Compositing: The Perfect Integration – Day 1
Tutorial Details
- Software: Adobe After Effects
- Software: Boujou
- Software: Autodesk Maya
- Software: Nuke
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Run Time: 32 Minutes
- Project Files: None
Final Product What You'll Be Creating
In this comprehensive tutorial, author Hugo Tromp will take you through the whole workflow of integrating computer generated three dimensional animation with real life footage. This tutorial covers a wide range of subjects such as motion tracking, footage processing, Maya techniques for compositing, 3D in Nuke and color correction. The first day of the tutorial covers the process of preparing footage for motion tracking and doing the motion tracking itself. Hugo will also explain the workflow of a visual effects shot. Enjoy!
Video
Download
Note: click the ‘Monitor’ icon to view tutorial in full-screen HD.
Enjoyed this Post?
Subscribe to our RSS Feed, Follow us on Twitter or simply recommend us to friends and colleagues!
By Hugo Tromp
Join our newsletter!
Create a Tutorial, Get Paid!
Have something to teach the world? Want to earn money doing it? Tutorials, screencasts, and articles published here on Cgtuts+ are largely contributed by readers just like you! We'll pay you great money for good content. Find Out More
Thanks for This one,I really am.Looking forward for other parts.Thanks again.
Hello Bro, Thanks for your this great tutorial. A great tutorial i can say, Well We are looking for the next part. Thanks Once again :)
add a preview please!
Hi, because this tutorial is so comprehensive it covers many subjects, so one final preview is not possible because I don’t create one final product.
Sorry… this could have been a great tut, but doesn’t quite meet the standards that those on NetTuts+ have reached. Your compression codec distorted the sound and visuals so badly that your gasping, breaths often sounded like darth vader. It took you 15 minutes to even begin the tutorial that your title said you were going to give. And we got it by the 15th time you told it was amazing, no need for the subsequent 30 times – and yes, it is “scientific.”
I’d like to actually see the rest of the topic for it is not only interesting but probably the next big “prosumer” line of activity – It would be nice if you could fix these terrible distracting aspects before you release them, even if it takes 2 or 3 “takes.”
where is the next part? can’t wait for it :P
great i learned just from the basic tutorial more please
so confused :S please give me link for tutorials 3D :)
@Hugo are you dead? where are the other parts?
LOL did you apply the alien preset in soundbooth to your voice?
Hi, thanks for the comments. I’m recording the third part right now but it’s quite a lot of work and due to quality issues I had to re-record all the videos. And I know, my mic is REALLY bad :)
Not so much the mic (although it was of poor quality), but more about HOW you speak and instruct. It’s great that you are excited about the things you are teaching, but maybe write out a script first so that your excitement doesn’t distract from actually getting the proper information across. And maybe learn how to breathe a bit quieter. :)
There were a LOT of things in this instructional video that were explained wrong, or simply not explained at all. But you did a great job of expressing how “awesome” they were. BTW, in a real production pipeline, a lot of the departments you explained have tasks happening at the same time. If it were a linear process as you show in your inaccurate diagram, feature films would take years to create. Tracking happens as soon as the footage is processed. And the modeling is happening even before the footage is shot. Also, all of the things you did to effect the footage to “prepare” it for tracking are a big “NO, NO” unless absolutely necessary. Anything to do to the footage can impair a track, as you are throwing away data from the original shot… especially boosting the blacks and removing grain. All of that could potentially destroy valuable information in the shot that might help with a track, if the person doesn’t know what they are doing.
I realize this is an extensive topic, and difficult to explain everything in a short video, but I look forward to the day when people can properly explain things in such “tutorials” in a more professional manner, rather than give out bad and confusing information. It would be MUCH more valuable to those new to VFX, to give out one solid piece of information, than to bombard them with a lot of half-way explained information and misinformation. Sorry, I know you tried, and that this is a free “tutorial”. But just because you work at a post studio, and have a computer and a microphone, doesn’t mean you should be teaching other people anything.
Hi, first of all thanks for the comment. This is certainly not one of those bad comments that just say ”stupid” or anything, it contains things that I can work on. Especially write out a script first is a handy idea! I want to point out, though, that you comment does contain some wrong information:
”feature films would take years to create”
They actually do.
in a real production pipeline, a lot of the departments you explained have tasks happening at the same time
This is not true, just ask for information at ILM or Weta or something
Also, all of the things you did to effect the footage to “prepare” it for tracking are a big “NO, NO” unless absolutely necessary
These things certainly help making your track easier and cleaning up bad markers.
But just because you work at a post studio, and have a computer and a microphone, doesn’t mean you should be teaching other people anything.
