How Movie VFX Are Made: The 8 Steps of Visual Effects!

[00:00] If you're watching this video, it is likely that you share a common interest in the fascinating world of visual effects.

[00:15] In this video we're going to glance into an overview on how visual effects are created specifically going through what I will call the 8 steps of visual effects and the general order in which they are completed if necessary for a composite.

[00:27] Furthermore, on a more general level, this video is also going to be simply appreciating the cinematic and emotional qualities that visual effects add to our favorite films.

[00:44] Let's get started. For those of you who are new to the channel, my name is Brad Hamilton and I am a director, cinematographer, and visual effects artist based in Los Angeles, California. Since an early age, I've been fascinated in creating emotional imagery through filmmaking.

[00:58] Now more than ever, visual effects have continued to become an even bigger part of the filmmaking process. So much so that in some movies the line between live action and animated films is increasingly blurred.

[01:10] The complex world of visual effects can be daunting, which is why I like to break it down into 8 steps. For those of you who are scared to dive in, there's a word of encouragement for you at the end of this video.

[01:22] These are the 8 steps of visual effects. The first step in the visual effects process is tracking. Tracking is the process of telling the computer software how the live action camera was moving

[01:36] so that any 2D or 3D element added in the visual effects process can seamlessly move around with the same movement of the shot. There are several types of tracking, including point tracking, planar tracking, and 3D match

[01:49] which of these is used depends on the complexity of the camera movement from the live action shot. Without this crucial technology of tracking, we will be stuck with shots on a locked-off tripod. This technology allows us to film with dynamic moving cameras and still integrate visual effects

[02:04] effectively. The second step of visual effects is modeling. Modeling is the process of manipulating points in 3D space in order to create a 3D mathematical representation of an object. If the visual effect being added to a shot requires 3D computer generated imagery, then

[02:19] 3D assets will need to be acquired or modeled early on in the visual effects process in order to be able to add and composite them to various scenes later on. 3D modeling is a specialty on its own, and there are different specifications required for

[02:31] topology and assets for film, and even more specific qualities required if that model needs to be fractured or destroyed in a rigid body simulation. In addition to this, there are different styles of modeling, including hard surface or even

[02:43] using sculpting tools to model more organic objects such as living creatures. The third step in visual effects is rigging. Rigging is the process of preparing a 3D object for animation. Using bones and constraints, a model is rigged in order to give the animator sufficient control

[02:58] on how to move the 3D model in the creative process of pushing and pulling the object around. Rigging is to the 3D model, like the skeletal and muscular system, is to the human body. We are preparing the 3D object to be moved in a way that makes sense.

[03:11] In the most complex systems of rigging, muscle and skin systems are used in conjunction with the rig in order to automate the organic movement of the model further and create even more realism. After the rigging process, the model is now ready to be animated.

[03:24] Animation is the process of creating key frames at different parts of the timeline to move it over a desired amount of time. In animation, essentially, the object is brought to life. Texturing and shading is the process of telling the computer how a 3D asset interacts with

[03:38] light. Using the process of giving an object a material, there are countless shading options available to an artist, which is why this is a field on its own. The material depends on what you're going for. You can make a brushed metal material, plastic, tile, rubber, glass, organic skin with subsurface

[03:54] scattering, or even graffiti ridden concrete. One material is created, depends on the artistic preference and style desire for the final result. Now before we get into lighting and rendering, any kind of particle system or simulation for

[04:06] an effect needs to be set up and baked. Models and particles are generally used to create 3D phenomena that are hard to reproduce using other techniques. This includes effects such as smoke and fire simulation, destruction dynamics, fluid simulation,

[04:20] muscle systems attached to a rig, or even basic procedural particle simulations such as rain and snow. Generally, the last step of the 3D process is lighting and rendering. In lighting and rendering, any 3D models or environments are lit and rendered in a way

[04:34] that fits the film. For example, if a 3D asset is being added to a live-action shot, it needs to be lit in a way that matches the footage that it is being added to. There are four properties of light that should be matched in order to integrate the element

[04:46] to the live-action shot. These include the quality, the quantity, the color, and the direction of the light sources in the scene. After the lighting is set up appropriately in most visual effects studios, they will export a variety of passes in the rendering process in order for the compositing team to have more

[05:02] control over the final shot. All of this data can be utilized in the final step of visual effects, compositing, to create the final result. Finally, the 8th and last step of visual effects is compositing.

[05:14] Compositing is the process of combining any elements including plate photography, stock footage, matte paintings, simulations, and various passes of any 3D elements together into a final image. In this process, special care must be taken in order to match overall light levels, color

[05:29] values, edge detail, lens imperfections, and more in order to make sure that the added elements look correct based on the plate photography. Compositing is the final step of the visual effects process, and will often tedious, it must

[05:41] be done for any visual effect shot. So, what we do as engineers is, we first, there, the level of abstraction. We look at all this data and somehow, there, an abstraction such that we can simplify what

[05:58] these numbers are telling us. All right guys, if you made it to this portion of the video, you may be thinking that the

[06:24] world of visual effects can be pretty daunting. Watching breakdowns from Hollywood blockbusters makes it easy to get caught up in the complexity of it, and even some of the best artists can get discouraged. So finally, a word of encouragement.

[06:36] As a visual effects generalist myself, one thing that has helped me to not get discouraged is to embrace the idea of abstraction. Every industry in the world is based on abstraction, meaning many specialists are working on their

[06:48] own specific fields without knowing exactly how the entire system works. Sometimes it's impossible to understand the intricacies of everything, so I find it helpful to break down the processes into a general overview before diving into each specific

[07:01] step. Break it down. If we can understand the overview of these eight steps, it can help us with the mental fatigue that can be daunting in any industry full of complex tasks. The world is ever changing, especially now, and with change comes positives and negatives

[07:16] in any industry, our ability to understand the big picture will allow us to move forward. In the end, visual effects help to create the movies we all love. As changes in technology occur, we'll be building upon new levels of abstraction, and

[07:30] as artists, we can only try to channel our abilities to build upon these new levels in order to create powerful visual imagery for the stories we can learn in the screen. Build up abstractions upon abstractions upon abstractions upon abstractions, and some of