Visual Effects

U

USLatin

Panamaniac
hehehe... kinda broad title right?

Well that's the whole idea, I am hoping someone can break it down for me into categories with examples in films out in Blockbuster and what piece of software is recommended for each. :)

I am not looking for anything more than an outline of the bigger categories into which Visual Effects can be divided onto. Though if there is something that is commonly done and main-stream which involves work in two or more of these categories then maybe that's worth a mention too...

:D


For post I am concentrating in Editing Sound and Color Correction... anything more and my head will explode since I am also working on my production side too... and writing...
I know, I know... too many hats, but that's what I have to do right now. Thank you for your posts!
 
Its not a software issue.. its a technique issue.. if you could see the
'fingerprints' of a particular application, it'd be a bad effect :)

If you're looking for a VFX breakdown.. thats the job of your VFX
Supervisor and VFX Producer to go through the script, assess the shots
and come up with both a cost estimate and broad technical approach
for how the shots could be completed. The A-B-C categories really
dont work well as EVERYTHING is a cheat.
 
ok... I see what you mean... so let me re-phrase:

I would love to see a little list of popular VFX softwares and their strong and weak points and possibly some examples. I am trying to get an idea off what's out there and how it is used.
 
Just off hand I would say that you could break most all visual effects down into two major categories .... compositing and animation.

For compositing I would say Adobe After Effects is where it's at. Check out this link of AE tutorials for specific effects ... http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials.html

For animation, I have not used much software since the older days of Lightwave and Bryce 3D but check out this fabulous newer landscape and effects animation software called Vue 6 ... http://www.e-onsoftware.com/products/vue/vue_6_xstream/

Vue 6 was used to create environments on movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean ... check this link ... http://www.e-onsoftware.com/showcase/spotlights/

Hopefully this will help a little to get things started :)
 
Great! Thanks John!

I am gonna take a look at those and try to get a sense of what it looks like and what's out there!
 
After Effects - Motion Graphics, video manipulation, compositing
Combustion - Video manipulation, compositing, motion graphics
Digital Fusion (one of the big boys) - Compositing, video manipulation out the wazoo
Shake - Compositing, video manipulation, motion graphics
Flame/Inferno (one of the really big boys) - Hardware and software based (kinda like the older Avid or Pro Tools) for compositing, digital manipulation

All of them with the exception of After Effects (and Combustion? Cant remember) are Node Based editors. After Effects uses a layer based system like Photoshop.

All of them can basically do the same thing, but what may take 20 steps in After Effects could be done in 8 in Digital Fusion, etc.


It really depends a lot on your budget. Me, I would go with the Creative Suite Bundle from Adobe. You get Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, Encore (a surprisingly good DVD authoring package), and Soundbooth which used to be Audition (which used to be Cool Edit Pro), Premiere, and Flash.
 
Last edited:
Matt Grunau said:
After Effects - Motion Graphics, video manipulation, compositing
Combustion - Video manipulation, compositing, motion graphics
Digital Fusion (one of the big boys) - Compositing, video manipulation out the wazoo
Shake - Compositing, video manipulation, motion graphics
Flame/Inferno (one of the really big boys) - Hardware and software based (kinda like the older Avid or Pro Tools) for compositing, digital manipulation

All of them with the exception of After Effects (and Combustion? Cant remember) are Node Based editors. After Effects uses a layer based system like Photoshop.

All of them can basically do the same thing, but what may take 20 steps in After Effects could be done in 8 in Digital Fusion, etc.


It really depends a lot on your budget. Me, I would go with the Creative Suite Bundle from Adobe. You get Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, Encore (a surprisingly good DVD authoring package), and Soundbooth which used to be Audition (which used to be Cool Edit Pro), Premiere, and Flash.
Click to expand...

Additionally, with After Effects/Photoshop combo...if you're not totally comfortable with AE, but a pro @ Photoshop, you can export a .psd image sequence from AE to use for a Photoshop batch job....which is great if you are in a rush and already have actions set up for certain looks/color correcting/etc in Photoshop.

I personally use AE, GIMP, Photoshop, and Blender (3d program) at the moment. Another bonus of AE (can't speak for the other software) is that you can have network based shared rendering (render farm-ish).
 
Well I am faaaar from a Photoshop pro but I am enjoying learning more every day and I have AE because it was recommended by everyone and their mother. My head is topped up at the moment but I would like to take a look into batches because maybe there isn't that much to figure out and with time I may develop it into a somewhat useful skill level and possibly do some small stuff on my own. That of course seems to involve learning the basics in AE apparently.

I am very interested in hearing a bit more about the potential and limitations of AE + PS... is there any specific sites that may have more tutorials hopefully ones specific ones that may illustrate that work flow? Is there anything I could look at that may show what's possible with that combo? Or is the sky the limit? (Or should I say your skills and determination/time will determine the limit?)
 
