<p>There is a much better way to do that. That example video is a pretty poor illusion.</p>

<ol>
<li>It can be done "for real" with with real light. But it looks
different. It has to be dark. </li>
<li>You can use motion tracking to create an animation path. </li>
<li>You can also use manual key frames. There are lots of tutes on the intertubes about that. Here is one: <div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x-Axf9oJ4Jk?start=0"></iframe>
            </div></div></li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-02-13T12:08:54.113Z
hahahaha what is this?????? this is nothing like what the op is asking for
Dmiters
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-17T08:36:40.233Z
2012-01-17T08:36:40.233Z
d-_-b
<p>The easiest bet is to actually draw on a piece of glass and there are actually boards made for just that purpose for the classroom.  It is probable one of those is being used here and the video reversed to make it readable from the other side.  This seems likely as the video shows the guy left handed and the buttons are on the wrong side of his shirt.</p>

<p>The same look can kind of be achieved using write-on effects and/or animation, but you would still need some prop for the speaker to interact with so that they position their hand in roughly the right area and it still wouldn't like up exactly.</p>

<p>Doing this kind of shot practically is the best way to achieve it.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-26T08:35:53.173Z
Thanks! I did notice the left handed writing but I missed the buttons on the shirt, nice catch!
mmvsbg
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-25T18:27:53.330Z
2014-06-25T18:27:53.330Z
AJ Henderson
<p>Upon closer examination of the sample video, she is not writing what you are seeing, her movement only approximates the motion and if you look close enough you can see it is a mime--take a good look at the "E". She is not moving correctly to get that "E". I don't know what resources you have to work with, but if you want to copy this technique you need to have 2 things:</p>

<p>1) an actor that can closely mimic the correct motion as if she/he is really writing.
2) a good post production video editor so you can animate the writing content on a separate video track and make a composite.</p>

<p>Hope this helps</p>

<p>ps, by the way I think the actor in your example did a marvelous job of miming the motion to trick us into believing she was actually writing the text on glass.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-21T01:46:13.003Z
2012-01-24T18:19:00.553Z
2012-01-24T18:19:00.553Z
filzilla
<p>After seeing something similar and wondering how it was done in a video with a guy, girl video looks edited.
I tried this, and think that he actually is writing on glass, is filmed from front, with mirrored letters. After filming just simply flip video horizontal, and text will be mirrored back to normal and guy will be mirrored. Just make sure there is no other text in shot.</p>

<p>Clue: guy on this video is writing with his left hand, but holds pen in right handed way.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-26T13:03:07.647Z
Sharp observation on the left hand writing, but what do you mean by `holds pen in right handed way`?
Saaru Lindestøkke
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-01T15:15:48.207Z
@BartArondson Most of left handed people I know tend to bend their hand more and almost put their hand above text while writing, so they wouldn't smear text with their approaching hand. :)
Vladimir Radenković
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-26T07:59:11.730Z
2014-09-26T07:59:11.730Z
Vladimir Radenković
<p>We do this in post, and we can call this "the write on screen/glass effect", we can track her finger and write out what she is writing in the air...and more...</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-18T17:14:11.460Z
More like pretending she is writing and pretending you are tracking! ;)
horatio
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-18T17:30:38.773Z
indeed, but hey, we ll get some negative points for joking around without a solution... :P
Desmond
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-18T17:06:54.710Z
2011-10-18T17:06:54.710Z
Desmond
<p>We are using this now. A large pane of glass ( Lexan scratches too easily) in a frame. A black backdrop. There is a string of LED ribbon lights along the top edge of the glass.</p>

<p>Room lights are off. Camera adjusted to bring black levels up...Once recorded, use Premier to horizontally flip the video.</p>

<p>Writing magically apprears.</p>

<p>If we want to see the artist/SME, we can light it. The question I have to that: what is the more critical point? The content or the person?</p>

