Sun Oct 31, 2021 9:31 pm
Chroma keying works best when luminance across the chroma image is even, and the chroma color's luminance can be maintained. If you're putting the key source on someone's face that presumably you want to light attractively, a chroma color is far more likely to fail. In addition, paint that works well that way tends to dry stiff, which will reduce the actor's ability to emote. A black marker, though, doesn't need to receive extra light, and it won't impede the forehead's mobility. As long as you're not using chiaroscuro lighting, that black mark will probably be the darkest thing in the skin region. A little garbage masking to protect hair and eyebrows, and you'll be able to get a decent matte with the luma keyer. Then all you'll have to worry about is hair crossing the mark.
For something more involved, like if you wanted to track in a wound or a tattoo or something, you'd probably need an actual 3d track of the head.
Bryan Ray
http://www.bryanray.name
http://www.sidefx.com