@Directors -- most common vfx needs ?

[Randall_Oelerich]

Hey all,
(this is intended primarily to directors though but if any other hats can chime in please do so)
I am mentoring someone starting to learn cgi digital visual effects (vfx) but as i know only the basics of vfx being i am primarily a screenwriter, I am asking if directors/other might reply here, chime in, and give some feedback as to what you think would be the most common vfx needs in independent films, I suppose primarily horror and action/thriller indies (or even studio non-indies). So that my mentee (is that even a word?) could focus most on learning vfx skills that might best translate into some income in the coming years.

For example, just guessing: sky replacement (change the simply overblown sunny sky into a moody ominous cloudy sky)? add flying ravens into a sky over a location building or cornfield? basic cinematic color toning? fancier titling or end credits beyond what most indie filmmakers might do themselves with their NLE? blurring out products or trademark signs/billboards in scenes using motion tracking, so remove risks of trademark/product liability/infringement? other?

Any feedback/thoughts welcome, thank you in advance!
Randall

 

[xhridhar]

VFX is a very generic term that covers a multitude of skills. Maybe your mentee could learn to become a skilled compositor (using software such as nuke or after effects) which will help him/her to do loads of different effects needed in a movie. Other areas in VFX ( such as modelling, rigging, animation, simulations ) are more niche type .

 

[Randall_Oelerich]

VFX is a very generic term that covers a multitude of skills. Maybe your mentee could learn to become a skilled compositor (using software such as nuke or after effects) which will help him/her to do loads of different effects needed in a movie. Other areas in VFX ( such as modelling, rigging, animation, simulations ) are more niche type .

She is mostly training in Adobe After Effects (for now), stuff like is on videocopilot.net (Andrew Kramer)-- but there is so much there I figured she should at least initially train in what would be in most demand, thus the question what do indie filmmakers use primarily for vfx? So if compositing, what common compositing vfx do indie filmmakers use? (sky replacement, adding birds to scenes, titling, etc?)

"Maybe your mentee could learn to become a skilled compositor (...After Effects) which will help him/her to do loads of different effects needed in a movie."

It is that "loads of different effects needed in a movie" that I am trying to pin down in this thread, viz what are the most common effects needed in indie movies?

 

[xhridhar]

That's a difficult question to answer as the kind of effects a director would want is not possible to predict anymore. Even movies which traditionally never used VFX such as drama, rom com are now using vfx for some shots. Vfx is also used to cover up mistakes . Titles are needed for every movie and so might be the most common effects. I am not really clear as to why you would want her to learn a specific effect? It's surely better for her to learn after effects properly so that she can do many effects rather than just one?

If you want to advice her to service the indie market, then it's very likely a budget conscious production will want her to do most of the needed effects if not all. It might be a very rare circumstance that an indie production will come to her only to to get the titles done and get someone else to do the other effects.

 

[Randall_Oelerich]

That's a difficult question to answer as the kind of effects a director would want is not possible to predict anymore. Even movies which traditionally never used VFX such as drama, rom com are now using vfx for some shots. Vfx is also used to cover up mistakes . Titles are needed for every movie and so might be the most common effects. I am not really clear as to why you would want her to learn a specific effect? It's surely better for her to learn after effects properly so that she can do many effects rather than just one?

If you want to advice her to service the indie market, then it's very likely a budget conscious production will want her to do most of the needed effects if not all. It might be a very rare circumstance that an indie production will come to her only to to get the titles done and get someone else to do the other effects.

Just trying to ascertain if there is some 'common core' of the most likely, the most common effects needed for indies. Maybe there isn't? Anybody else? Maybe she (mentee) should just concentrate on learning really good compositing, chroma green screening, skills that can adapt to indie filmmaker vfx needs for a meteor crashing into earth, sky replacement, flying creatures, a matte painting composited into a foreground, etc.

I'll have to check the end credits for indie films more closely to see if they outsource to more than one vfx company; in studio films I see it common to use a multitude of vfx companies, but you might be right that indies might focus on one vfx company if nothing else purely for simplicity in contract negotiations, etc.

 

[xhridhar]

There is a lot of multi layered vfx outsourcing that takes place. A well known vfx company that gets a job from a studio, very routinely will outsource some of the work to cheaper shops in Eastern Europe or Asia who in turn outsources it to individual free lancers .

If your mentee wants to get employment or freelance to a vfx house, then the criteria is like any other artistic job. Sometimes the need is for a generalist and sometimes for a niche skill. However, some one talented and skilled in a niche( putting fur on characters, realistic water, creating environments) area will always command a higher pay than someone who is a generalist. Of course, if someone is niche, then the volume/regularity of work is also less.

 

[clang]

I'd think indie directors are most in need of good green-screening, compositing and motion tracking skills, as the ability to manipulate a set/location in post is such a cost and time saver for any low budget film. (Yeah, I know green-screening is as much a production issue as post-production, but still...)

Have a look at Gareth Edwards' Monsters - and no, not at the monsters - by manipulating found locations/backgrounds in post-production, he did amazing things. Of course it helped immensely that he was both the director and the vfx supervisor, so knew what he was doing while shooting.