<p>Take a look. <a href="https://vimeo.com/246090021" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://vimeo.com/246090021</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-27T15:04:37.060Z
2017-12-27T15:04:37.060Z
Travis Baits
<p>write stuff up on a smart board and then mirror the person but keep the written stuff as is. on closer observation, we have a habit to start from the left side of the page and in this case, the guy is right handed and his text has been moved to the right and the lady is left handed and her text is moved to the left. Hope this helps</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-08T06:07:02.377Z
2017-01-08T06:07:02.377Z
Ashley Powell
<p>Based on this video
<div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oUpqXxmr6oU?start=0"></iframe>
            </div></div></p>
<p>I kind of figured it out how he did that. But the fact that I found this forum is because I thought it was amazing.</p>
<p>I think the way he made the video is</p>
<ol>
<li>record behind a glass</li>
<li>draw on the glass like a whiteboard</li>
<li>flip the video.</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-25T08:48:05.587Z
2021-04-25T08:48:05.587Z
Jordan Tan Jun Wen
<p>I'm trying to find someone who can make videos similar to one shown here:
<div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z4Vuxk1TNoU?start=0"></iframe>
            </div></div></p>

<p>At 49 seconds, the actress writes on glass to explain the concept.</p>

<p><div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4Jl0CFgj3IM?start=0"></iframe>
            </div></div></p>

<p>Does someone know what this effect is called so I know what to ask for?</p>

<p>Also, if you know how to do this sort of thing, please reply.</p>

<p>Thanks so much,</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-12T03:50:27.413Z
I'm late to this party, but if anyone else ends up here, please notice:  Girl's video is different from man's.  Her writing is simply added in post production along with sound effects.  Notice: her motions do not match the drawn characters.  The Man's video is a horizontal flip in it's entirety.  Notice his shirt.  A man's shirt should have buttons on the right side.  His seems to be on the left.  His characters have a right-handed slant, and he holds the pen with a right-handed grip.  But the pen seems to be in his left hand.  It's a horizontal flip.
Ryan B.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-11-18T04:15:53.570Z
You could always have her write on actual glass in front of the screen and then flip horizontal.
NReilingh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-19T05:31:20.520Z
@Desmond I wouldn't put your email address out there like that. Do something like example[at]example[dot]com. Less spam. Just my two cents worth...
daviesgeek
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-06T17:13:08.447Z
@NReilingh: Do you mean something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jl0CFgj3IM . My question is, which one would be better?
claws
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-06T17:13:31.660Z
similar query: http://avp.stackexchange.com/questions/4527/is-there-any-option-for-mirror-imaging-in-video-editing-software
claws
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-06T22:55:17.553Z
@claws Exactly like that. I prefer the flipped actual writing--it's probably easier for the actor as well. Also it reminds me of [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOMI1JKfWwc).
NReilingh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-19T01:22:52.023Z
please update your profile with your website - would like to get in touch.
James Jehar
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-19T13:45:38.483Z
you have my email under my account...
Desmond
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-20T10:54:58.047Z
Desmond, sorry couldn't see your email address - I might not have had enough privilege.
James Jehar
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-10-21T07:00:28.710Z
aleks@totalno.si
Desmond
<video><effects>
Video with person 'writing on glass' effect
James Jehar
# Video with person 'writing on glass' effect

(Asked by: username_0 on 2011-10-18)

I'm trying to find someone who can make videos similar to one shown here:

At 49 seconds, the actress writes on glass to explain the concept.

Does someone know what this effect is called so I know what to ask for?

Also, if you know how to do this sort of thing, please reply.

Thanks so much,

**Tags:** video, effects

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: please update your profile with your website - would like to get in touch.  
> **username_5**: you have my email under my account...  
> **username_0**: username_5, sorry couldn't see your email address - I might not have had enough privilege.  
> **username_5**: aleks@totalno.si  
> **username_2**: You could always have her write on actual glass in front of the screen and then flip horizontal.  
> **username_3**: @username_5 I wouldn't put your email address out there like that. Do something like example[at]example[dot]com. Less spam. Just my two cents worth...  
> **username_4**: @username_2: Do you mean something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jl0CFgj3IM . My question is, which one would be better?  
> **username_4**: similar query: http://avp.stackexchange.com/questions/4527/is-there-any-option-for-mirror-imaging-in-video-editing-software  
> **username_2**: @username_4 Exactly like that. I prefer the flipped actual writing--it's probably easier for the actor as well. Also it reminds me of [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOMI1JKfWwc).  
> **username_1**: I'm late to this party, but if anyone else ends up here, please notice:  Girl's video is different from man's.  Her writing is simply added in post production along with sound effects.  Notice: her motions do not match the drawn characters.  The Man's video is a horizontal flip in it's entirety.  Notice his shirt.  A man's shirt should have buttons on the right side.  His seems to be on the left.  His characters have a right-handed slant, and he holds the pen with a right-handed grip.  But the pen seems to be in his left hand.  It's a horizontal flip.  

