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Just about every major film now comes to us with an assist from digital effects. The results are obvious in superhero fantasies, yet dramas like Roma also rely on computer-generated imagery to enhance the verisimilitude of scenes. But the realism of digital effects is not actually true to life. It is a realism invented by Hollywood-by one company specifically: Industrial Light & Magic. The Empire of Effects shows how the effects company known for the puppets and space battles of the original Star Wars went on to develop the dominant aesthetic of digital realism. Julie A. Turnock finds that ILM borrowed its technique from the New Hollywood of the 1970s, incorporating lens flares, wobbly camerawork, haphazard framing, and other cinematography that called attention to the person behind the camera. In the context of digital imagery, however, these aesthetic strategies had the opposite effect, heightening the sense of realism by calling on tropes suggesting the authenticity to which viewers were accustomed. ILM's style, on display in the most successful films of the 1980s and beyond, was so convincing that other studios were forced to follow suit, and today, ILM is a victim of its own success, having fostered a cinematic monoculture in which it is but one player among many.

Since the very first days of cinema, audiences have marveled at the special effects imagery presented on movie screens. While long relegated to the margins of film studies, special effects have recently become the object of a burgeoning field of scholarship. With the emergence of a digital cinema, and the development of computerized visual effects, film theorists and historians have been reconsidering the traditional accounts of cinematic representation, recognising the important role of special effects. Understood as a constituent part of the cinema, special effects are a major technical but also aesthetic component of filmmaking and an important part of the experience for the audience. In this volume, new directions are charted for the exploration of this indispensable aspect of the cinematic experience. Each of the essays in this collection offers new insight into the theoretical and historical study of special effects. The contributors address the many aspects of special effects, from a variety of perspectives, considering them as a conceptual problem, recounting the history of specific special effects techniques, and analysing notable effects films.

The award-winning VES Handbook of Visual Effects remains the most complete guide to visual effects techniques and best practices available today. This new edition has been updated to include the latest, industry-standard techniques, technologies, and workflows for the ever-evolving fast paced world of visual effects. The Visual Effects Society (VES) tasked the original authors to update their areas of expertise, such as AR/VR Moviemaking, Color Management, Cameras, VFX Editorial, Stereoscopic and the Digital Intermediate, as well as provide detailed chapters on interactive games and full animation. Additionally, 56 contributors share their best methods, tips, tricks, and shortcuts developed through decades of trial and error and real-world, hands-on experience.

Drawing on a variety of popular films, includingAvatar, Enter the Void, Fight Club, The Matrix, Speed Racer, X-MenandWar of the Worlds,Supercinemastudies the ways in which digital special effects and editing techniques require a new theoretical framework in order to be properly understood. Here William Brown proposes that while analogue cinema often tried to hide the technological limitations of its creation through ingenious methods, digital cinema hides its technological omnipotence through the use of continued conventions more suited to analogue cinema, in a way that is analogous to that of Superman hiding his powers behind the persona of Clark Kent. Locating itself on the cusp of film theory, film-philosophy and cognitive approaches to cinema,Supercinemaalso looks at the relationship between the spectator and film that utilizes digital technology to maximum, 'supercinematic' effect.

Most moviegoers think of editing and special effects as distinct components of the filmmaking process. We might even conceive of them as polar opposites, since effective film editing is often subtle and almost invisible, whereas special effects frequently call attention to themselves. Yet, film editors and visual effects artists have worked hand-in-hand from the dawn of cinema to the present day. Editing and Special/Visual Effectsbrings together a diverse range of film scholars who trace how the arts of editing and effects have evolved in tandem. Collectively, the contributors demonstrate how these two crafts have been integral to cinematic history, starting with the \"trick films\" of the early silent era, which astounded audiences by splicing in or editing out key frames, all the way up to cutting-edge effects technologies and concealed edits used to create the illusions. Throughout, readers learn about a variety of filmmaking techniques, from classic Hollywood's rear projection and matte shots to the fast cuts and wall-to-wall CGI of the contemporary blockbuster. In addition to providing a rich historical overview,Editing and Special/Visual Effectssupplies multiple perspectives on these twinned crafts, introducing readers to the analog and digital tools used in each craft, showing the impact of changes in the film industry, and giving the reader a new appreciation for the processes of artistic collaboration they involve.