WHOA!!!!

I just watched the advanced sky replacement video on that link that John posted!
Duuuuude.... I am soooo gonna be doing some of that!

Question... did he have some sort of supercomputer or is that stuff sorta light and easily handled with the ease and speed he had on that video by most computers?
 
USLatinContent said:
Question... did he have some sort of supercomputer or is that stuff sorta light and easily handled with the ease and speed he had on that video by most computers?
Click to expand...

You can get really great results on most of todays dual core systems with a couple gigs of ram. You shouldn't have too much lag at all on your system. Of course, in the end, putting out layers and layers with special effects is going to require considerable rendering.
 
Thanks may, and thank you for the links!

Duuuuuuuude! lol

I just watched the set extension and the day to night tutorials...

Great stuff man!!!

AE does rock! It looks like I will have to learn a whole lot more since some of that is what I consider CC and I do want to learn how to do that...

I am definitely not even gonna bother with animation though or I'll get an aneurysm... track motion, adjustment layers, mattes and photoshop set extensions seem within reach though...

Now correct me if I am wrong, but animation is the creation of 3D objects to later use in your footage right? So that has a complete new level of involvement right?
 
Basically you are correct, although animation can be in 2D also.

Mostly animation is just fabricated imagery as opposed to using and altering real world imagery.

If you are customizing and creating complex objects from scratch, then yes animation can be a whole new level of immersement. However, I have found programs such as Bryce to be very simple to use and easy to get high quality results out of. In fact most NLEs would require a much steeper learning curve than landscaping and atmospheric animation programs such as Bryce.
 
USLatinContent said:
I am very interested in hearing a bit more about the potential and limitations of AE + PS... is there any specific sites that may have more tutorials hopefully ones specific ones that may illustrate that work flow? Is there anything I could look at that may show what's possible with that combo? Or is the sky the limit? (Or should I say your skills and determination/time will determine the limit?)
Click to expand...

I don't have anything up, but i can probably do up a tutorial....and while not most folks preferred method, i love integrating PS into the post-prod stuff I do.

Pretty much the best way is to open photoshop. Go to the actions (window --> actions ), hit the new action button, name it, then hit the "record" button. Open an image, and tweak it to your liking. Hit stop and delete any extra actions (like undo, etc) that isn't necessary for your look. From AE render out a "Photoshop Sequence" which will spit every frame out as a psd. Then in PS: file --> automate --> batch and pick the action that you want.

It's extra work because AE can do what PS can do for the most part, but if you're better w/ PS (or have a PS filter that's not in AE, etc) and need to get something done in a hurry, it works. Also, if you use AE's network/multi-machine render, most of the time that defaults to a PSD sequence.
 
Thanks for the response John!
I want to check it out so bad but I am affraid I might run out of ram and get a permanent brain BSOD and die of an aneurism... lol
But you are tempting me, man... :)

madhorizons said:
I don't have anything up, but i can probably do up a tutorial....and while not most folks preferred method, i love integrating PS into the post-prod stuff I do.

Pretty much the best way is to open photoshop. Go to the actions (window --> actions ), hit the new action button, name it, then hit the "record" button. Open an image, and tweak it to your liking. Hit stop and delete any extra actions (like undo, etc) that isn't necessary for your look. From AE render out a "Photoshop Sequence" which will spit every frame out as a psd. Then in PS: file --> automate --> batch and pick the action that you want.

It's extra work because AE can do what PS can do for the most part, but if you're better w/ PS (or have a PS filter that's not in AE, etc) and need to get something done in a hurry, it works. Also, if you use AE's network/multi-machine render, most of the time that defaults to a PSD sequence.
Click to expand...

Whoa... nice! I will most def have to try and do this!

I was looking at the Set Expansion tutorial and I really want to try something like that!
I recently shot a little www promo for the new Mario Galaxy where me and Michelle were sitting in a couch playing the game and the BG of the room had two cameras (DVX and PD170) and one was just above the TV (DVX)... today Michelle found similar ones in the www but the Japanese version with Japanese people and in Japanese not English... it looks like they shot it in a similar-identical room and added a very lush and beautifully dressed apartment with windows and all... most definitely something that could be done in AE! There are different ones with a kid and his Dad, then a couple (the one we did) and it seems they used the same set just changed the couch possibly the TV and then used different BGs for each. A very nice little production for the www... the CC was gorgeous too for DV... but it surely helps that the final is slightly smaller than 720:480.


I tried doing my first AE project (but in my lappy while the PC was down due to a busted NB fan from sticking my finger in it :D ) it was a SERIOUSLY complicated tracking shot and needless to say I need to attempt again :)
This is some serious fun!
 
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