GanzChroma 0242
If you ever saw one of my former students reels, you might be able to spot that famous wall replacement project that was shot at Parker Street Studios.
I remember on several occasions artists in the industry telling me that I shouldn't teach camera tracking for the first project because they felt its too complex for students.
Is this though? Well, I said, how hard can it be? People who have never done VFX don't actually know if one task is harder than the next. Everything is challenging for them.
I do have the patience and a knack for explaining complex concepts, honed during my three years in the Singapore Military teaching and troubleshooting signal field equipment and networks for soldiers and officers.
By having students tackle one of the more complex shots at the beginning, I not only set the tone for them but also give them ample time to work on such shots.
As DDP (Diamond Dallas Page) says, "This ain't your mama's yoga." It's akin to facing Margit, the Fell Omen, in Elden Ring. Does it get easier? Hell no. But it's immensely satisfying when you pull off these shots on your own (with a little guidance from your mentors y̷e̷l̷l̷i̷n̷g̷ ̷a̷t̷ cheering you on from the sidelines).
Here is Michael Massey's attempt. He replaced all the walls in the mid to foreground, painted out the background people, blended new smoke elements, and even rotoscoped a galloping horse!