Okay folks, a few days ago I was asked if I could look into creating a tutorial for creating a trippy looking "Force" Jump as seen recently in The Phantom Menace. Well fear not my young Lucas' because I have sat down and had a good think about it.

This will be achieved in two segments. The first will be your subject filmed against a blue screen. The second step will be your background.

Segment 1.) Have a sufficient amount of blue screen, because the more amount you have, the further you can zoom out from your subject, if nesecarry. Film your subject in front of a blue screen, jumping.

NOTE: Make sure that before you start filming, you know what your background is and light appropriatly. Also make sure that when your subject jumps, his feet come into shot at the apex of his/her jump. If they are not in shot, then you will find that in post production, your subject will be able to jump without any feet!

Also have your DP (Director of Photography) know where the camera is in relation to your subject. Measure how far he is from the camera, the angle that camera is in relation to him, and how high the camera is off the ground. They are essential for a perfect match up.

Segment 2.) Film the background to your jumper. Take into account the measurements that you have gained from segement 1. This way everthing looks natural. If it is an enclosed set, then make sure that you light the set in the same manner as you did for your subject.

Putting it all together...

Now that you have all of your elements, go into your editing software, i.e. Premiere, and add them to the timeline.

Go to your bluescreen footage, and trim the end so that stops at the apex of the jump. Next, make it so that last frame (at the apex) streches to 3 or 4 more frames.

Select the motion option and have it start (of those 3 freezed frames) in the center, and the end of the clip above the visible area - therefore moving the bluescreen upwards. That is the jump.

Composite that footage over the background footage, and voilá. You're all done!

Any comments, questions, job offers, love letters, and hate mail should be sent to the following E-Mail address.

dirkdiggler@onetel.net.uk

Good luck in your projects.

Yours truly,
Mark Hedge.