Thursday, February 18, 2010

Stabbing Breastward

Ahhh the joys of hand-tracking.
Hand tracking, for the non-effects orientated among us, is the art of moving something CG in a 3D programme on a frame-by-frame basis, so that it appears "fixed" to the live action model in the footage.
Because one can't really throw a knife at an actor, without there being a few minor issues in the real life... ;)
The bosomosity of this lady however, to whom I must track this particular thrown item, is a bit of a nuisance, because the wafty clothing and dramatically heaving boobular bits are not terribly reliable as a source of trackable information!

I have a very silly job sometimes. *applies duct tape to the actor*
Times like these I'd rather they just used the judicious "whip pan" of camera, with the knife in question lodged into something beneath the garments.

And it's all bloody shot in slow motion! This is when I have to resort to the "what's happening to the skeleton beneath" line of thought, and try to guesstimate to the best of my ability where the item should be fixited. Like I said. This job's a bit silly sometimes...

2 comments :

GuanoLad said...

That's when you repeatedly shout at your monitor: "Tracking markers, people!"

Kirby said...

Aye, at least the breastbone is not too moveable.
*grins*
Even so - tracking wings to the back of an angel was easier!
It was the set-up in this case that made it difficult.

And I shouted! Somewhere around midnight I was alternating between screaming bloody murder and begging to go home - as ya do... ;D