Project 2

We were expanding our editing capabilities with this task and were focusing on the green screen/chroma key.

But first, we did some projectionist work. Our group brought bottles from home, and we used some tulle and started projecting onto it.

Experimentation included

  • We were playing with the light refraction from the glass bottles, which would change when we spun them.
  • Projecting onto the tulle gave us multiple layers of the projected image.
  • We also moved the tule around to see what it would do.
  • We changed the imagery being projected; aquariums, candles, sunsets, hypnotic imagery, and rave colours.
  • putting people and hands between and behind the tulle to create shadows and light people up
  • Switching in and out different coloured gels.

After this, we learnt how to chroma key. I decided I wanted to do that for my piece but still use some of the footage I made here.

What I did/how I did it

  • Cut up all the interesting bits of the footage. Into small segments of about 2-4 seconds.
  • Then put them in a cohesive order.
  • I also realised that with the video with rave lights, I could chroma key to the individual flashing colours. So the video would turn to see-through at random intervals.
  • I then put an interesting video behind that. With lots of fish from the aquarium. Because that’s a personal love of mine and will be made apparent later in this project.
  • This ended up making a visual texture. But I wanted it to be a tad more chaotic
  • So I overlayed the video from above and chroma-keyed all the red bits. To create even more layering.
  • The texture was great, but I wanted to add more exciting components. I grabbed lots of ‘green screen fish’ from youtube and put them in over the top.
  • I also got some footage from the Monterey Bay aquarium kelp cam and removed the background using Chromakey again.
  • lots of things going on !

We also took some videos in the studio with a blue background, intending to make them into floating people. So I did some dancing. I actually had quite a bit of trouble correctly chroma-keying this because the lighting wasn’t flat when we filmed the shots. In the final clip, you will see some dark blotches around the back of my head.

I also so added some music, ‘Boom Boom Pow’ by the Black Eyed Peas. Because that song is lots of fun.

I also timed the dancing people to come in on the beat, to keep the flow of the music and sync the vibes.

What `I feel was successful.

  • People thought it was funny.
  • It got across my love for fish and The Black Eyed Peas.

What could be improved upon.

  • As this was a purely experimental exercise, I don’t think I would change anything. It was my first time doing anything like this.
    • I would try to make the green screen’s lighting slightly flat.
    • I actually worked later with Hen and Ash, and we figured out how to get a really flat background. It did take like 30 minutes.