This is a short post I wanted to put up about a technique I’ve been fascinated with: Camera Mapping. Essentially, camera mapping allows you to take a still photograph and turn it into a 3D scene you can fly through. Here’s the best explanation I’ve found of how it works:
Here’s another great example:
I’m using this technique to replace some jib shots we can’t afford in an upcoming MTV pilot. While I’ll be using Cinema 4D, there are tutorials to do this with the FREE 3D Software BLENDER.
Here’s an example from Blender (there are some artifacts, but this is a great start)
Camera Mapping Test with Blender from Gifted Babies on Vimeo.
Here’s the link to Gifted Babies and their explanation of what they’re doing in Blender:
This will be a new technique for us. We’ll let you all know how it goes.
You can also do simple camera mapping directly in After Effects:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oauu2kF7SXA
And DigiEffects has a handy (and inexpensive) plugin to streamline the process:
http://www.digieffects.com/product/camera_mapper
Very useful technique to add a little life to a still or a locked off shot.
And here I thought you were just inspired by Lost‘s season premiere where they did something similar. Unless if they really did take a camera crew through the plane window and descend several thousand feet into the depths of the ocean. Gotta love those impossible shots, but it can’t be easy to reconstruct the entire environment from a photograph.
@David,
You are correct…like any technique, the more complex the move, the harder it is to pull off. What struck me is that most of the jib shots we use are 2-3 seconds and very subtle moves, usually just a clean shot of a house or building (much simpler than an exploding plane.)
While there’s no beating a jib, if you can’t afford one, and aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty, this might be a viable alternative. I’m going to give it a shot on our upcoming pilot. If it works out, I’ll post a video demonstration.
This is a cool technique. You can try doing a basic version of it in Google Sketchup.
What’s also cool is some of the software that’s being developed that does this automatically like this: http://make3d.stanford.edu/
And this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrZ2EeROpDk
Camera Mapping could be a really cool technique to liven up picture b-roll in talking head docs. I am going to look into this some more. Thank you!
So this is what’s defined as Camera Mapping – or is it CG? I was under the impression that CM was more along the lines of taking a still image (photo) and breaking it apart into various layers to create a 3D rendition.
Interesting stuff. I hope it works out for ya, B. Keep up the good work.
@Andrew Those are crazy! Have you played with them?
@Michael Agree, docs and benefit from this new “trick”…in fact, now that I’m looking for it, it’s all over Nat Geo and Discovery…some good, some, not so much. Saw one shot flying over mountains, and bought it until I noticed the ocean was perfectly still…late in the shot.
@Charles Those examples all started with flat photographs, believe it or not. Whether you just paste the layers in 3d space in a program like AE, or “project” them on to geometry in a 3d program, the process begins with flat photos and ends with a camera move that can be quite convincing if not pushed too far.
From the links you’ve posted, I’ve got to say, it is a rather impressive effect. I hope it turns out for you. Will you link or post your “tests”? Might be kind of interesting to follow your progress.