Filmmaking Basics/Matte Painting/Build Starters

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An original movie frame

 * Still frame from a locked camera
 * Initially, we need a matte painting for the storyboards. Therefore, start with a frame from your storyboards.


 * Later, when you want to use a matte painting for a scene, you start by grabbing a test frame. The movie camera is locked down therefore the position of the physical movie set will never change in the frame by even a single pixel.


 * From the test frame, it is very easy to decide what part of the physical movie set you want the audience to see and what part you want to hide behind the matte painting.


 * Therefore, it will be very easy to build a mask which protects the good part of the physical movie set so your matte painting will never cover this up.


 * Creating the mask is the critical part of preparing a starter page for Tux Paint.

A frame from your storyboards     or    A still frame from your storyboards.
 * style="width: 40%; background-color: cornsilk; border: 1px solid #777777; vertical-align: top; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 8px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 8px; height: 200px;" |


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A picture on a piece of paper

 * Setting up a matte painting canvas
 * The concept is very simple. You take one frame from the movie or storyboard and put it on a large canvas.  That's it.


 * The size of the canvas
 * The size of the canvas can be anything you want. Since the movie will be in the wide screen format (16 by 9), probably the best thing is a canvas that has a 16 by 9 aspect ratio.


 * Zoom factor
 * The size should be determined by how much of a zoom effect you want. If you want a zoom out effect of 2 to 1, then you should create the matte painting which is 2 times 480 pixels tall by 854 pixels wide. (Always work in square pixels.)


 * Dolly factor
 * If you also want a slight dolly effect (dolly left or dolly right), you will also need to extend the widths of your matte painting as well.

Import

 * Select a paint or drawing program
 * Matte paintings can be done in Photoshop, GIMP, Painter.


 * Import and begin
 * Simply import your picture and begin to paint (begin careful not to change any of the original picture where the actors are.)

Place the picture     The movie frame is on a blank page.
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More details

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Use the frame from your storyboards

 * Start with your storyboards
 * For this assignment, start with a frame from your storyboards.


 * Later, when we do 3D animation, you will start with a frame from your animation.


 * When we do the live action version, we will use a frame from the actual movie.


 * FrameForge 3D Studio
 * If you are using FrameForge 3D Studio, here is what you do:

→ →


 * The three steps
 * To export a frame, you need to select EXPORT and then click on the picture of the frame you want. Then specify the height which is 480 pixels.


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Create the matte painting canvas

 * Using GIMP
 * With the paint program GIMP, you can do this:

→ →  →


 * The three steps
 * Decide on the frame size, open the frame in the same program, drag the frame to your new canvas, save the picture as a png (which might require an EXPORT.)


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Draw your matte painting

 * Protect the frame
 * Draw your matte painting and send me a copy.

Send your picture to me     A matte painting.
 * style="width: 60%; background-color: cornsilk; border: 1px solid #777777; vertical-align: top; -moz-border-radius-topleft: 8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 8px; -moz-border-radius-topright: 8px; -moz-border-radius-bottomright: 8px; height: 200px;" |


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Send me your finished matte painting

 * When you are finished with your matte painting, please email a copy to me.

Contact Your Instructor

 * Your instructor for this class is Robert Elliott. To email me, you simply  Click Here. [[Image:Crystal Clear app xfmail.png|24px]]


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