Wire removal: Difference between revisions
imported>MaxwellMolecule unencyclopedic / promotional |
imported>Coldupnorth expand, add reference |
||
| (One intermediate revision by one other user not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Short description|Visual effects technique in which safety precautions used during filming are edited out}} | {{Short description|Visual effects technique in which safety precautions used during filming are edited out}} | ||
{{ | '''Wire removal''' is a [[visual effects]] technique used to remove wires in [[film]]s, where the wires are originally included as a safety precaution or to [[Rigger (entertainment)|simulate flying]] in [[actor]]s or [[Scale model|miniatures]].<ref name="m650">{{cite book | last=Wright | first=Steve | title=Compositing Visual Effects: Essentials for the Aspiring Artist | publisher=Taylor & Francis | date=2013-01-17 | isbn=978-1-136-03921-8 | url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Compositing_Visual_Effects/gSGIAP26r3oC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Wire+removal+films&pg=PA13&printsec=frontcover | access-date=2025-11-11 | page=13-14}}</ref> | ||
The process uses a lot of rotomatting, a process of using splines in a program like After Effects or Nuke to extract a subject from a video, motion tracking, and painting over footage, which can be done in Photoshop, Boris Silhouette, or Nuke. Wire removal can be partly automated through various forms of [[keying (graphics)|keying]], or each [[frame (film)|frame]] can be edited manually. First, the live action plates of actors or models suspended on wires are filmed in front of a [[Chroma key|green screen]]. Editors can then erase the wires frame by frame, without worrying about erasing the backdrop, which will be added later. This can be accomplished automatically with a computer. If the sequence is not filmed in front of a green-screen, or with a green wire a digital editor must hand-paint the lines out. This can be an arduous and time consuming task. | |||
The modern technique of wire removal was pioneered by [[Industrial Light and Magic]], when they used it in films such as ''[[Howard the Duck (film)|Howard the Duck]]'' ([[1986 in film|1986]]), ''[[Back to the Future Part II]]'' ([[1989 in film|1989]]), and ''[[Hook (film)|Hook]]'' ([[1991 in film|1991]]). Digital wire removal was also carried out in the 1993 film [[Cliffhanger (1993 film)|Cliffhanger]].<ref name="f458">{{cite book | last1=Ohanian | first1=Thomas | last2=Phillips | first2=Natalie | title=Digital Filmmaking: The Changing Art and Craft of Making Motion Pictures | publisher=Taylor & Francis | date=2013-04-03 | isbn=978-1-136-05353-5 | url=https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Digital_Filmmaking/P_hXZXKJxTgC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Wire+removal+films&pg=PT431&printsec=frontcover | access-date=2025-11-11}}</ref> | |||
==References== | |||
{{Reflist}} | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wire Removal}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Wire Removal}} | ||
Latest revision as of 09:03, 11 November 2025
Template:Short description Wire removal is a visual effects technique used to remove wires in films, where the wires are originally included as a safety precaution or to simulate flying in actors or miniatures.[1]
The process uses a lot of rotomatting, a process of using splines in a program like After Effects or Nuke to extract a subject from a video, motion tracking, and painting over footage, which can be done in Photoshop, Boris Silhouette, or Nuke. Wire removal can be partly automated through various forms of keying, or each frame can be edited manually. First, the live action plates of actors or models suspended on wires are filmed in front of a green screen. Editors can then erase the wires frame by frame, without worrying about erasing the backdrop, which will be added later. This can be accomplished automatically with a computer. If the sequence is not filmed in front of a green-screen, or with a green wire a digital editor must hand-paint the lines out. This can be an arduous and time consuming task.
The modern technique of wire removal was pioneered by Industrial Light and Magic, when they used it in films such as Howard the Duck (1986), Back to the Future Part II (1989), and Hook (1991). Digital wire removal was also carried out in the 1993 film Cliffhanger.[2]