Once I keyed the footage in Ultra, I then exported the combined shot as an .AVI file twice. For the second version, I removed the footage of the person standing on the virtual set, so I just had footage of an empty room. I then placed the version with the actor (in this case, me!) in the room on the first track of my NLE’s timeline, and the footage of the empty room on the second track, then edited them both near the end of the beam out effect. I deleted the tail of the footage with the actor in the shot, and the head of the footage of the empty room, then cut and pasted both shots together on one track. I then inserted a crossfade effect on the edit, and presto! One transporter beam up accomplished!
Obviously, the right sound effects help to sell this shot, and fortunately, the sound effects from the original series are readily available.
Here's what the completed shot looks like in real time:
If you’re trying something similar and made it this far, congratulate yourself (maybe even break out the scotch or Saurian brandy in honor of Scotty). This is the sort of effect that Gene Roddenberry needed an army of technicians to create in 1966. But the army of Davids, with the right software and video elements, can create on a home PC in a couple of hours –- and even faster once you’re proficient at the techniques — on their PCs in 2009. I’d like to think Gene would approve.
I know Scotty would!
Article comments
1 - Rege Schilken
I'm waiting for the day when I can create a holo-deck with my computer. Any ideas?
2 - Unknown
I was looking for step by step instructions of how to build a transporter. Do you know where I can find that?
3 - Pony Horton
Just FYI, it was not done with glitter against black.
That was tried as part of testing, but never used as the final effect.
The sparkles were created by Hugh Wade (who was at Van der Veer Photo Effects in the late 1970's when I knew him) using Alka-Seltzer in a fish tank filled with HOT water and lit from beneath.
I do the VFX work on STAR TREK: PHASE II