The VES Handbook of Visual Effects · Industry Standard VFX Practices and Procedures · Third Edition by Okun, Jeffrey A. -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Contents COMING SOON … CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

First, Some Ground Rules Now, the Introduction Why Use Visual Effects?

CHAPTER 2: PRE-PRODUCTION/PREPARATION

Overview Breaking Down a Script – Budgeting

Ballpark Budget More Detailed Budgets Bidding Plate Photography Temp Screenings Reviewing Bids Contracts Rebidding during Shooting Rebidding in Post Monitoring the Budget and Schedule Keeping the Budget Down

Working with the Director and Producer

Demo Reel The Meeting Moving Forward

Production Departments

Production Design Camera Working with the Cinematographer Special Effects Stunts Wardrobe Makeup Production Visual Effects Editorial Locations Production Meeting

Designing Visual Effects Shots

Guidelines for Directors Storyboards Previs Objective of the Shot Concept Art Continuity Photorealism Original Concepts Budget Reality and Magic Camera Angles Framing Scale Detail Speed Scaled Images Depth of Field Sequence of Shots Camera Motion Less Is More Action Pacing CG Characters Creatures and Character Design Powers of 10 Shots

Visual Effects Techniques

Technique Considerations Additional Suggestions for Determining Techniques

Development of Previs Techniques

History and Background

What is Previs and Other Forms of Visualization?

What is Previs? Different Types of Visualization and When to Use Them Visualization: The New Essential

The Application of Previs: Who Benefits and How?

The Benefits of Previs Project Types

Post-Visualization

What is Post-Visualization? Why Use Postvis? Who Does Postvis?

Cautions and Suggestions for Good Practice

The Perils of Previs! Passing the Work On The Role of the VFX Supervisor in Previs

Previs: Advanced Techniques

Visualization Usefulness VR as a Tool Visualization in Engine Render in Engine Visualization in Real Time AR as a Tool

Camera Angle Projection Introduction

Drawing What the Lens Sees

Techvis

What Is Techvis? Who is Techvis for?

Virtual Production

What is Virtual Production? How is Virtual Production Used?

CHAPTER 3: ACQUISITION/SHOOTING

Working on Set Common Types of Special Effects

What are Special Effects? A Brief History of Special Effects The Special Effects Coordinator Working with the Visual Effects Visual Effects in Service to SFX Special Effects Design and Planning Storyboards and Previs The Elements: Rain, Wind, and Snow and Ice Smoke, Fire, and Pyrotechnics Mechanical Effects Flying Wire Rigs and Stunts Safety

Greenscreen and Bluescreen Photography

Best Practices and Otherwise Overview Function of the Backing Negative Scanning and Digital Conversion Backing Uniformity and Screen Correction The Alpha Channel The Processed Foreground The Composite Recommended Specifications and Practices How to Expose a Green Screen Shot, and Why Setting Screen Brightness Choosing the Backing Color Floor Shots, Virtual Sets Foreground Lighting Controlling Spill Light Lighting Virtual Sets Tracking Markers On-Set Preview Cameras for Blue Screen or Green Screen Photography Underwater Photography

On-Set Data Acquisition

Camera Report Tracking Markers Props for the Actors Cyberscanning Digital Photos Lidar/Laser Scanning Lens Distortion Charts HDRI and Chrome Balls

Lidar Scanning and Acquisition On-Set 3D Scanning Systems

Types of Technology Lidar Photogrammetry Prop Scanners

Lighting Data

Gathering Lighting Data Beware of False Savings! Using Conventional Still Cameras Reference Shooting Considerations

Clean Plates

Shooting the Clean Plate Locked-Off Camera Moving Camera Other Issues Post-Process Alternates without Clean Plates Other Uses for Clean Plates

Monster Sticks On-Set Animation Capture: Witness Cam (IBMC)

Wireless Non-Video Motion Capture Factors Affecting Witness Cameras Dealing with the Data in Post-Production

Camera Tracking for Real-Time Visualization

Camera Tracking Pre-Production The Camera Department Prior to Shooting Current Tracking Systems in Use

Triangulation As a Method of Recording Camera Data

Camera/Subject Positional Information Basics: The Toolkit Basics: Nodal Point

Photographic Reference

How to Proceed Shooting Video as a Reference

Rules, Setup, and Testing

Do a Complete Test Shot! Why Run Through Example or Test Shots?

