The Visual Effects Arsenal: VFX Solutions for the Independent Filmmaker

335 Pages·2009·26.83 MB·English

by  Bill Byrne

T H E V I S U A L
E F F E C T S A R S E N A L
VFX Solutions for the Independent
Filmmaker
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T H E V I S U A L
E F F E C T S A R S E N A L
VFX Solutions for the Independent
Filmmaker
Bill Byrne
AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON • NEW YORK • OXFORD
PARIS • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO
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09 10 11 12 5 4 3 2 1
C ONTENTS
Dedication and Acknowledgments ........................................................................ix
C hapter 1 How To Use This Book ...............................................................................1
S ections .........................................................................................................................................................................2
V isual Effects .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Digital Compositing ....................................................................................................................... 4
Computer-Generated Imagery ....................................................................................................... 4
The Underrealized Power of Available Software ......................................................................... 5
C hapter 2 Your Toolbox ..................................................................................................7
H ardware .....................................................................................................................................................7
A Digital Video Camera .................................................................................................................. 7
A Digital Still Camera ..................................................................................................................... 8
Tripod .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Computer ........................................................................................................................................ 9
Other Considerations ..................................................................................................................... 9
S oftware ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
Image Editing — Adobe Photoshop ............................................................................................. 1 0
Motion Graphics Software ........................................................................................................... 1 1
V ideo Editing .............................................................................................................................................1 2
O ptional Software ....................................................................................................................................13
Compositing .................................................................................................................................1 3
Three-Dimensional Software ....................................................................................................... 1 5
Third-Party Plug-Ins ...................................................................................................................... 1 6
Final Thoughts on Software ......................................................................................................... 1 7
C hapter 3 Preparing for Your Visual Effects Shot ..................................................19
Tips for VFX Artists in Preproduction ................................................................................................ 19
Storyboard the Effect ................................................................................................................... 1 9
Grab Your Camera and Do a Test Shoot ...................................................................................... 1 9
Make an Appearance on Set ........................................................................................................ 20
Research the Technique ................................................................................................................ 20
Get a Commitment from the Producer or Editor on the Final Output Settings ....................... 20
Be a Very organized Project Manager ......................................................................................... 2 1
C reating a Digital Storyboard ................................................................................................................. 21
v
vi CONTENTS
P roject Management .............................................................................................................................23
P ROfi les ......................................................................................................................................................25
Randall Dottin: Director ................................................................................................................ 25
C hapter 4 The New Glass Shot ..................................................................................27
M odifying a Building ............................................................................................................................... 27
A dding Refl ections to a Shot ................................................................................................................. 32
S ign Replacement ....................................................................................................................................3 9
Removing Objects from the Frame. ....................................................................................................... 45
C hanging the Weather ............................................................................................................................48
R emoving an Actor from the Frame ...................................................................................................... 56
P ROfi les ...................................................................................................................................................... 62
Jeff Martini: Video Editor, Motion Graphics Designer, Sound Designer,
Multimedia Designer, Educator ................................................................................................... 6 2
C hapter 5 G reen and Blue Screens ...........................................................................65
S hooting and Removing a Green/Blue Screen. .................................................................................. 66
T he Driving Shot .......................................................................................................................................7 1
S creen Replacement ...............................................................................................................................7 8
P ROfi les ......................................................................................................................................................8 5
Roger White: Motion Graphics Designer .................................................................................... 8 5
C hapter 6 L ocation, Location, Location ....................................................................87
C reating a 3D Room .................................................................................................................................8 7
S cene Extensions .....................................................................................................................................9 2
M y Evil Twin ..............................................................................................................................................99
C ityscape Fly-Through Animation ...................................................................................................... 102
P ROfi les ....................................................................................................................................................1 13
Colin Stackpole: VFX Artist ........................................................................................................ 1 13
C hapter 7 D igitally Processing Your Footage .......................................................115
B asic Color Correction ..........................................................................................................................1 15
T he Correction ........................................................................................................................................ 116
C olor Treatments .................................................................................................................................... 119
F ilm Looks ................................................................................................................................................ 122
D amaged Film Looks .............................................................................................................................1 27
P redator-Style Infrared Treatment ...................................................................................................... 134
R otoscoping Techniques— T he A Scanner Darkly Look ................................................................1 37
CONTENTS vii
S tabilizing and Destabilizing a Shot .................................................................................................. 143
P ROfi les ....................................................................................................................................................1 48
Mark Ezovski: Director, Editor, Motion Graphics Designer ..................................................... 1 48
C hapter 8 H orror Effects ............................................................................................151
E vil Eyes ...................................................................................................................................................1 51
Z ombie Faces ..........................................................................................................................................1 58
D igital Dismemberment ........................................................................................................................ 165
G hostly Apparitions ...............................................................................................................................1 72
P ROfi les ....................................................................................................................................................1 78
Paul Del Vecchio: Director, Editor, VFX Artist ............................................................................ 1 78
C hapter 9 A ction .........................................................................................................181
V ehicle Explosions ................................................................................................................................1 82
B uilding Fire ............................................................................................................................................1 89
C reating Realistic Gunplay .................................................................................................................. 199
C liffhangers .............................................................................................................................................2 03
T ornadoes ................................................................................................................................................2 08
P ROfi les ....................................................................................................................................................2 14
Jonah Goldstein: Director/Cinematographer ........................................................................... 2 14
C hapter 10 S cience Fiction .......................................................................................217
C reating a 3D Planet Earth ................................................................................................................... 217
A lien Planets ...........................................................................................................................................2 21
S tar Fields and Light Speed ................................................................................................................. 225
T he Disintegrating Man ........................................................................................................................ 231
L ight Sabers. ............................................................................................................................................234
M orphing ..................................................................................................................................................2 37
3 D Spaceship Dogfi ght .......................................................................................................................... 244
P ROfi les ....................................................................................................................................................2 52
Jerron Smith: Editor, Animator, Educator ................................................................................ 2 52
C hapter 11 F lashy Techniques .................................................................................255
F rozen Time. .............................................................................................................................................2 55
T ime Remapping .....................................................................................................................................2 58
W all of TV’s ..............................................................................................................................................2 62
D ancing Buildings .................................................................................................................................2 69
viii CONTENTS
L ow-Low Tech Bullet Time. .................................................................................................................. 273
P ROfi les ....................................................................................................................................................2 76
Bryan Wetzel: Editor ................................................................................................................... 276
C hapter 12 A nimation ................................................................................................279
T wo-Dimensional Character Animation ............................................................................................ 279
T he Digital Camera Stop-Motion Trick .............................................................................................. 283
B ringing Inanimate Objects to Life ..................................................................................................... 286
C haracter Lip-Sync ................................................................................................................................2 89
P ROfi les ....................................................................................................................................................2 93
Felipe Matos: 3D Animator, Writer, Director ............................................................................. 2 93
C hapter 13 T ext Effects ..............................................................................................295
T itle Sequence Workfl ow .....................................................................................................................2 95
T ext Background Integration ............................................................................................................... 299
H orror Film Titles ....................................................................................................................................3 03
T hree-Dimensional Text ....................................................................................................................... 308
C hapter 14 R eturn to Render .....................................................................................311
T he Spec List ...........................................................................................................................................3 11
R endering in After Effects .................................................................................................................... 312
R endering in Motion .............................................................................................................................. 314
R endering in Combustion ..................................................................................................................... 316
O utput Issues and Demystifi cation ..................................................................................................... 316
Title Safety, Action Safety, and Domestic Cut-Off ................................................................... 3 16
Quicktime Codecs and Compression Standards ..................................................................... 3 17
Square and Nonsquare Pixels ................................................................................................... 3 18
Frame Rate .................................................................................................................................. 319
Color Depth (or Bit Depth) ......................................................................................................... 3 19
Final Thoughts ............................................................................................................................ 3 20
I ndex .................................................................................................................................321
Dedicatio n
To my wife
Suzanne whose love, encouragement, and guidance made this project possible.
To my father
Tom Byrne, who guided and encouraged a mind to love technology and creativity.
To my father
Tom Byrne, who guided and encouraged a mind to love technology and creativity.
To my mother
Marie Byrne, who has given me so much and expected nothing in return.
In loving memory of James J. Byrne who I wish would have been around long enough to see a copy of this
book.

