The Art And Technique Of Matchmoving

Matchmoving has become a standard visual effects procedure for almost every situation where live action materials and CG get combined. It allows virtual and real scenes that have been composited together to seamlessly appear as though they are from the same perspective. This authoritative step-by-step guide from one of the best matchmovers in the business allows you to master this technique that has been called the foundation upon which all VFX work stands. Author Erica Hornung (sr. matchmover for Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Matrix: Revolutions, and more) imparts her techniques, tips, and wisdom from the trenches that will have you matchmoving like a true professional in no time. Lessons in the most popular matchmoving software (Maya, Boujou, and others) are included, as well as tips and techniques for surveying on set, dolly moves, and operating nodal cameras. Individual chapters dedicated to object and character matchmoves show you how to matchmove for shadow casting, adding weapons and other objects, focusing on center of gravity, as well as complete CG character support. The companion DVD includes Quicktime examples of techniques shown in the book, as well as project files that allow you to master these techniques yourself by working alongside the lessons featured in the text.

Matchmoving has become a standard visual effects procedure for almost every situation where live action materials and CG get combined. It allows virtual and real scenes that have been composited together to seamlessly appear as though they are from the same perspective. This authoritative step-by-step guide from one of the best matchmovers in the business allows you to master this technique that has been called the foundation upon which all VFX work stands. Author Erica Hornung (sr. matchmover for Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Matrix: Revolutions, and more) imparts her techniques, tips, and wisdom from the trenches that will have you matchmoving like a true professional in no time. Lessons in the most popular matchmoving software (Maya, Boujou, and others) are included, as well as tips and techniques for surveying on set, dolly moves, and operating nodal cameras. Individual chapters dedicated to object and character matchmoves show you how to matchmove for shadow casting, adding weapons and other objects, focusing on center of gravity, as well as complete CG character support. The companion DVD includes Quicktime examples of techniques shown in the book, as well as project files that allow you to master these techniques yourself by working alongside the lessons featured in the text.

Get your foot in the studio door by learning the art of matchmoving Matchmoving is a technique that allows computer graphics to be inserted into live-action footage with correct position, scale, orientation, and motion. Also known as motion tracking, it's what allows movie monsters to run down Main Street and robots to run through crowds--and look real. Now this unique book from a top expert from Industrial Light and Magic teaches you the art of matchmoving. With step-by-step tutorials and pages of examples, this book first explains the basics and then shows you professional techniques, from 3D calibration and tracking, to stereoscopy, and more. Explains concepts and teaches professional techniques for successful matchmoving Authored by a top matchmove specialist from Industrial Light and Magic, who walks you through step-by-step tutorials and impressive examples Covers matchmoving basics, 2D tracking, 3D calibration and tracking, automatic tracking, cameras, integrating matchmoves, and stereoscopy Learn how studio visual effects professionals make all the right matchmoves with Matchmoving: The Invisible Art of Camera Tracking 2nd Edition.

Master the Art and Science of Matchmoving Written by a matchmoving expert, this book is much more than a technical primer. It helps you think like a pro so that you can find the right solution for your matchmoves, no matter how tricky. You'll also find coverage of tasks that commonly go hand-in-hand with matchmoving, along with advice on the contributions you can make on the set of a live-action shoot. Whether you're a student or professional, Matchmoving: The Invisible Art of Camera Tracking gives you the knowledge and perspective you need to quickly and successfully solve every matchmove. Coverage includes: Understanding how matchmove programs work Perspective matching Getting optimal 2D tracking data Calibrating/solving cameras Using automatic tracking Fitting matchmoves into a CG set Mastering matchamation techniques Modeling from matchmoves Troubleshooting bad matchmoves Multi-purposing matchmove data

This book offers the solution for 2D designer crossing over into 3D animation.

In this latest book in the critically-acclaimed [digital] series from New Riders you’ll learn all of the techniques and skills that will take you from beginner to visual effects (VFX) professional in just one book. Seasoned visual effects producer Jon Gress has refined the teaching of the skills and techniques presented in this book for over a decade to distill them down to the most effective methodology, delivered in a way that’s both fun and easy to understand while being state-of-the-art for industry professionals. You’ll start with a solid understanding of the basics of visual effects and compositing, the fundamentals of bluescreen and greenscreen keying, 3D texturing, cloning, wire & rig removal, rotoscoping, 2D and 3D motion tracking, and matchmoving. And then experiment with a wide range of 2D, 2.5D & 3D visual effects, including 3D CGI, crowd replication, face replacements, faking shadows, reflections and Z depth, atmospheric, smoke, cloud & heat FX, sky replacements, day-for-night and digital 3D HUD FX. Building on this strong foundation of compositing and visual effects, you’ll be prepared for the advanced section of the book which teach skills, such as 2D, 2.5D & 3D digital matte painting and projections, film colorization, particle systems, fluid and rigid body dynamics, full digital environments, digital destruction, advanced lighting and rendering techniques, stereoscopic 3D, 2D to 3D conversions, and expert 3D and Photoshop extraction and modeling techniques that can only be described as magic! Throughout the lessons, you’ll glean insider advice on cutting edge methods that even experienced professionals will find amazing. You’ll learn everything you need to know to begin working in the world of visual effects as an industry professional. • All the info you need to go from beginner to professional in one book • Easily accessible teaching style from an instructor who has helped launch the careers of some of the best-known Hollywood visual effects specialists • Includes companion graphics files and videos to follow along with the lessons

Whether you're a novice compositor or a well-versed one moving over from After Effects or Shake, this is THE book for you to learn the ins and outs of the powerful compositing software, Nuke. In addition to covering all of the menus, buttons, and other software-specific topics, it also offers critical lessons in compositing theory, including working in 2.5D and stereoscopic 3D. Through a tutorial-based approach, augmented by video footage and image files provided on the downloadable resources, this book will have you up and running in Nuke in just hours. The book features over 300 4-color images, industry insider sidebars, as well as an entire chapter dedicated to real-world Nuke case studies. The downloadable resources files are available at http://www.focalpress.com/books/details/9780240820354/.

This book explores the fundamental computer vision principles and state-of-the-art algorithms used to create cutting-edge visual effects for movies and television. It describes classical computer vision algorithms and recent developments, features more than 200 original images, and contains in-depth interviews with Hollywood visual effects artists that tie the mathematical concepts to real-world filmmaking.