P3D Ways to mask an RBT mount with currently available materials

[Jon Golden / 3D Concepts <3dman@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>Until RBT makes it easy, what are the best methods
for accurately masking in an RBT?  Preferably that don't damage the film
chip with adhesive tapes.
Bruce (who was that masked man?) Springsteen

Bruce....as Dr T mentioned/  Harry Richards offers a series of masks that
work well sandwiched between RBT mounts:

hjrich@xxxxxxxxxx

...and used in conjunction with Reel 3D's Adhesive Tabs (Cat # 8020)

Reel3D@xxxxxxx


Here is a reprint of an psoting from 1996...when I had just returned from
an NSA and discovered Harrys masks. I will dig up the posting on the use of
EMDE, REALIST and ALBION in conjunction with RBTS tomorrow.  (Pardon the
abuse of the upper-case here, what was I thinking?)  Regar-D-D-D-s  Jon G


SOMETHING I JUST DISCOVERED, FIRST, SEE THE WRITEUP ABOUT CUSTOM MASKING IN
THE RBT NEWSLETTER YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED.  AT NSA THIS YEAR, I
BOUGHT A VARIETY OF THIN CARDBOARD MASKS FROM HARRY RICHARDS. FOUR SHAPES
AVAILABLE , BUT HE MAY HAVE MORE....A SMALL CIRCLE 17MM DIA , A LARGER
CIRCLE 25MM DIA, AN ELIPSE 17MM HIGH X 29MM LONG, AND A TRAPEZOID 30MM HIGH
X 28MM WIDE AT BASE X 16MM TOP .  I FOUND THAT YOU CAN USE THESE SHAPED
MASKS INSIDE AN RBT MOUNT WITH NO TROUBLE AT ALL.  WITH SOME SIMPLE
TRIMMING DOWN, THESE MASKS CAN FIT BETWEEN THE SNAP MECHANISIMS OF THE RBT
MOUNTS, TRIMMING ALSO GIVES YOU OPTIONS OF WHERE TO TAB DOWN THE MASK SO
THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY MOVE THE CHIPS UNDERNEATH THE MASKS, GREAT TO FINE
TUNE A COMPOSITION.

I HAD A CAT IMAGE SHOT CLOSE UP... ABOUT FOUR FEET AWAY, AIMING DOWN AT THE
CAT, ON THE FLOOR.  WHEN I MOUNTED IT IN A REALIST ULTRA CLOSE UP RBT-4
MOUNT, THE FLOOR IN THE BOTTOM FOREGROUND PREVENTED ME BRINGING THE CAT
"CLOSER",  OR "THROUGH" THE WINDOW.  I COULD ONLY PUSH THE CHIPS SO CLOSE
TOGETHER BEFORE THE BOTTOM OF THE PICTURE WAS DISTRACTING TO THE EYE,
DOUBLE WINDOW EDGES APPPEARED LOWER LEFT AND RIGHT.
MASKING OPTIONS:

1) I COULD TAKE A THIN ALUMINUM MASK....AND OLD OR NEW EMDE, ALBION ...OR
REALIST....AND MASKED OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE PICTURE, RIGHT UP TO THE POINT
WHERE THE CAT TOUCHES THE RUG IN THE FOREGROUND...GETTING RID OF THE CLOSE
FORGROUND.
2) INSTEAD, I TRIED ONE OF HARRY'S SMALL ROUND CIRCLES....AND IT IS ABOUT
17MM DIA....AND  GOT THE ENTIRE  LOWER FORGROUND OUT OF THE PICTURE, AND AS
IT TURNED OUT....SOME OF THE EXTREME BACKROUND THAT WAS NOT REALLY
IMPORTANT TO THE IMAGE...IN FACT THE CAT SEEMS IN THIS CASE TO BE POKING
ITS HEAD THROUGH A LITTLE ROUND HOLE....AND WOW....THAT CAT FLYS THROUGH
THE WINDOW!!!  IT WILL BE FUN TO PROJECT AT OUR NEXT MEETING.

****JUST AS MENTIONED IN MY NEWSLETTER, WHEN USING ADHESIVE TABS (AVAILABLE
FROM REEL 3-D, CAT # 8020).....YOU CAN LAY THE METAL MASK.....OR ONE OF
HARRYS CARDBOARD ONES, RIGHT OVER THE LEFT AND RIGHT IMAGES....AND IF YOU
ARE CLEVER....YOU CAN TRIM THE MASKS SO THAT WHEN YOU TAB THEM DOWN.....YOU
CAN ACTUALLY MOVE THE CHIPS BACK AND FORTH...OR LEFT AND RIGHT, UNDERNEATH
THE MASK, WHICH IS VERY HELPFUL WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO TWEAK THE IMAGE FOR
THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL SPACING.

***ALSO, NO GLUES OR TAPE ARE TOUCHING YOUR VALUED FILM HERE.....I REALLY
DISCOURAGE PEOPE WHO I SEE USING SCOTCH TAPE, OR THESE TEMPORARY GLUE
STICKS..... I CAN IMAGINE THOSE ADHESIVES, WHICH ARE NOT MADE FOR
PHOTOGRAPHIC WORK....WILL DO A NUMBER ON AN IMAGE OVER TIME.... ESPECIALLY
WHEN OCCASIONALLY COOKED UP IN THE HEAT OF A PROJECTOR.....OUCH!

I THINK THAT THERE ARE MANY MORE POSSIBILITIES WITH THESE MASKS......LIKE
DOING A SEQUENCE WITH THE SMALL AND LARGE CIRCULAR MASKS......HOW ABOUT
SHOOTING AN OBJECT FROM LETS SAY 10 FEET AWAY....AND MASKING IT DOWN TO THE
SMALL CIRCLE....THEN SHOOT A SECOND PICTURE OF THE OBJECT....BUT MOVE FIVE
FEET CLOSER TO THE OBJECT.....AND MASK THAT TO THE LARGER
CIRCLE....BOOOM....YOU CAN CREATE THE ILLUSION OF 3-D MOTION.....MOVING
CLOSER AND FARTHER AWAY......WITH THE MASK CREATING AN ENHANCENENT TO THE
ILLUSION....GET OUT OF THE WAY....HERE COMES A TRAIN!!!

HAPPY MASKING AND MOUNTING....REGARD-S-S-S JON GOLDEN







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