“Video Backgrounds” Website Launches

KmotionMedia.com has launched! Part art installation, part visual experiment and part creative showcase, the site takes advantage of the latest in web technology, digital video compression and design to offer an ever-changing full-screen video experience.  The site currently features more than 15 random video backgrounds unique to www.kmotionmedia.com – including a spoof of a 1950’s Martian movie which depicts a flying saucer over Green Bay’s classic Sky-Lit motel, a favorite video of site visitors. In addition to a different full-screen video experience on every web page, the new site also includes access to Kmotion Media’s social and new media tools, including YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Kmotion’s blog & RSS feed and an e-newsletter sign-up. At the heart of the site is Kmotion Media’s demo reel, featuring a brief selection of Kmotion’s high-end film, video, animation and digital effects. New visuals, enhancements, and updates will be continuously added to keep the site fresh and relevant.

Blurring the Lines Between Film and Video

Shooting video has always had its downsides. Mostly, in the past, video didn't look like film. Then, a few years ago, came the ability to shoot video in 24p, the same speed rate as film is shot in, and suddenly you could shoot video that had that "film look". The only thing missing was that most video cameras had a fixed lens, which meant not much depth of field. So unlike film, with video everything in your frame was in focus. To give video that "film style" you need to be able to shoot using a 35mm lens that will give you more depth of field in your shots. Now you can get adapters that will allow you to do just that.



There are numerous reasons to shoot with 35mm lens adapters, such as the power to achieve far shallower depth of field. Another less-cited reason is that most adapters soften the image just a touch; they can remove some of the harshness of HD video. But by far, my favorite reason for the use of 35mm adapters is the fact that they tend to make you work more in the "film style," slowing down your work flow and compelling you to pay closer attention to framing and composition. Because focus is a critical element with a 35mm adapter rig, you tend to work more with your talent and skill—and it makes you a better shooter and director.

Big Creative on a Little Budget

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What started as an exploration in creativity quickly became an exercise in overcoming budgetary and environmental obstacles. Some key elements to take note of :

1. The sky, in all of the scenes, has been completely replaced with more dramatic, time lapse footage.
2. A flock of perfectly-timed ANIMATED birds fly over the scene. (In reality, there was only one bird that appeared in any of the footage we shot.)
3. Weeds and other elements appear to grow out of the cracks in the street.
4. The trees on the horizon have been removed.
5. The color of the piece is now uniform and reflects the otherworldliness we wanted to achieve.  In reality, the changing light during the shoot dramatically modified the colors and light in each scene.

See below for more details and an animated movie that slowly reveals the many layers involved in crafting the final piece.

Tools & Techniques HD 1080i cinematography, undercrank blur (an in-camera effect), light reflectors (the only way to economically control the lighting), HD editing, After Effects, Photoshop, 3DS Max and Cinema 4D.

Obstacles Budget (there wasn't one), Traffic (but they all waved), a lone walker (who transformed into a speed walker when she realized she was in the shot), crop spraying (he also waved), less-than-perfect clouds (where are those Biblical Clouds when you really need them?), constantly changing light levels, the inability to (economically) light the scene, a line of trees in the distance that really bothered Dan and having to deal with really uncooperative talent. View the animated transformation:

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