Digital Cinematography

Digital Definitions High Dynamic Range (HDR) Lens Metadata Look Management The Recording System

Lens Mapping for VFX VFX Photography

The Camera Array Designing an Array Shot Technicians Shoot Day Special Techniques Post The Future

Filming Live-Action Plates to be Used in VFX

Camera Position (Station Point) Angle of View Lighting Considerations Camera Tilt Background Quality Moving Plates Scouting the Camera Positions A Case Study Camera Cars Camera Car Safety Issues Purpose-Built Crane Cars Vibration and Camera Stabilization Road Speed Precautions Panoramic Rigs On the Water Air to Air Cable Systems

Shooting Elements for Compositing

What Is an Element? Stock Footage Types of Elements Generic versus Shot-Specific Elements Determining Element Needs Cheating Backgrounds Black Backgrounds Line-Up Camera Format Considerations Assorted Methods for Shooting Elements

High-Speed Photography and Filming Elements

Cameras Technicians Director of Photography Lighting Application Locking Down the Camera Video Assist Post

Supervising Motion Control

What is Motion Control? Performance Choreography Multiple-Pass Photography Scaling Import and Export of Camera Move Data The Data Types of Motion Control Systems Motion Control Software Camera Types Sync and Phase Dealing with Production

Acquisition of Motion/Still Photographic Textures for Mapping onto CG

Panoramic Backgrounds Tiled Stills Motion Tiling and Synchronous Plates Practical Considerations Stills for Textures and Lighting

Stop-Motion

Evolution of Stop-Motion Photography The Time Required to Shoot in Stop-Motion Preparation before Shooting Setting up a Shooting Space for Stop-Motion Use of Motion Control in Stop-Motion Useful Caveats Evolution of a Shot Use of Stop-Motion in Visual Effects

CHAPTER 4: PERFORMANCE AND MOTION CAPTURE

What is Motion Capture? Is Motion Capture Right for a Project?

The Mocap Look Technical Specifications Entry Point Budget

Which Technology is Right for a Project?

Gauging a Project’s Needs and Constraints Passive Retroreflective Optical Active Optical Inertial Structured Light Dense Stereo Reconstruction Bend Sensors

Preparing for Motion Capture

Actors Motion Capture Suits Marker Placement – Body Marker Placement – Face Rigging for Motion Capture Shot List Technology Considerations

Hardware

The Strobe Markers Lenses Filter Image Sensor Onboard Processor Inputs/Outputs Setup

Software

Acquisition Calibration Post-Processing Reconstruction Labeling Gap Filling Cleaning Solving Motion Capture

Facial Motion Capture

Facial Actor Survey Actor Survey – Hardware Reference Data Statistical Data Facial Rigging Facial Acquisition Audio Facial Motion Capture Solving

Real-Time Motion Capture

Real-Time Uses Real-Time Limitations Alternate Technologies

Motion Capture Resources Virtual Production

World Building Previsualization On-Set Visualization Virtual Cinematography

CHAPTER 5: STEREOSCOPIC 3D

How 3D Works

Accommodation and Convergence Interaxial Separation Toe-in Versus Horizontal Image Translation Parallax or Depth Budget Positive and Negative Parallax Floating Windows Fix It in Post

Stereoscopic Design

The Emerging Grammar of 3D Creative Use of Depth Previsualization Avoiding Painful 3D The Aesthetic of Scale Cutting for 3D Designing for Multiple Release Formats Immersion-Based versus Convergence-Based Stereo

Native Stereo

Pre-Production On-Set Stereography in the Visual Effects Process Stereography for Finishing HFR as a Solution for Better 3D Movies

VFX Elements and Stereo

Introduction – How VFX Elements are Used Native Stereo Content Mono Capture – Packaged Script and Element Deliveries Mono Capture – Hybrid Approach for Stereo Delivery Mono Capture – Full CG Approach for Stereo Delivery Creating Depth – Layout and Stereography Stereo Camera – Depth Wedges Stereo Compositing Requesting a Full CG Stereo Render Mid-Production VFX Production Tasks

2D to 3D Conversion

Depth Creation Preparation Visual Analysis of 2D Depth Cues Pre-Production and Previs for Conversion Source and Target Perspective Shared Shots/Shared Workflows Main Stages of 2D-to-3D Conversion Major 2D-to-3D Conversion Workflows Special Cases Re-projection Mapping Workflow Pixel Displacement or Pixel Shifting Other 2D-to-3D Conversion Workflows Is “Real” Always Right? 2D-to-3D Conversion Management

Stereoscopic Visual Effects

Prepping for the Third Dimension Shooting the Third Dimension Visual Effects in the Third Dimension Photographed Elements Accuracy and Attention to Detail Artistic Skill Level Data Management

Stereoscopic Digital Intermediate Workflow

Stereoscopic 3D Process Milestones Viewing 3D Dailies Projection Screens for Stereoscopic Viewing 3D Editorial Processes Data Workflow Applying the 3D Grade 3D Stereo Deliverables 3D Home Video Deliverables

Stereoscopic Window

The Stereoscopic Window Placement of the Window in Relation to the 3D Scene Window Violations Window Placement Logic How to Create a Stereoscopic Window

Producing Movies in Three Dimensions

Development – Getting the Green Light Production – What to Look Out For

CHAPTER 6: POST-PRODUCTION/IMAGE MANIPULATION

Resolution and Image Format Considerations

Formats Transport Resolution

Academy Color Encoding System (ACES)

ACES Components ACES Benefits ACES Color Space Encoding Viewing ACES Preparations for Using ACES

Image Compression/File Formats for Post Production

Image Encoding Still Image Compression Other Lossless Compression Methods File Formats

Color Management

The Three Guidelines Digital Color Image Encodings and Digital Cameras Color Management at the Desktop Bringing Color Management to Film Workflows

Digital Intermediate Shot Element Pulls and Delivery to VFX

Introduction The Lab “Production” Is to “Lab” as … The Merge The Handoff VFX Editorial The Select The Pull

VFX Editorial

Editing within a Shot: The Art of Precompositing (Precomp) How It Came to Be Modern Day Tracking and Disseminating of Information As the Shot Changes Wrapping It Up

Editorial Workflow in Feature Animation

Introduction Editorial Crew Staffing and Structure Editorial Involvement with Feature Animation Production Stages

Communication with Artists

Starting Working with Teams Working Globally Reference and Perspective Shot Production Communicating with Artists in Other Departments Completion

Compositing of Live-Action Elements

Modern Digital Compositing Scene Tracking

Rotoscoping and Paint

Rotoscoping Digital Painting and Plate Reconstruction

Matte Paintings/Creative Environments

Matte Paintings: Art of the Digital Realm What Is a Matte Painting? Matte Painting Pioneers and History Visualizing the Matte Painting Shot in Pre-Production On-Set Supervision for Matte Painting Shots Basic Skills and Tricks of the Trade Miniatures and Computer-Generated Sets Finding the Best Frame Re-Projected Photo Survey The Need for Creative Compositing

3D Matte Painting

CHAPTER 7: DIGITAL ELEMENT CREATION

Digital Modeling

Overview: The Importance of Modeling Types of Modeling Model Data Types Development of Models Modeling for a Production Pipeline Engineering Aspects for Polygons Engineering Aspects for NURBS

Rigging and Animation Rigging

Rigging: What is It? Animation Rigging Deformation Rigging

Texturing And Surfacing

The Importance of Texture Painting Hard Surface Models Creature Models Types of Geometry: Their Problems and Benefits Prepping the Model to Be Painted Texture Creation Various Other Map-Driven Effects Texture Painting in Production Model Editing

Digital Hair/Fur

Hair Generation Process General Issues and Solutions

Digital Feathers

Morphology of Real Feathers Modeling Digital Feathers Similarities between Hair and Feathers Differences between Hair and Feathers

General Geometry Instancing

Asset Creation World Building Shot Considerations

Dynamics and Simulation

How is a Simulation Created? When is Simulation Appropriate? Tricks and Cheats Important Considerations Planning and Preparation Software Solutions: A Broad Overview of Current Options

Particles

What are Particle Systems? The Next Step The Birth of Particles Creating Effects

Rigid-Body Dynamics

How Rigid-Body Dynamics are Created Potential Problems Other Issues Tricks for Getting It Done

Digital Lighting

Light in Reality and in Computer Graphics Case Study of Reality Compared with Simple CG Simulation Visual Sophistication through Texture Mapping Physically Derived Shading Models Beneath the Surface Goals of Lighting in Visual Effects Work Flow for Successful Creative Digital Lighting The Technologies of Lights in Computer Graphics Direct Lighting: Source to Surface to Camera Reflections Photographed Reflections Shadows Image-Based Lighting Rendering Occlusion Ambient Occlusion Reflection Occlusion Creating Light Sources from Environment Maps Physically Based Rendering Physically Plausible Rendering Volumetric Lighting Effects

Shader Basics

What are Shaders? Shading Models Bump and Displacement Map-Based Shaders Procedural Shaders Shader Design Anti-aliasing Considerations

