An essential quick reference which provides the latest techniques and practices in the area of special effects.

* 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.

The Filmmaker’s Guide to Visual Effects offers a practical, detailed guide to visual effects for non-VFX specialists working in film and television. In contemporary filmmaking and television production, visual effects are used extensively in a wide variety of genres and formats to contribute to visual storytelling, help deal with production limitations, and reduce budget costs. Yet for many directors, producers, editors, and cinematographers, visual effects remain an often misunderstood aspect of media production. In this book, award-winning VFX supervisor and instructor Eran Dinur introduces readers to visual effects from the filmmaker’s perspective, providing a comprehensive guide to conceiving, designing, budgeting, planning, shooting, and reviewing VFX, from pre-production through post-production. The book will help readers: Learn what it takes for editors, cinematographers, directors, producers, gaffers, and other filmmakers to work more effectively with the visual effects team during pre-production, on the set and in post, use visual effects as a narrative aid, reduce production costs, and solve problems on location; Achieve a deeper understanding of 3D, 2D, and 2.5D workflows; the various VFX crafts from matchmove to compositing; essential concepts like photorealism, parallax, roto, and extraction; become familiar with the most common types of VFX, their role in filmmaking, and learn how to plan effectively for the cost and complexity of VFX shots; See visual effects concepts brought to life in practical, highly illustrated examples drawn from the real-world experiences of industry professionals, and discover how to better integrate visual effects into your own projects.

First Published in 1996. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Avatar. Inception. Jurassic Park. Lord of the Rings. Ratatouille. Not only are these some of the highest-grossing films of all time, they are also prime examples of how digital visual effects have transformed Hollywood filmmaking. Some critics, however, fear that this digital revolution marks a radical break with cinematic tradition, heralding the death of serious realistic movies in favor of computer-generated pure spectacle. Digital Visual Effects in Cinema counters this alarmist reading, by showing how digital effects–driven films should be understood as a continuation of the narrative and stylistic traditions that have defined American cinema for decades. Stephen Prince argues for an understanding of digital technologies as an expanded toolbox, available to enhance both realist films and cinematic fantasies. He offers a detailed exploration of each of these tools, from lighting technologies to image capture to stereoscopic 3D. Integrating aesthetic, historical, and theoretical analyses of digital visual effects, Digital Visual Effects in Cinema is an essential guide for understanding movie-making today.

Creative Postproduction explains the creative aspects of film and video postproduction so as to enhance the understanding and appreciation of film and television. This text provides essential insight into the postproduction process for general film students; those headed for careers as directors, cinematographers, producers, or writers; and those who want to pursue a career in the area of postproduction itself. While focusing on the creative aspects, it discusses many technical considerations along the way and covers up-to-date technological developments. With clear language and a wealth of real-life experience, Creative Postproduction shows how creativity continues to the very end of the filmmaking process. Features: Written by four award-winning, working professionals in film and television, providing students with first-hand insight into the business. Includes comprehensive coverage of editing, sound and visual effects, postproduction processes, and film music, giving students a well-rounded view of the entire postproduction process. Provides current information on digital filmmaking, video, and other processes, which is of special interest to students who commonly use these media. Stresses the esthetic and creative aspects of film work after shooting is complete, an increasingly important aspect of filmmaking as more primary creation occurs in postproduction than ever before. Features an extensive glossary of postproduction terminology, giving students a resource to recent terminology that is not yet widely understood.

So you think you understand the film and VFX world? Think again! This book will turn everything you know on its head. Pierre Grage is a senior visual effects professional, who has worked on numerous blockbuster films including Avatar, Harry Potter 5 and Pacific Rim. In this book he lifts the lid on the multi-million dollar secrets of filmmaking and special effects. Prepare to discover: - The untold history of digital VFX - What Hollywood's real business model looks like - The true costs of movies and visual effects (you'll be shocked!) - Why evermore blockbuster movies are turning into box office failures - How the visual effects business turned from boom into bust - If Asia is set to take over the filmmaking industry - How the VFX industry really looks from the inside - An in-depth investigation on the current challenges of the film and VFX industry - Where the future of entertainment is heading And much, much more. Based on 10 years of research by working among the best, Pierre Grage describes in uncompromising detail how today's film business is facing its biggest challenges since the invention of TV. After reading Inside VFX you will never think of the movie and visual effects industry in the same way. Praise For Inside VFX: "Pierre Grage most certainly explains the issues that even a outsider can begin to understand. Grage shines a light on just why and how the movie business and the VFX "business" are so royally screwed up. This book, with its statistical analysis and commonsense approach, fully encapsulates the problems. It should be a primer for every student of VFX or animation, a must-read for anyone who works in the industry and, in fact, should be mandatory for every studio executive who might be "looking to put (yet another) VFX studio out of business." SCOTT ROSS -Co-Founder of Digital Domain and former CEO of Industrial Light & Magic, Sr VP Lucasfilm Ltd. "Inside VFX is a must-read for anyone interested in the film and VFX business. The amount of information Pierre Grage uncovers is groundbreaking. This is the one and only book about the film and VFX industry you need to read." MICHAEL PANGRAZIO -Co-Founder of Matte World Digital & Art Director for Weta Digital Ltd. "Over the past 30 years, digital visual effects has changed the art and science of making films. Inside VFX gives you the whole story and it's brutally honest. A must-read - not only but especially if you are working in the film and VFX industry." KIM DAVIDSON -Co-Founder & CEO of Side Effects Software "This book is an essential read for all artists, to understand how the VFX industry works so we can make a bigger impact and a bigger success within our careers. I thoroughly recommend Inside VFX as an essential resource for all VFX artists to both educate and adapt, to survive the ever changing VFX industry" ALLAN McKAY -VFX Supervisor "Pierre Grage's Inside VFX is an informative read looking at the visual effects industry from its earliest days up until today. If you want a look into the rich history and the many industry pressures found in today's Hollywood VFX industry, this is the book for you." JENN EPSTEIN -BECTU, Stage Screen & Radio, April/May 2015 Issue "Inside VFX is an eye-opener because it isn't about how to get into that world or a book about the mechanics of applying processes, this book is about how the movie industry works and just why they are made. What the book does is to teach us not only how important the world of VFX is, but also how things need to change in the industry." PAUL METCALF -Editor from Pissedoffgeek.com