T0825 - fxphd Background Fundamentals 204

We wanted to lay out the game ahead in more detail than we ever have before - since people have asked for a tad more of an idea of the direction and focus of the future Background Fundaments. Based upon feedback from students, this new term and the following term’s Background Fundamentals will concentrate on the visual effects knowledge and tasks that artists run into on a daily basis - focused on method and theory not individual applications. Over the next two terms we will be covering all the cool and no so cool but important things that come up. From label replacement, matching 3D and live action, keying and lighting, and even some 3D stereoscopic effects. In each case we will try and make the class self contained to that week, while addressing real world shots, with an eye to both budget and timescale. Yes we will even try and budget and cost shots as we go. Plus we get to fly in helicopters and stick needles our (digital eyes). - We hope this will be the most hands on and fun BKD yet.

If you like the challenges in Term 3 - you’ll really enjoy this new term. Classes will either be HOW to approach a shot, or be part of our new one off ON SET specials showing how to work on set and on loaction. We figured we’d pepper the course with these ON SET specials as it they been popular in the past - and it is important to get our of the dark suite and always keep in mind practical options of things you can do on set. You will once again get material to download and work with - and we will have more of our rapid real world challenges. We recommend The Encyclopedia of Visual Effects by Damien Allen as an accompanying textbook for this course, and the next. It is not mandatory, but it will serve as a great reference and provide additional source material to practice with, including material from ILM.

Class 1: Poking your eye out - worked example
Class 2: Wire Removal - how to approach it
Class 3: Working in Space
Class 4: Working with 3D passes and practical tricks
Class 5: Making it work in stereo. Stereoscopic comps
Class 6 - On-Set 1: Helicopter shooting
Class 7 - On-Set 2: Digital camera workflow
Class 8: Comping into stock footage - worked example:
Class 9: Selling a Shot: Stunts and comping
Class 10:Keying tricks and theory of how to approach a difficult shot.