… for Visual Effects

Tip #709: Lifesaving VFX Tips

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

5 Tips to Simplify VFX Shots

This article, written by Eran Dinur, first appeared in NoFilmSchool.com. This is an excerpt. Eran Dinur’s experiences as a visual effects supervisor who works on a variety of film and TV projects caused him to write “The Filmmakers Guide to Visual Effects.”

Here are five VFX tips to consider.

1. Be careful with tracking markers. Any markers not part of a VFX shot will need to be cleaned up in post later. There’s no need for markers if the camera doesn’t move during the shot.
2. Use green on green. The best color for tracking markers on a green screen is green (and blue for blue screens). Just make sure the markers are slightly brighter or darker than the screen itself (having a few types of green gaffer tape around is useful). If you can see the markers in the monitor, they are visible enough to be used for tracking
3. Successful crowd tiling can save money on extras. When you can’t afford hundreds of extras, crowd tiling is a great alternative. It is also much cheaper (and faster) than CG crowd simulations and digital doubles.
4. Beware of trying to fix shaky cam in post. Consider these two issues: First, every stabilization also requires a push in, and the bigger the shake, the tighter you’ll need to go. This means that on top of losing parts of the image, you also lose quality.
5. Keep safety wires behind the actors. Removing safety wires and rigs is standard VFX fare. But not all wire removal shots are equal, and some can turn out to be very difficult and expensive. If wires (or other parts of the rig) cross in front of the actor, it will take some difficult reconstruction of the actor’s moving face, body, and clothing to remove them.

The other, even more significant problem is the fact that stabilization can eliminate the motion, but not the motion blur (there really is no trick in the VFX book to kill motion blur in the footage).

EXTRA CREDIT

Eran’s second 5 tips are in Tip #710. His complete article – and book – are worth reading.

… for Visual Effects

Tip #711: 5 Tips for Getting a Job in VFX

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Visual effects jobs are everywhere, but so’s the competition. These tips help you get ahead.

This article first appeared in CGSpectrum.com. This is an excerpt.

Visual effects jobs are everywhere. Many movies, TV shows, ads and video games depend on VFX to tell their story. These days, almost every major show out there has some level of VFX. However, VFX is an extremely competitive market, so here are some tips to help you get ahead.

1. Go to a school that specializes in visual effects. This is one of the best ways to gain a foothold in this type of career.
2. Strive to be the best at your craft.
3. Create an amazing showreel of your best work. When applying for visual effects jobs, your showreel will often be the first thing a recruiter sees. Be unique with your showreel, grab the recruiter’s attention and keep it.
4. Never stop looking for inspiration. Continue to grow by feeding off your ideas. Don’t be afraid to try new things, they may not always work, but you’ll never know until you investigate them. When things start to get dull, you need to look for things you may have overlooked before.
5. Be a great team player. One person can make or break a team. Be conscious of your attitude towards the people around you and what you’re working on. Don’t be afraid to have someone critique your work and vice versa.

EXTRA CREDIT

The article, linked above, contains videos expanding on these ideas.

… for Visual Effects

Tip #673: Create VFX in Photoshop

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Photoshop is great for adding shapes and textures, but not for rotoscoping video.

This article, written by Audrey Ember, first appeared in PremiumBeat.com. This is an excerpt.

Here are a few Photoshop tricks you can pull off to quickly and easily add a little life to your video projects. Use these for specific shots, don’t try editing video in Photoshop.

To start, switch to Window > Workspace > Motion. This displays a timeline at the bottom of the interface.

Things You Can Do

• Add Color and Texture. Use different brushes to create shading and highlights.
• Create Interesting Titles or Text Overlays. In Photoshop, the possibilities are endless, whether it’s creating unique shapes or adding textures to text or backgrounds.
• Use Animations to Add Emphasis and Interest. Add different designs to emphasize movement and create a more stylized looks to the background.

EXTRA CREDIT

The original article has videos that show the results of these tips.

… for Visual Effects

Tip #679: 9 Free After Effects Templates

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Cool Stuff to Improve Your Projects

This article, written by Annie St. Cyr, first appeared in PremiumBeat.com. This is an excerpt.

1. 9 Digital Distortions. The digital distortions template allows you to simply drag and drop your footage into the composition and play with the motion parameters to get Noise, Color Boxes, Flicker, Tuning, Turbulence, Pixel Blending, Rolling Bars, Chromatic Aberration, and Color TV Pixels.
2. The Anamorphic Look. The wider visuals of the anamorphic lens can add drama to your travel video or help draw focus to a character or element of a video you’d like to feature more prominently. This juxtaposition of usefulness has made the anamorphic highly sought after.
3. Free Action Effects. Fire is one of the most difficult elements to pull off digitally. This free Action Elements Pack can be used in any NLE or motion graphics software. Adjusting the scale, motion parameters and alpha channels will provide you with some solid fire and explosion effects. It’s better than any fire template I have seen. These elements look much more realistic and require much less render time.
4. Animated Fonts. With over 43 unique compositions, this animated font After Effects template can make any information much more invigorating. This skill is essential for your motion graphics tool kit. You never know when you might need a few animated letters or numbers to spice up your next edit.
5. VHS Distortion. Just like the digital distortions pack, this free After Effects template allows you to recreate the look of an old VHS tape. Once again, all you have to do is drag and drop your footage. You can even customize the text. This template does require you to download a free font as well.
6. Free HUD Elements. If you are looking for that futuristic HUD aesthetic this free After Effects template is for you. Below is a tutorial for how to create a Spider-Man: Homecoming-inspired look, but these HUD elements have a multitude of uses.
7. Dynamic Car Gauges. Now that so many car commercials have gone digital, every video editor needs digital assets for commercial work and promos. With these 16 free After Effects car gauges, you can easily create a custom gauge for your car work. The download also includes 9 free sound effects.
8. 20 Free Color Grading Presets. If you aren’t a color grading expert but want to add a great custom look to your footage, these 20 free AE color grading presets are fantastic. Each color grade adds a unique style and tone to your films and commercials. Check out all twenty presets in this video.
9. Split Layers.If you aren’t the best with motion graphics, this free After Effects template instantly creates split layers to splice up your images or video. You just drop your footage into the project and select which of the nine types of layers you want.