Visual Effects for Film and Television

Visual Effects for Film and Television

by Mitch Mitchell
Released July 2013
Publisher(s): Routledge
ISBN: 9781136054655

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Book description

* An invaluable insight into the use of visual effects in film and television
* Fully illustrated with diagrams to show you step-by-step techniques
* Covers visual effects processes from front-of-camera to post-production
* Integrated approach to film, video and digital techniques
* Redefines the rules of photography so that they can be broken for effects
* Shows the line of development from the oldest to the newest processes
* A must for cinematographers, editors, designers and students of VFX alike
* Everything you need to know to plan and supervise visual effects shots
* Essential reading for anyone working in commercials/advertising photography or effects

Written by an experienced professional, this manual is the essential guide to understanding the principles and background of modern visual effects.

Visual effects are at the forefront of a digital revolution in the film and video industry and are becoming more and more important to movie language. This book teaches the practical techniques and skills required to incorporate effects successfully into both film and television production.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Halftitle
  3. Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Acknowledgement
  7. A note from the author
  8. 1. Introduction
    1. What makes an effect ‘special’?
    2. Why create ‘effects’?
    3. Film, video, digital and string
    4. Film
      1. Video
      2. Conclusion
    5. Stocks and formats
    6. Film formats
      1. Film stocks
      2. Video formats
    7. Methods of creating visual effects
  9. 2. Photography for effects
    1. Camera parameters
    2. The lens
      1. The shutter/pulldown system
      2. Video shutter and speed
      3. Filters and lens attachments
      4. Other image enhancements
    3. Temporal manipulation
    4. Stop frame/motion animation
      1. Timelapse
      2. Timeslice
    5. Miniatures
    6. Visual effects shooting toolkit
  10. 3. Imaging without a camera
    1. Film
    2. Direct application
      1. Photogrammetry
      2. Chemical applications
    3. Non-photographic photography
    4. Video
    5. Digital
  11. 4. Front of camera
    1. Optical effects
    2. Filtration
    3. Masks and vignettes
    4. The glass shot
    5. Photo cut-outs and hanging miniatures
    6. Mirrors
      1. Special processes using mirrors
  12. 5. Composite photography
    1. Mixes and supers
      1. Film multiple imaging
      2. Video superimposition
    2. Matte and split-screen
      1. Video/digital switch and wipes
    3. Rephotography/re-recording
      1. Film rephotography
      2. Video re-recording
  13. 6. Combined action with pre-shot backgrounds
    1. Physical backgrounds
    2. Shooting backplates
    3. Background (scenic) projection
      1. Rear projection
      2. Front projection
      3. Miniature projection
    4. Large-screen video (including video projection)
  14. 7. Self-matting processes
    1. Brightness separation matte
    2. Multiple run mattes
    3. Colour separation matting
      1. Film historic
      2. Video historic
      3. Choice of formats
      4. Choice of keying colour
      5. Creating the backing
      6. Lighting and setting up
      7. Steps for a basic colour screen shot
      8. Complex colour screen shots
      9. Staging colour screen shots
      10. Special uses of blue/green screen processes
      11. Compositing colour screen shots
      12. Difference matting
  15. 8. Computer-based systems and techniques
    1. Computers – external processes (for control)
    2. Recording/post systems
      1. Camera systems
    3. Computer-controlled camera movement
    4. Computers – internal processes (for digital imaging)
    5. Formats
      1. Input to digital world
      2. Output to analogue
      3. Digital image manipulation
      4. 2D digital image manipulation
      5. Compositing software
      6. New life into old methods
      7. Perfecting the illusion
    6. 3D computer-generated imaging (CGI)
      1. Digitizing (getting information into the computer)
      2. Rendering (getting the images out of the computer)

Product information

  • Title: Visual Effects for Film and Television
  • Author(s): Mitch Mitchell
  • Release date: July 2013
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781136054655