Acknowledgments
J onah Goldstein, for all his help by supplying footage, his directorial knowledge, and being an interview
subject. Tisha R. Johnson, and Monika Mozynski for acting in Jonah’s footage.
B ryan Wetzel, for getting me into the world of commercial postproduction, where I learned many valuable
lessons, and for being an interview subject.
Larry Caldwell, for his acting and advice on being a writer.
Jerron Smith, Jeff Martini, Phil Matos, Roger White, Randy Dottin, Mark Evoski, and Colin Stackpole for
being great interview subjects.
Matthew Lancit for providing footage and Joshua Loring for his performance in that footage.
A ndrea Paldy, Stephen Pite and the rest of my former colleagues, and students from New York’s Katharine
Gibbs School’s Digital Filmmaking department. It was the questions from my students that became the pri-
mordial soup for this book.
Paul Del Vecchio for being an interview subject and the book’s technical editor.
John C. Byrne, Ph.D, for his support, valuable advice and an introductory education provided a young age
that helped shape my career.
D ean Carol Kelley for bringing me on board at the Art Institute of Austin and students for waiting patiently
for grades while I wrote this book.
Maury Loeb, JJ Lask, John Zieman and everyone at PS 260 and Brandname.
C harles Traub and the MFA in Photography and Related Media department at New York’s School of Visual
Arts.
Bob Forward from Detonation Films for allowing me to use his great fi re footage.
Andre Cuello, and Anais Wheeler for all their help.
Focal Press, Dennis McGonagle and Paul Temme for making this happen.
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