Can some please explain this 3d effect

[THX138]

They use this a lot on TV with old black and white stills,
The subject is made to appear separate from the background, sort of 'lifted' off and it appears you can 'see' around them as the camera pans across the picture.
Just wondered if someone would kindly explain how this is achieved..
thanks

[DIW35]

Reasonably easy. Take one photograph, in photoshop create multiple layers, and then prioritise layers - foreground, midground, background. Delete anything on foreground layer that belongs to the other layers. Do the same with the other layers.

Print resulting layers separately, and film them to give the 3D effect (i.e. forground layer placed in front of midground layer etc).

That's how I would do it anyway. As the BBC have access to way more sophisticated equipment than I have, they possibly do it quite differently.

[Simpo Two]

I've wondered that too. The stumbling block in my logic (and in the explanation above) is that as the layers move releative to each other, previously hidden detail from the layer beneath is revealed. I can only assume that each forward layer is successively enlarged slightly to give them the scope to do this...?

[Dr MAD]

Probably done in something like Motion3 - part of the Final Cut Pro package. You can arrange your layers in 3D space and as you move around each layer will appear to be further in front or behind. I'm just getting to grips with it at the moment - an awesome piece of software for creating motion effects The BBC, amongst others, use it a lot

Dan

[flat-planedCrank]

Simpo Two said:

The stumbling block in my logic (and in the explanation above) is that as the layers move releative to each other, previously hidden detail from the layer beneath is revealed. I can only assume that each forward layer is successively enlarged slightly to give them the scope to do this...?

Either that or you spend time editing the layers to fill in the 'gaps' created.

Dr MAD said:

Probably done in something like Motion3 - part of the Final Cut Pro package.

Adobe After Effects and Autodesk Combustion are a couple more packages.

(you could also do a similar set-up using 3D animation tools)




Cheers.

Edited by flat-planedCrank on Sunday 22 March 20:35

[Mr Whippy]

http://gotoandlearn.com/play?id=96

[Simpo Two]

Mr Whippy said:

http://gotoandlearn.com/play?id=96

That's the one - I hadn't realised so much of the missing background detail could be cloned and still look effective.

[Mr Whippy]

Well you can kinda make sure the top layer only ever gets bigger to cover the place it was, with minimal cloning, but this example does quite alot of rebuilding, so is probably a good one to watch to get a worst case scenario idea of the technique

Dave

[THX138]

Mr Whippy, thanks for posting that