Chapter 13
Getting Started in After Effects
Nothing reinforces the reality of a matte shot better than adding motion to the camera filming the shot. In the predigital days, most matte shots were stationary, because the camera had to be locked off; even a wiggle of movement would destroy the illusion when the plate and the painting shifted against each other. Because the painting and the camera were stationary, the only motion in the final shot was the live-action footage.
In contrast, matte shots today move in order to blend with the production footage. This can be accomplished in two ways: either the plate is filmed from a moving camera, or ...
