Advice needed...

[General Hawk]

Well...I have officially begun work on Reunions, my next dio-story. Folks who were expecting Misdirection will be waiting a little bit, although Reunions is more a PART of Misdirection than a replacement of it. I decided to break it up into a couple of parts to make it a little easier to shoot...

Anyway, spent several hours today shooting a snow battle scene and started putting together the fun stuff first. Not really sure how it worked out.

http://www.generalsjoes.com/dioramas/reunions/reuniontest-1.html

I'm especially unsure about the third pic...it just looks kind of choppy. The Ice Sabre is supposed to be flying through the explosion, but I don't know...it's just iffy. Doesn't really flow. I've still got the pic saved in .PSD format, so it's fully editable, just figured I'd ask a board full of dio-artists for any creative input! ;)

Anyone have any ideas?

Justin

[Tim Elf]

First... it's about time! :)

On the pic in question, I would add more of a motion blur. There's no connection between the ghosted Sabre on the left and the solid one on the right. Too much of a gap between them. Either a lengthy motion blur, OR... add multiple images of the Sabre, each one at a higher percentage. For example, the one on the left side of the pic could be at 40%, while the next one would be 50 or 60%, with the final level being 100%. Add a slight motion blur to each one and there you go.

Just one idea.

(And I keep EVERY one of my pics in PSD format, forever. Except that I lost Iconoclasts. But if I wanted to go back and edit the very first shot of Resurrection even now... well, I could!)

Oh, and your avatar sux. :p

[General Hawk]

Thanks, Tim!

Yeah, I played around with doing multiple Ice Sabre images in there to try and get a better flow of motion, but I just couldn't decide where to put them and they ended up obscuring the explosion a lot more than I wanted. I do think that's a good idea, though, and will most likely rethink that effect.

Justin

[Hammerfel]

First, WELCOME! :D

Second, I don't think the 2 sabres is working. Did the explosion hit the Saber or just singe it? If it missed or just singed it, I suggest one image of the saber, with a long, maybe curved motion blur with the explosion in the middle. Translucent multiples in photos don't work as well as they do in comics.

3rd (hey, I have a lot to say! :)) I'd put some zig-zag tracks in the snow in the first shot, to show some motion and excitement that they've been dodging the explosions along the way.

This is fantastic, this is JUST the kind of thing I was hoping would be discussed here. :)

[General Hawk]

Thanks, Hammerfel...actually there ARE zigzag tracks in the snow on the first shot...guess they're not as visible as I'd wanted, though. Not sure how I'd enhance that in Photoshop...anyone have any ideas on THAT? ;)

Also, I messed around with the multiple transclucent Ice Sabres a little more last night, and didn't really like the results. What basically happens is that the missile hits as the Sabre is launching in the air. It's hit by flame and smoke, but no damage is done or anything.

I'll try that curved motion blur idea...

Thanks!

Justin

[Moto-viper]

Also to me the ghosted sabre seems just palid, as it is on a solid white background, so there isn't as much sense of seeing through it as against a 'clutterd' background.

[Violentfix]

Why don't you spilt that shot up into three different shots.

One with the saber in the first position with the explosion just hitting the ground and being minimal (Like the start of an explosion).

Next shot with the Saber in the air then place the explosion over it in a new layer and use the eraser tool at a low setting to make it look like the Saber is going through it instead of behind it like it looks now.

Third the Saber just exiting the explosion like it is in the current shot and blur the smoke to look like the Saber is pulling some of it with it's momentum.

Give these three shots there own page and it will almost have a stop motion effect.

actually there ARE zigzag tracks in the snow on the first shot...guess they're not as visible as I'd wanted, though. Not sure how I'd enhance that in Photoshop...anyone have any ideas on THAT?

You could try lightening the pictures, adding a bit of color (Very light gray almost transparent) to that area and then increasing the contrast of the photos.

[General Hawk]

Ohhh...I like that 3 picture idea...I might try to work with that a little bit.

Thanks, VF!

Justin

[adamhinkle]

first sorry your send messege and emails asking alot of questions. But hey i would like to know how to do the motion blurs and wicht program you have i have Photo Shop 2000 thank you your help i like the story and the ideas every one given you :D :cool:

[Joerhyno]

I got an Idea, like Violents...
Split up the "going through the explosion" shot a little more...
first, have one where it's the side view, have the missle about to or just hitting the ground in front of the sabre...
next, have the same view, but have the sabre to just start to jump over the now growing explosion, so it's nose is in the air, but it's butt is still on the ground...
next, have the view from the front of the vehicle, and you can see it bursting through the explosion, have snow, dirt and flames shooting out towards the camera, to give you the effect that it's shooting through it...
keep us posted ;)

[General Hawk]

Made a few changes...it definitely works better, but still not sure I'm in love quite yet.

http://www.generalsjoes.com/dioramas/reunions/reuniontest-1.html

(Added the blizzard I'd forgotten about earlier, too...)

Justin

[Violentfix]

Ouch, it sure looks like that last shot would rattle some teeth.

It looks a lot better. The blizzard is cool, but I'm almost sad that I can't see the details as much as I could without it. The missle hitting the snow like that was nice, really gave a sense of timing, like the split second it took between detonation and the sabre jumping that ravine.

[General Hawk]

Thanks! Yeah, the blizzard was a very tough call...it's an important story element, though, so I kind of have to stick with it. Otherwise the Joes would just be flying the helicopter to where they're going. :D

The more I look at the transition the more I'm liking it, so I'll probably roll with this...you guys gave some great advice!

Justin