Cinematic techniques

Powerful software and talented visual effects artists are usually needed to convincingly pull off the effect where an actor filmed against a green screen is inserted into another shot. But researchers at Netflix say they have come up with a much easier, and potentially more accurate, green screen technique that takes advantage of how digital cameras work—with a dash of AI.Netflix Passwords, ChatGPT Can’t Detect AI, and No More CoTweets | Editor PicksReplacing the background of footage where actors have been filmed against…

In this latest video from Adam Savage’s Tested, the special-effects designer, former MythBusters host, and noted nerd-culture aficionado visits legendary animator Phil Tippett’s Tippett Studio in Berkeley, CA, where he talks with stop-motion master Tom “Gibby” Gibbons about a standout puppet from a standout episode of Rian Johnson’s Peacock series Poker Face.Spoilers of the Week April 11-15If you watched Poker Face, you’ll immediately recall Natasha Lyonne’s character befriending Arthur, an aging animator played by…

Image: Oscilloscope LabsClaydream, Marq Evans’ new documentary about animator Will Vinton, addresses the elephant in the room immediately: yes, this is the guy who lost his company to his most deep-pocketed investor, Nike founder Phil Knight. It’s something that looms over the film, but it’s not the only melancholy element that colors this portrait of Vinton’s life and career.Made with the cooperation of Vinton himself, who died of cancer in 2018 but is interviewed extensively here, Claydream offers a visual history of…