Using Adobe Premiere & Photoshop to Rotoscope Digital Video

"Rotoscoping" is a method of animation that involves tracing film/video to achieve realistic results.
The original rotoscope was a machine that projected film onto a pane of glass,
where the animator traced each frame by hand.

The History of the Rotoscope
Max Fleischer invented this technique in 1915!

Step-by-Step Digital Rotoscoping

1. Convert video into a filmstrip file using Premiere.

2. Rotoscope the filmstrip in Photoshop.

3. Import the finished filmstrip back to Premiere.

1. Convert Video to Filmstrip using Adobe Premiere

The animation will be less smooth at 15 fps but a lower frame rate means less rotoscope " work per second"!

Launch Premiere. Choose NTSC 640 x 480. Import the video footage into Premiere. PROJECT > PROJECT SETTINGS> VIDEO brings up this panel. Change the frame rate to 15 fps. All other settings can remain default.

Export the video as a "filmstrip" FILE > EXPORT TIMELINE > MOVIE Choose the "setting" button to bring up this panel. Change the file type to filmstrip. Save the filmstrip file in the USERS> SHARED> MY FOLDER location.

2. Open the filmstrip in Photoshop

Rotoscope the filmstrip, frame-by-frame, in Photoshop

Follow the directions for Creating a Light Saber
Light Saber Rotoscope Tutorial

Correct the bluescreen using this technique:
Fixing the Bluescreen

VERY IMPORTANT: ALWAYS save the rotoscope file as a filmstrip!
ALWAYS make a DAILY back-up copy of the filmstrip, "just in case"

FILE > SAVE AS brings up this dialog box. SAVE AS > Format: filmstrip. The file should have .flm as its file extension. Check "alpha channels" to preserve transparent areas (created with the magic wand or eraser tools). ALWAYS SAVE AS .flm Files saved as a .psd WILL NOT CONVERT back to video!!

3. IMPORT the rotoscoped .flm file into Premiere

Premiere reads .flm files as video.
Add soundtrack, sound effects, transitions, video effects,
transparency keys, titles to finish in Premiere.

Final Cut Express DOES NOT READ .flm files.

To finish the movie in Final Cut Express:
1. Import the .flm into Premiere.
2. Put the filmstrip onto the timeline.
3. FILE > EXPORT TIMELINE > MOVIE. SAVE as Quicktime.
4. Import the files into Final Cut Express.