Anyone have good links on videos about optical printers for movies? eddv?

[yoda313]

Hey there,

I started watching EMPIRE OF DREAMS again from my Star Wars dvd trilogy. Its fun watching them make the physical effects of the original movies. I like seeing them do the blue screen work with the models.

One thing I remember reading in one of the background books on Star Wars was about the optical printer. That was where they'd marry two images together to make one shot. I was never really clear on the process. I don't think I've seen them actually do it.

I have just started going through youtube but I'm not sure what I'm looking for. I guess I'd like some kind of 101 demo reel on the process. It doesn't have to be Star Wars or Star Trek specifically. Just the actual process of doing the physical filming.

I don't think I want to buy anything but I'll look online. I do have a netflix streaming account so if there is anything available to stream on netflix I can check it out.


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I just figured eddv might have links handy so thats why I put him up there. If anyone else has links they want to post please be my guest.

Thanks.

Edit - I know its a separate process but in the same vein I'd also be interested in Rotoscoping. Its only lightly touched on in these behind the scenes documentaries on dvds. A lot of them are superficial in the process and don't really show the step by step detail needed to do the work.

Edit 2 - found a cool one here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwMLOjqPmbQ&feature=related
Horizon's look a ILM and VFX - Part 1 (Optical Printing)

I like this. More detail than I've seen in all the background stuff I've watched on dvds over the years. I like how they have to physically block the frame around the ship as it moves to block out the extraneous stuff in the shot. To quote SPOCK - "FASCINATING"

[intracube]

An early BBC Horizon documentary about ILM/Star Wars/optical printing and mattes:


EDIT: ah, you found the link

[intracube]

Horizon also covered rotoscoping:

[yoda313]

@intracube - thanks. I just found it as I was searching.

That is really interesting. That scene in the rotoscoping segment about the Temple Of Doom bridge sequence was incredible. 7 refilming sequences?

I am not sure about the two undeveloped processes? I guess thats when they do the matte and the blue screen together? I guess I was thinking once you recorded the film you had to process it. So you can do it more than once before developing? Yes newbie here. Never took a film class.

My only experience with film is from consumer film cameras but its been YEARS since I've used film cameras at all - snapshot variety of course. No manipulation, point and click only. Thats still the way I am with digital still cameras - point and click.

I have no personal experience with all the fancy tricks cameras can do - film or digital. But that doesn't mean I don't marvel at the magic the pros can do.

[intracube]

I am not sure about the two undeveloped processes? I guess thats when they do the matte and the blue screen together? I guess I was thinking once you recorded the film you had to process it. So you can do it more than once before developing?

I'm not sure which bit you're referring to. As I understand it, taking the example at 6:38 in the Rotoscoping vid, the river element and both mattes are developed strips of film - the only undeveloped film is the piece on the far left. Light is shone through the three elements of film from the right. The two mattes (masks) in the middle are there so only certain parts of the image are printed onto the left most piece of film.

Where the mattes are black they block all light, where they're 'white', they're actually transparent - if you looked through them, it'd look like clear plastic.

Yes newbie here. Never took a film class

I'm a bit vague about the process too. My excuse is these techniques are a bit before my time - I've been interested in VFX in the last 10 years or so, but only as an enthusiastic amateur .

[yoda313]

I'm not sure which bit you're referring to. As I understand it, taking the example at 6:38 in the Rotoscoping vid, the river element and both mattes are developed strips of film - the only undeveloped film is the piece on the far left. Light is shone through the three elements of film from the right. The two mattes (masks) in the middle are there so only certain parts of the image are printed onto the left most piece of film.

Where the mattes are black they block all light, where they're 'white', they're actually transparent - if you looked through them, it'd look like clear plastic.

I guess I'll have to rewatch that segment. I probably wasn't interpreting it correctly.