Virtual Advertizments things?

I've spent the past few weeks prowling around this site, watching as many of the videos as I can and just trying to become as familiar with it as possible. So, I've got pretty minimal experience and I'll admit to that up front.

I'm looking for some direction. I'd like to try and create an effect like they are using during baseball games. They post a revolving advertizement to a green screen behind home plate. I can't find anything on how this is done or what they are using to do it. I think it's because I don't know what the proper term for it is, but that's why I'm here.

I've been looking for things related to sizing green screen (blue screen, chroma key) effects, placing effects, I saw somewhere that it referred to an element as a "virtual element".

Can you guys put me on the right track??

I'm trying to go as low budget as I can, so I'm doing most everything with a PC. I've got Adobe Visual Communicator 3, that's what I've been messing with lately. Oh yeah, I'm trying to do this during a live feed, not on a prerecorded clip.

THANKS!!!!

-r

Pooh, thats a tough one!

What I do know is that you can create this effect using 3D motion tracking, with software like Mocha and Boujou ccombined with Adobe After Effects, but I honestly haven't got a clue how to do this on a tiny budget AND how to do this live.

At live events, broadcasting companies use powerful workstation and special software to do the job,and I think it's gonna be tough to somehowe replicate this effect.


Yours, WVD

Cool. Thanks!! 3D Motion Tracking. That gives me a path to run down. It may turn out I can't do it on my budget, but this stuff is really interesting.

I'm not really in this field at all, but I wonder if I might could get a week or month long "internship" somewhere. Just to get some exposure to the technology that's out there. I looked at one of those broadcast schools a while back. Not because I had planned on getting a job with it, but I though it'd be a great jump-start into this stuff as a hobby. The school was like 9 months and it was 18k. Sheash. A little more than the wife was willing to let me spend on a hobby.

Are they using proprietary hardware/software systems, or could you get a robust server and put the software on there yourself? I do happen to have access to some servers that I could try it on. I'll have to look into the software prices too.

If I were you, i'd sent an email to a professional sports broadcasting company and ask them what techniques and equipmet they use.

The software is incredebly expensive (1000 dollars for after effects, and a number of grands for boujou, but you'll probably be able to download trails for 30 days or so for your event (you certainly can at adobe, only you should check it out at the 3d motion tracking).

-WVD

So, in lue of the budget constraints, here's the work around I've been trying to figure out. I feel like this is probably basic stuff, but I just don't know what I'm talking about yet. So I'm having a hard time trying to find it.

I have a camera feed that's steady, like a news desk kind of deal. I have a green screen over an area behind me. I want to display images in that green screen area. *Edit* I can display an image on the green screen during my live feed.
Again, I'm using Visual Communicator 3 because their "v-screen" option allows me to do this during a live broadcast.
Picture 3. represents what I am trying to achieve, Picture 4. represents what I end up with.

I don't know how to confine the image to just the size of the green screen? *Edit* I think maybe I should say, I don't know how to get the imaged scaled and positioned to fit in just the green screen area. When I select the image I want to use, it always makes it full screen.
Any thoughts on that?

I really appreciate the help so far!! Like I said, this stuff is very interesting and kind of fun to mess with. I wish I would have started messing with it a lot earlier.

-r

Hi!!!! I have never used nor seen the program you're using, but one would think there is an option tucked away to either resize or scale the image you want to display in the green screen area. If not, I would do a couple test sessions and resize your image till it fits in the area of the green screen. Then use the resized image for your live session. Also remember the size of the finished graphic, so you can resize future images to the correct size. Just a thought.

Ooh, you meant something like this!

Easy, but i don't really know visual communicator so i do not know its capacities.

So let's talk in After Effects language:

The video itsself 1 'layer', and greenscreen enables you to make a hole in that layer, so that when a layer in underneath it, you can see it.

Then the only thing left to do is scaling and moving the image, and you're done!

And since the camera is static, there's no need for motion tracking.

Yours, WVD

For live productions something like a TriCaster would work well....but they are high in price...(well, not compared to most studios out there....). These units allow you to do everything from record your shows, switch between cams, and do live keys. Leo Laporte at stickam uses the Studio version and the control board to do his live show. It looks great and all but once again, consider the price range for a home studio...

Our college uses a powerful rack mount computer running XP to do title design and overlays...it will design 3D motion titles as well.
We however also use outboard switchers and all that to get it to the final feed you all see on the screen.

If you didn't have to do this live you could try using Adobe After Effects to make some 3D logos and then use a video switcher/mixer to stream the files on top of the broadcast line.

Doing live title design and overlay on a tight budget is probably right next to impossible...

WVD wrote:Ooh, you meant something like this!

Easy, but i don't really know visual communicator so i do not know its capacities.

So let's talk in After Effects language:

The video itsself 1 'layer', and greenscreen enables you to make a hole in that layer, so that when a layer in underneath it, you can see it.

Then the only thing left to do is scaling and moving the image, and you're done!

And since the camera is static, there's no need for motion tracking.

Yours, WVD

I didn't say it was easy! My experience in green screen is in photography, not video. The program I use for photography has an option to resize/scale both the foreground and the background. I was only mentioning to him to look in his program for that option.

Brosius Photography wrote:Hi!!!! I have never used nor seen the program you're using, but one would think there is an option tucked away to either resize or scale the image you want to display in the green screen area. If not, I would do a couple test sessions and resize your image till it fits in the area of the green screen. Then use the resized image for your live session. Also remember the size of the finished graphic, so you can resize future images to the correct size. Just a thought.

Thanks Brosius. This is the path I think I'm going to head down tomorrow.

I found this software.
http://www.telestream.net/wire-cast/overview.htm
WireCast

This is freaking awesome for what I want to do. It's 500 clams, but that's a lot cheaper than some of the other solutions I've seen out there.
They have free demo software set you can download. Gives you a good feel for what you're getting. There are supposed to be some chroma key effects, but I've not figured it out yet.

I'll try and keep you guys posted on what I learn!!

-r