2D Compositing

2D File Formats Image Quality: Color Bit Depth and Concatenation Log vs. Linear Low Dynamic Range and High Dynamic Range Images Mattes and Pre-Multiplied Alpha Working with Rendered CG Elements Integration Techniques

2.5D Compositing

Z-Depth Compositing Adding Depth of Field Adding Motion Blur Relighting

3D Compositing

Working with 3D Data in a Compositor Pan and Tile Camera Projections Set Extensions Coverage Mapping Cubical Camera Setup 3D Mattes 3D Retouch and Cleanup Adjusting Camera Moves Particles Deep Compositing

Crowd Generation and Simulation Techniques

Live-Action Replication Sprites Computer-Generated Crowds Modeling for Replication Variation Mesh Density Animation Cycles for Replication Motion Capture Keyframe Animation Dynamic Motion Synthesis Behaviors and Crowd Control

CG Prosthetics and Actor Enhancements

On-Set Tracking and Capture Considerations Eye Enhancements 3D Techniques 2D Techniques 2.5D Techniques Silhouette Changes Re-Projection

3D Products, Systems, and Software

Digital Element Creation Process 3D Graphics Software 3D Tracking Special Effects Rendering Texturing

CHAPTER 8: INTERACTIVE GAMES

Overview How the Gaming Industry and Film/TV Industries are different Game Engines and Real-Time Rendering

Runtime Component

Disciplines and Job Titles

Game Design Engineering Production Test Art The Art Director Concept Art Environment Artists Texture Artist Characters Hard Modeling Props Lighting Baked vs. Dynamic Lighting Shadows Effects System Effects Environmental FX Breakables Destruction Tech Artist Animation UI

Real Time Shaders and Materials Pre-Rendered Cinematics vs. Real Time Visuals Optimization and Runtime Budgets Performance Analysis and Profiling

CPU vs. GPU bound

Technical Terminology

User Calibration Latency “Game Mode” on Televisions HDR10 PBR – Physically Based Rendering FBX Mip Mapping Filtering Texel Screen Space Ambient Occlusion Level of Detail Vertex Shaders and Fragment Shaders

AR/VR Future of Gaming

On-Demand Rendering, Cloud Distribution and Ray Tracing

CHAPTER 9: COMPLETE ANIMATION

What Is An Animation Project?

Full Animation versus Visual Effects

Difference Between Visual Effects and Animation

Production Pipelines Production

A Survey and History of Animation Techniques

Traditional Animation Stop-Motion Computer Graphic Technology

Considerations for a Full CG-Animated Feature Pipeline

CG Feature Animation Pipeline

Managing an Animated Film

Film Management and Personal Style Building Brain Trusts Building the Core Creative Team Writing and Visual Development Working with a Studio Facilities and Environment Managing the Event

The Production Process: An Animator’s Perspective

Working on CG-Animated Content in Live-Action Features Planning the Process Production Character and Environment Interaction

CHAPTER 10: GENERAL WORKFLOW CONSIDERATIONS

Virtual Studio Technology Analysis of A Production Workflow

From Workflow to Pipeline Service Bureau versus In-House Requirements

Design of a Production Workflow

From Analysis to Design

Deploying a Production Workflow

From Design to Implementation

Infrastructure Tracking Assets

What is Task and Asset Tracking? Commercial Task and Asset Tracking Systems Building Task and Asset Tracking Systems

Scene Assembly

3D Scene Assembly 2D Scene Assembly (Compositing)

Working Across Multiple Facilities

Images Models Texturing Animation Compositing R&D

CHAPTER 11: VR/AR (VIRTUAL/AUGMENTED REALITY)

A Note from the Editors Prelude to Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Pre-Production for VR/AR Production for VR/AR Post-Production for VR/AR Editorial Post-Production for VR/AR

How to Direct the Viewer? The Post-Process Nonlinear Editorial, Timelines and Edits World Lock and Forced Perspective

Types of Head-Mounted and Handheld Displays

What are the HMD and the “VR Presence”? Electronical Designs of HMDs and their Respective Performances Optical Designs of HMDs and their Respective Usages Image Quality Factors in VR HMD Displays

Hemispheres and Domes

Game Mechanics Are What it is All About Overcoming Doubt and Preconceived Notions Dome Projections The Future of Domes

VR/AR Tracking Displays Uses of VR

Enterprise Narrative Storytelling

Future of VR and AR

This is Just the Beginning

Acknowledgments Appendix A: Charts and Formulas Appendix B: Credits/Titles to Be Submitted in Accordance with VES Guidelines Appendix C: Glossary Index

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