title filming

[jefury]

What's the best way to film titles and credits for movies? For example - lighting, inside/outside, how close should the camera be, etc.

Thanks

Jeff

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[Matt Pacini]

I shot my titles like this:

1. Printed out titles white on black background, regular laser printer.

2. Shoot in bright sunlight (or sufficient to get a good f-stop, like f8 or so), but make sure there's no glare.

3. Get as close as you have to to fill the frame. Use less zoom to keep the image sharp.

4. Bracket. (i.e. shoot the whole thing at a couple different f-stops).

Before I tried this, I made the mistake of outputting these to film (8x10 sheets from a Linotronic, used for offset printing), taping to a window, so it would be backlit from the sun.
I've heard lots of people say to do it this way, and read it in one book.
Don't!
The white areas end up blown out, and diffused, not sharp. I spent like $80 on film, and couldn't read a damn word of it!

The lasers looked great.

Matt Pacini

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[Nigel]

I have used Kodalith and made my titles then shot them on an animation stand. Good Luck

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[mcarter4121]

Kodalith works fine. Put a movie screen behind the title sheet about 6 feet away or more and put the light on the screen. Take a reading off your gray card held up to the screen. Focus on the letters. Close down a little if you are fraid to get glair. Sunlight is just too harsh and undependable.

Laser printed titles that are black letters on white paper don't have the contrast that the other method yields. Some video cameras can reverse the image to negative from such print outs. Lighting is very difficult to get even. I used to get blue along one edge or two.

since then, I have switched to titledeko included with Premiere as my output is on CD or the web.

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[jefury]

Thanks for all your help! I will use these ideas/techniques with much appreciation!

Jeff


[This message has been edited by jefury (edited January 09, 2002).]

[Matt Pacini]

My white letter on black background laser printer titles worked great.
They also looked like real movie titles, rather than video generated ones, because there's just the slightest movement when you actually shoot it on film, rather than video titles, which are just rock steady, and cheesy looking!

Matt Pacini

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[#Pedro]

I made my last titles with inkjet printouts on inkjet paper. White and colored letters on black background. I illuminated it from the backside. To do that, I put a 35 W halogen lamp inside a shoe card box, a glass plate covering the box, the paper on the glass and another glass to fix it. I shoot it with 24 fps and stop 1:5,6. The result is crisp sharp, background totally black and not grey, letters totally shiny white, like any prof titels are.
I also had made titles with conventional 45 degree illumination and exposure measurement with grey card, but the backlite results are MUCH better.
Pedro

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