DIY Teleportation

The Liberator teleport effect was one of Blake's 7's trademark visuals, along with the show's unique weaponry and teleport bracelets. In the 1970s the effect required some specialised video equipment, but digital editing software can re-create the effect easily. G'wan, you know you want to ;-)

The book Blake's 7: The Inside Story contains fragments of A. J. Mitchell's original instructions for the teleport field effect. According to his guide, the outline shape containing the actors could either be generated from a chromakeyed scene or hand drawn. It seems that the latter method was often used, since this would allow teleport sequences to be filmed on location.

To produce the teleport field, the outline shape was combined with a circular wipe of a matching colour and a white outline generated around the resulting shape. Video of the actors was mixed with (or chromakeyed into) an empty background shot. Finally, the white outline was applied to the mixed sequence via chromakey.

Creating the effect with modern software requires a similar process to that above. For those who haven't figured it out, here's a recipe for the teleport effect.

Note: Stage one describes the 'wiggle and fade' created when teleporting from Liberator. Stage two describes the creation of the white teleport field on location.

Tools:

Digital video camera
Video editing software with chromakey function
Layered image editing software (eg photoshop)
Animation program which can export video files, or video editing software with simple animation functions. I created the example effect at university using Macromedia director.

Stage One: Leaving Liberator

The first part of the teleport sequence is extremely simple, but requires a blue screen to work properly. This isn't all bad since it means your actor can teleport down from Liberator or wherever you wish (see pics.)

Set your actor up in front of the blue screen and film them standing still for a few seconds.
Choose a background shot, which could be animated or static. I used a still of the Liberator teleport bay.
Use chromakeying to overlay your actor's image on the background.
Apply a gradual fade-out to the actor's image.
Apply a wave effect of increasing intensity and speed to the actor's image. Don't worry if the edges of the frame appear as distorted lines; this just helps your effect look authentic :-)
Add sounds to taste ;-)

Stage Two: Down and Safe

The teleport field itself is simple to film, though a little fiddly to construct. If you have software with edge generating functions you can skip or merge some of these steps.

Filming this sequence is very simple, since it can be done without a blue/green screen. Simply film an empty background frame for a few seconds then have your willing actor walk into shot. The actor should stand still for a further few seconds then act as though they've just teleported.
In your editing software, select a still frame from the start of your teleport sequence and export it as a 24bit image (remember to de-interlace if required.)
In your chosen paint program, create a new layer on top of your still frame. Draw a white outline around your actor. Make sure there are no gaps in the outline.
In the top frame, fill the interior of the outline and the surrounding background with bright blue or your chosen key colour.
Export two files: one containing the full image; another, transparent, containing just the interior blue shape.
Enter your chosen animation / compositing software and place the full outline image in the 'bottom' layer.
Create a filled, bright blue circle with a white outline matching the background. Animate it so that it expands from the centre of the outline, covering it.
Overlay the transparent blue shape on the finished animation and export as a video file. Note the length of the sequence.
In your editing software, import the video sequence and animations (If you dislike the slightly wobbly effect of the original show then simply replace the 'standing still' portion of the video with your still frame.)
Place the background shot in the 'bottom' layer of your video.
Place the 'standing still' sequence and actor movement in the 'top' layer.
Mix the 'standing' video from zero to maximum opacity. The video should reach 100% opacity just before the actor begins to move. The length of the fade should be slightly shorter than the animated sequence.
Combine the two layers (not required if your editing software supports multiple layers.)
Place the composited video in a new timeline and use chromakeying to overlay the blue, animated sequence.
Add appropriate sounds/funky music.

You now have your very own digital teleport. Take care, and stay well away from Virn. ;-)