Similar To Ken Burns - But it looks like only the subject is being zoomed in and the background is staying where it is?

Question

Hi there
Obviously I dont know the correct term for this otherwise I'd google it, but I see this effect more and more on "Making Of" special features.
It makes it look like a person, or obejct is moving (in towards the camera/screen) within a static image.
Does anyone know what this is called or how to do it in FCPX?

Answer 1

Luis Sequeira1 wrote:
If I understand what you are saying, this involves a little preparation.
For greater control, I would use Motion for this, but is not really hard to do (or at least simulate) in FCP X.
You'd want to use software like Photoshop or similar (Photoshop Elements is more than adequate - or, if the foreground is clearly contrasted to the background, even the "Instant Alpha" feature from Preview might do it).
The purpose of this preparation step is to create a version of the foreground image (let's say, a person), cutting the background (i.e. leaving only the person against a transparent background).
In FCP X,
add the background to your main storyline and add the foreground above it, as a connected clip. Now you can do anything to the foregound (like, for example, applying Ken Burns to it), leaving the background intact.
Note that this effect would be more dramatic in Motion, using a 3D group, to give a feeling of the person standing out. This kind of effect is referred to as 2.5D, as we're trying to simulate the third dimension (depth) by pulling apart two 2D images (the foreground and the background).
Ahh, this sounds something like what I'm after. I will have a look at it. Thanks