Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Getting
Started
Understanding
the
industry
and
deciding
what
route
to
take
in
order
to
achieve
your
goals.
Page
1
Software
A
brief
overview
of
some
of
the
most
commonly
used
visual
effects
applications.
Page
2-3
Technique
We
take
a
look
at
some
of
the
basic
techniques
used
for
achieving
commonly
seen
visual
effects.
Page
4-5
The
following
software
applications
are
commonly
used
for
visual
effects
on
both
professional
and
consumer
levels.
They
all
differ
and
serve
a
unique
purpose
on
a
visual
effects
pipeline.
3Ds
Max
3Ds
Max
is
a
3D
modeling,
animation
and
rendering
software.
The
application
relies
on
widely
used
computer
3D
technology
which
works
by
creating
groups
of
"points"
(known
as
vertices)
who
form
surfaces
when
connected.
The
illusion
of
three
dimensions
is
created
by
modeling
objects
out
of
multiple
surfaces.
Still
pictures,
movies
and
game
environments
(among
other
media)
can
be
created
with
this
technique.
After
Effects
-
Adobe
The
most
commonly
used
visual
effects
software.
Its
primary
uses
include
motion
graphics
(title
intros
and
logo
animations)
and
compositing
(adding
fake
stuff
into
live
footage).
This
program
is
great
for
beginners
to
visual
effects.
Its
ease
of
use
and
wide
range
of
uses
make
it
the
perfect
tool
for
Indy
filmmaking
and
small
productions
teams.
Boujou
A
3d
motion
tracking
software
that
allows
the
insertion
of
computer
graphics
into
live-action
footage
with
correct
position,
scale,
orientation,
and
motion
relative
to
the
physical
data
of
the
original
footage.
Also
known
as
matchmoving
Boujou
is
similar
to
PFTrack
and
Syntheyes.
Cinema
4D
-
Maxon
Cinema
4D
is
a
3D
modeling,
animation
and
rendering
software.
The
application
relies
on
widely
used
computer
3D
technology
that
works
by
creating
groups
of
"points"
(known
as
vertices),
which
form
surfaces
when
connected.
The
illusion
of
three
dimensions
is
created
by
modeling
objects
out
of
combined
multiple
surfaces.
Still
pictures,
movies,
and
game
environments
(among
other
media)
can
be
produced
with
this
technique.
Cinema
4d
is
used
on
a
professional
level
most
commonly
for
motion
graphics.
Its
ease
of
use
gives
it
less
of
a
learning
curve.
Cinema
4D
allows
for
direct
exporting
into
After
Effects
which
also
makes
it
a
preferd
software
among
After
Effects
users.
Flame
Autodesk
Perhaps
the
most
highly-acclaimed
compositing
software
is
Flame,
which
runs
on
its
own
operating
system.
The
cost
of
this
program
is
cost-prohibitive
for
most
consumers,
rendering
it
more
of
professional
compositing
software.
The
high
level
of
interactivity
required
for
client-assisted
production
and
quick
turnaround
on
time-critical
projects.
.
Maya Maya always looks like a special software for cg artists because of its node base system. It has a really strong ability about animation, particles, dynamics, rendering, modeling etc. Maya is great if you use it all the time. If you don't use it constantly, you will need to "re-learn" it everytime you pick it up. Maya has some of the best animation features. Mocha Software used for planar tracking and rotoscoping. Comes with tools for wire removal, clean plate generation, lens distortion correction and mesh warping, to deliver an all-in- one VFX tool set. mocha Pro is designed to complement any editing, compositing and finishing environment, and offers digital media artists a powerful, intuitive and innovative planar tracking-based solution with a streamlined interface, accelerated workflow and the power to easily manipulate and track shots not possible with traditional solutions. It allows artists to easily track shots where point trackers fail: shots with noise, shots with motion blur and shots that go offscreen or are obscured. Mocha AE comes free with After Effects CS4 and above.
to integrate 3d models making it ideal for 3D compositing and environments. Nuke also allows for deep compositing which means that artists can work with deep images containing multiple opacity or colour samples per pixel. This allows rendering of CGI elements without predetermined holdout mattes, avoiding the need for re-renders when content changes.
