[digital] Visual Effects and Compositing

Foreword

Since ancient times, magic has been a common source of entertainment. Magic is the act of entertaining an audience using tricks to create illusions of the impossible using natural means. An artist who performs magic is often called a magician or an illusionist, which has led me to think of visual effects artists as digital illusionists.

Visual effects artists have taken illusions to previously unimaginable places over the years and have carried on the legacy of the many illusionists who went before them. One attribute that separates a traditional illusionist from his digital counterpart is secrecy. Whereas traditional magicians kept secrets to preserve the mystery of their tricks, the best visual effects artists I know are quick to break ...