Introduction
Are you someone who gets super excited to watch VFX Movies? Do you find yourself on the edge of the seat to learn how Visual effects are created in VFX movies? In this blog, let us understand more about VFX and the applications of Visual Effects. VFX has rapidly taken over most of the entertainment industry. This is relatively a new arena in India, which is developing at a fast pace.
In this blog, learn about the ins and outs of Visual Effects and Compositing. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or an aspiring enthusiast, there’s something here for everyone. But more than just a technical skill, VFX Compositing is an art form that translates your fantasies into realities.
What is a Visual Effect/ VFX?
The term “VFX” gets thrown around a lot in these times. VFX generally refers to the special effects that are made to create some desired special effect. It involves manipulating imagery and elements to make something exciting & appealing. VFX can be as huge as a giant explosion in the middle of the street or as simple as digitally putting up a poster on a wall.
Did you see the epic fighting scenes of Hulk in The Avengers? Yep, That’s VFX and Compositing. The simulation of Shahrukh Khan’s face in the movie “Zero”. Yep, that’s VFX. These days, even short-form content such as Instagram Reels also has VFX involved in them which makes the viewer engage rapidly.
Did you know?
As we continue to live busy lives, our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. There is an uncertain urge to have all the information right at your fingertips. While access to such huge amounts of information has its benefits, for creators like us, this has increased the competition of creating something unique and worth watching for the viewer. As a result, the attention span of an average human being has been reduced to as low as 3 seconds. In mere 3 Seconds, a viewer decides to watch the rest of your content or swipe away.
Industry Scope
High-quality VFX is in high demand. This builds a huge scope of Visual Effect Artists. The Indian VFX industry is expected to grow exponentially as projected by a growth rate of 18% from 2021-2026, which is higher than the average of 12%.
India has a large pool of VFX Artists specialised in various dynamic fields like Rotoscoping, Animation, Rigging, Modelling and Texturing. Apart from the global industry, India is excelling in the Visual Effects Industry through their domestic movies and television shows. The perception that India can only outsource VFX tasks is in the process of becoming extinct. We are no longer just the country that only outsources. We have gained self-independence in this field too. Moreover, OTT platforms have marvellously adapted to the rise of Visual Effects and innovation.
Overall, VFX is in high demand in the Live Action Industry. Not every effect that can be created in real life needs to be invested heavily in. Therefore, VFX comes into action. Everybody strives to ease out their work, even relying heavily on softwares, which can give some incredible results. VFX is a great tool that helps you explore an unexplored world and transcend your visuals to a whole new level. VFX allows you to test multiple things, multiple environments and imagery. This is why, most creators prefer to execute through visual effects rather than real-life effects.
According to a survey conducted by Ambition Box,
VFX Artist salary in India ranges between Rs. 1.2 Lakhs to Rs. 5.8 Lakhs with an average annual salary of Rs. 3.4 Lakhs for a fresher. Salary estimates are based on 107 latest salaries received from VFX Artists.
What are the three types of visual effects?
- CGI
CGI stands for Computer Generated Imagery. As the name suggests, it involves visuals that are created through computers. Special softwares are used to create these visuals. It’s common for people to believe that Everything in VFX is CGI, but that’s not the case. In CGI, everything is created within computers, from the main subject to the supporting elements to support the live-action footage. The leading example of CGI is Pixar. Pixar leads the Computer Generated Imagery. Pixar has a strong visual identity and incredible pieces of work, as a beginner, it is best to learn from experts. Make sure to observe their work.
- Compositing
VFX and Compositing go hand-in-hand. Where VFX means to create a specific effect within a computer, Compositing means to merge two or more elements to make one single visual. You must have seen the effect of “Double Exposure”.In 2D, Double exposure is a concept of merging two or more images together, generally using one as a silhouette and the other as a window into the silhouette.
Similarly, Compositing is the concept of merging the environment and the CGI Subject. This process is important to ensure seamless footage and smart integration of required elements.
- What is a Green Screen?
Another fundamental technique of Compositing is using a Green or a Blue Screen. You must have seen Behind-the-Scene Footage of Live-Action films filming in front of a green or a blue screen. A Green Screen is used to key out a selected area of the video footage. This removes the selected area i.e. Green.
- Why is a green screen green?
Well, our skin carries red blood underneath itself. That automatically shifts the hue of the skin tone to red tones.
Contrastingly, the primary opposite of the color red is Green. So, if the color of skin is reddish, the screen will be polar opposite to red i.e. Green. This makes it easier to select the green color of the screen in post-production than any other colour. Also, it’s rare to find anyone wearing Green clothes, which further minimises the chances of accidentally selecting important elements.
- What if you’re shooting in a forest?
The forest is a hub of green hues. Using green hues will blend into the surroundings. Contrastingly, we use the colour Blue to oppose our colour theme. This makes it easier to select and replace the color in post-production and thus, merge the footage.
- Motion Capture
Motion Capture is relatively new. Motion Capture, as the name suggests, is the process of capturing the movements of an actor and thus transferring the information to a computer-generated 3D Model. Performance Capture is when you are capturing an actor’s expressions and transferring them to a 3d model. Similarly, In Films & Videography, this process is referred to as Match Moving.
What is VFX and SFX?
Commonly, the term VFX and SFX often gets misunderstood by beginners. Let us help you clear this out.
Visual Effects/ VFX refers to the effects that are added after the live-action shooting. These effects are created post-production in high-end softwares.VFX are considered digital effects as they enhance the quality of visual storytelling. These softwares serves as a handy tool for the artists to create a desired effect. Merging it with the live-action footage later is important.
Whereas, Special Effects refers to the effects that are created while shooting. They can be purposeful and controlled explosions, Fake makeup etc. Special effects is also abbreviated as SFX. SFX generally includes elements like Fake Rain, Prosthetic Makeup, Masks, Pyrotechnics etc. SFX are considered practical effects, as they are functional elements that feature while the movie plot unfolds.
Conclusion:
We are sure that now you are fully equipped to start your VFX journey. However, if you’re considering career options in VFX, Frameboxx Animation Institute is here to provide you with any necessary support to guide and welcome you in this exciting creative field.
Whether you aspire to be an Animator, VFX Artist, Graphic Designer, Web Designer, or VR Specialist, Frameboxx offers the right courses to kickstart your career. As the world digitalizes, VFX and Compositing continue to be an everlasting form of animation & entertainment. This is a worthwhile opportunity to build your career in the visual effects industry.
Join us at Frameboxx Ahmedabad! Enroll Today!