PFTrack
A 3d motion tracking software that allows the insertion of computer graphics into live-action footage with correct position, scale, orientation, and motion relative to the physical data of the original footage. Also known as matchmoving PFTrack is similar to Boujou and Syntheyes. PFTrack is probably the most sophisticated tool when it comes to the algorithms used. It also supports object tracking, facial feature tracking (used for motion caputure). PFTrack 2011 is node based which is easier for Flame and Nuke users to work with.
Syntheyes A 3d motion tracking software that allows the insertion of computer graphics into live-action footage with correct position, scale, orientation, and motion relative to the physical data of the original footage. Also known as matchmoving Syntheyes is similar to Boujou and PFTrack. SynthEyes offers a complete high-end feature set, including tracking, stabilization, motion capture, and mesh building
Nuke Primarily a compositing software, it is similar to After Effects but used on a more professional level. It is one of the most commonly used compositing softwares on big budget movies. Nuke and Flame are used by most professiona vfx companies. Nukes uses a node-based approach which allows for powerful workflow within a vfx team. It also has the ability
More
important
is
an
eye
for
artistic
detail,
such
as
light,
shadow,
and
texture.
You
can
teach
the
technical
knowledge,
but
you
cant
teach
a
great
eye.
-Mark
Tobin
Motion Tracking Motion Tracking allows the insertion of computer graphics into live-action footage with correct position, scale, orientation, and motion relative to the photographed objects in the shot. The term is used loosely to refer to several different ways of extracting motion information from a motion picture, particularly camera movement. Motion tracking is related to rotoscoping and photogrammetry. It is sometimes referred to as match moving. !
3d Modeling A 3d model is a representation of any three-dimensional surface of object (either inanimate or living) via a 3d modeling software such as Maya, Cinema 4d or 3Ds Max. The product is called a 3D model. It can be displayed as a two-dimensional image through a process called 3D rendering or used in a computer simulation of physical phenomena.
Continued
Matte Painting A Matte Painting is made when we combine two or more image elements into a single, final image. Usually, mattes are used to combine a foreground image (such as actors on a set, or a spaceship) with a background image (a scenic vista, a field of stars and planets). In this case, the matte is the background painting. In film and stage, mattes can be physically huge sections of painted canvas, portraying large scenic expanses of landscapes.
Physical
Simulators
Physical
simulator
software
allows
simulation
of
the
way
bodies
of
many
types
are
affected
by
a
variety
of
physical
stimuli.
They
are
also
used
to
create
Dynamical
simulations
without
having
to
know
anything
about
physics.
Physics
engines
are
used
throughout
the
video
game
and
movie
industry.
They
are
often
used
for
high
budget
films
involving
natural
disasters
such
as
2012.
!
Rotoscoping
Rotoscoping
is
the
process
of
manually
altering
film
or
video
footage
one
frame
at
a
time.
The
frames
can
be
painted
on
arbitrarily
to
create
custom
animated
effects
like
lightning
or
lightsabres,
or
traced
to
create
realistic
traditional
style
animation
or
to
produce
hold-out
mattes
for
compositing
elements
in
a
scene
and,
more
recently,
to
produce
depth
maps
for
stereo
conversion.
How do I work?
For 90% of my visual effects I use After Effects, Cinema 4d, PFTrack, and Mocha. I do most of my work on a 2010 MacBook Pro 15 with 8 GB of RAM and a 2.5 ghz. I shoot video primarily on the Canon 7d and 5d with a Canon 50mm f1.8 and a Tokina 11-17mm f2.8 lens. I use a Flycam Nano Steadycam to get my moving shots. When working with other on a project that involves several visual effects shots its important that the edit is locked so I can avoid doing visual effects on shots that arent necessary for the final cut.
I like to shoot on the Canon 7D because it shoots in high definition and has the option of the shooting at 60 frames per second which is great for slow motion shots
For Free Visual Effects Training on Adobe After Effects, Mocha, and PFTrack check out www.vfxbro.com