Sunday 4 March 2012

Tilt Shift

We're familiar with the use of special effects to make models appear real in films. Skillful weathering techniques, altered frame rates, clever lighting: all these can create illusions of reality. But have you ever considered the opposite?

Take a look at this short film (The City of Samba) of a Carnival in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. Everything you see is real: there's no model work (unless you want to be pedantic and count the carnival floats). But the use of "tilt shift" makes reality appear to be a collection of models. Prepare to be astounded if you haven't seen this before ... perhaps especially by the helicopter which is seen roughly one and a half minutes in.

(I've put the film here, but it's better if you watch if proper-size at YouTube.)

6 comments:

  1. Amazing Toad! Is is a form of Stop Motion? I can't fathom how they've moved so many individual pieces though. Or is it CGI? I love the Stormtroopers and Darth Vader! Brilliant.

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  2. Absolutely remarkable. Not sure how they tilt the lens to give that odd depth of field but everything really does look like a model - even the the waves look out of scale with the beach umbrellas.

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  3. Wow.

    I've seen plenty of photographs using that technique, but this film is wonderful. The time lapse adds so much to the effect. Brilliant. Thanks for showing that, Toad!

    Best
    --
    Paul

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  4. (cough cough) Are you pulling my leg again, Woodsy? Read the description! It's all REAL, but clever messing about with the depth of field and altering the frame rate makes it look like models.

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  5. Glad you like it, Paul and Mike. I was simply amazed when it was shown to me on Sunday morning. And no matter how much I tell myself it's some kind of illusion, I can't see past it.

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  6. Sorry Miss, I really must concentrate more in class. It's that kid at the back, Wote, he keeps distracting me and chucking chuddy at me from under his desk!

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