What Is Rotoscope Animation? The Process Explained (2020)
Rotoscope animation, tracing live-action footage frame by frame, was popularized by Max Fleischer. Modern techniques use software, with innovations like Bob Sabiston's "interpolated rotoscoping" enhancing efficiency in filmmaking.
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Rotoscope animation is a technique that involves tracing over live-action footage frame by frame to create animated sequences. This method, which dates back to the late 19th century, was popularized by animator Max Fleischer, who used it to enhance the fluidity of character movements in his works. Initially, animators would project live-action images onto a glass panel for tracing, but modern rotoscoping is primarily done using computer software. The technique has been utilized in various films, including Disney classics like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and contemporary works such as "A Scanner Darkly" and the Amazon series "Undone." Rotoscoping has also been applied in live-action films to create special effects, such as the lightsabers in "Star Wars." The process has evolved with advancements in technology, notably through Bob Sabiston's development of "interpolated rotoscoping," which allows for more efficient animation by reusing traced figures across different frames. This innovation has made rotoscoping more accessible and has contributed to its continued use in modern filmmaking.
- Rotoscoping involves tracing live-action footage to create animation.
- The technique was popularized by Max Fleischer in the early 20th century.
- It has been used in both animated and live-action films for special effects.
- Modern rotoscoping is primarily done using computer software.
- Bob Sabiston's "interpolated rotoscoping" has improved the efficiency of the process.
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12 commentsFor example, I did an exam on prince caspian (https://eu.southcoasttoday.com/story/entertainment/local/200...) to separate his hair from the forest. They didn't have green screen, and even if they did, it would obliterate his hair. (hair is translucent so glows green, and is removed by the software.)
I failed the rotoscoping part, but passed the painting section (where you remove markers, crew or other features not wanted in the final image.)
Whilst "a scanner darkly" is a brilliant example of rotoscoping, its not the example. if you look at this showreel towards the end you see captain marvel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sYWzFNobEo look at her hair, every individual wisp of hair that extends past her neck is individually masked out.
Good rotoscoping is often the building block of "expensive" looking VFX.
For computer vision its also important so you can get ground truth on tracking various object and training models like segment anything
> Rotoscoping is the process of tracing over live-action footage frame-by-frame to create accurate and detailed mattes or masks.. ensuring a seamless blend between the foreground and background.. requires a keen eye for detail and patience, as it can be a time-consuming process.. Rotoscoping plays a crucial role in integrating visual effects seamlessly into live-action footage. Artists meticulously trace elements like explosions, fire, or magical effects to match the movements and perspectives of the scene. This process ensures the VFX elements appear natural and believably interact with the real-world elements.
Feb 2024, https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.09883
> ..automatically synthetise retro-style 2D animations from videos. The method approaches the challenge mainly as an object segmentation and tracking problem. Video frames are processed with the Segment Anything Model (SAM) and the resulting masks are tracked through subsequent frames with DeAOT, a method of hierarchical propagation for semi-supervised video object segmentation. The geometry of the masks' contours is simplified with the Douglas-Peucker algorithm. Finally, facial traits, pixelation and a basic shadow effect can be optionally added. The results show that the method exhibits an excellent temporal consistency and can correctly process videos with different poses and appearances, dynamic shots, partial shots and diverse backgrounds.
Apr 2023, [SAM 1] "Segment Anything Model and the hard problems of computer vision", 52 comments, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35558522
Jul 2024, "SAM 2: Segment Anything in Images and Videos", 147 comments, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41104523
If you’ve seen anything on animation prior to computers you’ve seen the classic technique of putting one sheet of cello over the last thing you drew and flipping between them to copy the shared details before changing tone thing for the next frame.
Flowers of Evil https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Toc9x19Cmkg
Kaguya-sama Love is War scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Toc9x19Cmkg
Rotoscoped Animation of Filmed Parkour - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12380112 - Aug 2016 (49 comments)
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