VFX Pipeline

Research and Development:

Since our shoot was very similar to a short skit, I looked into some indie projects on Youtube, finding media that was similar to our own was difficult, however I found a few videos on channels such as Tomska from a few years ago that I really liked the look of. Even the effect of cloning was used in one of his videos and looked great.

Reference Images:

Reference images are used to get a rough idea of what the scene will look like on the whole, it helps to see if areas will look a mess and if it will suit the project. Since we used our classroom we didn't really need reference images, I moved the camera around to get the cleanest-looking shot, but other than that we had an idea of what the outcome would be.

Pre-Vis:

We used Maya to plan out a scene for a project before we changed the whole idea. Pre-Vis is where you use a program to get a layout of the scene, for example we modelled a rough bar/saloon for our previous project. It helps get an idea of what the final project will look like and helps in editing.

Modelling:

Modelling is used to make objects for a scene and are usually used for items in the background, or used to replicate objects such as cars in an action scene. We didn't use any models for our shoot because the classroom had more than enough, however I have personally used plenty of models for other projects that could easily fit into a scene.

LIDAR:

LIDAR, (Light and Radar) is used for reference on a larger scale to get a reference. It was used in the Avengers to get a reference of what the city looked like, they did this by flying a helicopter around and getting a radar image. We obviously don't have the ability to use this, nor do we need to right now.

Film Scans:

Film Scans are used to get footage from a reel of film, many companies will use film varying from 70mm to 15mm and more, films such as Star Wars used 70mm film. We didn't use film, and instead decided on digital cameras which are more than suitable for the projects we were working on.

Look Development:

Look development is getting a shot to look the way you want it, making sure that all the shots have the correct feel to match the project settings. We didn't have to do this for our project, but perhaps in the future I'll try it if I work on something large enough.

Lighting and Rendering:

Lighting and rendering is a process used in post to get the lighting correct and to ensure that materials suit the project, an example is making sure a light reflects of a metal correctly and making sure the metal looks high quality. I didn't use lighting or rendering for this project, however I have used it in previous works and plan to use it in the future as well.

Texturing:

To texture a model you need to open up a program such as 3ds max and use a UV unwrap tool to get a net-like image which you can apply texture to. Using something like photoshop you then add a texture to the net and then apply the net to the model, if its all correct then the model should have a nice texture on all faces.

Rigging:

Rigging is used after modelling and is used to animate the model, every model has some form of skeleton which can be moved around. It makes animating the model easier than just moving faces or edges. We haven't used it yet, however I'd like to get into it in a future project.

Tracking:

Tracking is used during moving shots to keep objects in place and to track movements. It can be used for a model that is added in post to keep it in place when the camera is moving. It is also used to track an actors face before adding an overlay such as the one used in Pirates of the Caribbean for Davey Jones. We have used tracking to keep a cup still in a shot and to put a hat on a mans head when the shot is moving.

Effects Animation:

Effects Animation is used to add effects such as dust clouds or speckles on the screen, it is meant to be more immersive to the viewer and is added in post. I haven't used it yet but a recent project may need it.

Grading:

Grading is a technique that involves enhancing a colour in a scene to match the projects atmosphere, for example a depressing scene may highlight the deep blues and greys, while a more upbeat scene may highlight the reds and yellows to make the scene feel warmer. I've used this in some projects outside of college, but not much.

Rotoscoping:

Rotoscoping involves an animator drawing over the characters shot by shot, I haven't used it in any of my projects thus far, but may in the future.

Elemental Shoot:

Elemental Shoot is where you record the elements, (rain, fire, etc) an use them in a project, it could be just recording a rainstorm on a phone and using that. Mad Max used an iPhone 6 to record fire and it was used in the final cut. I'm unsure when I'll use this, or if I'll even use it in the future.

Plate Preparation:

After all the shots have been taken you go through all of them and remove things that wont make it, anything such as rubbish, or dirt that won't make the final cut are then removed. Advertisements are also removed. I've used a variation of this method to remove some HUD with gameplay recordings and I'll more than likely use it in future projects.