Essentials For Effective Compositing

I have been involved in computer graphics for a little over five years; only recently in the past year and a half have I really explored the realm of compositing. I began my computer graphics adventure solely uncovering motion graphics. At first (and now) I admired what motion graphics offered to my own personal artistic fulfillment.

My last semester of college, I was in an introduction compositing class. This is where I had a proclamation with myself. I was enthralled by the concept and functions that went into compositing not just a movie, but a single frame in a shot. Now after a year and a half, and a relatively decent understanding of what it takes to composite accurately, I want to share my experience with what a hopeful compositor is required to begin compiling their own body of work.

The Camera

I am assuming at this point the budget for this venture is relatively small. Not a problem! For those who do have the financials to purchase a proper camera, I suggest a DSLR camera. My two suggestions are the Sony a7S II and the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. On top of that, I suggest an additional wide angle lens to accompany the default lens that comes with the camera.

If you are unable to access a DSLR, the majority of smartphones can get the job done. Having experience shooting with a smartphone, I personally suggest avoiding capturing footage at night and in the middle of the afternoon. If so, when accompanying footage to post to color-correct, you will notice the darks full of noise, or the whites blown out. Not a good look.

The RIG

Second to the camera, having an outfitted machine to perform a multitude of tasks is a necessity. For basic compositing needs, stack up on the processor and RAM. I have an Intel i5 6600K. Downgrading to the 6500 will still produce great results, and even dropping to the 6400 will get the job done. My RIG has 16GBs DDR4 RAM. For a smooth compositing experience, 16GBs of RAM is the least I would personally suggest.

A few more additions to suggest is a prestine graphics card. I have a Gefore GTX 960. Adobe has been incorporating more GPU functions within their software packages, and the results pay dividends. To wrap-up the RIG discussion, having a solid state drive (SSD) alternately dedicated for the operating system, and the source files creates crisp and quick playbacks of composited shots.

The Software 

The industry standard compositing software is The Foundry's Nuke Studio. Not only is it the standard, but Nuke is a remarkable piece of software that has a tremendous capabilities. It is an expensive purchase, but The Foundry offers a free version of the software. Autodesk's Flame is the second most popular compositing option. I have found that Flame is used by studios that are focused in commercial work. Flame allows for quicker real-time compositing and is client-friendly when showcasing the compositing process. Flame does not have the vastness of the 3rd party support, and some key features only available on the Nuke platform. Blackmagic's Fusion is another compositing package found in fewer studios, buy a powerhouse that should not be underestimated.

Adobe plays a heavy role in the compositing process. Photoshop, After Effects, and Premiere Pro are must haves for compositing tasks. Photoshop provides the abilities to composite images together to create a matte background/painting; while also providing the ability to paint out objects and other abnormalities in the frame. After Effects also contains compositing functions, but in most instances provides an array of simple to advanced visual effects. Premiere is the standard video editing software and in my cases the color-correcting package as well. Premiere is also my choice for outputing the final render sequence. Premiere's render options are customizable and provide a sense that I dictate the final quality of the video.

The Wrap

I encourage those who stuck around to read my suggestions to do their own research. I do not proclaim to be a guru in the tech field. I am simply passing along my own personal experience and what I have learned throughout my journey. Below I have provided several outlets to learn more compositing techniques. Good luck on your journey!

http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/index.php

https://www.pluralsight.com/

http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/

https://www.thefoundry.co.uk/products/nuke/learn1/

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/fusion/training

Behind The Project: RED.

RED. came to fruition because I came across a series of shots I shelved more than a year and a half ago. I knew I had sumptuous footage at the time, but I did not have the skills to conjure the visualization in my head to life. After a year and a half and many hours crafting my compositing and visual effects abilities, the time and circumstances were appropriate to start a new project. I dusted off the old footage and went straight to work!

Premise and Goals

Compared to my prior projects, RED. contains little to no substantive essence to the story. RED. is simply a fun visual display. I wanted to focus on the aesthetics of the project, and build upon my ability to execute proper compositing and visual effects techniques.

My top priority was to execute well produced compositing within the video. My earlier videos contained compositing but not to the scale or importance present in this project. I gained extensive knowledge in Nuke's 3D tracking features. I was absolutely impressed by how well Nuke tracks shaky camera footage. Not only was I impressed by Nuke's 3D tracking abilities, but After Effects has 3D tracking capabilities that are no laughing matter. I used After Effects' 3D tracking for particle elements in the video. I did have instances where After Effects had difficulty tracking shots, and I had to manually animate the camera in those circumstances.

Final Shot In RED.

