The Visual Effects Producer

Book description


First published in 2010. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Table of Contents
  6. Introduction
  7. Part I VISUAL EFFECTS IN REVIEW
    1. Chapter 1 The “Good” Old Days: Visual Effects before Computers
      1. Stop-Motion Animation
      2. Puppets and Animatronics
      3. Matte Paintings
      4. Miniatures
        1. In-Camera Miniatures
        2. Hanging Miniatures with Live Action
        3. Miniatures with Composited Elements
      5. Front and Rear Projection
      6. Forced Perspective with Live Action
      7. Blue- or Greenscreen Composites
      8. Motion Control
      9. In-Camera Practical Effects
      10. Special (Mechanical) Effects and Visual Effects
    2. Chapter 2 Digital Effects: The 15-minute Version
      1. Two-Dimensional (2D) vs. Three-Dimensional (3D) CGI
        1. 2D CGI
        2. 3D CGI
      2. Creating a Digital Image
        1. Building Digital Models
        2. Texturing, Painting, and Lighting
      3. CG Characters
      4. Animation
      5. Rendering
      6. Compositing
      7. Miniatures vs. Digital Models
  8. Part II PREPRODUCTION AND PREP
    1. Chapter 3 Who You Gonna Call? The VFX Team
      1. The Visual Effects Supervisor
      2. The Visual Effects Producer
        1. First In—Last Out
        2. What Does the VFX Producer Do?
        3. VFX Producer’s Abilities and Personal Qualities
        4. VFX Producers and Guild Membership
        5. The VFX Producer and Marketing
      3. Visual Effects Production Coordinator
      4. Visual Effects Data Coordinator
      5. Visual Effects PA, Runner, and Similar Support Positions
      6. Freelance Visual Effects Crew
        1. First Assistant Director (AD)
        2. Visual Effects DP
        3. Blue or Green Screen DP
        4. Motion Control Technician
        5. Miniature Pyrotechnicians
      7. Other Special VFX Crew
    2. Chapter 4 Basic VFX Technologies and Equipment
      1. Blue and Green Screens
      2. Lighting for Blue- or Greenscreen Photography
      3. Motion Control
        1. When to Use Motion Control
      4. EncodaCam
      5. VistaVision Cameras
      6. High-Speed Photography
      7. Digital Video Assist with Compositing Capability
      8. Motion Capture
      9. SpaceCam, Wescam, Flying-Cam
      10. Cyberscanning and Structured Light Scanning
      11. Set Surveys
      12. Lighting References and HDRI (High Dynamic Range Imaging)
      13. LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)
      14. Renting Equipment
    3. Chapter 5 Breakdowns
      1. Production Breakdowns
      2. The First Go-Around: Generating a VFX Breakdown Getting Started
        1. Marking Up the Script
        2. Numbering Visual Effects Shots
        3. Constructing a Digital Cost Breakdown Spreadsheet
        4. Estimating Digital Shot Costs
        5. A Sampling of Ancillary Digital Costs
      3. Facility Visual Effects Supervision and Management
        1. Preliminary Bids: Getting a Handle on the Digital Shot Costs
        2. Budget Guidelines for Digital Work
        3. Casting and Evaluating Potential Vendors
        4. Practical Steps in Checking Out a Vendor
        5. The Importance of Artists
        6. Bidding Guidelines: Comparing Apples to Apples
        7. Following Up
      4. Budgeting Miniatures
    4. Chapter 6 Scheduling and Budgeting Production Support
      1. The Production Support Breakdown Sheet
        1. Using Movie Magic Scheduling
        2. VFX Breakdown Sheets
        3. Preparing the VFX Breakdown
        4. Stand-Alone VFX Elements
        5. Scheduling the Shooting of Your Effects
        6. Collaborating with the 1st Unit
        7. Communication—Key to Smooth Sailing
        8. Scheduling 1st Unit Shooting
        9. Working with a Strip Board
        10. Separating 1st Unit and VFX Unit Shooting
        11. Designating Different Types of VFX Plates
        12. Modifying the Strip Board Design
        13. Keeping Up with Changes
        14. Scheduling the VFX Unit
        15. Refining the Schedule
        16. Reports…and More Reports
        17. Modified Day-out-of-Days Report
        18. Modified One-Liner
    5. Chapter 7 Budgeting the Effects
      1. The Chart of Accounts
      2. How to Approach a Budget
      3. Some General Guidelines
        1. Negotiating Who Will Pay for Things
        2. Constructing a Visual Effects Budget
        3. Setting up the VFX Budget
        4. Globals: Set Them and Forget Them
        5. Fringes
        6. Getting the Budget into the “Ballpark”
        7. Discussion of Accounts
        8. Fringes
        9. The Contingency: Now You See It, Now You Don’t
    6. Chapter 8 The VFX Bible and Database
      1. What Is a VFX Bible?
        1. Examples of Reports from a FileMaker Pro Database
        2. Database Maintenance
      2. Visual Aids
        1. Storyboards
        2. Animatics
        3. Previs
        4. A Case Study—Previs for The Guardian
        5. Generating a Previs
  9. Part III PRODUCTION
    1. Chapter 9 On-Set Operations
      1. Production Meetings
        1. The Visual Effects Review
        2. … and More Meetings
        3. Tech Scouts
        4. Extended Location Scouts
      2. Key to Success: Keep the ADs Informed
      3. Influencing the 1st Unit Shooting Schedule
        1. But What About the Director?
      4. Motion Control: A Special Situation on Set
      5. Production Calendars
      6. Production Reports
      7. When the Schedule Changes
      8. Physical Support/1st Unit Support
        1. Working on Sets
        2. Laying the Groundwork
