This is what I've been waiting ever so patiently for: a "how-to" on front screen projection for the 21st century. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Joey Shanks!!
***** Yeah, it's always been kind of a mystery. Luckily I was able to get a good sized piece of Scotch-Lite, I feared they may have stopped making them.
Honestly, I feel that somebody completely oblivious to the process may have a hard time trying to understand what is being explained in this video. Too much cutting and unrelated effects when most people clicking this video would have a much easier time just watching somebody explain what is happening as they set up and perform a shot using front projection.
I agree...I've heard about this, read about it and seen diagrams...then hoped this video would fill in the last 5% I don't understand. Nope. Back to Google, I guess.
James Sullivan I love youtube for tutorial and how-to videos, especially regarding artistic stuff such as animation, filming techniques, practical movie effects, etc. but I noticed a trend in the last 3 years or so where a large majority of the people who makes these types of videos on youtube put so much effort into having movie/tv level production value and making their videos look cool and trendy that it unfortunately begins to take away from the primary point of making the video in the first place, which should be giving the viewer a clear understanding of what they're trying to explain lol.
Hang the Scotchlite screen in the background. The projector at 90º to the background, pointing at a one-way mirror at 45º. Shoot the scene through the one-way mirror. The Scotchlite will reflect the projection back to the mirror (where your camera's waiting) while your foreground subject will remain perfectly shootable. That's what I got from the vid, anyway. I don't think it's too tough to understand if you watch through a couple of times.
Why doesn't the projected image appear project on the actor? I mean, if you're projecting a bright sunrise, why does that not appaer on the actor's clothes as well? Is the actor between the camera and the 1 way mirror? Is the actor between th1 way mirror and the screen?
To do this effectively you need to shoot and project your plates at least twice the resolution of the foreground objects, otherwise it just doesn't work.
Thanks for this video. Now I understand how this technique works. It is very cool that there are such enthusiasts that appreciate and even develop effects of predigital epoch of cinema which was really full of magic.
you have to light the foreground so that the key light of the foreground "drowns out" the projection on that foreground element. if you turned off the lighting on the foreground element, you WOULD see the projection.
Sorry: I still do not get why the characters do not get illuminated/affected by the front projection. I need to understand that; thanks. Anyone can explain that? thanks
I think its because the projection is reflected on the screen so its not so sharp, in addition they put light on the foreground objects so that's why its not seen on the characters?
Yes, maybe the projection is weak and all the trick is on the reflective screen; then the lighs for the characters might neutralize the projections on them...my English is bad, sorry
Great video! I'm a Kubrick fanatic but never considered front projection as something within my reach. Oh, and some people might argue with you about the "Before green screen" statement. Chroma key/blue screen/green screen was developed in the thirties and in use by 1940 ("The Thief of Bagdad"). Front projection was experimental in the late 40s and didn't turn up in a film until the 60s. I'd write more, but your video has me itching to check out your website!
Hello from France... I read a few years ago that with the front projection effect you can't do certain camera manipulations (sorry, I'm not too familiar with the technical terms) like that : the camera should remain fixed and that you couldn't tracking shot, zoom in or out, otherwise the background would move with it. But you could pan and tilt to a certain degree, on the sole condition that you placed the camera and projector on the same platform. Can you please confirm or refute his assertions? Thank in advance (sorry for my poor english)
Thank you so much for sharing this video, I know what front projectors are but I didn’t know how this equipment was used in the filming of Star Wars. Your combination of interesting examples diagrams and documentary style is really fantastic. I’d like to see more of what you’ve created.
Had to watch this vid again and again (: , you have opened my eyes, sooner than later I'm going to animate using this technique, I really like the effect. I can't thank you enough for sharing your knowledge. Best wishes. Martin.
Shanks fx thanks for the video, can you explain for me please at 1:59 we see no stick on the model and at 2:19 we do. Am I right in thinking at 1:59 the stick has scotch tape on it and at 2:19 it does not or is the 1:59 image been through post production?
Harryhausen used a similar method called *rear* screen projection. The basic concept is the same except the screen is translucent and the image is projected onto it from behind.
Shanks I really enjoy your videos. Being a 3D/Mograph artist for 26 years it's refreshing to see something not created entirely on a computer! Question: why not use rear projection? Thanks! Gary
You lose color and intensity because the projection has to pass through the screen. Watch any driving scene from a movie prior to the 80s. Odds are the background is rear projection, and it looks pretty bad
So hold on a second, were the images projected from behind the screen and a the practical objects were lit from the front and the mirror was used from behind to invert the projected image so it was correct on on the screen?
