… for Visual Effects

Tip #1731: Do Filmmakers REALLY Need 12K?

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Shooting 12K is like shooting multiple cameras for the price of one.

Frames indicating (from center) UHD, 6K, 8K and 12K frame sizes. (Image courtesy of Frame.io.)

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This article, written by Bryant Frazer, first appeared in the Frame.io blog. This is a summary.

In the early days of digital cinematography, it seemed like 2K might be enough for digital cinema and HD would be a decades-long standard for broadcast. But soon enough, Hollywood studios started finishing at 4K. And streamers like Netflix and Amazon Prime made 4K a new delivery standard for the era of peak TV.

Then Blackmagic Design forced the question of frame size last year with the introduction of the URSA Mini Pro 12K: How many Ks do we really need? What kind of situations need almost ten times the resolution of UHD?

Think about the 20-foot-high LED walls that are used for Mandalorian-style productions, where multiple shots are stitched together to create an ultra-high-resolution wraparound virtual set. Or massive outdoor screens that require similarly huge amounts of detail to make an impact.

In essence, shooting 12K is like having multiple cameras on location for the price of one (though, of course, lens choice will impact the creative possibilities of the shot tremendously.)

The article then goes into a detailed look at the new color sensor in the Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 12K camera. It doesn’t use a Bayer pattern, instead, it uses a new image sensor that provides more accurate color.

The article next explores the benefit of using Blackmagic RAW as a codec, because much of the image processing is handled on camera, rather than requiring massive data pipelines in post-production.

VFX cinematographers are among the early adopters of this new 12K workflow, since increased resolution translates directly to higher-quality imagery, especially when creating blue-screen or green-screen composites.

Higher resolution yields higher-quality mattes.

EXTRA CREDIT

The article goes into more detail, with illustrations and examples of this new technology. Here’s the link.


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Tip #1704: VFX for LED Walls Course

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Designs for artists created effects for LED walls.

Image courtesy of VFX Technologies.

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VFX Technologies announces their first Virtual Production interactive course!

The adoption of Virtual Production has skyrocketed during the pandemic, and as LED walls are being utilized all over the world, the need for artists who can operate them is growing.

This in-person course covers everything there is to know about LED wall setups for Virtual Production. By taking part in this event, you will be a part of a select few who get to see and interact with this technology firsthand.

This course is suitable for someone who is looking to better understand the technology behind LED walls and the use cases for them.

NOTE: The announcement did not indicate if there is a fee, but the implication is that there is not.

Here’s the link.


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Tip #1708: More Efficient Invisible Effects

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

As effects become more invisible, new tools are needed.

Content-aware fill in Adobe After Effects.

Topic $TipTopic

This article, written by Trevor Hogg, first appeared in VFXVoice.com. This is an excerpt.

Despite the ability to create fantastical worlds and creature digitally, the majority of the work for the visual effects industry is focused on making unnoticeable alterations, whether painting out rigging, extending sets and locations, or doing face replacements for stunt doubles. Leading the we in creating the tools and technology to create and execute these invisible effects are software companies Autodesk, Adobe, Foundry and SideFX, along with Epic Games and Cinefade.

Where the technology has evolved most recently is with in-camera visual effects. “It’s a process that is changing the future of all visual effects,” notes David Morin, Industry Manager for Media & Entertainment at Epic Games. “With in-camera visual effects, the greenscreen is replaced with LED displays on set while shooting live-action elements. This can enable in-camera capture of both practical and digital elements, giving the director and cinematographer more access to the final look of a scene earlier than ever before. This is an important step forward for invisible effects.”

“I look at machine learning as the assistant you wish you could hire rather than the thing that is going to replace you. We don’t want to replace people with robots,” said Victoria Nece, Senior Product Manager, Motion Graphics and Visual Effects, Adobe

“Creating invisible effects has always been much of the ‘bread and butter’ of Foundry tools, including Nuke, Katana, Mari, and even in the early days of Foundry’s Furnace toolset for rig removal and clean-up tasks,” states Christy Anzelmo, Senior Director of Product at Foundry. “Nuke’s underlying ethos is to give the artist technical and creative control of what is happening in their shot to achieve those high-quality results.”

