VISUAL EFFECTS
Compositing, CGI, Fixing in Post
Digital Smoke and Mirrors:
The Magic of VFX
It’s often said that filmmaking is a magic trick. An intricate setup designed to make the audience believe in the impossible and immerse themselves in the world on screen. But the same cannot be said for CGI and VFX, which are frequently criticized for breaking that illusion, because we always notice how bad it can look.
But as someone who has built a career as a visual effects artist, the truth is far more complicated.
Visual effects serve a wide range of purposes. From seamlessly creating fantastical elements into a scene; to enhancing details that, if done correctly, go completely unnoticed. Like any great illusion, successful VFX relies on careful planning, an understanding of limitations, and a methodical approach.
Below are the VFX techniques I offer to help bring the illusion to life.
VFX Compositing:
Crafting a shot layer by layer
From setting your scene ablaze; to adding subtle details to the background, visual effects compositing seamlessly blends a variety of assets to bring a scene to life.
Life with Pixels: Creating your idea with CGI
Sometimes there are ideas that are just impossible to create or even film in real life. Maybe you can’t drop a real piano due to budget limitations. Maybe you want to make the sky actually rain shoes because it’s impossible. Maybe you want to bring a creature to life that doesn’t exist.
With CGI, almost anything is possible. All it takes is a good render.
“We’ll fix it in post”
Every filmmaker has uttered these five words—sometimes with confidence, sometimes with desperation. But whether it’s true depends on having the right VFX artist.
From erasing an unwanted logo to enhancing a dull sky or even correcting an actor’s accidental glance at the camera, visual effects can be the lifeline that turns a flawed shot into the perfect take.