Stop motion video object flying through air?

Question

im using a webcam and i have some pretty cool stop motion videos but how would i make it look like somebody is floating in mid air? like a guy throws something to another person

Answer 1

Depending on the gauge of line you're using and the distance your camera is from the subject, fishing line can be very visible. The thicker the wire is, the more the polyethylene of the plastic will reflect light.

You have to find a way to suspend your characters in the air. If you're good with Photoshop and digital imaging, you can use it to remove any kind of suspension system you build or use to keep your character in the air while you take you images. Some stop motion animators use string (two strings, otherwise your person will just spin around on one wire and you won't be able to control the direction he's facing) or some kind of stiff arm (metal or wood rod) that connects directly to the character. Then you have to remove the string or rig from your images. Usually you'd take a photo of your scene with no rig or car in it to use as a reference for the clone stamp tool or whatever you'd use in Photoshop.

Old school animators who worked before computers would use see-through plastic boxes to prop up objects in the air. If the object is only in the air for a split second or a very short time, you don't usually notice the plastic box because of the action going on in the scene. If an object is in the air for a fairly long time, they'd use thin string like fishing wire. They'd leave it in the scene since the string was so thin you wouldn't notice it, or if you did it wasn't that big of a deal because the wire was so thin and see through.

Fabric stores sell a sewing string called invisible string which is good for this kind of stuff, since it doesn't reflect light like plasticy fishing wire and takes on the color of whatever's behind it.

Answer 2

You can suspend all kinds of things from monofilament, also known as fishing line. It's invisible on camera.

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Answer 3

Bunji chords.... or call yoda. Hes good with that styuff