[Ph CS6]Make selection in black and white (old) photos for animation in AE.

[Theiamania]

[Ph CS6] Make selection in black and white (old) photos for animation in AE.

Hi everybody,
anybody can suggest me any tutorial to make a very good selections in oldblack&white photos (rif. Documentary films and others) to make a very impressive animation in AE?
Some examples what I mean can you find here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a06tXzCMeHs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgjper94nec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjYAlhcC1HI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HStMvs02NVc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfYQ-Cp7atw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ9uQ...eature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ECXdhlIYqY


I find very strong to make selections in a black and white photo and I'd like to know which kind of techniques could you suggest me to make this job better.
Above all:
1 )how to separate ( to contour) VERY GOOD any part of entire still image (that sometimes are old photo or paints... like old maps, antique prints, and so on...)?


Many thanks for your replay!

[dillster]

Layers is probably the key to this. Cut the people or objects out of each image, save them with a transparent background in PNG format. Most animation programs will import PNG images and preserve the transparency.

[Theiamania]

Layers is probably the key to this. Cut the people or objects out of each image, save them with a transparent background in PNG format. Most animation programs will import PNG images and preserve the transparency.

Question was just HOW to Cut the people or objects out of each image... in a Black and White image.

[dan]

Hey Theimania,
You'll want to use masks for that. We have numerous tutorials on how to mask elements (or people) out of an image:
http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/training.php?pid=500
http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/training.php?pid=484
http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/training.php?pid=469

[dillster]

Lots of ways to cut the people out. Masks, lasso tools, quick mask and paintbrush and more. My own personal way for speed of workflow is Magnetic Lasso for as close as possible cutout, then refined with Quick Mask and the X key to add to or subtract from the mask. That might or might not suit you, it's just my way of doing it.

[Theiamania]

Hallo guys and many thanks,
Good suggestions but I'm going also to make selection by RGB channel that I find very very good.