Sunday, January 24, 2010
Multiply Effect - Vfx Shot of the week #4
The multiply effect. I shot the character several times in front of the blue screen, and composited them together. I used the burn film effect several times. This is a continuation to the blue screen test and glowing red eyes effects.
I did these in after effects. The dungeon set I made in a 3D program called Maya. If you want an After Effects or Maya tutorial let me know. If you think you could do better, do it a post it as a video response. =D
-NinjaTronix a.k.a. TheFilmNinja
http://www.TronixProductions.com/
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Re: How many 3D/Vfx artists do I need for my film?
I was asked by Jesse Pickett. How many 3D/Vfx artists would I recommend for their film? The caliber and workload of his film he decribes compares to the new Star Trek (2009) film.
My response was.
Well how many vfx/3D artists depends on your budget.
If you want it to be the same calibur as the movie star trek, and you had there budget. You could just do what Paramount Pictures did, hire Industrial Light & Magic and Digital Domain to do the effects for the movie. They had 430 effects artists work on that movie, and they had over a 1,000 effects shots to do for the movie.
If you want to get the same quality with a very low budget. There are many things we'd have to keep in mind.
1. Total number of effects shots.
2. How many shots are shot on location and how many of them is to be recreated in front of a green screen.
3. With the number of green screen shots how many need 2D tracking and how many need 3D tracking. (nodal pan vs freehand camera moves.)
4. How well is each shots info is recorded for example tracking could alot faster and easier if the fx artist knows the the camera height, the camera lense used at the time, the distances between the markers, the distances of the subject and camera in relation to the camera.
5. The quality of the camera used.
6. Total number of Cg Characters.
7. What are some special requirements of each character.
8. How detailed is each character.
9. Total seconds of Character animation.
10. What are the actions of each character
Run cycles cost more then a character just sitting down and looking around.
Also run cyles for a quadruped would cost more then a run cycle for a biped
11. How many explosions, ice shattering, avalanches, muzzle fires, blood spatter type effects will be needed for the movie.
12. We'd also need to know the abilities and cost of each artist.
And I'm sure there's a lot more the plays into it, but thats just what I could think of for now.
In order to help estimate an accurate budget for the film I'd need to see, review, and discuss every shot with you in pre-production the script and a very detailed storyboard. Even then it would be a pretty broad estimate.
During the production stage I'd be able to give you a better estimate for your film after reviewing the shots taken. Weather or not the the tracking markers are trackable or has too much motion blur that more work is needed to matchmove. Weather or not certain shots require alot of rotoscoping. Where the Cg character are and how much animation is required.
In post production I could help give you an even better estimate once I know what 3D artists you've found. What there abilities and skill levels are, and how much each one of them costs.
When you do look for 3D/Vfx artists be sure to be aware of not just what they can do be also what programs the use.
For example a general 3D App would be Maya and 3DS Max
This is usaully where everythings put together rigged, animated, and rendered. If you start looking for 3D artists most likely there gonna be using one of these two. I recommend if your choosing multiple 3D artists to make sure they all use Maya or All use 3DS Max so it'll easier for them to work together. I highly recommend Maya.
When going into very detailed realistic 3D models 3D artists use a digital sculpting program like ZBrush or Mudbox which they export displacement maps to Maya or 3DS Max. I highly recommend ZBrush.
For realistic particle effects like anything liquid, fire, sand, or snow, like the polar bear dissapating into snow. Your going to need someone who knows a program called Realflow, and you need to make sure that the guy doing the effects in Realflow tells the guy doing the character modeling if theres any requirements in the wireframe for the effect.
You need someone who could realistically composite everything together. There are many different compositing programs out there as well like After Effects, Shake, and Nuke. You need someone who knows compositing in depth, and he needs to know 2D and 3D tracking. He needs to communicate the different render passes from the 3D artists. A good compositer would want the passes like the specular and the shadows to be rendered separately. He need to know about depth passes for depth of field. He needs to know how to composite atmosphere and match film grain into the shot. He needs to sure the renders are rendered out with image based lighting, and ambient occulsion passes.
If I think of anything else that may help I'll let you know.
Thomas Ferrick
3D-Vfx Artist/Filmmaker
www.TronixProductions.com
My response was.
Well how many vfx/3D artists depends on your budget.
