you Camera
\ /
\ /
\ /
a \ b / c
(Water with reflection)
angle a=angle c
angle a + b + c =180 degrees
I order to film your reflection, you'll need to have the camera at an equal but opposing angle to the surface that reflects. SO:
Code:you Camera \ / \ / \ / a \ b / c (Water with reflection) angle a=angle c angle a + b + c =180 degrees
to plan out the shot, put a mirror on the ground and figure out the angles you need to make it work.
I would probably just try and do it in after effects.
They way I would start playing with it to make it work it there would first be to duplicate the layer, then invert it horizontally. After that, mask out the parts that don't overlap with the water and reduce the opacity of the top (reflection) layer.
You'll have to play with the settings to get the look right, and you may need to add some color correction and maybe some ripply distortion to the reflection layer to get it just right.
Could I also use that idea if I wanted to have a character looking in a mirror, but show an "empty" hallway? I admit I haven't tried using cloning as such. Closest is making two characters appear, one semi translucent, which was just overlapping frames and playing with the opacity
Yeah if you just want the mirror empty that's even easier. What you'll do is set up your shot, once you start shooting, don't move the camera or the effect won't work.
So when you shoot, you are going to make two separate shots. One of you not in the frame or mirror (and you really only need one frame of this unless you want something else moving around in the mirror) and then another of you looking in the mirror, making sure that your shot is framed so that there is no overlap between you and the mirror.
Next, get the footage into your NLE and stack the one of you on top of the empty shot. Then you'll mask out the mirror side of the top shot and you're all done!
Hey it's not dumb, there's a first time for everything. But no worries about masking, it's simple (unless you are rotoscoping, but that's a whole nother can-o-worms). I don't use premiere so I'm not sure what settings exactly, but I found this tutorial for you. (Youtube has been one of my best friends when it comes to learning about this stuff, second only to this place).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CfpdOXEC38
"but the challenge of principle effects (is that the right term?) is very appealing."
My philosophy is you always... ALWAYS try to do any "effect", stunt, etc.., live on set. If that is just impossible, dangerous, or too expensive, THEN you start looking at ways you could mimic it or create it in post.
I really hate it when people rely on computers to fix everything. The quick easy fix. Pretty soon all films and songs will be by robots, and will look and sound like it.