VFX

So this is the last post of work that I did last term (Term 2). This post is all about visual effects. Within the VFX stream, there are several essential areas of study. They are compositing, match moving, camera projection and green screen. I will only be showing you examples of the first three since I don't have any green screen work to show you (although I assume you already know what that is).

Compositing simply means combining all elements of a shot (footage, CG elements, simulations, etc.) into one image. Once everything is done a compositer would take the footage shot on the day and add in all CG elements and make sure they blend together. I never really had any compositing assignments because most of the things I did were in class and they are not super impressive. However, I have used these skills in my other assignments (below).

Match moving is the process of calculating the movement of a real camera used on set and using that data to recreate a digital camera that would move in the same way in digital space. This would allow you to recreate the scene in 3D and integrate your CG element with the correct scale, position, and rotation. This new 3D camera would move around the CG element as if it were shot with the original camera. Below are two small tests I did for my match moving classes. You might see a flash right when the video starts because at the front of the video there will be a frame showing the 3D object I tracked into the scene. You can ignore the flash.

This first one has some geo built in to mimic the ground plane (so I can add shadow from my CG objects) and other parts of the step. If this were a final shot, then these pieces of geometry would be removed (they are set up for shadows, casting reflection or receiving reflection).




In this next one I removed the geo that I created for shadows. You'll notice that my CG item becomes obstructed at one point. Geometry was put in to allow for this obstruction then taken out.




In both the last two cases I used my compositing skills to try to integrate the live action footage with the CG elements and trying to make them fit together. You be the judge of my success.

Finally we have camera projection. Camera projection is when you take one still image and project it onto geometry in 3D space so that you can do a camera move that will give the illusion of depth. The move is limited since at one point the illusion of this projection would break. This technique is used mostly for set extension purposes. Below is the image I started out with, and then after the video of it being camera projected.

Well I hope you enjoyed this VFX post. More are to come since this is what I am streaming into. Peace.