Although I wanted to pinpoint compositing and visual effects, my roots within computer graphics stem from motion graphics. I believe in myself enough to think I can be versatile enough to become a well-versed compositor and motion graphics artist. In this instance, the audio track implanted the concept of the motion graphics outro. I envisioned a high level of contrast, and a dream-like sequence with a simplistic aura. I experimented with text transition animations, and settled with a combination of an altered preset layered with a displacement map effect, and lastly, I chimed in a shallow depth of field with an animated light to further make the scene more dynamic.

Final Thoughts

I find myself gaining more knowledge after each project, and this project is no different. I am finding that I am grasping the concept and execution of compositing after each successive project. I encounter less roadblocks and spend less time asking "How can I do this?". I am now confident I can complete any basic and/or routine action within Nuke. There is much more I can learn in the realm of compositing. I still have little to no experience with Nuke's particle systems, and I have not explored the ability to directly manipulate 3D surfaces' material attributes. Within the span of six months, I am more than happy with my progress integrating industry standard compositing within my projects. 

High Quality After Effects Plug-In Providers

The vast and spacious world of plug-ins can become cumbersome and daunting. More time and patience is required to unravel the capability, and this alone can become frustrating. To help reduce the stress, scouting efficient and reliable plug-ins can become a life saver. The common denominator for plug-ins are the creators. Consistency drives quality. Below are a number of innovators in plug-in creation for Adobe After Effects.

Red Giant

The most arguably well-known plug-in provider in motion graphics, color-correcting, video editing, compositing, and visual effects is Red Giant. The most popular of their offerings is their Trapcode Suite. The Trapcode Suite contains particle and energy systems with additional lighting, compositing, and glow plug-ins sprinkled in. This is the essential package to create almost anything within After Effects at a professional level. Magic Bullet Suite is their second most popular product that provides color-correcting tools for colorists.

Video Copilot

If not all, then the majority of After Effects users have at least heard of Video Copilot tutorials. Andrew Kramer is a legend in the motion graphics and visual effects industry. The legend keeps delivering by constantly rolling out new plug-ins. For those financially strapped, Video Copilot provides free plug-ins that are regularly updated. 

Have a few extra bucks? Element 3D is Video Copilot's fantastic 3D object and particle render engine. Element 3D is GPU-accelerated: which adds an extra boost to productivity when dealing with reflections and refractions in 3D scenes. It should be noted that Video Copilot's Element 3D package was used during post-production for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Andrew Kramer divulged more information about the process of creating the visual effects in The Force Awakens.

Boris FX

A lesser known company, Boris FX, provides plug-ins for motion graphics and visual effects. Their Sapphire plug-in is their headlining product: which includes a number of presets and effects. Sapphire's target audience is geared toward the broadcast industry.

The creators of Mocha Pro (Imagineer Systems) were acquired by Boris FX and provide an example of what this team is capable of creating. For extremely high-valued tracking and advanced roto capabilities, explore Mocha Pro: which is compatible with After Effects, Premiere, Avid, The Foundry's Nuke, and Blackmagic Fusion.

AEScripts + AEPlugins

Unlike the previously mentioned After Effects plug-in creators, aescripts + aeplugins is a community focused distributor for 3rd party scripts and plug-ins. There is a massive library that is updated on a regular basis, and the site does a fashionable job advertising the most optimal content. Of course, with the excess of quality, the process can become frustrating sifting through the good and the bad. Motion Boutique recently released a plug-in called Newton 2 on the site, and that deserves to receive a prospect from designers. Be sure to check it out!

Closing Time

These are just a few of the dozens of plug-in providers that support After Effects. Adobe provides a list of well-received curators that deserve a look and appreciation for their love and support. Without plug-ins, creators would not be able to create to their fullest potential. Give a hand and reinforce the industry by word of mouth, and with your pocket.

 

Films That Top Off 2016

As we all say after the end of every year, where did the time go? Good news! There are a wide variety of films making their debut in the next five weeks. In this list, I include the standard blockbuster, the notorious poorly received yet fun film, and a few hidden gems. I should note these films I personally find appealing and attractive to close out a wonderful year. The following films are presented in chronological order by release date. I welcome comments and suggestions regarding this list, and share this with any and all movie buffs you know!

Keeping Up With The Joneses

Release Date: October 21, 2016 (USA)

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Action/Comedy

Director: Greg Mottola

Premise: The Gaffneys, a suburban couple, become embroiled in an international espionage plot when they discover that the Joneses, their seemingly perfect neighbors, are governmental secret agents.