        3. Support from Camera Assistants
        4. Grips
        5. Electrical
        6. Paint and Construction
        7. Digital Video Assist
        8. Transportation
    2. Chapter 10 On-Set References
      1. Reference Photos; Art Department References
      2. Element Data Sheets
      3. Reference and Clean Background Plates
      4. Performance References
      5. Video References
      6. Lighting Reference Tools
      7. Tracking Markers
      8. Tests
    3. Chapter 11 Operating Independently: The Visual Effects Unit on its Own
      1. Matte Painting Plate Unit
      2. Visual Effects Plate Unit
      3. Miniature Unit
      4. Traveling Matte (i.e., Blue- or Greenscreen) Unit
      5. Motion Control Unit
      6. Animatronics Unit
      7. Motion and Performance Capture Units
      8. Stage and Visual Effects Photography Procedures
      9. VFX Crews
      10. Assembling a Crew
      11. On-Set Safety
    4. Chapter 12 Models and Miniatures
      1. Miniatures or CG Models?
      2. Early Estimates
      3. Defining the Task
      4. Miniatures on Contract
      5. The Bidding Package
      6. Monitoring Progress
      7. Getting Things to Match
      8. Filming Miniatures
  10. Part IV POSTPRODUCTION OF VISUAL EFFECTS
    1. Chapter 13 The New Digital Workflow
      1. Digital Workflow on the Set
        1. S.two System
        2. Codex Digital System
      2. Digital Workflow in Post
        1. Uncompressed Data for VFX
        2. Equipment Needed for a Digital Capture System on Set
        3. A Note about Digital Video Assist Costs
    2. Chapter 14 Getting a Handle on VFX Editorial
      1. The VFX Producer’s Role During Post
      2. Visual Effects Editorial
        1. The VFX Editor’s Tasks
        2. Attributes of a Good VFX Editor
      3. Budgeting for Editorial Staff and Equipment
        1. Budget Guidelines for VFX Editorial
      4. Pros and Cons of Digital Dailies
        1. Advantages of Digital Dailies
        2. Drawbacks of Digital Dailies
      5. High-Definition Digital Dailies from Film
        1. Lab Transfer Costs from Film to HD
    3. Chapter 15 Integrating VFX Shots with the Postproduction Schedule
      1. Parceling Out the Work
      2. How Many Eggs in One Basket?
      3. Getting Facilities to Talk to Each Other
      4. Monitoring Vendor Performance
    4. Chapter 16 Postproduction Scheduling Issues
      1. Practical Steps in Devising a Postproduction Schedule
      2. Handing off Shots to VFX Facilities
      3. The Shot Delivery Schedule
      4. Visual Effects by the Reel
      5. Milestones
      6. Interaction with 1st Unit Editorial
        1. Matching the VFX to the Live Action
        2. Grading in the Digital Age
        3. Two for the Price of One?
        4. Negative Scanning; Handling Negative
        5. Count Sheets
        6. Scanning Sheets
        7. A Word about Counts and Time Codes
        8. Scanning the Negative
        9. Recording the Final Image
        10. Keeping up with Editorial Changes
        11. First Line of Defense
        12. Temps
        13. VFX and the Marketing Department
        14. Status Reports
    5. Chapter 17 Changes and Approvals
      1. Changes and Approvals
        1. Change Orders
        2. Approvals
        3. Who Does the Approving?
        4. Turn-Around Time
        5. Clarifying the Term “Submitted”
        6. Approval Forms
        7. When the Job Goes South
    6. Chapter 18 Crossing the Finish Line
      1. Finishing on Film
      2. Finishing on Digital Intermediate
  11. Part V BUSINESS AFFAIRS—OPERATING THE VISUAL EFFECTS DEPARTMENT
    1. Chapter 19 Legal Matters
      1. Contracts
      2. Letter of Engagement
      3. Contract Details
        1. The Scope of the Work
        2. Quality Assurance
        3. Shot Breakdowns
        4. Budget
        5. Delivery Schedules and Interim Milestones
        6. Payment Schedules
        7. Key Personnel Guarantee
        8. Exclusivity of Vendor’s Services
        9. Vendor Reporting Requirement
        10. Right of Approval
        11. Revisions and Change Orders
        12. Rights of Cancellation and Rebates for Cancelled Work
        13. Technical Considerations
        14. Screen Credits
        15. “What If” Clauses
        16. Force Majeure
      4. Purchase Orders
      5. Contractor Status
      6. Deal Memos
      7. Work for Hire
      8. Insurance
      9. Cash Flow
      10. Cost Reports
      11. Controlling the Budget
      12. Monitoring Payrolls
      13. The Virtual Production Office
      14. Visual Effects and Film Guarantor Companies
      15. Negotiating and Bidding
        1. The Bidding Dance
        2. “May I Cut in?”—The Uninvited Bidder
      16. Cutting Your Losses
      17. Couldn’t You Just…?
    2. Chapter 20 Working Overseas
      1. The Challenges of Operating on Distant Locations
      2. The Lure of Working Overseas
      3. Encountering Cultural Differences
      4. The Language Challenge
      5. Physical Production
      6. Working with Digital Facilities Overseas
      7. The Foreign Factor
      8. Effect on Your Personal Affairs
      9. Taxes
      10. Travel
      11. Health Issues
      12. In Sum
  12. Acknowledgments
  13. Appendix A Movie Magic VFX Budget
  14. Appendix B Crew Deal Memo
  15. Appendix C Technical Information
  16. Appendix D Glossary
  17. Appendix E Bibliography/References
  18. Index

Product information

  • Title: The Visual Effects Producer
  • Author(s): Charles Finance, Susan Zwerman
  • Release date: February 2015
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781136135491