What is VFX?
What exactly is it that we're unmasking here?
V F X
STANDS FOR
Visual
Effects
Something you can see.
A change.
OR
Something used by the filmmakers to produce a desired impression.
Combine these and you have a definition.
What does this look like practically?
"Transforming" & "Transporting"
Reality or Elements of it.
Transforming Reality
This is done using tools like Motion Capture (A Method of Capturing Performance) and CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) to augment or even replace reality. Whenever you see jobs like:
- 3D Artist
- 3D Animator
- Environment Artist
These are probably involved in the scenes from movies that involve computer-generated characters and other elements being integrated seamlessly with reality. Some movies even use scenes that are entirely computer-generated. Sometimes the transformative effects are super subtle.
Watch this doorbell change below.
Transporting Elements of Reality
What about taking actors out of the real world and putting them in digitally created, recreated, or previously recorded environments?Â
These types of scenes involve transporting elements filmed in the real world to the digital world. These days with tools like Unreal Engine 5, it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference between these two worlds.
Shots with this type of effect require tools like:
- Green/Blue Screens for Background Removal and Replacement.
- Light Matching for Seamless Integration of the Real Footage with the New Backgrounds.Â
- Camera Tracking to Make Sure that Everything Lines Up Perfectly.
This is just a tiny sample of what goes into the transporting of elements of reality into other worlds.