Doctor Strange

Release Date: Novermber 4, 2016 (USA)

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction

Director: Scott Derrickson

Premise: Dr. Stephen Strange's (Benedict Cumberbatch) life changes after a car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he looks for healing, and hope, in a mysterious enclave. He quickly learns that the enclave is at the front line of a battle against unseen dark forces bent on destroying reality. Before long, Strange is forced to choose between his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer in existence.

Hacksaw Ridge

Release Date: November 4, 2016 (USA)

Rating: R

Genre: Drama/Action

Director: Mel Gibson

Premise: The true story of Pfc. Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield), who won the Congressional Medal of Honor despite refusing to bears arms during WWII on religious grounds. Doss was drafted and ostracized by fellow soldiers for his pacifist stance but went on to earn respect and adoration for his bravery, selflessness, and compassion after he risked his life -- without firing a shot -- to save 75 men in the Battle of Okinawa.

Bleed For This

Release Date: November 18, 2016 (USA)

Rating: R

Genre: Film/Sport

Director: Ben Younger

Premise: Vinny "The Pazmanian Devil" Pazienza (Miles Teller), a local Providence boxer, shoots to stardom after winning two world title fights. After a near-fatal car accident leaves him with a broken neck, he is told he may never walk again. Against all odds and doctor's orders, renowned trainer Kevin Rooney (Aaron Eckhart) agrees to help Vinny return to the ring just a year after the accident for what could be the last fight of his life. Based on a true story.

The Edge of Seventeen

Release Date: November 18, 2016 (USA)

Rating: NR

Genre: Drama/Comedy

Director: Kelly Fremon Craig

Premise: Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and life is no easier for high school junior Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), who is already at peak awkwardness when her all-star older brother Darian (Blake Jenner) starts dating her best friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson). All at once, Nadine feels more alone than ever, until the unexpected friendship of a thoughtful boy gives her a glimmer of hope that things just might not be so terrible after all.

Allied

Release Date: November 23, 2016 (USA)

Rating: NR

Genre: Drama/Thriller

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Premise: In 1942 North Africa, intelligence officer Max Vatan (Brad Pitt) encounters French Resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Reunited in London, their relationship is threatened by the extreme pressure of the war.

Man Down

Release Date: December 2, 2016 (USA)

Rating: R

Genre: Fantasy/Drama

Director: Dito Montiel

Premise: With help from his best friend (Jai Courtney), a Marine (Shia LaBeouf) embarks on a desperate search to find his wife (Kate Mara) and son (Charlie Shotwell) in post-apocalyptic America.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Release Date: December 16, 2016 (USA)

Rating: NR

Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction

Director: Gareth Edwards

Premise: In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves.

Passengers

Release Date: December 21, 2016 (USA)

Rating: NR

Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction

Director: Morten Tyldum

Premise: On a routine journey through space to a new home, two passengers, sleeping in suspended animation, are awakened 90 years too early when their ship malfunctions. As Jim and Aurora face living the rest of their lives on board, with every luxury they could ever ask for, they begin to fall for each other, unable to deny their intense attraction until they discover the ship is in grave danger. With the lives of 5,000 sleeping passengers at stake, only Jim and Aurora can save them all.

Sneak Peek Into 2017

Live By Night

Limited Release Date: December 25, 2017 (USA)

Full Release Date: January 12, 2017 (USA)

Rating: R

Genre: Crime/Drama

Director: Ben Affleck

Premise: It's the Roaring '20s and Prohibition hasn't stopped the flow of booze in an underground network of gangster-run speakeasies. The opportunity to gain power and money is there for any man with enough ambition and nerve, and Joe Coughlin, the son of the Boston Police superintendent, long ago turned his back on his strict upbringing for the spoils of being an outlaw. But even among criminals there are rules, and Joe breaks a big one: crossing a powerful mob boss by stealing his money and his moll.

Myth Behind The Megapixel

There is no doubt that the electronic consumer market is heavily bombarded by the smartphones, and developers are spouting new displays, processors, and OS improvements. To a conscious consumer, phone manufacturers tout the ever-so-popular megapixel. Apple, Samsung, and other curators throw out 10 megapixels, 12 megapixels, and even 20 megapixels. What do these numbers mean? It is presumed the higher the number, the better the camera. The megapixel count alone, rarely, if at all make a camera great. Lenses, image sensor, image processor, shutter speed, and aperture all play an intricate role in the image quality.

Megapixels

The simplest way to explain what megapixels are, is to describe it as the size of the image produced by the camera. To keep with the theme of simplicity, say there is a 5,000 x 3,000 pixel image. Multiply the width (5,000px) by the height (3,000px), and that equals 15,000 pixel picture. Move the decimal point to the left by three spaces, and that is the megapixel count. This theoretical image would be 15 megapixels. 

