NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Vfx

Visual Effects (or 'VFX' for short) is the term given to a sub-category of special effects in which images or film frames are created and manipulated for film and video. Visual effects usually involve the integration of live-action footage with computer generated imagery or other elements (such as pyrotechnics or model work) in order to create environments or scenarios which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or simply impossible to capture on film. They have become increasingly common in big-budget films, and have also recently become accessible to the amateur filmmaker with the introduction of affordable animation and compositing software. Special effects (abbreviated SPFX or SFX) are used in the film, television, and entertainment industry to create effects that cannot be achieved by normal means, such as depicting travel to other star systems. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... In film and video, live action refers to works that are acted out by flesh-and-blood actors, as opposed to animation. ... The seawater creature in The Abyss marked CGIs acceptance in the visual effects industry. ... Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. ... In visual effects post-production, compositing refers to creating new images or moving images by combining images from different sources â€“ such as real-world digital video, film, synthetic 3-D imagery, 2-D animations, painted backdrops, digital still photographs, and text. ...

1 Timing
2 Categories
3 Notable visual effects companies
4 See also
5 External links
6 Further reading

Timing

Visual effects are frequently integral to a movie's story and appeal. Although most visual-effects work is completed during post-production, it usually must be carefully planned and choreographed in pre-production and production. Post production is the general term for the last stage of film production in which photographed scenes (also called footage) are put together into a complete film. ... Pre-production is the process of preparing all the elements involved in a film, play, or other performance. ...

Categories

Visual effects may be divided into at least four categories:

Models: miniature sets and models, animatronics
Matte paintings and stills: digital or traditional paintings or photographs which serve as background plates for keyed or rotoscoped elements
Live-action effects: keying actors or models through bluescreening and greenscreening
Digital animation: modeling, computer graphics lighting, texturing, rigging, animating, and rendering computer generated 3D characters, particle effects, digital sets, backgrounds, etc..

Use of scale models in the creation of visual effects by the entertainment industry dates back to the earliest days of cinema. ... Audio-Animatronics or just animatronics is a form of robotics created by Disneys Imagineers for several shows and attractions at Disney theme parks, and subsequently expanded on and used by other companies. ... Matte or matt can be used to describe a non-glossy finish on a surface; it can also be used to denote the surface surrounding a framed picture, between the picture itself and the frame; usually made from coloured card. ... In graphics and visual effects, keying is an informal term for compositing two full frame images together, by discriminating the visual information into values of color and light. ... Rotoscoping is a technique where animators trace live action movement, frame by frame, for use in animated films. ... In graphics and visual effects, keying is an informal term for compositing two full frame images together, by discriminating the visual information into values of color and light. ... The bluescreen setup. ... 3D computer graphics are different from 2D computer graphics in that a three-dimensional representation of geometric data is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Spherical texture mapping Texture mapping is a method, pioneered by Edwin Catmull, of adding detail, surface texture, or colour to a computer-generated graphic or 3D model. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... 3D computer graphics are different from 2D computer graphics in that a three-dimensional representation of geometric data is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images. ...

Notable visual effects companies

Animal Logic (Sydney, AU and Venice, CA)
Boss Film Studios (Marina Del Rey, CA) - closed
Bird Studios (London UK)
CA Scanline (München, DE)
CafeFX (Santa Maria, CA, US)
Digital Domain (Venice, LA, CA, US)
Double Negative (VFX) (London, UK)
DreamWorks (LA, CA, US)
Flash Film Works (LA, CA, US)
Framestore CFC (London, UK)
Giantsteps (Venice, CA)
The Mill (London, UK; NY and LA, US)
Hydraulx (Santa Monica, LA, US)
Image Engine (Vancouver, BC, CA)
Industrial Light and Magic (San Francisco, CA, US)
Intelligent Creatures (Toronto, ON, CA)
Mac Guff (LA, CA, US; Paris, FR)
Moving Picture Company (Soho, London, UK)
Rhythm and Hues Studios (LA, CA, US)
Rising Sun Pictures (Adelaide and Sydney, AU)
Sony Pictures Imageworks (Culver City, CA, US)
Tippett Studio (Berkeley, CA, US)
Weta Digital (Wellington, NZ)
Zoic Studios (Culver City, CA, US)
Vision Crew Unlimited (Culver City, CA, US) - closed
Red chillis(Bombay,India)

Animal Logic is a digital visual effects company based at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia. ... Boss Film Studios was founded by visual effects verteran Richard Edlund after his departure from Industrial Light and Magic, producing visual effects for over thirty films from 1983 to 1997. ... Bird Studios (founded 2003) is a UK production company specializing in design, computer animation & visual effects for TV, film and the digital world. ... This article or section reads like an advertisement. ... Digital Domain is a computer graphics company located in Venice, California that provides visual effects for film, commercials and music videos. ... Double Negative is full-service VFX (visual effects) company in Europe. ... This article is about the film studio. ... Flash Film Works is a computer graphics company that provides special effects for films, television shows and commercials. ... Framestore CFC is one of the largest digital film special effects companies in Europe. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... The Mill is a post production and visual effects company launched in 1990 with offices in London and New York. ... hy*draulx, alternatively spelled HYDRAULX and Hydraulx, is a uniquely designed and operated award-winning visual effects (vfx) facility based in Santa Monica, California. ... Image Engine, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, was formed in 1994 with the express purpose of providing outstanding computer generated visual effects. ... Industrial Light & Magic original logo, designed by Drew Struzan Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is a motion picture special visual effects company, founded in May 1975 by George Lucas and owned by Lucasfilm Ltd. ... Intelligent Creatures is a visual effects post-production company specializing in feature films with a fully integrated 2D & 3D pipeline. ... // Mac Guff is a visual effects company based in both Los Angeles, USA and Paris, France. ... Moving Picture Company (MPC) is one of the worlds leading post production facilities creating high-end digital visual effects and computer animation for the advertising, music, television and feature film industries. ... Rhythm & Hues Studios is an Academy Award winning visual effects studio, founded in 1987 by six former employees of Robert Abel and Associates. ... Rising Sun Pictures (RSP) is an Australian, Adelaide- and Sydney-based visual effects company. ... Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc. ... Tippett Studio is an Academy Award winning visual effects company specializing in computer-generated imagery (CGI) for movies and television commercials. ... Weta Digital is a digital visual effects company based in Wellington, New Zealand, an offshoot of the Weta Workshop physical effects company. ... Zoic Studios - written as ZOIC - is a special effects company based in Culver City, California which primarily deals with computer generated special effects for movies and television. ... Vision Crew Unlimited was founded in 1994 by visual effects artists Evan Jacobs, Jon Warren and Douglas Miller with the goal of providing high quality visual effects for feature films, commercials, and television. ...

Contents

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Categories

Notable visual effects companies

See also

External links

Further reading

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