Choosing The Right Color Costume For SFX

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC

Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC

I'm still planning the Invisible predator / hunter / aliens for my next production and I would if anyone can help me chose the best color for the aliens.

Pros and Cons of metallic silver costumes vs. greenscreen green costumes. Either one will completely cover the actors head to toe.

Is there an advantage of one color over the other for SFx?
 
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Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
Pros and Cons of metallic silver costumes vs. greenscreen green costumes. Either one will completely cover the actors head to toe.
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If the actor is to be keyed out 100% (to be invisible)... my question would be, why have them in the scene at all just to spend time in post removing them again?

Btw, metallic silver is terrible choice for keying. (It will pick up & reflect everything, including colours to be keyed out and anything else in the vicinity)

If you intend on more of an actual "mostly invisible" effect, such as Predator movies... once again, I'm not sure I'd have them in the main scene at all.

help me chose the best color for the aliens.
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Whatever colour you want is the best colour.

Figure out what everything is supposed to look like first. Design effects afterwards. (That way you'll know what you're working with)
 
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I may be misunderstanding your question, but if I was trying to achieve the "invisible predator" effect - a transparent humanoid shape moving through the woods - I would not use a green suit. There is too much green already present in a forest to be able to get a clean chroma key.

The easiest way I can think of is to put your "predator" in a bright red, full-body suit (not much red in a forest). Lock down the camera and have your actor move through the shot. Then clear out the actor and shoot a background plate.

In post, distort the background plate to create the look you want, then key out the red suit and replace it with the distorted footage.

With this effect your actor can pass behind trees, shrubs, etc. without having to do any rotoscoping. Just make sure he doesn't rustle any leaves or branches as he passes because the movements won't match up.

Just a thought, FWIW.
 
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Thanks Zensteve and 2001 Productions. Great tips!

I was thinking about layering effects of shooting the scenes with and without the actor and controlling the amount of transparency for fade in and fade outs.

Silver looks like the color of that cape and it worked well with fade in and fade out.
 
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wheatgrinder said:
or lock the camera down, no camera motion on these shots.. just do lots of different angles for action cuts.. shot the actor moving, and a no moving plate for each shot.
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Yeahh, I wasn't being entirely serious :) I often find adding a bit of handheld motion to locked-down composites in post can make them seem a lot more convincing, though.
 
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You ever see any of the BTS from Spartacus?

The sets and toys and stylized look they have going for it is pretty killer.

(Nice stuff from 4:00 till 6:00, and before and after.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lfIqY8KIMM

-Thanks-
 
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Great BTS video!

We're doing all of the action scenes on loaction in a wooded park. We can lock down the camera and shoot the action wide. There will be as much angle coverage as possible. It's always good to have variety.

The greenscreen will be for spaceship interiors.

GREAT information sharing.
 
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