Special Effects test using a Valkyrie

[Darkwater]

Just thought I'd share... I was creating a test for practical effects and decided to use a Valkyrie, which makes this technically Macross-relevant. Enjoy...

[macrossgino]

+1

[505thAirborne]

+2

[Macross_Fanboy]

LOL, wasn't expecting that!

[Ignacio Ocamica]

Very well done!! Looks pretty real.

[big F]

Love the hand held cam feel to it

[Darkwater]

Thanks, in case anyone's wondering the process (and if you're not, don't read! )

-Shoot of the street with a tripod

-Shoot the Valkyrie in front of a green screen (piece of cardboard), recording it's movements frame by frame with a digital camera

-Lay the frames of the Valkyrie into the editing software to animate it.

-Use an image stabilizing filter on the animated clip (they do tend to move a little frame to frame)

-Superimpose the animated Valkyrie onto the shot of the street (Valkyrie will be in front of the buildings), make another clip of that.

-Take a frame grab from that clip, and Photoshop a green "matte" covering everything you want the Valkyrie to stand behind (buidlings, road, etc,). Insert the matte over make a new clip of that.

-From THAT clip, superimpose it over the original shot of the street from the first step. Now the Valkyrie is animated behind the building.

-Find an animated explosion on Youtube, superimpose that onto the clip. Use a wipe effect to create a crude laser and add sound effects. Make clip.

-Take that clip, add the handheld camera filter and zoom in and out. Make another clip from that.

-Photoshop the old videocamera graphic, filter the video to look like television, Make the final clip from that.

-?????

-Profit!

[big F]

So what your saying is that Mr Bay coulda done it for less. just out of interest what video editing software are you using.

[Darkwater]

So what your saying is that Mr Bay coulda done it for less. just out of interest what video editing software are you using.

I used Sony Vegas 11. It's pretty intuitive. The handheld-camera effect was one of the add-ons that came free when I bought the retail version.