HELP! How do i make myself look "Airbrushed" on video??? examples included!

[VideoNewbie]

ok please look at this girl's video

this is (before) her digital transformation

YouTube - VenetianPrincess Presents A New Product.... For Prisoners (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2eSahhbYh4)

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/5133/vp2rv7.jpg

pay special attention to the tone of her skin and her face it looks like an average webcam video ...

but then suddenly as her videos got more popular and as she spent more and more time on her vids the quality of her videos drastically improved ALONG
with her physical appearance.

the lighting is extremely flattering it almost looks like an airbrushed picture how do u create this "airbrushed look" with a video program???


YouTube - Just A Vlog (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPk7nzJgSu8)


http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/6393/59316967fd2.jpg

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/4962/vp3lr2.jpg

[mkrishnan]

I'm confused... why do you think this was achieved using post-processing (digitally) rather than using better lighting, makeup, costume, sets, and photography?

[Courtaj]

pay special attention to . . . her faceI did, and even without visiting pootube I felt irritated.

[Chaos123x]

makeup, and maybe a blur filter is all I see in those pics.

But to get a airbrush look use a air brush.


http://www.airbrushmakeup.com/


I think you wanted a filter for after effects though?

I'm confused.

[VideoNewbie]

I'm confused... why do you think this was achieved using post-processing (digitally) rather than using better lighting, makeup, costume, sets, and photography?


please visit her youtube

http://www.youtube.com/venetianprincess for a better understanding of what im talking about

better yet this video demonstrates it better

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTC4qkb8Ppk

(compare her face to the faces of the girls she uses in the video. hers looks exageratedly cartoonish while the others look "normal")
that cant be just simple lighting technique?

she uses all kinds of video editing techniques to enhance her videos.
i definitely dont think that its a simple case of "better lighting make up"

i think what im trying to say is what kind of filter is she using to give herself that high contrast "Blown out" look? u can see that whatever filter she is using on her face it looks almost like an extremely airbrushed picture

high contrast , strong colors, and the skin tone doesnt appear "normal" it appears almost video game cartoon like...

how would you achieve this thru simple lighting technique? surely there is some kind of effect she is using on a video editing program

[Chaos123x]

Why would you try to make your videos look like that?

I don't see anything special going on here.

Try vaseline on the lens. (on a polarizer or clear filter of course)

[VideoNewbie]

Why would you try to make your videos look like that?

I don't see anything special going on here.

Try vaseline on the lens. (on a polarizer or clear filter of course)


what? vaseline on the lens....

so are u saying uthink that the only thing going on is a blur filter?
how would that explain the transparency in her eyes along with the burst of colors and the high levels of contrast on her face almost washing out the appearance of a nose..etc.

i really dont see how u guys dont see what im talking about someone please save me from losing it lol ahhhh i hate that im not able to articulate myself better but SURELY some video expert on here can see that the difference is not just achieved by a simple 'blur of the lens'

you know how you guys can go into apple iphoto and adjust the color the exposure the contrast and all the things in a picture? you guys dont think she is editing her videos in that same way ?

[Chaos123x]

Check out the filters in FCP the Video Effects under Glow might do the trick.

But yeah I think she has make up and soft focus.


Have ever tried Vaseline on the lens? Or a Tiffen effects soft focus filter?

The results may surprise you, Barbara Walters effect indeed.

[VideoNewbie]

Check out the filters in FCP the Video Effects under Glow might do the trick.




i dont have final cut pro :( isnt that only for windows?

can Imovie do something similar? i dont see any filters in imovie...
(sorry i really am a newbie)

[Chaos123x]

lol


But really you need to look for some plugin packs for imovie.

And get some tiffen fx filters for your camera.

[Chaos123x]

i dont have final cut pro :( isnt that only for windows?

can Imovie do something similar? i dont see any filters in imovie...
(sorry i really am a newbie)

I don't use imovie I am not sure.

[LethalWolfe]

Lighting, make-up, camera + filters, 3rd party plug-ins, and color correction. And "no" there is not an "easy button" for this look in iMovie. ;)


Lethal

[iNash]

(compare her face to the faces of the girls she uses in the video. hers looks exageratedly cartoonish while the others look "normal")
that cant be just simple lighting technique?



That would be because she has professionally filmed herself with a decent video camera, no doubt a HD cam and the other girls have not used the same camera for one.

Also because, she will have had her make up done professionally (or she is trained) and the other girls are not.




she uses all kinds of video editing techniques to enhance her videos.
i definitely dont think that its a simple case of "better lighting make up"

i think what im trying to say is what kind of filter is she using to give herself that high contrast "Blown out" look? u can see that whatever filter she is using on her face it looks almost like an extremely airbrushed picture

high contrast , strong colors, and the skin tone doesnt appear "normal" it appears almost video game cartoon like...



Her editing skills (or whoever is doing it) are pretty sweet, so it could be a package like the video effects in iMovie 09 but as said above, it is probably lighting to acheive this effect, coupled with 'Benefit' Make Up (http://www.benefitcosmetics.com:80/gp/home.html)

Probably from the "that gal" range to achieve the 'cartoon' look as opposed to post editing.

[iNash]

i dont have final cut pro :( isnt that only for windows?

can Imovie do something similar? i dont see any filters in imovie...
(sorry i really am a newbie)

Other way round, FCP is ONLY for Mac, (unless there is a Windows version I have missed) - doubt it though.

iMovie 09 has about 12 filters built into it but previous versions did not (unless you got a 3rd party addin something like deDigital Effects for iMovie 6HD)

[-DH]

I'd say it's 95% done during production; by using a softbox directly above the camera (notice the lack of shadows?), slight overexposure, a diffusion or soft focus filter on the camera lens and make up. In post, they may have upped the highlights some by using a very slight glow effect on the skin tones along with a slight diffusion filter.

-DH

[Chaos123x]

I'd say it's 95% done during production; by using a softbox directly above the camera (notice the lack of shadows?), slight overexposure, a diffusion or soft focus filter on the camera lens and make up. In post, they may have upped the highlights some by using a very slight glow effect on the skin tones along with a slight diffusion filter.

-DH

You are correct!

[Exman]

Try this tutorial (for Premier Pro).
http://www.wrigleyvideo.com/videotutorial/tutdes_ppro2_smoothface.htm

[VideoNewbie]

I'd say it's 95% done during production; by using a softbox directly above the camera (notice the lack of shadows?), slight overexposure, a diffusion or soft focus filter on the camera lens and make up. In post, they may have upped the highlights some by using a very slight glow effect on the skin tones along with a slight diffusion filter.

-DH



thank u for the tips!! what exactly is a "softbox"?

what plugin on imovie would allow me to perform a "glow" effect along with a diffusion filteR?

[-DH]

thank u for the tips!! what exactly is a "softbox"?

http://tinyurl.com/ad7spy

what plugin on imovie would allow me to perform a "glow" effect along with a diffusion filteR?

I don't use iMovie and don't plan to. But no combinations of filters will give you the look you want if your lighting isn't right to begin with.

-DH

[seb-opp]

i dont have final cut pro :( isnt that only for windows?

much to learn you have, young padwan
:p

[8CoreWhore]

This thread is weird.:cool:

[FilmEditorGuy]

I'm a post production producer, I do editing, color correction etc. for a living. I've been looking through her videos and it's obvious that the only difference between the Prison video and the others, is that she is using studio lighting. The Prison video looked like she had natural lighting coming from a window, probably late afternoon which is why it was dark. Poor quality camcorder that didn't take low-light well. I don't think it was that unflattering on her though, as obviously she is very attractive.

Studio lighting fills in the subject much better, so the look of more professional lighting is prominent in her other videos. I do not see a blur filter on her other videos, as her features and the background looks sharp.

So to get the look she:

- used studio lighting
- color corrected to have warm tones (unless the lighting had warm tone gels)
- She might have darkened the blacks to make the color richer

But that looks pretty much it, and all of that is just basic production stuff that would be done on any television show or film. I checked out her live shows on Blogtv and she looked the same in those. Since they are live, obviously she couldn't have done any post-production. She seems to have tan clear skin. She is gorgeous live as well.. so I am pretty sure no "airbrushing" was done on any of her videos.

[VideoNewbie]

Try this tutorial (for Premier Pro).
http://www.wrigleyvideo.com/videotutorial/tutdes_ppro2_smoothface.htm


thanks for that link..im not saying that the girl i posted looks more "natural" but it definitely looks more polished than the video u posted.

the skin in the video u posted just looks blurred out

[VideoNewbie]

I'm a post production producer, I do editing, color correction etc. for a living. I've been looking through her videos and it's obvious that the only difference between the Prison video and the others, is that she is using studio lighting. The Prison video looked like she had natural lighting coming from a window, probably late afternoon which is why it was dark. Poor quality camcorder that didn't take low-light well. I don't think it was that unflattering on her though, as obviously she is very attractive.

Studio lighting fills in the subject much better, so the look of more professional lighting is prominent in her other videos. I do not see a blur filter on her other videos, as her features and the background looks sharp.

So to get the look she:

- used studio lighting
- color corrected to have warm tones (unless the lighting had warm tone gels)
- She might have darkened the blacks to make the color richer

But that looks pretty much it, and all of that is just basic production stuff that would be done on any television show or film. I checked out her live shows on Blogtv and she looked the same in those. Since they are live, obviously she couldn't have done any post-production. She seems to have tan clear skin. She is gorgeous live as well.. so I am pretty sure no "airbrushing" was done on any of her videos.

could you please do a tutorial for newbies like myself?

if we are trying to recreate this "at home"


1.) what kind of studio lighting do u reccommend? (pls keep in mind i live in college dorm)...will i need a huge set up?

2.) how can i color correct? and make the darks blacker? i can do this in imovie?

thanks

[J the Ninja]

could you please do a tutorial for newbies like myself?

if we are trying to recreate this "at home"


1.) what kind of studio lighting do u reccommend? (pls keep in mind i live in college dorm)...will i need a huge set up?

2.) how can i color correct? and make the darks blacker? i can do this in imovie?

thanks

1) I'm not sure you realize how expensive or hot studio lights are. I don't know how you'd fit more than 1 or 2 into a dorm. 1 or 2 is probably enough to trip the breaker anyhow, it's often one 15A breaker for the whole room, or even a pair of rooms.

2) iMovie has some simple brightness/contrast filters, give them a try. Or just buy FCS already.

[arjen92]

isn't it true that big expensive camera's have a filter which makes the skin smoother?

In the canon xl2 you can set the skin tone for example.

[handsome pete]

isn't it true that big expensive camera's have a filter which makes the skin smoother?

In the canon xl2 you can set the skin tone for example.

Not really. It's not a filter. It's more internal color settings. A lot of pro cameras have options for gamma, white/black level, etc.

While painting the image in camera will help, this so-called effect the OP is seeking is simply a product of lighting and makeup.

[Policar]

That video is lit by a softbox or briese light (both popular in music videos) facing down about 30 or 40º likely five or ten feet from the subject. There may be a few other fill lights bounced off the walls or ceilings. She's wearing a lot of makeup.

Generally, good lighting is tough but this anyone can do with a little practice. You can rent softboxes for next to nothing from any grip shop or buy one for $200-$500, generally.

Vaseline diffusion is too strong and hard to control for most purposes. No one really uses it. Just buy a tiffen promist filter. A black promist or warm promist (1/2 or 1/4 strength, depending on your focal length) should work well but if you're shooting on video keep your aperture open and zoom in a bit, as super deep focus can put the little flecks in the filter into focus. There are a lot of other similar filters that will work, too (Schneider Classic Soft, which Spielberg uses a lot, actually--but for different reasons).

http://www.tiffen.com/promist.htm

Some prosumer video cameras offer a "soft skin" look but all it does is blur the red channel a bit. If you're really serious about this I think there's an After Effects filter ( http://www.borisfx.com/after_effects/bccae/new_filters.php ) that will do this even better. If you're proficient in After Effects--and it's not very hard and you can download the trial version if you like--you can create your own effect using some online tutorials. Then, when color correcting, add a lot of additional contrast.

The "glossy" look that you see in a lot of hip hop videos is mostly just low contrast soft, primarily frontal lighting, with a lot of contrast added in post.

If this is all Greek to you, just hire a professional. There are plenty of cheap cinematographers and After Effects artists out there, many of whom will even work for free. I know--I am one.

[Pressure]

It's hard to see due to the bad quality videos but it looks like they are using a simple ringlite to eliminate any shadows and give that skin tone. Well, as outlined above that is one way to obtain that look.

Nothing voodoo about it.

[bowzer]

Video copilot has a blemish removal tutorial using after effects...

http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/blemish_removal/

[baypharm]

It's all in the lighting....

[PRvideoGuy]

Lighting, make-up, camera + filters, 3rd party plug-ins, and color correction. And "no" there is not an "easy button" for this look in iMovie. ;)


Lethal

Trust whatever this guy says. Believe me; Lethal is the original Green Power Ranger of production (meaning he's got what all the other 5 have combined).

Also, this thread IS weird - Power Rangers weird.