Tips and tricks

Chris Edwards Pre Viz guide book

Here is Chris Edwards Pre Viz guide book to the process of pre-viz.

1. Get reference -- any reference.


2. Get assets. This includes buying assets but also building a library. By buying modeling libraries, you don't have to build everything from scratch.


3. Pay attention to scale. Once a shot is handed off, the vfx house will need accurate measurements.


4. Get accurate lens settings and camera settings. Try and use only lenses that could be used on the real shoot.


5. Block it out first without animation. Do a series of static compositions in the same scene file. Get feedback and rough it out some more. Make sure you block with posed figures - as it will affect framing. "Sweeten the blocking and really work on the plan before you put the love it" Don't cheat until you have to, but rather keep based in reality. Don't allow the camera to move through the floor or wall..."go as far as you can, and only then push it"


6. Next, with still compositions work out the timing and how the characters are moving through the frame. They need to be posed before you frame up. The timings need to be realistic...in fact "the timing needs to be dead on or pretty close"


7. Maintain an edit and watch your work in context. Take a step back and think about what is needed.


8. Don't underestimate the power of basic lighting and colour choices but limit your work to eight basic lights so that you can maintain realtime lighting.


9. Art direction should be included as much as you can.


10. Add canned effects, and don't underestimate how powerful cards can be in 3Dfor doing good pre-viz. "Use pre-viz as a template for final, maintain the edit and swap in high res assets. This should free you up to focus on the artistry of the detail"

Notes:

• Use real world dimensions as much as possible


• Use tricks like shadow cards


• No skinning to keep it fast


• Use moving cards not particles for smoke, dust water (planes moving and rotating)


• Set up multiple cameras on the one animation

Survival Tips

• Be prepared for anything


• Always present best idea first


• Don't push your director too hard: they need things to be their ideas


• Present their way first AND your way. Know your client and know their style. Rent all their student films, watch anything they have done -- the earlier the better


• Naming conventions are important, especially as you hand off work.


• Level of detail: save the heavy asset for the final and only build what you think you'll need


• Rig the same way every time so your library has maximum re-usability.


• Save and categorize everything to be able to find your personal assets.


• Don't use proprietary tools. Use Maya and Motion Builder


• Use hardware rendering


• Capture high at high res over render and scale down


• Use ReelSmart motion plugin for motion blue in After Effects


• Care about cheated depth of field

source:fxguide.com

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

After Effects Tip : Curves Quick Reference Guide

This guide shows you how to use Curves similar to the way you use Levels, but keep in mind that Curves’ real strength lays in the fact that you can add multiple points to each curve. Amongst other things, this allows you to make corrections to one part of an image’s dynamic range without affecting another. Keep in mind also that unlike Levels, lowering the equivalent of Output White and Output Black in Curves changes the gamma.

After Effects Tip : Levels Quick Reference Guide

This is a quick reference guide that I can use in conjunction with Levels to make things clearer.
so please go ahead and use if yourself, you may find yourself using Levels a lot more from now on. Have fun.