Editorial Reviews
Product Description:Put the essential concepts and techniques of digital compositing to work for you without the need of a single mathematical equation. Compositing Visual Effects is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of film shots, figures, illustrations and diagrams to help the visual reader gain a valuable vocabulary and understanding of the full range of visual effects, in which digital compositing plays a key role.
Beginning with an inspirational tour of the scope and magnitude of digital compositing you get a solid overview of the kinds of digital effects routinely executed today. See how CGI (Computer Generated Image) is composited with live action, how set extensions are done, and what a match-move shot is. Following that, you learn each of the key applications of digital compositing, which include bluescreen compositing, bullet time shots, motion tracking, and rotoscoping, and you get a primer on digital images, key concepts, and terms used in the compositing process. The subsequent chapters dig down into each of the major digital compositing applications, introducing the fundamental concepts and processes behind them. This includes the many ways to composite CGI, bluescreen compositing, animation, creating masks, working with digital keyers, and many more; but most importantly, the art of digital compositing-making your shots look not just photorealistic, but cool.
Learn what is easy and hard, possible and impossible, and what to expect when working on a job that entails digital compositing. There are tips on when not to use the new low-end DV video cameras and tips for the client, such as guidelines on how to shoot a quality bluescreen or greenscreen to get the best results at compositing time. All the while, special attention is paid to defining new terminology and telling a clear story from the ground up, with the only requirement being that you have read the previous chapters.
* An accessible introduction to a complex subject for novice compositors
* Full color presentation illustrating the art and techniques of the practice
* An experienced book author of 20 years compositing experience; with 60 feature film credits including Vanilla Sky, X-Men 2, Swept Away, and Solaris
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
Connects the dots, November 24, 2009
By
S. TinskyI've been a self taught digital artist for the past 8 years. There's always been some concepts I haven't quite understood.
This book was fantastic in terms of it's clear explanations and visual demonstrations of all the concepts.
It really connected all the dots, I now have a really firm grasp on the subject and am ready to move on to
more complex subjects. I highly recommended it for beginners as well as people with intermediate knowledge of the subject.
Surprisingly useful, October 21, 2009
By
Arkady Dubinin (Russia)
I've purchased this book as first guide for beginners - new young artists at my VFX studio.
But I've found a lot of really interesting, useful and sometimes interesting items for myself - VFX Supervisor with 18 years of experience!
A Must Read for Teach-Yourself Types, November 19, 2008
By
Grant Beaudette (Missoula, MT United States)
Like a lot of people getting into visual effects, compositing, motion graphics and the like, I'm self-taught. Plenty of books and tutorials and trial and error, but no formal instruction. This book serves as a formal resource to help fill in the gaps of your own self-education.
"Compositing Visual Effects" is definitely as beginners book, covering the absolute basics of electronic imaging. Things like frame rates, aspect ratios, bit depths, film formats and elementary compositing techniques. Topics you may have a working knowledge of, but don't know the finer points of it all. Wright explains everything at the most basic level, giving us a more solid foundation to build upon.
I can personally say now that knowing the actual math that goes into a certain blending mode is much more helpful than just trying them all out and guessing at which one I should use.
Wright also takes us through some of the basic tasks a compositor faces (dust removal, color correction, etc...) and overviews the steps and thought process to take to accomplish them.
Again, "Compositing Visual Effects" is beginners book, although a very thorough one. After reading this book, I can't say I know all that much more than I did before. But I am sure that now I know it all better.
CASH MAKING ADVICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!, October 6, 2008
By
Angel J. Ortiz (Riverside, CA United States)
All I can say is that my project fees have tripled by adding motion graphics and using an ipod Touch to show clients the completed video segments to seal the deal and get a check in hand for such profesionalism.
Great Book!, August 26, 2008
By
Will Thomas (Houston, Texas United States)
Great book for anyone who wants to get an understanding of Visual Effects.
Steve Wright's book explains a lot of techniques that are used on many films today.