If you want it to be the same calibur as the movie star trek, and you had there budget. You could just do what Paramount Pictures did, hire Industrial Light & Magic and Digital Domain to do the effects for the movie. They had 430 effects artists work on that movie, and they had over a 1,000 effects shots to do for the movie.
If you want to get the same quality with a very low budget. There are many things we'd have to keep in mind.
1. Total number of effects shots.
2. How many shots are shot on location and how many of them is to be recreated in front of a green screen.
3. With the number of green screen shots how many need 2D tracking and how many need 3D tracking. (nodal pan vs freehand camera moves.)
4. How well is each shots info is recorded for example tracking could alot faster and easier if the fx artist knows the the camera height, the camera lense used at the time, the distances between the markers, the distances of the subject and camera in relation to the camera.
5. The quality of the camera used.
6. Total number of Cg Characters.
7. What are some special requirements of each character.
8. How detailed is each character.
9. Total seconds of Character animation.
10. What are the actions of each character
Run cycles cost more then a character just sitting down and looking around.
Also run cyles for a quadruped would cost more then a run cycle for a biped
11. How many explosions, ice shattering, avalanches, muzzle fires, blood spatter type effects will be needed for the movie.
12. We'd also need to know the abilities and cost of each artist.
And I'm sure there's a lot more the plays into it, but thats just what I could think of for now.
In order to help estimate an accurate budget for the film I'd need to see, review, and discuss every shot with you in pre-production the script and a very detailed storyboard. Even then it would be a pretty broad estimate.
During the production stage I'd be able to give you a better estimate for your film after reviewing the shots taken. Weather or not the the tracking markers are trackable or has too much motion blur that more work is needed to matchmove. Weather or not certain shots require alot of rotoscoping. Where the Cg character are and how much animation is required.
In post production I could help give you an even better estimate once I know what 3D artists you've found. What there abilities and skill levels are, and how much each one of them costs.
When you do look for 3D/Vfx artists be sure to be aware of not just what they can do be also what programs the use.
For example a general 3D App would be Maya and 3DS Max
This is usaully where everythings put together rigged, animated, and rendered. If you start looking for 3D artists most likely there gonna be using one of these two. I recommend if your choosing multiple 3D artists to make sure they all use Maya or All use 3DS Max so it'll easier for them to work together. I highly recommend Maya.
When going into very detailed realistic 3D models 3D artists use a digital sculpting program like ZBrush or Mudbox which they export displacement maps to Maya or 3DS Max. I highly recommend ZBrush.
For realistic particle effects like anything liquid, fire, sand, or snow, like the polar bear dissapating into snow. Your going to need someone who knows a program called Realflow, and you need to make sure that the guy doing the effects in Realflow tells the guy doing the character modeling if theres any requirements in the wireframe for the effect.
You need someone who could realistically composite everything together. There are many different compositing programs out there as well like After Effects, Shake, and Nuke. You need someone who knows compositing in depth, and he needs to know 2D and 3D tracking. He needs to communicate the different render passes from the 3D artists. A good compositer would want the passes like the specular and the shadows to be rendered separately. He need to know about depth passes for depth of field. He needs to know how to composite atmosphere and match film grain into the shot. He needs to sure the renders are rendered out with image based lighting, and ambient occulsion passes.
If I think of anything else that may help I'll let you know.
Thomas Ferrick
3D-Vfx Artist/Filmmaker
www.TronixProductions.com
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Glowing Red Eyes - Vfx Shot of the week #3
Glowing Red Eyes - Vfx Shot of the week #3
Put some more work onto the first two shots using a little bit on tint fom a hot spot from the wall.
The glowing red eyes didn't come out how I expected and at first felt like it was taking away from the shots. I actaully used an old lightsaber masking technique I knew. I thought I'd be able to get 2D tracking to do most of the work, but I I ended up need need to roto every point on every frame which was a pain, but it was only a 7 second clip so it wasn't too bad. Well I managed to roto the right eye before this weeks deadline the left eye needs alot more work.
If you subcribe by next week on vfx #4 I'll be continuing with these shoots with another effect and I'll have that left eye fixed. Also I noticed the light flickering only lasts a third of the extreme close up shot.
-NinjaTronix a.k.a. TheFilmNinja
http://www.TronixProductions.com
Put some more work onto the first two shots using a little bit on tint fom a hot spot from the wall.
