Different methods for live action VFX shot and Composite

Support Compositing and Post Processing
1

Hi guys, I’m looking to do only a handful of VFX shots for a new live action film. Most of which have some decent plates and movement for adding on some lush VFX, which I intend on doing most of myself.

My plan is this… the final shot of the movie is the lead character walking out onto a passageway that is revealed to be up high on a mountain. So I’m mixing live action / camera solve, with possible VFX of the mountain as well as foreground atmosphere elements like wind and snow to help everything all match up nicely.

So, with more experience blender users than myself - would you either recommend a 2d mountain image / with camera mapping (composited in with the live action) or building a mountain in 3d and adding in texture and snow via weight paint etc.

Its the final shot of the film so I don’t want to bugger it up!

2

If you intend to start out the shot in closeup then pull back to reveal, you will need some detail. I would try a mixed approach.

Perhaps:

  1. shoot and key the actor so that you have an fill and alpha channel frame sequence
  2. create a mountain with a detailed ledge, with photo mapped texture and detailed geometry. Embed this in a larger lower res mountain.
  3. apply the actor sequence to a plane in the mountain edge 3D scene
  4. fly camera back possibly through planes mapped with clouds/mist

You will get good motion blur, although the actor keyed footage may not have good motion blur as you must shoot at smaller shutter angle to improve key able edges.

Bear in mind that you can shoot all of this on separate layers as well to allow for down stream post production and better integration of elements.