MacroSystem Bluebox World User Manual

Page 25

Chapter 8

Application example

Bluebox with all the extras

In this example we shall begin with raw video

material and finish with a fully featured Bluebox

effect. This will involve using almost all the

techniques that Bluebox World can offer.

Task: a person is to be placed a against a diffe-

rent background.

What is required for this purpose:

• A wall or similar surface with a background of

a single color (a blue cloth or blue-painted wall)

• A video camera

• Any background scene

8.1 Preparations

You must first make some suitable video recor-

dings before you can try out Bluebox World. You

need a scene for the background (left in the sto-

ryboard) and another scene for the foreground

(right in the storyboard). Any background scene

is suitable. A racing car motif will be used in our

example.

The foreground scene, on the other hand, must

be given special attention: the most evenly

colored surface is required. This will be made

transparent in our trial. A blue cloth hung

against the wall or similar background would be

entirely suitable for our purposes. It is possible

to use other colors, but avoid strong, dark colors

and avoid either black or white. A relatively light,

not too intense, evenly illuminated blue would

be ideal. In our example, the motif will be placed

in front of a blue wall.

Record both scenes. Your project should now

contain these two scenes:

• The background scene

anything at all

• The foreground scene

a person (or object) in front of a blue wall

Now trim these scenes both to a length of 5 se-

conds. Next place the scenes in the storyboard,

using a specific sequence: the background must

first be inserted as the left-hand scene in the

storyboard, followed by the foreground as the

right hand scene.

A reminder: the foreground contains elements

of a single color, i.e. the blue wall or similar

item, whereas the background can consist of any

image whatsoever. The Bluebox World effect

must now be inserted. You will find it under the

label“BB Bluebox World“ in the“Transitions“

menu.

Place the effect (in the usual way) between the

background and foreground scenes, then select

the maximum possible duration for the effect,

i.e. the full length of the scene.

8.2 Starting Bluebox World

Start Bluebox World with the “Start Program“

button, and begin by resetting all the adjus-

tments to their default values by clicking the

“Default“ button once.

(It is necessary to reset these values, since

adjustments made on a previous occasion might

distort the results of this effect, or even make it

impossible.) You will already see a preview of

the foreground scene in the background of the

Bluebox World user window.