creates new points when clicked on a path. 

Pen when clicked on a point -Deletes points (yikes!) . 

DON'T DELETE POINTS. 

Pen+Apple: changes it to Black Arrow tool. 

use this to move mask points and their handles, 

as well as to select points (shift click to select more than one or draw-a-box) 

Pen+Option: changes it to Convert tool. 

use this to change a sharp point to a rounded one, 

or to change the nature of a rounded one 

so that each handle can move a different way. 

Rotoscoping basics. 

1. Visually analyze your footage. 

-To start: analyze your footage. 

With your eyes. The ones in your head. 

-Seeing where I should start roto. 

   -Probably not 1st or Last frame. 

   -Pick a frame where all her bodyparts 

   that will ever be roto'd are visible. 

2. Enhance your footage, if needed. 

-Apply color-correction effects so you see your actor more clearly. 

   -You can Remove these after you're done roto-ing. 

IF you apply effects to enhance your footage: 

-Apply brightness/contrast, curves, levels and/or hue/saturation 

to your footage layer in order to see the edges of your actor better.

-Select your Layer & go to Layer/Precompose. 

-Choose "Move All attributes to new comp" 

-Draw your masks on this new layer. 

3. Draw your first frame. 

-Go to Layer view, make sure "View: Masks" is chosen from pulldown. 

turn off "Render" checkbox, so you can see what you're masking. 

-Carefully draw your first mask. 

Make sure it's closed, by re-clicking your first point 

with your pen tool after the shape is made. 

This gives your pen tool a little circle by it, 

so you can close your mask. 

4. Make sure the first frame is perfect. 

-Go to the Composition view by hitting the \ key 

that's below the Delete key on the keyboard. 

-Turn off the Mask View button at the bottom 

of the Comp window. it's to the left of the timecode. 

5.Start animating, by keyframing 10 frames at a time. 

-At the frame where you started the animation, 

keyframe the Mask Path. (turn on stopwatches in timeline) 

-If you don't see mask Path property hit M on keyboard. 

-Hit Shift Pg Dn to go fwd 10 frames. 

-Use the black arrow tool to draw a box around your mask shapes. 

And move it over. 

-Use your black arrow to draw a box around areas of mask points, 

double-click one of those points and you get your transform box. 

-Move areas of points as much as possible 

-To move them together, you can also use your arrow keys on the keyboard. 

Adding Shift to an arrow key moves 10 pixels at a time. 

-Zooming in more means smaller "pixel" movement when using arrow keys. 

6. After you've done 10 frames at a time, do 4 frames at a time. 

    Then 2 frames. Then 1 frame. 

-If you like the way AE did your inbetweens, click the DIP between the 2 arrows 

(in the "sound" column of timeline) to add a keyframe at the current value. 

-otherwise, changing the mask shape will automatically make a new 

Mask Path keyframe 

After you've done 10 frames at a time, do 4 frames at a time. 

Then 2 frames. Then 1 frame. Why this funky way of working?

1) it's more accurate than going frame by frame
2) it's faster.

Your Homework:
Rotoscope 30 frames. My footage or yours. as long as it's big enough and Live-Action.

If using my footage: 

-all of it 90% perfect=A
-head and neck 95% perfect=A
-Also make a rough shape around her hair.
we'll use that for color- keying in class.

Adv-Post: week 4 hotkeys.

Illustrator
P=pen
A=white arrow
V=black arrow

After Effects
M=mask shape
MM=all mask properties
F=mask feather
ApY=New Solid
ApG=Go to Time

G=Pen Tool

ADV-Post: week 4 notes.

Masks
-Glorified AI paths.
-Paths with motion

path: line or curve between 2 points

Working in Illustrator
Draw in AI: using the path tool (pen tool)
-Triangle
-Square
-Star
-Circle (using 2 points only)
-Swiss Cheese

PS: based on pixel information
-Making stuff bigger here, makes it look bad...

AI: based on math
2x+1=y
-punchline: you can make stuff bigger in AE or AI that started as an AI file, and you won't lose quality.
-magic button: "continuously rasterize" button, must be clicked on all your AI layers for the math to look gooood.

