Introduction to Visual Effects

1
Introduction to Visual Effects

• Lecture 3
• Preproduction Continued

2
Review of Lecture Two

• Preproduction

3
Pre-Production

• Planning is the most important aspect of any SFX
  production
• Determine what effects are needed and why they
  are needed
• Determine how the effects can be achieved
• Determine who will do the effects
• Budget how much the effects will cost
• Schedule when the effects will be done

4
Job Descriptions

• Visual Effects Producer
• Visual Effects Supervisor
• Art Director
• Director of Photography
• Technical Director

5
Visual Effects Producer

• Works with the VFX Supervisor
• Responsible for budget, scheduling and overall
  management of crew and facilities
• Responsible for procuring crew and facilities
• Responsible for delivering the project on time
  and on budget
• Answers to the films financiers and producers

6
Visual Effects Supervisor

• Overall responsibility for all the effects
• Must provide most effective solutions to
  complete required work within the given budget
• Works with entire production team, including
  director, DP, camera department
• Designs, creates and supervises every aspect of
  the film where a visual effect needs to be
  created
• Includes live action, model, miniature shooting
  as well as post-production VFX

7
Art Director

• Also called set designer or production
  designer
• Analyzes the visual requirements of the script in
  regard to the settings
• Includes both construction and decoration of sets
• Must create visual representations through
  sketches, drawings and/or miniatures
• Plans, budgets and arranges creation of all sets

8
Director of Photography DP

• Responsible for capturing the directors creative
  ideas onto film or video
• Must be both artist and engineer
• Must understand directors creative vision and
  then accomplish it
• Responsible for the overall look of the film

9
Technical Director

• Manages all material shot by the VFX Supervisor
• In charge of the post-production crew
• Adds any CGI effects and does the digital
  compositing
• Manages the integration of live action with other
  effects

10
Budgeting

• Choosing the right effects depends not only on
  what you are trying to convey but also what you
  can afford to do
• Movies are a business and effects need to be
  practical and cost-effective
• Use limited budgets an opportunity for
  creativity, not a barrier

11
Script Analysis

• The process of breaking down the script into
  elements that deal with potential effects
• Done by the VFX Supervisor
• Often shots are removed at this stage due to
  budget constraints

12
Pre-visualization

• The visual planning of your effects shots
• Pre-Viz is the battle plan for the project
• Should never be skipped

13
Previz on The Matrix
14
Pre-Viz Steps

• Collect and keep reference material
• Create and use storyboards
• Focus on the finished composition

15
Reference Material

• Books and Magazines
• On Location
• The Internet
• CD Libraries (Stock footage, etc)
• Keep a database of your reference materials

16
Storyboards

• Shows shot composition
• Shows shot to shot continuity
• Helps you break down the shots and develop a list
  of requirements for each effect

17
Storyboards
18
(No Transcript)
19
(No Transcript)
20
Focus on the Finished Composition

• Pay attention to the details
• Consider camera, focal depth, lighting,
  atmospheric effects
• Check your plans and your budgets

21
Shot Design Composition

• Basic Concepts

22
Qualities of Good Composition

• Rule of Thirds (balance)
• Contrast
• Depth Cues
• Keep it simple
• Frame your shots
• Use Open Space

23
Balance

• Refers to the distribution of visual weight in
  the shot
• Divide the frame into thirds, vertically and
  horizontally
• The intersections have the greatest visual impact

24
Rule of Thirds
1
2
3
25
Rule of Thirds
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
26
Notice where your eyes are drawn to in each shot
27
Contrast

• Light and dark values
• Sharp and soft focus
• Stillness and motion
• The degree of contrast contributes to the visual
  weight

28
Contrast
29
Depth Cues

• Tricks that make the eye see depth in a
  two-dimensional space
• Most important to create depth cues when working
  with models and miniatures

30
Depth Cues

• Linear perspective
• Forced Perspective
• Relative Size
• Light and Shadow
• Overlap
• Texture Gradients
• Aerial Perspective
• Relative Motion

31
Linear Perspective
32
Forced Perspective
33
Forced Perspective
34
(No Transcript)
35
Relative Size
36
Light and Shadow
37
Overlap
38
Aerial Perspective
39
Relative Motion
40
Texture gradient
41
(No Transcript)
42
Keeping it Simple

• Dont overcompose your shots
• Sometimes the best solution is the simplest one
• Depth of field is often the easiest way to direct
  attention

43
Depth of Field
44
Framing your Shot

• Create a picture frame within the shot, to direct
  attention
• Doesnt have to be an actual frame
• Can be anything within the shot to provide framing

45
Framing
46
Using Open Spaces

• Use the visual weight of motion
• direction
• the look

47
Open Spaces
48
Storyboards

• Illustrated script breakdown
• Primarily for communicating your visual ideas
• Do not need to be perfectly drawn!

49
Functions of the storyboard

• Composition
• Continuity
• Set Design
• Visual Effects
• Equipment Rentals

50
Types of Storyboards

• Drawings
• Thumbnails
• Sketches
• Renderings
• Photos
• Photograph toys
• Photograph people

• Digital Illustration
• Photo Collage
• Computer Storyboarding programs

51
Advantages of the Storyboard

• Quick and inexpensive to create
• Easy to change
• Easily copied, distributed and referenced by the
  crew
• Easily inserted into the script breakdown for
  continuity

52
Animatics

• Able to show motion
• Uses pacing and timing cues
• Includes sound (dialogue, music, effects)
• Features animation and visual effects

53
Videotaping Storyboards

• Easiest and quickest way to create an animatic
• Most animatics are still done this way
• Recreate camera moves in the storyboards (zooms,
  pans, etc)

54
Scanning and Animating Storyboards

• Use After Effects or Combustion
• Create camera effects within the program
• Separate backgrounds from foregrounds for 3D
  effects
• Do a first pass on the visual effects

55
Videotaping Toys

• Common practice for early Star Wars animatics
• Must use smaller camera to recreate correct
  lenses
• Use foam core boards to create sets
• Can paste up bakgrounds from the storyboards

56
Videotaping people

• Comes closest to actual production
• Must be careful not to overdo it
• Good for practicing composites and testing
  blocking of actors/sets and props

57
Summary

• Planning is essential
• Use script breakdown to create storyboards
• Use your Fundamentals of Design knowledge when
  creating storyboards
• Create animatics from the storyboards
• Then you may be ready to begin