Why should you pursue VFX as a career option?

Today, effects are created by passionate artists using computer-generated animation & visual effects software.

“Captain! We are being attacked by unknown space crafts. ”

Without a corresponding visual spectacle of spaceships that are shooting laser beams at each other in the galaxy, these were just words on paper. To enthrall viewers with unimaginable visual spectacles, filmmakers and artists devised methods to create them on screen and have vowed audiences from all over the world. 

This is the magical world of visual effects.

In the early years of cinema, such effects were created using cameras, miniature models, glass paintings and other relevant techniques.

Visual effects have come a long way since then.

Today, effects are created by passionate artists using computer-generated animation & visual effects software. They strive to bring visual magic as close to reality as possible. The visual wizardry is today used in feature films, advertisements, TV series, corporate films and education. Owing to the large scale usage, the visual effects (VFX )sector has shown phenomenal growth in the past years.

What is VFX?

Well, there are two parts to it.

The first part is VFX Compositing that involves the seamless integration of live-action footage with computer-generated imagery to create ultra-realistic environments.

The second part is VFX dynamics that involve creating explosions, water elements, magical effects, etc. using relevant software.

For instance, imagine an alien attack on a city. A spider-like alien towers above the tallest skyscraper and shoots laser beams that are destroying the city. One such laser beam hits a car on the road. The car is thrown up in the air and is it falls down, two people jump and narrowly escape the car as it crashes to the ground.

To create this scene, in reality, would be quite a task.

And this is where VFX comes to the rescue.

The planning and execution of this scene are done in different departments of a VFX studio. The process of doing it could be :

1. Let’s see the concept: The director narrates the scene to a department in the VFX studio known as the Pre Viz department.  Based on the concept, the artists make a series of painted sketches called storyboards to illustrate the camera angles, etc. The storyboards are passed on to the animators, who make animations of the scene in the animation software hence recreating a digital version of the said scene.
2. Let’s shoot: With a digital vision of his shot, the director hires artists to do a live shoot of the scene, with the actors against a blue/ green screen background. If there’s a camera movement, the director will also put small dots/crosses on the blue screen & a few objects on the set. All this helps in matching the camera movements of the real camera a computer-generated Camera.
3. Destruction: To create the destroyed buildings and debris, buildings modeled in 3D software are used. For the farthest objects in the background, many images are merged to create a “matte painting”.
4. Pyromania: The dynamics department creates the exploding buildings, laser beams, debris, the crashing car and the resulting dust and debris.
5. The running people: The people running in the background can be created by either shooting them live or by digitally creating “crowds” using various 3D software.
6. Jumping men: The director hires two stuntmen secured by cables and rigs makes them jump against the chroma screen. The shots go to the clean-up department. All wires and cables are removed here.
7. Camera Match: The live shot camera has to be matched with the CG camera. The matchmoving department uses the white dots and the various objects kept on set to extract a precise camera match. 
8. The final picture: The output from all departments goes to the compositing department who creates the final picture. They add the computer-generated alien in front of the destroyed buildings, the laser beams to the alien and matches all the colors, perspectives and edges of the objects to create a single seamless image.

How can a student be a part of this?

A student or professional from any stream with education of 10+2 and a passion for detail, photography and films can be a part of the VFX sector. The best visual effects schools in India offer a Bachelors in Visual effects ( B.Ve) program. It gives you a 360-degree learning experience of film visual effects and how it fits into the larger picture of film making.

Will all of it be worth it?

If you are looking out for a career that offers you a  different challenge every day, a broad scope of work that includes projects from India and abroad, a challenge to give the best work in the most stringent deadlines, VFX could be a great career choice for you.

About Author

Shreeraj is currently a VFX Faculty at Ramesh Sippy Academy of Cinema and Entertainment (RSACE).

He is a Motion Graphics and Visual Effects trainer with over 19 years of experience in training students of all age groups in India and abroad. 

 

 

 

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha