Download and extract this video clip: jedi.zip
'Rotoscoping' is an animation technique in which animators trace over live-action film movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films. In this tutorial you'll be learning about how to add rotoscope-style animation on top of live action digital footage, as a bonus, you'll see how to use the Actions tab to record and play back a series of tasks and commands to use over and over again.
Once the download is complete, unzip the file and drag the video and images on the desktop.
Go to File > Import: Video Frames to Layers...
Make sure you have your Layers tab and your Actions tab visible, if you don't see them on the right side of your screen, select the Window menu and click on them. No go to Window > Animation to pop up the animation timeline.
Here you have all 55 frames from this short clip of two people sword fighting. What we'll do is add some more glows to the special effects of their lightsabers.
First off, select the Magic Wand tool. We'll start with the guy in the brown robes, make sure you have a threshold of about 20 in your magic wand options bar at the top. Click on the white part of his lightsaber. If it doesn't look like you've got a straight-edge selection of the whole white part of the 'blade' then Edit > Undo and try again.
Now we're going to record a new 'Action'.
Photoshop Actions are used to save time and make you more productive during post-processing. They can be used to speed up repetitive tasks, make quick work of time consuming edits, and give you a little creative inspiration. Whenever you perform a repetitive task in Photoshop, you can save yourself time and effort by using Actions.
With the lightsaber still selected, go to the Actions tab and click on the 'create new action' button. Name the new action "lightsaber glow" and hit the record button. Now every operation you do in Photoshop will be recorded.
Go back to your Layers tab, create a New Layer. With your lightsaber still selected, go to Edit > Fill: pick White for your color, hit OK.
Double click on that layer to bring up your Layer Style.
Pick the Outer Glow Blending Option and pick these options.
Now go to Select > Deselect.
Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur ...choose a Radius of 2.
Go to Layer > Merge Down.
This will make the edges even more fuzzy to blend in the white core
and the colored glow and combine your FX layer with the frame's image.
Go back to your Actions tab and hit the stop button.
You'll notice that you have the lightsaber effect on your animation timeline.
Now to easily repeat the process. Go to frame 2 on the timeline then select the next layer up (Layer 2).
Choose your Magic Wand, click on the new lightsaber blade again. The go to your Actions tab > select "lightsaber glow" and hit the Play button.
Instantly the glow should appear on your second layer/frame. Repeat the process, select Frame 3 and then Layer 3.
Select the lightsaber with the Magic Wand, hit Play on the Action.
Now keep going, scrolling right on your timeline and moving up the list of layers... repeat the process for all 55 frames and layers.
You might come across some sections where the Magic Wand doesn't select the whole lightsaber, simply hold the Shift key and click the gaps to add to the selection.
This is where it can get tedious, repeat this process over and over again. If at some point you don't like how the glow turned out, maybe it's not smooth enough, just hit Alt+Ctrl+Z mulitple times to undo the last few steps, and try to make a better selection with the Wand.
You will get sections that might be difficult to select or you need to place the FX behind the other lightsaber, in these cases, zoom in and use the Polygonal Lasso Tool and click and drag around the area of the blade and double click to close the selection, then hold down the SHIFT key to add on to the selection (You can even remove parts be holding down ALT). Once your custom selection is made, hit the Play button as usual.
To see the video go to File > Export > Render Video.
In the Location at the top change the folder to your Desktop.
File Options: Quicktime Movie or AVI is preferred,
but test it out and see which looks better.
At the bottom make sure the Render Options > Frame Rate is: 24
It instantly renders the video, now you can play it off the desktop.
Once you're done it should look like this.
If you find there's some frames playing out of sync then all it means is that the order of your frames have been changed from the order of your layers, this is an easy fix.
Click on the first frame on your timeline in the Animation tab. Keep clicking each frame one at a time, frame 2, 3, 4 etc. each time look to see which layer in your Layers tab is being visible with the tiny eye icon. When you reach a layer that does not match the same number as your frame, simply correct it by clicking the eye on the right layer (to match the frame number), and that's it.
Now repeat the whole process for the red lightsaber.
Go to the first frame in the Animation tab, select it and select the first layer in the Layers tab. Select her red lightsaber with the Magic Wand. Go to the Actions tab and click on the 'create new action' button. Name the new action "red lightsaber" and hit the record button.
Go back to your Layers tab, create a New Layer. With your lightsaber still selected, go to Edit > Fill: pick White for your color, hit OK. Double click on that layer to bring up your Layer Style.
Pick the Outer Glow Blending Option and pick these options.
Now go to Select > Deselect.
Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur ...choose a Radius of 1.
Go to Layer > Merge Down.
This will make the edges even more fuzzy to blend in the white core
and the colored glow and combine your FX layer with the frame's image.
Go back to your Actions tab and hit the stop button.
You'll notice that you have the new lightsaber effect on your animation timeline.
Now to easily repeat the process. Go to frame 2 on the animation timeline then select the next layer up (Layer 2).
Choose your Magic Wand, click on the lightsaber, go to your Actions tab > select "red lightsaber" and hit the Play button. Repeat the process, over and over. I found that her red lightsaber was sometimes more difficult to select so you might find your self using the Polygonal Lasso tool to just click and drag a shape around the blade instead.
For sections like frame 25 and 28, you will have to use the Polygonal Lasso tool since the blades are intersecting or a body part overlaps it. Also, watch out for all those motion blurs, in those cases use the Polygonal Lasso tool for those ones too to get that stretched out blade image in there for the motion-blur.
Here's the last frame and you're all set.
Render the clip: File >; Export > Render Video.
Use the same settings.
Don't worry, we're almost done, let's add in some flares for when the blades hit!
File > Open "flare4.tif" from the pack you downloaded earlier.
Ctrl+A and Ctrl+C to copy it, go back to your work file and Ctrl+V to paste.
Now click on that new layer which was just created with the flare on it, and drag just above Layer 29.
Set the layer to Screen Mode to make the black invisible.
Press Ctrl+T and move the around the flare until you see the outer edge so you can hold down Shift (to maintain proportions) and click and drag to shrink its size down. Remember - hold down the spacebar and click and drag to move around the canvas.
Now reposition it and double click on the flare itself.
Go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur... Radius: 3
Hit OK.
Make sure to move the flare right where the blades intersect.
Go to Layer > Merge Down.
Now select Frame 46 and select Layer 46.
Open "flare1.tif"
Ctrl+A and Ctrl+C to copy it, go back to your work file and Ctrl+V to paste.
Set the layer to Screen Mode.
Press Ctrl+T and move the around the flare until you see the outer edge so You can hold down Shift and click and drag to shrink it's size.
Make sure to move the flare right where the blades intersect.
Now press Ctrl+A and Ctrl+C to copy this small flare (we'll be using this for the next frame).
Go to Layer > Merge Down.
Select the next Frame (47) and the next layer up (Layer 47).
Crtl+V to add the small flare back in.
Set the layer to Screen Mode.
This time scale it down and rotate it (Ctrl+T).
Go to Layer > Merge Down.
This creates a simple 2-frame animation of the flare bursting out and shrinking.
Repeat the process for the very last frame too.
Go to File > Export > Render Video...
Click OK.
You're all set to watch your video.
If you find the flash flares too weak simply go to the proper frame (and layer) and press Ctrl+V, set the layer to Screen Mode. Position the flare, merge the layer down, and re-render the video.
In the end it should look like this.
Now go out and film you and your fellow geek-friends playing with some sticks, knowing you can turn yourselves into lightsaber-wielding Jedi!
Bonus: Learn more about how to edit multiple images with a single action using batch processing to make the same adjustments to hundreds of photos in this tutorial.
Hope you enjoyed this simple little tutorial on basic rotoscoping for special effects and using the Actions function in Photoshop.
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