The frame size of the image can be incredibly significant. Cropping is a popular function in all-things design, and cropping an image is a paramount popular function. For professionals, a desirable image size may be vital to a physical design piece for print. If the image lacks the appropriate megapixel size, the graphic/design will appear pixelated and washed out. For a more in-depth guideline, here is a chart that offers recommendations for acceptable megapixel sizes.

Image Sensor and Processor 

Arguably, the most dire aspect of any camera is the image sensor. The image sensor captures light and allows the camera to produce the image. The higher quality the image sensor, the more light captured by the camera, and therefore, a clearer well produced image. In many cases, the megapixel for one device is significantly better than the other, but because of the lack of an appropriate image sensor, the image quality suffers. 

Depending on the degree of work and professionalism, a 332.27mm image sensor on the Canon EOS 7D is moderate for a modern day DSLR. Sony's A900 and Nikon's D800 pack a massive 861.6mm image sensor. As troubled and improper as it is, many people are comparing the iPhone 7 Plus to DSLRs. The iPhone 7 Plus has 28.7679mm image sensor for the main camera; while the telephoto lens packs a 56.8mm image sensor. Impressive for a smartphone, but impractical as a substitute for a DSLR.

Camera Sensor has a nifty search function that compares different camera models. Makes camera shopping much easier and quicker.

The image processor is more relevant to the features of speed burst shots, and easing the lag between the duration the user captures the image, and the shot being saved to the device's memory. This process is becoming more pronounced and welcomed addition to photographic technology.

It Is All Coming Together

Which is the best method to discern which device is the best option? Remember, megapixels are a marketing point. It is advised to have a higher resolution image, but the piece of technology needs a supportive image sensor to compliment the size of the image. Do the research and find out the image sensor specifics. For example, Samsung reduced their megapixel count; while improving the image sensor and introducing a dual image sensor function. Innovation and iteration will continue with mobile and DSLR camera technology development, and more possibilities will become endless. 

Research and good luck shopping!

Nuke 10 Impressions

The Foundry's Nuke Studio has a well clenched grasp in the post-production market, and more specifically, the compositing business. Nuke has the reputation of a flawless node-based workflow, efficient and effective composing tools, and a vast plug-in library. After digging deeper into Nuke and its processes, it is not hard to understand why there is so much success behind The Foundry's flagship program.

User Interface

As a relatively new user to Nuke Studio (6 months experience), I find the "learning curve" to be welcoming to users if they have had experience with prior node-based compositing programs such as Autodesk's Flame, or Blackmagic Fusion 8. Nuke has a sleek and simple approach to its interface.

Accessing color channels, layer channels, and gamma settings are arranged in a stress free manner, and provide essential information for all compositing tasks. The dope sheet is a separate tab under the viewer, that displays the keyframes for any node opened in the project window. 

If I had one immediate criticism, it would be the curve editor. I find it sloppy and difficult to edit compared to the curve editor in Adobe After Effects. I admit, I'm not a curve editor pro, but I should not have to be engaged in a guessing game with the curve editor.

Nodes

I am impressed by the nodes in Nuke. Blackmagic Fusion was and is a great compositing piece of software, but my biggest complaint were properly setting up alpha, depth, and other passes. To create these passes, I would have to combine different channel nodes with color nodes, and then link the passes back up with a channel node. In Nuke, it is as simple as using a channel node. I do suggest exporting a single EXR image file and separating the passes that way. If not, you have to combine the passes, and create layer passes for each pass. It is simply a lot of busy work.

Lightwraps are simple within Nuke; it's just one node function, again. In Fusion, the alpha pass has to be blurred, and then processed through another channel pass, followed up with an erode node. Nuke supplies all of the work into one responsive node.

I have to give a shout-out to the exceptional tracking nodes, and the 3D scene integration nodes. The 3D scene nodes are supplied by Nuke, and the user simply needs to plug in the necessary nodes into the required pipeline.

Speed and Performance

Nuke can have all of the bells and whistles of a great interface, but all of that is useless if the program crashes more often than not. Good news, Nuke is a performance powerhouse. Over the time of six months, I can count on one hand the times I encountered a crash. Node effects are almost immediate, and edits are visible in real-time.

Performance begins to hinder when 3D objects are inserted into 3D scenes with lighting and textures. The same can be said with a highly-composited scene with rotobrushes, masks, composited objects, and tracked shots. This is standard for most compositing packages, except Flame; which is the software's selling point. To help speed up previews, double check node settings and apply low quality effects until the sequence is ready to be rendered.

