Re: ChromaKey (Was WBZ Archives)

[TVHD <TVHD@aol.com>]

>On Fri Mar 13, Mike Hemeon wrote:
>>CBS used a "virtual set". This is a nifty chroma key set that
>>has a gizmo that mounts on the cameras and adds a Z-axis to
>>the X and Y- Axis so the talent appears to be moving around a
>>wall of graphics.

On Fri Mar 13, Shel Swartz wrote:
>Mike might also be the first to admit that it has long been 
>possible to fool an audience by, for example, running a fan so 
>the newsman's hair blows in the wind, "placing him" at a 
>scene whether live or on tape, where he is not actually there!

   Cokie Roberts got in a whole peck o' trouble for standing in
front of one depicting the Capitol Building a few years ago...
   I can relate a rather fun one: back in the mid 80s, working at
WQTV, I had the pleasure of getting Gene Roddenberry to do a
couple of promos for the station's airing of "Star Trek" (what's
now known as "Classic Trek"). 
   At the time, Roddenberry was in Boston to speak at MIT, and 
we snagged him to host a "Star Trek Party" at the Hancock, 
hosted by non other than WROR's Joe & [Martelle] and Andy
[Moes]. (Fitting Andy Moes to a Star Trek jersey is a whole 
'nother anecdote!) This was prior to the success of Star Trek 
TNG, so I guess Gene was up for making a few bucks from a 
local appearance. I found him to be a funny, likeable guy.
   From the episode where the Enterprise crew, except Kirk 
"disappears", I pulled a still of a wideshot of Kirk alone on 
the bridge. I positioned Gene before a blue flat, obscuring 
Kirk in the shot, and stood a specially-cut blue card in front of 
him, placing him in a sort of chroma key "envelope", creating 
the image of the bridge's "railing" in front of Gene for a 
cheapo, yet effective, 3-D effect. What a thrill!

- - Henry Dane

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