EXTRA CREDIT

The article includes a variety of interviews from leading softare developers, along with production stills showing the process in action.


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… for Visual Effects

Tip #1709: Being Queer in… Motion Design

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Stories of the queer experience in the creative industries.

Image courtesy of Motionographer.com.

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Motionographer has created a new series: “Being Queer in…” They have “hand-selected some incredible people to tell their stories and give us candid accounts of the queer experience in the creative industries. Being Queer in… is inspiring, raw, and dripping with authenticity.” (This is an excerpt.)

NOTE: Here’s the link.

For our first article, we spotlight the queer experience in Motion Design. To help us, we’ve enlisted Ed Kevill-Davies, Senior Motion Graphics Artist at Coffee and TV. Ed shares his journey giving us a window into the life of a gay man navigating his way through the industry.

You can file this one under “essential reading.”


I came out as gay in the mid-noughties at the age of 22. It’s funny, within my queer friendship group, we joke that at some point or another, whether on a date, or outside a club, or at a dinner, we’ll always find an opportunity to share our “coming out stories.” To those of us in the queer community, they are recollections of the moment we changed our lives forever, when we took a leap into the terrifying unknown, regardless of what the consequences might be. Will my family reject me? Will the people I love stop loving me? Will I fit in? How will it affect my career?

My coming out story certainly isn’t a best-seller – I did it in a restaurant with my parents. Strangely, I had met the waiter the night before on a dance floor in Soho, so I took that as a sign. I knew I was ready, but I was still terrified.

My mum cried (a lot) but was ultimately happy for me. My dad was supportive but found it hard to talk to me for a while. My friends were great, truly great, but their experience of the gay community was limited, so I went on a journey to find some answers that might help me navigate this new life for myself. I became very good at going to clubs on my own and making friends with people. It was exciting, and it was scary.

Around this time, I discovered another thing that was to become a huge part of my identity: Motion Design.

Read the rest here.


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Tip #1691: Monogram Now Integrates with Final Cut Pro

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Monogram’s control surface supports Final Cut Pro and Premiere Pro.

Monogram controls surfaces for color grading. (Image courtesy of Monogram)

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As first reported by ProVideo Coalition, Monogram announced this month that the company worked directly with CommandPost to add incredible functionality between Monograms modular control surface and Final Cut Pro (FCP). The FCP integration with Monogram via CommandPost makes color grading significantly more precise and productive than with a mouse and keyboard.

Here are some of Monograms’ key features as presented by the company:

  • The Orbiter module is one of a kind. The pressure sensitive disc in the middle paired with the outside infinite encoder ring makes for incredibly precise adjustments in tasks    like color grading or tonal adjustments a breeze
  • It can easily shave hours off of editing time, plus with the physical controls it helps you stay focused on your work instead of looking at software UI like adjustment panels.
  • We’ve worked with the Adobe team, Capture One team and Final Cut Pro team to create fantastic integrations with the most popular creative applications used by professionals.

Monogram worked with Commandpost.io to beta test their newly developed integration between Monogram Creative Console and Final Cut Pro. The new integration supports:

  • Grading controls: Color wheels and color boards
  • Inspector and compositing controls: Position, anchor, crop, scale, opacity, and rotation
  • Timeline controls: Jog, nudge, select items, and blade
  • Additionally: any menu item or key command assignable in Final Cut Pro
  • Because this was built upon CommandPost’s incredible macOS automation tools, says the company, it’s a more capable integration than anything previously offered for Palette or Monogram + Final Cut.

EXTRA CREDIT

Read the ProVideo Coalition article here.

Learn more about Monogram here.


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Tip #1692: 61 Seconds of Beautiful Nonsense

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Let’s be humorous and dance with the fruits!!

Composite image from “Fruitless,” from Yeti Pictures.