This takes a lot of work and as you can see in the comments above some people ARE learning from it. Also, this is only the first video out of three, so much more info is still to come…
wow +1 for Hugo
”feature films would take years to create”
They actually do.
Not all of them do. And the ones that have an organized pipeline, shouldn’t. It’s different for every film, of course. And if you are talking about the process from script idea to theater release… yes, that can take many years. But the pipeline relating to this “tutorial” is an example of a very inefficient one. That’s my point.
“in a real production pipeline, a lot of the departments you explained have tasks happening at the same time”
This is not true, just ask for information at ILM or Weta or something
ILM and WETA are only two of hundreds of major studios doing this work. And yes, they do indeed have multiple things happening simultaneously for any given production. It’s pretty standard practice. Check your facts, is all I’m saying, if you are going to give them out as an “authority” in some “tutorial”. ILM And WETA are not the only studios out there.
“Also, all of the things you did to effect the footage to “prepare” it for tracking are a big “NO, NO” unless absolutely necessary”
These things certainly help making your track easier and cleaning up bad markers.
They only help if (a) the footage was shot poorly and amateurish or (b) there is absolutely no alternative. If you are going to give a “worst case scenario” technique, don’t teach it as standard practice. Acknowledge that this is ONLY to be done if nothing else is working and the shot is extremely difficult to track. And I would think the first thing you’d want to teach is proper technique… THEN go into alternatives.
“But just because you work at a post studio, and have a computer and a microphone, doesn’t mean you should be teaching other people anything.”
This takes a lot of work and as you can see in the comments above some people ARE learning from it. Also, this is only the first video out of three, so much more info is still to come…
People may be learning *something*, but I can guarantee you based on this tutorial they are not learning proper techniques. So hey, congratulations on giving people information that they will have to unlearn first in order to be productive in a real production environment. There’s a lot of hard work that gets put into a LOT of things out there that aren’t necessarily good. If you can reach out to one person and teach them something, more power to you. But wouldn’t you rather strive for reaching out to many more people, and gain respect as someone who gives out accurate information and a quality product? It also takes a lot of work to come up with excuses for poor work. Doesn’t make the end result any better.
Bottom line, this is only my opinion, based on my own years of first hand production experience, and research. Everyone’s experiences will be different, I am sure. But I feel like all the people who are commenting “great work” probably don’t have a lot of experience to compare it to, and probably need some sort of disclaimer.
Well Mechanical Whispers, you probably can get the idea that Hugo is a very excited guy and is very happy working with VFX. Maybe he just started working with it and is learning just now, at least he is taking the time to make a tutorial and help people out.
You, on the other hand, come across as one jerk that thinks that knows it all and is just able to criticize and point bad things in his video.
If you are such an experienced artist, why don’t you show some maturity and help Hugo out explaining how things are done in the real work environment.
The great thing about the internet is that you can share and gain information with others.
So why don’t you sit down, look at yourself, rethink about your life and maybe try to be a little more useful because you are not helping the community at all.
I want MOORE! Let’s do it dude!
Regards from Brazil.
thanks for the awesome tut , by the way where is the 2part of tutorial ?
Great Tut. Love it was to the point. Thanks for making this tut.
Hey Hugo, thanks for sharing this. Eagerly waiting for 2nd n 3rd part…. plz upload soon….! thanks again
hey please my request is to composite the shot with after fx please it will be a great help
Thanks for your this great tutorial.I’m waiting for next.Thanks a lot
Hey bud…What an effort…I really love the passion and enthu. with whc u hv went on to explain everythng…
Its not possible for a person to explain every damm thng in a 30 min video..wat u explained really mattered a lot to me…take every comment only for further improving on ur skills..may it be good or bad…
Thanks a lot for posting such valuable information on such a professional portal…
And plz keep on posting since ppl like u really set a benchmark for amateurs…
Lovely effort…
Cheers……
Real nice design and style and good written content , nothing at all else we want : D.
Thank you for this tut. Really impressive this boujou thing. Hope you continue one day.
Could anyone plz help me! I can not see this tutorial’s video! Not only this but also the others which are uploaded onto Blip.tv!
Plz help me!!!!
Hey Q,
Sorry to hear that, you can download the source video directly by right clicking on the “Video” text (above the embedded video) and choosing “Save Link As…” That will let you view it offline without going through Blip ;)
Hope this helps!
Chris
Thanks for your help! I have actually done that already but it doesn’t work! Anyway, I have to use ultrasurf to see Blip, though it prevents me from downloading the video and the loading speed is super slow :(
Thanks again!! ^-^