The glowing red eyes didn't come out how I expected and at first felt like it was taking away from the shots. I actaully used an old lightsaber masking technique I knew. I thought I'd be able to get 2D tracking to do most of the work, but I I ended up need need to roto every point on every frame which was a pain, but it was only a 7 second clip so it wasn't too bad. Well I managed to roto the right eye before this weeks deadline the left eye needs alot more work.
If you subcribe by next week on vfx #4 I'll be continuing with these shoots with another effect and I'll have that left eye fixed. Also I noticed the light flickering only lasts a third of the extreme close up shot.
-NinjaTronix a.k.a. TheFilmNinja
http://www.TronixProductions.com
http://www.healthierhappierlife.com/
Today we celebrate the lauch of www.HealthierHappierLife.com This is a site built completely by Tronix Productions. The site was custom built using Joomla. HealthierHappierLife.com owned by a company called Pennie Sempell and company offers Cd's and Dvd's that teaches kids about health, happiness and relationships. There dvd set series soon to be launched combines award winning audio from The Best of Broadway and Beyond, and fun animation created by Tronix Productions.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A cool compositing reel I saw
Wow.. I found this compositing demo reel, and it's simply amazing..
http://vimeo.com/7145035
http://vimeo.com/7145035
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Blue Screen Digital Set Test - Vfx Shot of the week #2
Blue Screen Digital Set Test - Vfx Shot of the week #2
I shot the video using a Nikon D5000 Trying out my Blue Screen. I needed fire sound effects for the torches and lower and make noisier the specular map on the walls.
I included the light flickering on an adjustment layer so it effects both me and the enviroment.
Well not too bad for a first attempt on keying. The footage I was working with was pretty blown out and was a strech to composite into a dark environment. The room I set the lights in is really small so all the lights are really close. I plan to get some router speed control adapters so I could control the wattage and dim the lights. The 3D set also I didn't make to be photorealistic I just pulled it off of another 3D projects of mine. Also it's not done thats why I posted in work in progress I'll be building off this scene in my next post, but yea it isn't that great right now. What do you think it needs to be better? :=~ What can I do to make better? Anything constructive would be very much appreciated. :D
So far I tinted the fire more from a hot spot on the wall. Soften the keyed matte. And also pushed the light flicking adjustment layer that effects both me and the enviroment so it's more noticable in the next two scenes.
I'll be doing a breakdown episode of all the effects I did for the month so be sure to subcribe! =D
-NinjaTronix a.k.a. The Film Ninja
http://www.TronixProductions.com
I shot the video using a Nikon D5000 Trying out my Blue Screen. I needed fire sound effects for the torches and lower and make noisier the specular map on the walls.
I included the light flickering on an adjustment layer so it effects both me and the enviroment.
Well not too bad for a first attempt on keying. The footage I was working with was pretty blown out and was a strech to composite into a dark environment. The room I set the lights in is really small so all the lights are really close. I plan to get some router speed control adapters so I could control the wattage and dim the lights. The 3D set also I didn't make to be photorealistic I just pulled it off of another 3D projects of mine. Also it's not done thats why I posted in work in progress I'll be building off this scene in my next post, but yea it isn't that great right now. What do you think it needs to be better? :=~ What can I do to make better? Anything constructive would be very much appreciated. :D
So far I tinted the fire more from a hot spot on the wall. Soften the keyed matte. And also pushed the light flicking adjustment layer that effects both me and the enviroment so it's more noticable in the next two scenes.
I'll be doing a breakdown episode of all the effects I did for the month so be sure to subcribe! =D
-NinjaTronix a.k.a. The Film Ninja
http://www.TronixProductions.com
NinjaTronix Vs TheFilmNinja
On YouTube I have 3 channels
NinjaTronix is more for just posting my own stuff.
TheFilmNinja General stuff and Vlogs to the world
TronixProductions were I post finished Projects
I wanted to get BBoyTronix, but someone already took it. I've been posting my breaking dancing video for years on my NinjaTronix account before that guy took the BBoyTronix Channel..
NinjaTronix is more for just posting my own stuff.
TheFilmNinja General stuff and Vlogs to the world
TronixProductions were I post finished Projects
I wanted to get BBoyTronix, but someone already took it. I've been posting my breaking dancing video for years on my NinjaTronix account before that guy took the BBoyTronix Channel..
