Introduction to Special Effects
Blue Screen (Traveling Matte)
Static Mattes
 Mattes
 Double-exposure matte
Double-Exposure Matte
Step 1
 The original
scene - actors on
a plain on a nice
day.
Not very spooky.
Double-Exposure Matte
Step 2
 The sky is matted
out with black
paper placed over
the sky on the
camera's lens.
Double-Exposure Matte
Step 3
 The film is rewound
and a dark, cloudy
sky is filmed
with a matte placed
over the previously
exposed portion of
the film.
Double-Exposure Matte
 Step 4
 When the film is
developed, the two
shots appear as
one.
Very spooky!
Variations on the
Double-Exposure Matte
1. Computer generated
2. Separate shots

optical compositing
Traveling Matte

1.
2.
3.
Film a “cliff hanger”
The actor/actress can do it
Stunt person
Blue screen special effects
Traveling Matte
Step 1
 Background plate:
film the river gorge
on location
Traveling Matte
Step 2
 Film of the actor
dangling from a
rope in the studio,
shot in front of a
blue screen
Traveling Matte
Step 3: Filter to create silhouettes
A matte of the actor’s
silhouette.
The reverse matte of
the actor’s silhouette.
Traveling Matte
Step 4
 Combine the
background and the
actor’s silhouette.
Traveling Matte
Step 5
 Rewind the film and
re-expose it to lay
the actress into the
"hole" that the
matte created
 This is what the
matted actor looks
like
Traveling Matte
 Step 6
 And the final shot
looks like this
Traveling Matte
In order for it to work:
 Actor’s (subject’s) diffusion must match
background
 No reflection from blue screen
 Can’t wear blue
Ease of computers/digital