Digital%20Video%20Special%20Effects

1
Digital Video Special Effects

• 9/19/2006
• Instructor Wen-Hung Liao, Ph.D.

2
Administrative Information

• E-mail whliao_at_cs.nccu.edu.tw
• Office ?????
• Office hours TBA
• Course web page http//www.cs.nccu.edu.tw/whliao
  /DVFX/
• Textbook none
• Guest instructor Mr. ???
• Software tool Adobe After Effects

3
Background

• Top movies
• All-Time Worldwide Box Office
• All-Time US

4
Forrest Gump Screen Shots
5
Background

• Digital video special effects (DFX) have
  revolutionized media industry.
• Artists can create visually stunning DFX.
• DFX is used in nearly every production.
• DFX companies have appeared
• Industrial Light Magic (US)
• Realviz (US)
• Rhythm Hues (US)
• Weta Digital (New Zealand)
• and many more

6
Digital Special Effects

• What makes DFX interesting and captivating?
• DFVX are used when real life shoots are
  difficult, dangerous, too expensive, or
  impossible.
• DVFX must look realistic and believable.
• DVFX must blend into the real scene seamlessly.
• A good DFX is one that the viewers do not realize
  it is there.

7
Digital Special Effects

• DFX are created using DFX elements
• Real visual elements
• video or film footage of real scenes, actors,
  objects, motions, actions, natural phenomena,
  etc.
• CGI (computer-generated imagery) elements
• Computer Graphics (CG) scenes, actors, objects,
  motions, actions, natural phenomena, etc.
• Audio elements
• dialogue, sound effects, music, etc.

8
Digital Special Effects

• Difference between DFX and computer animation
• Computer animation involves only CGI elements.
• DFX involves real visual elements, and sometimes
  CGI elements also.
• Most DFXs require the CGI elements to look
  realistic.
• Creation of DFX is part of the media production
  process.

9
Production Process

• Media production can be organized into 3 stages
• Preproduction
• Production
• Postproduction
• These three stages often overlap.
• Look for some bonus footages included in a DVD.

10
Preproduction

• Project proposal summary used to sell project
• Premise concise statement of story
• Synopsis short description of basic story line
• Scripts production guides on paper
• Storyboard graphic visualization of shot
  sequence.
• Schedule, budget, etc.

11
Production

• Conceptual design artistic concepts of visual
  elements in pencil and paper and small sculptures
• Set construction construct set, miniatures, etc.
  set up stage, cameras, lighting, rigs.
• Document the set for use in creating special
  effects
• Props construction construct props, prosthetics,
  etc.
• Costume design design and make costumes
• Rehearsal rehearse dialogues, moves, etc.
• Live shoot shoot actors, scenes, etc.
• Create CG models sculpt models and do 3D scans
• CG animation 3D motion capture, animate CG models

12
Postproduction

• Compositing compose various DFX elements
  together
• Sound recording record sound effects, music,
  etc.
• Music scoring compose and score music
• Sound mixing mixing dialogue, sound effects,
  music, etc.
• Editing visual and audio editing, film editing

13
Storyboard

• Storyboard is a graphical visualization of shot
  sequence.
• A shot is basically from when you press record,
  to when you stop recording.
• Storyboard allows filmmaker to visualize and
  refine ideas.
• Serve to communicate ideas to production team.
• Each panel of a storyboard depicts a scene, type
  of camera shot (angle), possible camera move,
  etc.

14
More Information

• More details about
• camera shot
• www.mediacollege.com/video/shots
• www.cssd.ab.ca/tech/digvid/cameraangles.html
• camera move
• www.siggraph.org/education/materials/HyperGraph/an
  imation/cameras/traditional_film_camera_techniqu.h
  tmCamera20moves

15
Storyboard Examples

• Can be elaborate or simple

16
Animatics

• Animatic contains
• a sequence of storyboard images, narrative,
  dialogue, sound effects, music, etc.
• Give director a good sense of how the movie will
  look.

17
Pre-visualization

• Storyboard contains only still pictures, lacking
  dynamic information such as shot duration, camera
  move, etc.
• Pre-visualization (or pre-viz) shows crude CG
  animation.
• Give director a better sense of camera shots and
  moves.
• Let director explore various shot possibilities
  before actual production.

18
Documenting the Set

• For constructing 3D CG models for matching camera
  motion and lighting conditions.
• Thoroughly document the set before shooting.
• First priority reference points
• Used for tracking and match move.
• Should be visually distinct from surrounding.
• Should look the same throughout camera moves.
• Examples staircase, door, corner, etc.
• Can also make your own reference point using a
  ping-pong ball painted in Day-Glo green (a
  non-natural color).

19
Documenting the Set

• Second priority measure the set
• Include reference points, surfaces that
  composited elements will touch, shadow, or be
  shadowed by.
• Document on photographs of the set.
• Also measure positions of local light sources.
• Get position of camera's focal plane and lens
  settings.
• They are used to construct 3D CG model.

20
Create CG Models

• Main methods
• Manual
• Create manually using software such as Maya.
• Good for geometric objects.
• Difficult to create complex objects with fine
  details.
• Sculpt and Scan
• Sculpt a model and then digitize using 3D
  scanner.
• Can create complex objects with fine details.
• Require artistry of sculptors.

21
CG Animation

• Main methods
• Manual
• Animate manually using software such as Maya.
• Tedious and time-consuming.
• Often used for animating facial expression.
• Motion Capture
• Capture human body motion using motion capture
  system.
• Fast. Can visualize at real-time.

22
Digital Compositing

• Combine all the visual elements, including
• Matting separate foreground from background
• Blending insert foreground into new background
• Transformation change position, size,
  orientation
• Animation move things around
• Match Move match camera motion
• Match Color match colors of visual elements
• Match Lighting match lighting conditions

23
Summary of DFX Creation
24
Software Packages

• Autodesk Combustion
• Adobe After Effects
• Apple Shake
• Autodesk Inferno
• Pinnacle Commotion
• Apple Motion
• eyeon Fusion
• D2 Nuke
• CompTime Industrial Light Magic