Dragonballs - Vfx shot of the week #1
Dragonballs - Vfx shot of the week #1
I thought I'd try making some Dragonballs =D
One of my new years resolution is to have a new vfx shot made and posted to Youtube every week. First one of this years I thought It'll be cool to use try using Andrews Glass orbs tutorial and making Dragonballs. My Dragonballs don't look very realistic maybe some of your guys critiques will help. Maybe i'll try compositing it into a live action shot with me in it just I'm curious on how it'll look.
"Eternal Dragon, by your name, I summon you forth, Shenron!" -NinjaTronix
-Thomas
http://www.TronixProductions.com
I thought I'd try making some Dragonballs =D
One of my new years resolution is to have a new vfx shot made and posted to Youtube every week. First one of this years I thought It'll be cool to use try using Andrews Glass orbs tutorial and making Dragonballs. My Dragonballs don't look very realistic maybe some of your guys critiques will help. Maybe i'll try compositing it into a live action shot with me in it just I'm curious on how it'll look.
"Eternal Dragon, by your name, I summon you forth, Shenron!" -NinjaTronix
-Thomas
http://www.TronixProductions.com
Monday, January 4, 2010
Mendocino Photos Are Now Up!
I took a trip to Mendocino last weekend and took some great Photo's. i just finished putting up a gallery so everyone could go ahead and check thoughs out.
http://www.tronixproductions.com/Mendocino.html
Also I updated the site so now there's a Photography page as well.
http://www.tronixproductions.com/Photography.html
http://www.tronixproductions.com/Mendocino.html
Also I updated the site so now there's a Photography page as well.
http://www.tronixproductions.com/Photography.html
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Christmas 2009 Photoshoot
The Christmas Photoshoot I did for my family is now up for viewing and downloading. I'd like to encourage everyone to check them out.
Here's The link!
http://www.tronixproductions.com/Christmas2009.html
My family loves them. First day playing Photographer with my new toys.
Here's The link!
http://www.tronixproductions.com/Christmas2009.html
My family loves them. First day playing Photographer with my new toys.
Friday, January 1, 2010
New Year, Big Goals and Vfx Training
It’s the first of January, and I’m setting my new years resolutions. I’m trying to set some high goals when it comes to film and visual effects. My goals are the following.
1. An hour of 3D and visaul effects training a day.
2. Visaul Fx shot a week
3. A music video a month
4. A short film every done every three months.
5. Blog often maybe twice a week
6. Add 10 and subcribe youtube friends a day
I’m going to start posting the Fx shot of the week. So you guys will help keep me on track. I’ll try talk a little about the effect, and I have to try and make it as if it were a scene in a movie or something I can’t be like. Fire (Fire effect), electricity (electric effect), teleport (teleport effect), reappear (Film Burn Effect in skeleton costume), Change clothes (with a snap of my fingers I’m back in Tronix clothing.) Blow my head off. (Head blowing up effect)
The Fx shot of the week has to be as if it was for a scene in a movie. It has to seem to have some kind of story behind it or I’m better just have a daily fx shot rather then a weekly Fx shot. Anyways be sure to check them out and comment give them your critique. The more constructive the better. If your think you could do better, do it and post it as a video response.
I am NinjaTronix a.k.a. The Film Ninja
Follow me here just click the subcribe button.
You could also check out my website at www.TronixProductions.com
My question here for you is. What are some of your goals for this year? Comment and let me know. Alright.. Later..
1. An hour of 3D and visaul effects training a day.
2. Visaul Fx shot a week
3. A music video a month
4. A short film every done every three months.
5. Blog often maybe twice a week
6. Add 10 and subcribe youtube friends a day
I’m going to start posting the Fx shot of the week. So you guys will help keep me on track. I’ll try talk a little about the effect, and I have to try and make it as if it were a scene in a movie or something I can’t be like. Fire (Fire effect), electricity (electric effect), teleport (teleport effect), reappear (Film Burn Effect in skeleton costume), Change clothes (with a snap of my fingers I’m back in Tronix clothing.) Blow my head off. (Head blowing up effect)
The Fx shot of the week has to be as if it was for a scene in a movie. It has to seem to have some kind of story behind it or I’m better just have a daily fx shot rather then a weekly Fx shot. Anyways be sure to check them out and comment give them your critique. The more constructive the better. If your think you could do better, do it and post it as a video response.
I am NinjaTronix a.k.a. The Film Ninja
Follow me here just click the subcribe button.
You could also check out my website at www.TronixProductions.com
My question here for you is. What are some of your goals for this year? Comment and let me know. Alright.. Later..
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