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Fruitless, a 2020 Motion Awards Winner, is a 61-second short form project “exploring novel aesthetics, production methodologies and/or technologies.” In other words, it’s a bit weird.

DESCRIPTION

As the summer is getting closer, we felt the heat and changed our diet into a massive fruit daily attack. We are not used to pop colors and playful tastes, so it was a great challenge to stay disciplined on our new daily routine. This is the moment where we decide to have fun with our situation and try to see the bright side of it. Let’s be humorous and dance with the fruits!!

YETI Pictures handled the direction, design, animation and simulation duties, using Cinema 4D, Octane Render, XParticles, Realflow and TFD.

Watch it here.

EXTRA CREDIT

Motionographer.com is celebrating all the winners by displaying their work. Here’s the link.


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Tip #1693: Top 15 After Effects Alternatives

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

After Effects is great, but not perfect. Here are some alternatives.

Image courtesy of Pexels.com.

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This article first appeared in MotionArray.com. This is a summary.

After Effects is an amazingly powerful piece of software, but there are many reasons why you might want to look for an alternative; perhaps AE doesn’t suit your budget, or you can’t achieve what you want to within the program. There are many tools and plugins that can help increase After Effect’s capabilities, but there are also a lot of other programs you could use instead. In this guide, we’re going to talk you through 15 alternatives for Adobe After Effects and what might just make them better.

Here’s the list – and the article includes a video, pricing, supported platforms and best use examples for each of these software tools.

  1. Natron
  2. Blackmagic Fusion Studio 17
  3. Wondershare FilmoraPro
  4. Moovly
  5. Nuke
  6. HitFilm Express
  7. Apple Motion
  8. HitFilm Pro
  9. Sony Vegas Post Suite
  10. Blender
  11. Pixel Conduit
  12. Corel VideoStudio Pro X6
  13. PowerDirector
  14. Autodesk Smoke
  15. Wax

The second part of this article, linked above, provides recommendations on how to select the best alternative for the work you need to get done.


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Tip #1659: 12 Principles of Animation – From Disney

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

These twelve principles underlie all animation.

Image courtesy of DesignBuckle.com.

Topic $TipTopic

This article, written by Anne Mirrop, first appeared in DesignBuckle.com. This is a summary.

Recently, Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas wrote a book: “The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation.” DesignBuckle reported on the twelve principles of animation that the two authors spent the book discussing.

NOTE: The first animated film with sound was “Steamboat Willie” by Walt Disney, produced by Walt Disney Studios in 1928.

If you’re an aspiring animator, you’ve probably heard the spiel about going back to the animation basics, starting with the twelve rules of animation. Why are these rules highlighted again and again? These principles established by Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas help new animators create realistic, relatable work that mimics real-life movements while making room for creativity. By mastering these principles, you will create a foundation that will make your work visually appealing and work in the eye of the beholder.

  • Rule 1: Squash and Stretch
  • Rule 2: Anticipation
  • Rule 3: Staging
  • Rule 4: Straight-Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose
  • Rule 5: Follow Through and Overlapping Action
  • Rule 6: Exaggeration
  • Rule 7: Solid Drawing
  • Rule 8: Slow In and Slow Out
  • Rule 9: Arc
  • Rule 10: Secondary Action
  • Rule 11: Timing
  • Rule 12: Appeal
  • Bonus Rule: Frame Rate

Those are the twelve rules of animation. These rules are foundational, bringing an animator back to the basics of animation and teaching the importance of believable movement while also emphasizing creative play. With the basics and creativity at your side, you can create characters with personality, movement, and style.

EXTRA CREDIT

The article includes descriptions and illustrations of each rule, along with a history of animation and in-depth discussion of animation styles and list of top animated films.


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Tip #1662: Dissecting “Jisei” – An Animated Short

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Animation requires tools, techniques, creativity and imagination. And lots of time.

Image courtesy of Motionographer.com.