Great explanation of the technology but If you watch the oblivion BTS you won't see a mirror in front of the camera etc. they are indeed using front projection but I'm sure it isn't with the scotchlight material as they wouldn't want light going back into the projector because of no mirror
Nice demo, Mr. Shanks! Particularly clever how you used window tint to make a 50/50 mirror. The actual glass is very expensive, so that's a great low-budget solution. One correction - the "Oblivion" projection was not the classic front projection with Scotchlite and beam splitter. I can't think of a recent production that has used it, but a few years back it was used extensively on "Army of Darkness".
I actually liked Front projection more than blue/green screen since Superman movie (Chris Reeve) it look much more real because it is no superimposed. I believe in this digital cinematic era we don't have to align camera and projector with mirror (zoptic method) anymore because cinema camera nowadays are more than good in low light. Good video by the way, I kind of miss the analog filming technic.
I like it man good video it helped me seeing the process. I have a 30 x %0 shop in use as my studio I want to set up for front projection. on my budget Was thinking my current HD cams and buy 4K GoPros for the back ground video. Does anyone make a prosumer level true hd lcd or led projectors.
I'm confused about what is going on here. So basically, it allows front projection on a background with a subject in front of the wall and the subject is not being projected on?
Daniel Quasar It bounces so much light back into the camera that things in the foreground don't get exposed from the projector light (main source). It is kind of confusing , just get a small piece of it and play around with it, you will see how reflective this material is. If you know any firefighters, they often have some squares there use for their uniforms.
Shanks FX Well i ve the exact same logical physics question that how that camera doesnt take the projection from the foreground real object and i wanna try but where can i find that %95 light reflectin fabric, i dont think firefighters have those here in ma place :) u ve another idea for me? and noe one really answered any of my comments anytime, i hope u ll
Instead of telling us to play around with it ourselves, why not make a better video that actually explains how everything works instead of having flashy cuts set to music?
I would have appreciated a more detailed explanation of the technique. The question foremost on my mind is 'what makes this superior to rear projection?'.
Is there a reason they couldn't just have put the projector on top of the camera and done without the one way mirror? How do they prevent the background image from being seen on the foreground?
Because of the reflective nature of the background being so great, most foreground objects will be dim in comparison even though they are also lit with the same projected image. When lighting the scene, you light the foreground object separately (being careful not to spill light on the background screen) until the foreground is balanced in brightness to the background at a level you want. As he demonstrates in the video when both the projected image and camera line up, the shadow cast by the foreground object disappears as it it hidden by the foreground object (see 1:32 ) They don't put the projector on top of the camera because the projected image and the camera lens have to be on the same axis to accomplish this. You can put them on the same axis using a one way mirror.
Can you tell me why in some shots the stick that is holding the model is visible and why in some shots it is not. I am guessing the big advantage of front screen is you do not *have* to go to post production. So if you were to cover the stick holding the model with the scotch tape I guess that is the quality you get when we see the model flying with out the stick visible? Or is that done in post production?
The mirror is so the camera and projector share exactly the same axis. If you stuffed the projector on top of the camera you would be off axis 10 degrees. The image is projected on to the foreground actors etc. But they are not made of the same material the screen is so they do not reflect the image. Lighting takes care of the rest. The Quality of the composite is entirely dependent on the resolution of the projected image. If your image is junk the composite is junk. The stuff in this video is very poorly explained and the quality is horrible. If you want to see how effective this process can be just watch Close Encounters or 2001. They photographed high quality table top landscapes and then Front Projected them on the exterior roadway where the UFO's fly by.
I'm trying to pick out movies that used front screen projection.....I see it in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid(1969)....Apollo missions(1969/72)...Jeremiah Johnson(1972)...Unforgiven(1992)..superman(1980)....it's very difficult
+john pshitek You would think that, but the term comes from where the projector is placed in relation to the screen. The projector is sending light to the FRONT of the screen. If the projector was located behind the screen, it would be "Rear screen projection" but then you would have to have a different material for a screen.
+Luke N People who wanted a clearer, concise explanation of how the one-way mirror keeps the background from getting projected onto the foreground elements, and how the screen reflects the fore-and-background into the camera. What I got from one viewing of this video, the one-way mirror has to reflect light on one side from the projector, and on the other side it has to reflect the foreground image into the camera. How is the one-way mirror reflecting on both sides but allowing transmission also?
