Match Moving

Wow. This is certainly going to be a challenge. We have run into a number of problems that we seem to have found solutions to, however it is far to soon to make assumptions.

1.Tracking the Background
In order to be able to create a proper 3D environment to place the models in it will be necessary to have track points in that environment. Match Moving relies on taking points of contrast and then calculating how they change across the different frames, then using that data it is able to triangulate the location of the camera. Although using an all black background will allow us some freedom in the compositing, it makes it difficult to get points that will be a reference for the camera's movement. That is why we are going to use an array of Christmas lights arranged in the background. It will be dark enough where that is all that will be showing. In this way we can use the lights as track points. Later in the compositing phase we can simply mask them out.

2.Tracking the arm
In addition to the camera movement, an arm will also have to be tracked in some way to ensure that the 3D elements are properly matched as well as to act as a reference for the rotoscoped mask of the arm that will disappear. This will be done using the same camera and the same track, but with different tracking points that will then we imported into Maya as locators. In this way we can match the movement of the arm exactly and use it to project the texture onto the polygonal stand ins.

So there is certainly a lot ahead of us. I am sure that we will be able to pull it off though.