Author: Samuel Collett
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The Past: Unmasked – Rear Projection & Miniatures
VFX is a trade with a rich history of innovation and spectacle. In this miniseries, we’ll expose some of the core practices of a bygone age in bite-size pieces. Rear Projection How did they put actors in crazy locations before green screens came along? Rear projection was the answer that early filmmakers came up with.…
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I no longer use Fusion… Why?
I no longer use Fusion for compositing. I’m sure you’re all waiting for some epic story explaining why I forsook such a noble program. You wait in vain. Fusion was never the final goal. Below I will list some of the factors that went into my decision to make the switch now. I’ve really enjoyed…
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Proud to Say It’s Fake
When VFX is done right (granted, this doesn’t always happen), it will be unnoticeable. In these cases those who made it should be proud to say it’s fake (unless it was already pretty obvious).
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“Is it here to stay?” | Q & A – Answering a Question Pertaining to the Future of StageCraft Technology (Audio)
This question may not interest all, but for those of you who have read “The Rise of Virtual Production”, this should be a session that piques your interest.
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“How do Greenscreens Work?” | Q & A – Some Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Basic Visual Effects Practices (Audio)
Everywhere I go, I am confronted with these 2 questions: These questions are tackled in the session below.
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Two Questions to Ask Yourself While Integrating CGI with Live-action
Something that I’ve found helpful when I am making visual effects. The title is inspired by an article on a different topic by someone significantly smarter than me. Question 1 – How would this CGI affect the environment that has been captured in the footage? Question 2 – How would the environment captured in the…
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Natron // Behind the Illusion – Unmasking the Software that Brings Visual Effects to Life
Featured Image Credit – https://natrongithub.github.io/about The last (and also first) article in this series covered Fusion by Blackmagic Design, a node-based compositing program. Today as we consider Natron, you will notice some major similarities. First, we’ll take a quick look at what exactly Natron is, and then we’ll consider some major similarities and differences between…
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Fusion // Behind the Illusion – Unmasking the Software that Brings Visual Effects to Life
I used to work almost exclusively in layer-based compositing systems. After Effects was one of those programs that I used, while Hitfilm by FXHOME was a personal favorite. As I continued to learn more about compositing and polishing shots, it became apparent that I needed to up my game. I decided to learn node-based compositing.…
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The Life and Legacy of George Méliès | World Visual Effects Day 2024 (Talk)
World Visual Effects Day Address // December, 2024 Topic // The History and Inventor of Visual Effects | The Cinemagician Speaker // Samuel Collett, Author at UnmaskingVFX Length // 14 Minutes, 53 Seconds Uploaded // 2025.03.17 Transcript Right, everyone. Well, it is as always a joy to be with you and to be able to…
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Creating Digital Elements (Assets) // The Visual Effects Pipeline (Video)
Oftentimes, VFX projects need some kind of digital assets. This could be almost anything: These can all be created by hard-working 3D artists. These are the same types of people that would be working on a Pixar movie but often they have more of a focus on realism. In the video below, we dive into…