Very simple shoot but interesting use of Forced Perspective which I’ve never done before.
Sephora built a 20 foot tall Sephora Bag at the Culver Steps and two weeks before, they wanted to create a social media announcement for the activation.
The initial plan was to shoot live plates at the Culver Steps, then later shoot the bag in a studio to be comped into the plates. But this is more time consuming and also, if we shot the bag on the same day, the lighting would match perfectly.
I studied Forced Perspective a few days before via YouTube and did some tests with my wife Susan (in The video). The best approach is:
- Wide Angle lens - I used an 11mm
- Camera on the ground if possible
- Camera off the ground may require post compositing
Client wanted the camera higher which nixed the low angle approach, so we elevated the Sephora bag on a tripod, shot the plate then comped it in After Effects where I animated the bag too. IMO, it’s still better to shoot the plate on the day of, because the lighting matched and saved an additional studio day.
Check out the BTS clips