I've got Sony video vegas, how do I do blood splatter? It's a suicide and nothing fancy, just want the blood to come out of the side of the head. If Video Vegas isn't good enough for that, what do I use?
Posts: 8 | Location: Australia | Registered: November 05, 2005
If you wanted to add a blood splatter you would have to find some footage of blood flying on a green/blue screen then key it out with vegas. I suggest going to Matthawkins.co.uk and searching their forum for some splatter footage, that's their forte over there.
Shoot against a green or blue screen of blood (fake) being squirted from a hose or bottle at whatever angle you need. Key out the background and composite it into the scene.
It will never look as good as doing it practically, when filming.
Mr. Ted, you're not going to use Vegas for the blood spatter, it's a great editor, but only that. It's not as good as After Effects or other programs that can do what you're asking. Perhaps you can export to still frames and add it in Photoshop?
It looked ok when used sparingly. We had a great shot of a bowling ball falling on a girl's face, so we shot it twice, once with a girl, and once with a mellon in place of her head, and then matte'd them together. The result? Effective, especially with the sound we'd put in. However, the visual effect was lacking. I went in and added blood with photoshop, and for the six frames it showed, it looked wonderful.
Posts: 805 | Location: Jersey | Registered: September 07, 2004
It seems to me that either drawing it in, or compositing it are the best ways. If you have access to a super advanced particle engine in After Effects or a 3D app that would be the route to go, but it's costly and difficult.
If you decide to shoot it as a separate element and composite it in, shoot against white or black, not blue or green. For this particular type of matting I think pure white or black can be dropped easier with blending modes, while hopefully leaving the blurring in place on the red.
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Posts: 5197 | Location: Tisch at New York University | Registered: June 03, 2003
If you have access to a super advanced particle engine in After Effects or a 3D app that would be the route to go, but it's costly and difficult
It also looks awful, IMO. I don't think they even do it this way on big budget Hollywood movies. The blood is onscreen way too quickly to notice particle physics - easier to have a skilled compositor rotoscope it in.
Don't use compressed air. Just get a four or five-foot length of tube, put some fake blood in the middle, tape (or hold) one end next to the actor's head, and have someone blow into the other end. You have better control, and it's cheaper and easier.
And really, at this level, no tinkering in post will look as good as the real deal.
Posts: 598 | Location: Mobile, AL | Registered: May 10, 2005
Or take one of those turkey basters. Fill it with some fake blood(add it with a little bit of water to make it thinner) and push on the ejector thing hard for a desired splatter effect.
Posts: 110 | Location: MA | Registered: April 20, 2005
I know I really great technique and use it often, say you are having a guy shoot himself in the head, well first have the guy just putting the gun up to his head and then replace him with a hobo and force the hobo to shoot himself in the head, you may want to get a hobo that looks like the guy you are shooting to make it as realistic as possible.
"Oh crap I hope no one shoots me in the head" -JFK
Posts: 3 | Location: New Jersey | Registered: February 23, 2006
I know I really great technique and use it often, say you are having a guy shoot himself in the head, well first have the guy just putting the gun up to his head and then replace him with a hobo and force the hobo to shoot himself in the head, you may want to get a hobo that looks like the guy you are shooting to make it as realistic as possible.
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