Judgement

Nuke is a powerful well-received compositing piece of software. I find myself discussing Nuke and its features whenever possible. Only having six months experience, I know I barely scratched the surface; I look forward to exploring particle simulation and stereoscopic compositing. I am looking forward to the future with Nuke, and uncovering other software packages offered by The Foundry.

Behind The Project: "Baggage"

Baggage was a culmination of a number of variables that affected me both professionally and personally. Almost a year after graduating college, I was/am still living at home attempting to find full-time employment either as a motion graphics artist, or compositor. I had to create a visual entity that built upon and showcased the skills I have in both fields. I did not strictly want a technical showcase. I wanted to tell a story. Personally, I feel as if the past year and a half has been a difficult time. I adjusted to no longer being in college, looking for full-time work has created doubt of whether I am qualified to be in this industry, and I am still not completely over the romantic relationship that ended a little over a year ago. 

Baggage. That is what this past year and a half has spawned. Baggage was a method for me to release my own baggage, and I hope the same can be said for the audience.

Introduction Sequence

The inspiration behind the intro sequence are neon lights, and the earth's sun. I am captivated by the colors of the sun and sky in the early morning, and late evening. The camera movements of the animation are relatively simple. I know my personal weakness in motion graphics are my camera manipulations. My goal was to build upon the skills I currently have, and work on my weaknesses in a later project. I did play with the focus distance and aperture within the camera settings during the animation. There is a sense of chaoticness because of the inability for the camera to focus for a long duration. 

The background is a mixture of a prior animation I was creating, and a series of metal textures. I have a tendency to clutter my motion graphic pieces. The background had to balance the work by appearing simple: while also having a strong presence via a textured color-filled surface.

I included the environment video to help ease the audience into the video transition. Jumping to the main video sequence would be too jarring, and this was a way to add cushion to the impact. 

Video Breakdown

The live-action video sequence is broken up into two parts: the shots inside of the car, and shots outside of the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, the camera was positioned into the backseat and had a slight foreground blur. All these shots were composited in an almost identical way. The footage was color-corrected and stabalized. 2D tracking was done for the dust particles, time on the clock, and window reflections were added to these shots. The last cut before driving into the woods had a stoplight and additional signs in the background roto'd out of the scene. A subtle additional lens flare was implanted into the shots, and other additional lighting elements for enhanced mood were composited into the scenes as well.

While driving into the wooded area, the sky was replaced, and the windshield had dirt particles that affected the aesthetics of the shot. I roto'd those dirt particles, and continued the previously mentioned composited sequence. The compositing was meant to compliment the shots, not overtake and distract from the story. Subtly was the motto.

The shots outside the vehicle had similar elements composited within each shot. The first shot outside the car had 3D objects composited, and a slight alter to the sky in the background. Throughout the following shots are green firefly like particles that give a fairy tale atmosphere to the seemingly realistic environment. Shots that involve a kinetic camera were 3D tracked and produced a great result for the particles. I was able to achieve a sense of depth of the particles. The finishing touches to the shots were composited yellow/orange lights, and when appropriate, lens flares. At first, these alterations may go unnoticed, but these edits inflate the ambience of the environment.

The shot with the most compositing, and a clear representation of a balance between pure natural elements with a conservative, yet effective compositing is the shot of the actor walking toward the vehicle. The framing of the shot follows the "rule of thirds" and incorporates beautiful wild flowers. I began by color-correcting and stabilizing the footage. I made a slight adjustment to the trees around the car by roto-brushing the spacial gaps of the branches. I tracked and composited a wind turbine in the background to fill in the empty space, and the vehicle although well lit, and in a superb position, lacked a visual punch. I included a reflection to the windshield and a slight color-correction to the car body. 

I wanted this shot to be the visual climax of the video. I doubled and even tripled the amount of particles I used for some of the prior shots. I increased the velocity and movement of the particles to correlate with the idea that the character is in a "spiritual wind tunnel". He just threw away his baggage and is ready to move on with his life, and is therefore being cleansed.

"Baggage" VFX Breakdown

The camera transitions to another shot into the inside of the vehicle, where the audience was not too long ago to conceptualize that even if we make a drastic life decision, we still find ourselves where we were not long before. I did the same procedure for the shots inside the vehicle, but I roto'd a few objects out of the shots. The first two quick cuts I roto'd an old house out on the left side of the road, and the last shot I removed the telephone pole and power lines along with some trees in the background near the telephone pole.

A Reflect Back

As I watched and reviewed this past video project, I would have made a few adjustments. Some shots lasted too long, and at points because of this, the flow of the video became slow. Working on the VFX breakdown video, I should have made more prominent compositing alterations to the footage. I did not want to force compositing just to composite, but there were opportunities to showcase what I can do as a compositor.