AI:
you can scale up any object in AI unless it's based on a photo.

Illustrator method:
-Draw on a layer. Lock it.
Make a new layer. draw on that.
-To select stuff on a layer, use the black arrow tool, or you can click on the button on its layer.

From the toolbox, select Pen tool (P)
-Choose colors.
-Stroke color and a Fill Color
-Red slash=no color

Pen options:
-Choose the pen tool, it gives you options based on what's going on with your drawn shape.
-Pen X New Shape start
-Pen > change point to Curve point
-Pen + Add a point to a curve or line
-Pen - Delete current point
-Pen o Close shape
-Pen / (slash) Continue shape if you click this point.

Tools we use:
-Pen: draws or modifies shape
-Black arrow tool: selects, moves, scales, rotates a shape
-White arrow tool: lets you select or move a point
-Shape maker tools: create custom shapes
-Brush tools: for drawing on the fly
-Type tool: duh, type.

AE won't give you an accurate layer thumbnail
-it's a merged view of your AI or PS comp, or worse, a thumbnail of the "Ai" logo
-so what do you do? label everything

Drawing a star from a square...
-Duplicate your square layer
-Add 3 points top, 1 point on each side and bottom
-move points with white arrow tool

Try to draw your shapes with as few points as possible.
-Shape drawing tools are located under the square shape tool
-to work the polygon tool, start drawing with it and use
  up and down arrows to increase or decrease the # of sides.

Making cheese
-Draw triangle and all circles on the same layer.
-select em all with black arrow tool
-go Window/Pathfinder
-Choose 2nd shape mode option
-to release, swivel open your layer and select all the circles.
-drag them above the "compound shape" layer.

Into After Effects
-Save your AI file
-Drag it from your Finder to your project window.

Use Composition/Layer Size as your import settings.

-try making a layer super-big (like 1200%)
-it will have bitmappy edges
-to keep this from happening, click the Continuously Rasterize button
(in Timeline, betw the Shy-guy and the Slash)

If something is already cut out, meaning it has a transparent background and clean edges, you can Auto-Trace.
-Select a layer
-Go to Layer/Auto-Trace
-Choose "current frame" and tolerance, and "apply to new layer"

Can make more than 1 mask on a layer
Can make mask on any kind of visual layer
Can animate those masks independent of 1
another, using the Mask Path property.

AE/Prefs/User interface colors
-Turn on "cycle mask colors"

Mask Animation
Layer/New/Solid
Make it comp size
Using the square shape tool,
draw a box
Hit M with layer selected, to show Mask Path property
-Click on the stopwatch to enable animation on the layer.

Go to Time 1:00
-Choose the Pen tool
-Add 3 points to the top edge of our sq
-Add 1 point to each of the other sides.

Mask drawing tips:
-double-click your layer to see it in the layer view. This keeps you from accidentally moving your layer!
-keyframe everything.
-you can turn off Render in your layer view to see all of the layer, not just the masked part.
-can add points over time, just don't delete them.

To copy an autotraced star to your animated one...
-Select the autotraced star
-Hit letter M
-Turn off stopwatch if you have too many keyframes, turn it back on and then you have 1 keyframe.
-copy one AutoTraced keyframe by hitting ApC
-Select your drawn mask path property
-Go to 2:00 time
-ApV to paste your Autotraced keyframe to the drawn mask path property.

Creating Emailable QT's! in FCP or QT Pro
-In FCP file/export./using QT conversion
-In QT pro it's just File/Export
Format QT movie, Use Broadband Medium
Click the options button
-change the size (optional)
-turn off streaming.

In the finder, select the movie, and go to
File/Create Archive (makes a .zip)
Email that file (the .zip) in your email program

Make sure that someone can open a QT
If they can't, download Flip4Mac

Homework
Animate 1 shape changing into another using masks

Kickitupanotch (make it more challenging)
-Change shape several times instead of just 1ce
-Change color, too
-Made out of more than 1 mask shape
-Add sound
-Add a background
-Do several mask animations in a row.
Edit them together in FCP and make a short film.