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Teaching several visual effects classes question. What top 5 visual effects students should know
I am teaching a college level class. I have several visual effects classes. Some students have great skills and others barely.. Our primary tool is After Effects.
What would you all consider the top 5 visual effects they without a doubt should know. Any other recommendations would be helpful.
If any one in the Las Vegas area has a great deal of experience in this field. I would love to hear from you. In addition I would love to bring you into my class as a guest speaker or even perhaps a work shop. Eager students await your help. Also we can arrange Goolge video if you are out of the area. This would be so helpful to them especially if you are currently active in this area.
Thanks.
So much
David Andrews -
2 Replies
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Keying, both green/blue chromakey and luma keying. This would be partly a how-to light-and-shoot course, partly screenwork, because lighting for a good key, and shooting usable “plates” is 90 percent of the job. You need to give them some fundamentals so they don’t have to re-invent what already works. Also, how to work with or fix bad footage. Probably the most fun of the segments.
Rotoscoping, and masking and track mattes. Wire/rig removal, image repair.
Color grading and modifying footagee to achieve a specific look. Day-for-night effects. Underwater effects. Dream states. Precipitation FX like snow, rain, sandstorm, fire/smoke. Speed effects, slow-mo, time lapse.
Animating type. Kinetic typography. Advanced graphic design concepts for titling. Animting a virtual camera.
Digital set extensions, digital matte paintings, Integrating CGI with live action plates. Mocap, 3-d tracking and replacing live elements with digital ones. Making 3-d models for pre-visualization, storyboards, animatics.
A person knowledgeable and accomplished at all of these would be a formidable addition to any staff.
I didn’t list VR and stereoscopic, because that should be a separate, high-level course.
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I let my students gravitate to their own style then help them hone that. I show and explain that all of them will fly logos around, no matter what they end up doing, so we cover layering and key framing. Others, like your students already come in with templates they have already downloaded for after effects and simply want me to show them through the project so they understand it and can start swapping elements and tweak effects to their liking.
I Only write curriculums when a college requires it, with them understanding I have no plan whatsoever to adhere to it. My classes are organic so students learn what they are most interested in.
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