---

## 8 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2012-01-17. Score: 6

There is a much better way to do that. That example video is a pretty poor illusion.

1. It can be done "for real" with with real light. But it looks
   different. It has to be dark.
2. You can use motion tracking to create an animation path.
3. You can also use manual key frames. There are lots of tutes on the intertubes about that. Here is one:

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: hahahaha what is this?????? this is nothing like what the op is asking for  

---

### Answer by username_8 on 2014-06-25. Score: 5

The easiest bet is to actually draw on a piece of glass and there are actually boards made for just that purpose for the classroom. It is probable one of those is being used here and the video reversed to make it readable from the other side. This seems likely as the video shows the guy left handed and the buttons are on the wrong side of his shirt.

The same look can kind of be achieved using write-on effects and/or animation, but you would still need some prop for the speaker to interact with so that they position their hand in roughly the right area and it still wouldn't like up exactly.

Doing this kind of shot practically is the best way to achieve it.

> **Comments:**
> **username_9**: Thanks! I did notice the left handed writing but I missed the buttons on the shirt, nice catch!  

---

### Answer by username_10 on 2012-01-21. Score: 3

Upon closer examination of the sample video, she is not writing what you are seeing, her movement only approximates the motion and if you look close enough you can see it is a mime--take a good look at the "E". She is not moving correctly to get that "E". I don't know what resources you have to work with, but if you want to copy this technique you need to have 2 things:

1) an actor that can closely mimic the correct motion as if she/he is really writing.
2) a good post production video editor so you can animate the writing content on a separate video track and make a composite.

Hope this helps

ps, by the way I think the actor in your example did a marvelous job of miming the motion to trick us into believing she was actually writing the text on glass.


---

### Answer by username_11 on 2014-09-26. Score: 3

After seeing something similar and wondering how it was done in a video with a guy, girl video looks edited.
I tried this, and think that he actually is writing on glass, is filmed from front, with mirrored letters. After filming just simply flip video horizontal, and text will be mirrored back to normal and guy will be mirrored. Just make sure there is no other text in shot.

Clue: guy on this video is writing with his left hand, but holds pen in right handed way.

> **Comments:**
> **username_12**: Sharp observation on the left hand writing, but what do you mean by `holds pen in right handed way`?  
> **username_11**: @BartArondson Most of left handed people I know tend to bend their hand more and almost put their hand above text while writing, so they wouldn't smear text with their approaching hand. :)  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2011-10-18. Score: 2

We do this in post, and we can call this "the write on screen/glass effect", we can track her finger and write out what she is writing in the air...and more...

> **Comments:**
> **username_13**: More like pretending she is writing and pretending you are tracking! ;)  
> **username_5**: indeed, but hey, we ll get some negative points for joking around without a solution... :P  

---

### Answer by username_14 on 2017-12-27. Score: 0

We are using this now. A large pane of glass ( Lexan scratches too easily) in a frame. A black backdrop. There is a string of LED ribbon lights along the top edge of the glass.

Room lights are off. Camera adjusted to bring black levels up...Once recorded, use Premier to horizontally flip the video.

Writing magically apprears.

If we want to see the artist/SME, we can light it. The question I have to that: what is the more critical point? The content or the person?

Take a look. <https://vimeo.com/246090021>


---

### Answer by username_15 on 2017-01-08. Score: 0

write stuff up on a smart board and then mirror the person but keep the written stuff as is. on closer observation, we have a habit to start from the left side of the page and in this case, the guy is right handed and his text has been moved to the right and the lady is left handed and her text is moved to the left. Hope this helps


---

### Answer by username_16 on 2021-04-25. Score: -1

Based on this video

I kind of figured it out how he did that. But the fact that I found this forum is because I thought it was amazing.

I think the way he made the video is

1. record behind a glass
2. draw on the glass like a whiteboard
3. flip the video.


---