Topic $TipTopic

Jisei is an animated short that turns reality on its head in fascinating ways, based on the poem: “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep.” Directed by Tom Teller and Julian Conner, it is currently featured on Motionographer.com.

In this article – link – they interview the two directors about the creative process for the work.

Tom describes Jisei is “an experimental short film that follows the recollection of one’s memories as they experience death. It was something we had wanted to make for a while. For better or for worse, we’re both fascinated with death; I’ve had a few close brushes with it between a pretty bad motorcycle crash and a plane landing gear failure. For me, this film was an effort to express some thoughts and feelings that crossed my mind in those moments.”

Julian continues: “After countless hours discussing the topic, we finally landed on the premise that the choices we make every single day of our lives compound on themselves, resulting in our impact on the world after we’re gone. It’s all connected, the places you’ve lived, the people you’ve met, the ideas you’ve had – and in Jisei, we chose to connect them quite literally with an astronaut’s tether.”

Tom: We started with Miro, an online whiteboard application, where we wrote down all of our initial concepts and ideas, pulled references from other pieces and drew mock-up scenes. We spent quite a bit of time iterating on the core concept and the message we were trying to send. After the narrative structure, we moved on to look-dev and animation. All of the CG was done in 3DS Max and rendered with V-Ray on GPU. For compositing, we used After Effects and Nuke.”

Julian: “We both have backgrounds in Photoshop and relied heavily on it during the initial concept stages. I would mock-up a frame and express my motivation behind the composition, and he would do the same. Before we began previs, I would be working with these boards in Adobe Premiere and automating some test animation that Tom would take much further in 3DS Max.”

The entire interview, along with production stills and the short film itself is covered here.


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Tip #1663: VFX in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

“The Falcon…” made extensive use of digital doubles.

To create the impression that the stationary trucks were going 120kms, Rodeo FX moved the road at the required speed while adding bits of rocks, dirt and dust being kicked up.

Topic $TipTopic

This article, written by Trevor Hogg, first appeared in VFXVoice.com. This is a summary.

Initially meant to be the first small-screen venture for Marvel Studios on Disney+, the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent production lockdown caused The Falcon and the Winter Soldier to follow after WandaVision.

In this interview with showrunner Malcolm Spellman, director Kari Skogland and VFX Supervisor Eric Leven, VFXVoice explores how the effects for this multimillion dollar series were created.

Eric Leven: “It wasn’t like we had to figure out a new look for an energy beam or something like that. It was to make this photographically real. … Just trying to figure out if you were shooting something for real, how would you photograph it? Where would the camera be? How fast would the camera be moving? We orchestrated two aerial units. We had a helicopter plate shoot in New York to capture plates for Episode 106 and then we had the skydiving unit for Episode 101. Stunt guys actually had a day when they went out on real trucks, drove down and pretended to fight just to see what that would look like.”

Key collaborators were Special Effects Supervisor Daniel Sudick and Supervising Stunt Coordinator Hank Amos. “The special effects department has done every Marvel movie, so they know how to do everything,” states Leven. “I remember talking to Hank Amos, the stunt coordinator, about a scene in the Hot Potato where it is scripted that there is a guy strapped to a skydiver and they’re going to jump out of the plane together. I asked him, ‘Do we need to put in a digital double on another guy’s back?’ He was like, ‘We can do that for real.’ The wingsuit pilots were phenomenal to watch. Not only are they making these incredible maneuvers in the air but also photographing themselves doing it with just the right camera angles and action, and doing multiple takes during the freefall.” Falcon (Anthony Mackie) flies through a helicopter to grab his intended target. “There are two parts to that,” Leven explains. “There is a wide shot where it is all digital. Then there is a closeup. We had the stuntman playing Captain Vassant sitting on a chair with a wire pull. He was pulled out and then we added a digital Falcon on top of that. Somewhere when he gets pulled out, we transition to a digital Captain Vassant. So easy!”

EXTRA CREDIT

The interview – linked above – contains extensive production stills, plus lots more detail on the VFX process for the film.


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