[digital] Visual Effects and Compositing

In this latest book in the critically-acclaimed [digital] series from New Riders you’ll learn all of the techniques and skills that will take you from beginner to visual effects (VFX) professional in just one book. Seasoned visual effects producer Jon Gress has refined the teaching of the skills and techniques presented in this book for over a decade to distill them down to the most effective methodology, delivered in a way that’s both fun and easy to understand while being state-of-the-art for industry professionals. You’ll start with a solid understanding of the basics of visual effects and compositing, the fundamentals of bluescreen  and greenscreen keying, 3D texturing, cloning, wire & rig removal, rotoscoping, 2D and 3D motion tracking, and matchmoving. And then experiment with a wide range of 2D, 2.5D & 3D visual effects, including 3D CGI, crowd replication, face replacements, faking shadows, reflections and Z depth, atmospheric, smoke, cloud & heat FX, sky replacements, day-for-night and digital 3D HUD FX. Building on this strong foundation of compositing and visual effects, you’ll be prepared for the advanced section of the book which teach skills, such as 2D, 2.5D & 3D digital matte painting and projections, film colorization, particle systems, fluid and rigid body dynamics, full digital environments, digital destruction, advanced lighting and rendering techniques, stereoscopic 3D, 2D to 3D conversions, and expert 3D and Photoshop extraction and modeling techniques that can only be described as magic! Throughout the lessons, you’ll glean insider advice on cutting edge methods that even experienced professionals will find amazing. You’ll learn everything you need to know to begin working in the world of visual effects as an industry professional.

• All the info you need to go from beginner to professional in one book
• Easily accessible teaching style from an instructor who has helped launch the careers of some of the best-known Hollywood visual effects specialists
• Includes companion graphics files and videos to follow along with the lessons

Table of Contents

Part One: Concepts of Visual Effects and Compositing
Chapter One. Film and Video Primer Boot Camp for VFX
Chapter Two. Introduction to VFX: Advanced Photoshop for 3D, VFX, and Digital Compositing
Chapter Three. Rotoscoping, Motion Tracking, and 2D Matchmoving
Chapter Four. 3D for VFX

Part Two: Visual Effects Techniques
Chapter Five. VFX Techniques I: Basic Integration VFX
Chapter Six. VFX Techniques II: Advanced Integration and Card Trick VFX
Chapter Seven. VFX Techniques III: 3D VFX
Chapter Eight. VFX Techniques IV: 2.5D VFX
Chapter Nine. VFX Techniques V: Bread and Butter VFX

Part Three: Advanced Visual Effects Techniques
Chapter Ten. Advanced VFX Techniques I: Digital Matte Painting and Environment VFX
Chapter Eleven. Advanced VFX Techniques II: Beauty and Restoration VFX
Chapter Twelve. Advanced VFX Techniques III: Particle Systems, Dynamics, and Simulation VFX
Chapter Thirteen. Advanced VFX Techniques IV: Particle, Crowd, and Destruction VFX
Chapter Fourteen. Stereoscopic 3D and 2D to 3D Conversion VFX
Chapter Fifteen. Advanced VFX Techniques VI: Cutting-Edge 3D VFX

Appendix: The VFX Compositor’s Checklist and Other Resources