stop-motion animation to real video

[Mike Boden]

I'm trying to create a video where I transition from a stop-motion animation to live video without any cuts. I want it to look seamless. However, after setting up the camera, using a remote trigger, shooting the animation, and then shooting a video sequence with the same setup, there is a subtle shift in the framing.

My camera is a 5D-MKiii, setup with a 16x9 aspect ratio. After shooting the stills, I resize them all to 1920x1080. I then create an image sequence in Photoshop and export the rendered video. From there, I import the stop-motion video as well as the live action video into Premiere. After cutting them to the timeline, I play across the cut and there is a very subtle shift in the framing. I'm talking just a few pixels. If I scale the stop-motion video 100.8, then it gets it close, but not enough for my taste.

So my question is, how do I achieve the effect I want? Are there specific camera settings? Is there a specific post-process I need to follow?
Has anyone attempted to do this? Any success?

Thanks in advance.

[fredjeang2]

Hi Mike,

You make unnecesary step exporting a video from your
Image sequence because you just have to import
The image sequence in the editor. Once you did your
Photoshoping, close photoshop. Just import the i.s in
The editor.

If I understand your description, what is happening
Is that both material are not corresponding exactly
So I deduct (correct me if I'm wrong) that
You are talking of a same shape that has to be perfectly
Blended? And you used the % to reduce the shift in the blending?

What I understand of your description is that you shooted
The same material  using 2 different techniques but
Camera position, focus... being exactly the same.
So both images should match exactly and they don't.

Using the % on one clip to match exactly may not be enough.
You may also want to use X y Y on both clip so you'd
Have to set-up let's say 101% on both, then put 101,8 on the one
That needs to be slightly bigger and then reposition
Pixel per pixel X and Y axis of both.

You'd need to use one and the same technique for both,
An image sequence basically and you may want to get
The magic lantern for that if you really want to have stills. So instead of using the animation with the
Remote as still imagery, you just film in "raw" with the lantern, or
Simply use a video codec (because you can always export stills image sequence from footage if you need to photoshop it).
It's one way or the other. You can create i.s from video or
Video from i.s.
Position your animation (no matter if you see yourself) frame by frame and delete
In post the undesirable frames of the stop motion.

That way, your material is one and the same no matter
If stop-motion or video and that avoids many hassles.
And the time you'd use the delete in post the undesirable frames
Of the animation will be way faster in the end that having
To resize, then match both clips etc...

Remember: there is no order. You don't need to first photoshop
Your animation. You can start editing the all, then export tiffs
Or whatever from the editor and do your compo...there
Is no need to "try to do things in an apparent logical order".

In composoting, what we do is for ex we have an edit of a footage
That needs a compo so we export the frames (let's say prores)
To a suitable format for compo (tiff, exr...), do the comp and replace
The edit by the image final image sequence.

[Christopher Sanderson]

Use the new morph transition in Adobe Premiere CC

[fredjeang2]

Use the new morph transition in Adobe Premiere CC

Wao! Did Adobe implemented it? In Avid it was there
Under a different name like fluidmorph or something like that.
Looks pretty cool.

[Mike Boden]

What I understand of your description is that you shooted
The same material  using 2 different techniques but
Camera position, focus... being exactly the same.
So both images should match exactly and they don't.

Exactly

you may want to get
The magic lantern for that if you really want to have stills. So instead of using the animation with the
Remote as still imagery, you just film in "raw" with the lantern, or
Simply use a video codec (because you can always export stills image sequence from footage if you need to photoshop it).

I've never used Magic Lantern, but after a little research, it looks interesting and I'll be playing around with it soon.

You can create i.s from video or
Video from i.s.
Position your animation (no matter if you see yourself) frame by frame and delete
In post the undesirable frames of the stop motion.

That way, your material is one and the same no matter
If stop-motion or video and that avoids many hassles.
And the time you'd use the delete in post the undesirable frames
Of the animation will be way faster in the end that having
To resize, then match both clips etc...

I tried this technique today by shooting video throughout the animation. I then exported the frames I needed and created an image sequence from them. It worked perfectly and transitions into the live video without any frame shift.


Thanks for the reply. It's made me rethink the process, and I'll be able to achieve what I need.