The Filmmaker Guide to Visual Effects The Art and Techniques of VFX for Directors Producers Editors and Cinematographers 2nd Edition by Eran Dinur ISBN 9781032266695 1032266694

Part 1: VFX Fundamentals

Chapter 1: Core Concepts

Special Effects or Visual Effects?

What Does CGI Really Mean?

2D, 3D, and Stereoscopic 3D

Realism and Photorealism

The Danger of Overindulgence

Animation, Games, and Visual Effects

Digital vs. Film

Film vs. Television

Chapter 2: VFX as a Filmmaking Tool

Common Types of VFX Shots

Fix-it Shots

Screen Inserts

Driving Shots

Rig Removal and Period Cleanup

Set Extensions

Crowd Augmentation/Crowd Simulation

Action Elements

Advanced VFX

Case Study: Changing a Camera Move in Post

Chapter 3: From 2D to 3D: The Quest for the Lost Dimension

Camera Movement and VFX

Parallax

Perspective Shift

2D Workflow

The Missing Dimension

Recreating the Camera

3D Workflow

3D vs. 2D

2.5D: The Hybrid Solution

Case Study: The Opening Shot of Hereditary

Chapter 4: Separation: Roto, Green Screens, and the Challenges of Extraction

Rotoscoping

Green/Blue Screens

The Challenges of Extraction

Background Matching

Spill

Non-solid Edges

Part 2: The Inside Look

Chapter 5: The VFX Workflow: An In-depth Look at the Various Crafts of Visual Effects

Pre-production Crafts

Previs

Concept Art

Camera Tracking

Layout

Modeling

Technical Modeling

Organic Modeling

Procedural Modeling

Cost-saving Alternatives

Texturing and Shading

Shaders

Textures

UV Mapping

Case Study: Uncut Gems-Inside the Opal

Rigging

Animation

Motion Capture

Lighting and Rendering

CG Lighting Essentials

Key and Fill Lights

Sky Light and Image-Based Lighting

Global Illumination (Indirect Light)

Outdoor Lighting vs. Indoor Lighting

Ambient Occlusion

Rendering

Compositing

Matte Painting

FX: Particles and Physical Simulations

Rigid-body Simulations

Cloth Simulations

Fluid Simulations

Liquids

Cost-saving Alternatives

Particle Systems

Crowd Simulation

Remote Work and Cloud-Based VFX Facilities

Chapter 6: Workflow Case Studies

Shot 1: Background Cleanup

Shot 2: The Homestead Strike

Shot 3: Piranha Attack

Asset Work vs. Shot Work

Shot 4: Tsunami Mayhem

Part 3: VFX in Production

Chapter 7: Pre-production

Preliminary VFX Breakdown

The VFX Supervisor and VFX Producer

Model 1: Dedicated Production VFX Supervisor and Producer

Model 2: Company In-house VFX Supervisor and Producer

Preliminary Bidding

Inside the Bidding Process

Storyboarding

Previs and Concept Art

VFX Production Meetings

Tech Scouts

Detailed Budget and Schedule

Case Study: Ellis Island

Chapter 8: On Set

Collaborating with the VFX Supervisor

On-set Data Acquisition

Camera Information

Lens Grids

Color Chart Reference

Chrome Ball and Gray Ball

On-set Reference Photography

Spherical HDRI Light Domes

Lidar 3D Scanning

Photogrammetry

Green/Blue Screens

Action Coverage

Screen Consistency

Dirt and Tears

Folds

Non-green Parts

Cast Shadows

Tracking Markers

Smoke and Atmospherics

Reflections

Lighting Green Screens

Roto or Green Screen?

Shooting VFX Elements

Camera Movement

Camera Angle and Position

Lens Type

Framing

Choosing the Right Background

Frame Rate

Case Study: The Crane Dare

Shooting Driving Plates

Crowd Tiling

Setting up the Camera

Locked-off Camera

Moving Camera

Setting up the Crowd

Moving and Rearranging the Extras

Roto or Green Screen?

Shooting Sprites

Case Study: Multi-camera Crowd Tiles

Screen Inserts Setup

Stunts and Visual Effects

Special Effects and Visual Effects

Chapter 9: Post-production

The Post-production VFX Workflow

VFX Basic Color Workflow

Image Formats in VFX

Bit Depth (Color Depth)

Video Formats

Color Space and ACES

The Spec Sheet and Pipeline Test

VFX and Editorial

The VFX Editor

When to Deliver Shots to the VFX Team

Handles

Edit Refs (Offlines)

Editorial Temps

Budgeting and Scheduling

Budget Updates

Change Orders

Scheduling

The Reviewing Process

Mockups

Style Frames

Animation Versions (aka Playblasts)

Turntables

Comp

Final Approval

Communication

Providing Feedback

Chapter 10: Real-time Rendering and Virtual Production

Real-time Rendering in the Studio

Real-time Previs

Augmented Reality and On-set Previs

Virtual Production

A Little Perspective

Old Technique—New Technologies

Virtual 3D Environments

Understanding the Limitations

The Bottom Line

Chapter 11: The Future

Machine Learning

Technical Assistance

Face Replacement

2D to 3D Conversion

Creative Assistance

Volumetric Capture

Marker-less Motion Capture

Photoreal Intelligent Digi-doubles

On We Go

Index