How do you get a spin shot of someone?

[wan2no]

How do I get a spin shot done of someone? For instance, in Matrix where Trinity jumps up in the air and before she kicks the policeman, it does a spin shot, showing the front, back and side views. Also on Beyonce's music video "Crazy In Love", she is dancing by herself in between cameras and whilst she dancing the you're seeing all around her and then it freezes and it does the spin shot, front, back and side views.

how do i get this done?

[SingSing]

That was explained in the matrix 1 bonus material. It is shot with a series of digital camera. This and the bullet sequence are known the signature shots of Matrix series.

[adam]

Yeah its not an easy task. You need maybe 10-15 cameras to do a 360 degree shot and you've got to have some way to automate them so that they all take their picture at the same time. In some or all of the Matrix shots the action was filmed against green screen and composited on a 3D model of the environment. I think the effect is somewhat lost if you just film the action and the environment together using this technique.

With that said, you could do a poor man's approach which might be good enough for whatever project you are working on. For instance, you could just film different angles of the action separately, and try to match the motion as best as possible.

Here's a guide:
http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorial/Simulating-the-Bullet-Time-Effect-in-Adobe-Premiere/4356

[greymalkin]

yep it's a daunting task...not only do you have to take pictures all the way around, but then you have to use software to make up the difference between the cameras so it looks like a smooth pan all the way around...

[mats.hogberg]

With enough still cameras, no need to tween between pics.
In fact this technique is how most "moving thru a frozen world" effects are made. Simple really, but you got to have many cameras!

/Mats

[stantheman1976]

I could swear I saw a homemade rig before that the person hooked a bunch of disposable cameras up to in a 180 degree arrangement and had either some simple actuators hooked together to press the buttons simultaneously or some simple cable device taht did it. Does anyone else know what I'lm referring to?

[adam]

I remember something about that stantheman1976 but I can't recall the details either. Actually the first time "bullet time" was used was in a car commercial long before the Matrix was released.

[Steve Stepoway]

The way this was originally done uses a bunch of cameras (no s/w tweening). At 30fps (NTSC) you need 30 cameras for each second that you want the effect to last. Put the cameras in an arc (or other path) that you want the camera to seem to move through, all aimed at the place the action will happen. To get a smooth effect, you need the cameras to be genlocked, so they all run in lockstep (this means pro-level cameras). If you use consumer equipment you may be able to do it, but the motion won't be as smooth. Start all the cameras (no need for fancy rigs for this -- just push all the buttons). Slate the shot, so you can sync the video streams in post. Actor does their thing (do lots of takes -- tape is cheap; set-up time is expensive). Stop the cameras. Suck all video into the edit system. To create the effect you start w/ one camera's video (one at the end of the line of cameras), then at the point you want the effect to start, switch to successive cameras, but use frames taken at the same time. i.e. switch from camera to camera for each frame, but offset each camera's video by 1 frame. Result: Time freezes during the effect, and you end up at the camera at the other end of the line..

It's been used quite a bit, so the effect isn't as interesting as it was at first, but sparringly used it's nice.

Steve

[Scorpion King]

A couple years ago I watched a clip that had been done with one video camera. The camera was setup at different places around the subject and a few seconds of video taken at each location. A still from each shoot position was used with, I guess, a fade transition to create the segment. It looked pretty good. I think to get the right effect you would need to display each still for a short time then adjust the transition effect (fade) properly. In this clip the subject was stopped in midair while jumping onto a bed. He stated it took several attempts at each camera location to get it right. I think one would need to keep the lighting on the scene constant also.

[drewzor]

There is a dodgy way to do it, take two or three stills of your setting, stitch them together in photoshop to get a panaramic picture of your background. In photoshop you can key this image to scroll around as tho you are spining. next use a blue screen and cable your actor up. using a steady cam move around your actor, then in premiere key the blue value and use a cross transition to join the actor into the effect. render lighting and levels and you have it.. takes time to get it to look good but it can be done.

[wan2no]

I'm going to try and regurgitate somethings i read. Ok! Say I have only 2 cameras, consumer cameras at that. I do my stereoscopying by putting the two cameras together. These 2 cameras are on tripods which are something i can roll on tracks. I get my actor to do what he or she has to do and i get someone to pull the thing around like 360. Would this work?

I mean i think a pressing problem with that is that the person is going to have to pull the thing at a constant rate which would be difficult.

[edDV]

Google will get you many detailed descriptions of how that was done.

[edDV]

I'm going to try and regurgitate somethings i read. Ok! Say I have only 2 cameras, consumer cameras at that. I do my stereoscopying by putting the two cameras together. These 2 cameras are on tripods which are something i can roll on tracks. I get my actor to do what he or she has to do and i get someone to pull the thing around like 360. Would this work?

I mean i think a pressing problem with that is that the person is going to have to pull the thing at a constant rate which would be difficult.

Use a dummy, people cant stand that still while you reposition your two cameras. Remember you need to shoot 24-60 frames per second.

[wan2no]

Ok my next question. Is there a program i can use that would edit frame by frame. I'm using Sony Vegas. Can this program do that.

The thing about the dummy, if i wanted to put a person there during editing, how would i edit out the dummy and put someone there.

Also if i actually get the thing done on two cameras how would i get it on the pc and have it as one video?



Excuse me for all the questions asked. I'm just rather slow.

[edDV]

Ok my next question. Is there a program i can use that would edit frame by frame. I'm using Sony Vegas. Can this program do that.

The thing about the dummy, if i wanted to put a person there during editing, how would i edit out the dummy and put someone there.

Also if i actually get the thing done on two cameras how would i get it on the pc and have it as one video?

Excuse me for all the questions asked. I'm just rather slow.

You need to go to the websites that explain the matrix bullettime effect. You need to understand the physics and adapt your process. Get creative.

Start here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_time

There are others who have come up with alternative methods. For example
http://www.creativecow.net/articles/kumar_satish/bullet_time/index.htm

With only one or two cameras you should be researching claymation technique.

[drewzor]

http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorial/Simulating-the-Bullet-Time-Effect-in-Adobe-Premiere/4356