What am I doing wrong?

[ValHallen]

Apart from the birds, which I KNOW are rooted .. why can't I quite get the trees in close background to look integrated?

HELP!!!!

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/uwd/guard.avi

Divx4 low-motion codec

Thanks in advance guys

[Hugh]

Initial thought:

It looks like the tree has some bits where you can see through it, but you can't see any extra mist through it....

Also, it looks like the alpha edge around the top is a bit too sharp in places.

Also, try fading it out (to white) a bit overall - at the beginning, it looks fully green - I think it would help to have a bit of fading in there all the way (I was gonna comment that there wasn't any mist in front of it, but there is later on...)

Also, try slowing down the motion of the trees - they seem to be swaying far too much, and too fast - their position says that they are quite large trees, some distance from the camera, but their movement says that they are a lot closer...

Edit: Okay - something else that I've just noticed.... The lighting on the tree looks like it's coming from the left, while the mountains are being lit from the right....

[ValHallen]

Oh yeah, and I will be re-doing the mattepaint ....

Dunno how yet, cos the originals are LONG gone .. but Dammit, I will do it

[arvid]

Raise the blacklevels to give the sense of some atmosphere in the distance between the tree and the camera

[ValHallen]

Originally posted by arvid
Raise the blacklevels to give the sense of some atmosphere in the distance between the tree and the camera

Overall?
In the foreground layers?
In the trees?

AMBIGUITY ... the Devil's Volleyball

[Hugh]

I'd say he's talking about the trees (as that was what you were asking about )

[arvid]

Yep, the trees.

[ValHallen]

OKies .. here's the first shot .... be BRUTAL with me?

It's divX4 lo-motion again ....

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/uwd/guard.avi

ta muchly

[Paul Moran]

just 2 little things dude,

the mist looks a little jumpy towards the later 3rd of the file....maybe a compression/quality issue with the vid though...

looking at the scope and sheer size of the background matte, the scale of the birds makes them look really big...u know what i mean ???

Cheers

Paul

[scott_pritchard]

To pick up on arvid's comment, what really jumps out at me are the black levels in the second layer of trees. It looks like its black levels are too low, especially in the left hand corner (just right of the pillar thing), and because its shadows are darker than those of the trees in front of it, it confuses reading of the depth in the scene.

Scott

[ValHallen]

Next version's up, as usual appreciate all comments ... thanks guys (same link)

-V

[Hugh]

Two things about it:

The tree in the background is better, but still stands out a bit too much.... I think the blacks are still a bit too black....

And the birds seem to be flying too fast....

Apart from that - it's looking good...

[b30wu1f]

Very nice, but its me or the guard and the background r two different grain types?
and for creating a better illusion of 3d maybe some fog in a 1st plane 10% opacity, thats because the fog is missunderstood with the skyes that have no movement...

but great great job
congrat.
edit quote:

i´ve seen it again and i think that the guard its too"clean"

[ValHallen]

The guard and the bkg are original footage guys, why does everyone pick that up? The CG in the shot is all in the gap between the bld and the left hand side of the frame!

Thanks for the good call on the mist tho .. I will be re--doing the birds and mattepaint tonight too.

Here, is an original frame

[ValHallen]

OK guys, changes made and backup ... hit me baby one more time