Re: Rotoscoping

If you start off with high resolution still images for an animation, then it may be easy enough to use Photoshop to create masks for each frame. The high resolution will help because the later resampling (maybe) to SD will mitigate the effects of differently selected pixels if you were working with SD material with Photoshop. For HD output, the contribution of individual pixels is less obvious for the overall look and so it can be acceptable for doing it this way.

My big concern for you is that what seems easy for a couple of frames can become a nighmare for hundreds of frames if doing each frame manually. The use of shapes and keyframes in rotoscoping is meant to avoid manually working on each frame wherever possible and let the rotoscoping software provide the tweens for the rotoscope shapes between keyframes. Working on curve points every couple of frames instead of every frame dramatically reduces your workload and make the animation smoother.

I'd have to disagree with an acceptance of poor rotoscoping in stop motion photography. There is no need for poor rotoscoping even for this art form, despite the limited number of frames you typically have to work with. In other words, the distinctive animation look of your stop motion should come from the stop motion and not from inadequate rotoscoping. You may want vary the rotoscoping to achieve a certain look which is fine, but is is great to have that option and not be forced to have that look.

Bill Lee