Die vorliegende Studie behandelt die Themen Medienbildung und Medienerlebnisse von Kindern im Elementarbereich. Besonders in Kindertageseinrichtungen tauchen heutzutage Medienhelden aus unterschiedlichen Serien und Filmen vermehrt im Alltagsgeschehen auf, sodass bei Erziehern häufig Fragen aufkommen. Was finden Kinder eigentlich so reizvoll an den Hunden der PAW Patrol oder den Ninjago? Und wie sollten pädagogische Fachkräfte mit der Fülle an kindlichen Medienerlebnissen adäquat umgehen? Diesen Aspekten wird in der empirischen Arbeit nachgegangen, indem Interviews mit Kindern geführt wurden und die Kinder nach ihrem Erleben und Verhalten während sowie nach dem Konsum von Fernsehen gefragt wurden. Sie wurden zudem gebeten, jeweils eine Zeichnung von ihrem Medienhelden anzufertigen. Aus den Gesprächen mit den Kindern resultierten spannende und sehr unterschiedliche Ergebnisse. In Zusammenhang mit weiterführender, wissenschaftlich fundierter Literatur wurden daraus pädagogische Handreichungen für Eltern und pädagogische Fachkräfte entwickelt.

Don't waste valuable time and budget fixing your footage in post! Shoot the effects you want effectively and creatively the first time. This full-color step-by step guide to visual effects cinematography empowers you to plan out and execute visual effects shots on a budget, without falling into the common pitfall of using high-end computer graphics to \"fix it in post,\" which can be an expensive, drawn out process. Instead, learn how to put your shots together before you start shooting–whether you're working in digital or film. Learn how to effectively photograph and create miniatures, matte paintings, green screen set ups, crowd replication, digital rear projection, and so much more to create elements that will composite together flawlessly. The main purpose of effects is to promote the story, not just to wow an audience with amazing tricks created digitally. This book describes methods for creating seamless effects that don't call attention to themselves but enhance the scene as a whole. The technical foundations of film and digital capture are given in the introductory chapters of the book, and you are presented with real world scenarios that illustrate these basic concepts in a practical sense. Step-by-step illustrations of photographic element creation empower you to learn how to effectively pre-plan and execute your own visual effects challenges. • Hundreds of full-color set photographs show you exactly how it's done • Includes step-by-step information on green screen setup • Real-world examples and exercises throughout

Get your foot in the studio door by learning the art of matchmoving Matchmoving is a technique that allows computer graphics to be inserted into live-action footage with correct position, scale, orientation, and motion. Also known as motion tracking, it's what allows movie monsters to run down Main Street and robots to run through crowds--and look real. Now this unique book from a top expert from Industrial Light and Magic teaches you the art of matchmoving. With step-by-step tutorials and pages of examples, this book first explains the basics and then shows you professional techniques, from 3D calibration and tracking, to stereoscopy, and more. Explains concepts and teaches professional techniques for successful matchmoving Authored by a top matchmove specialist from Industrial Light and Magic, who walks you through step-by-step tutorials and impressive examples Covers matchmoving basics, 2D tracking, 3D calibration and tracking, automatic tracking, cameras, integrating matchmoves, and stereoscopy Learn how studio visual effects professionals make all the right matchmoves with Matchmoving: The Invisible Art of Camera Tracking 2nd Edition.

The Digitization of Cinematic Visual Effects: Hollywood’s Coming of Age, by Rama Venkatasawmy, analyzes how the Hollywood cinema industry’s visual effects applications have not only motivated the expansion of filmmaking praxis, they have also influenced the evolution of viewing pleasures and spectatorship experiences. Following the digitization of their associated technologies, VFX have been responsible for multiplying the strategies of representation and storytelling, as well as extending the range of stories that can potentially be told onscreen. By the same token, the visual standards of the Hollywood film’s production and exhibition have been growing in sophistication. On the basis of displaying groundbreaking VFX—immaculately realized through the application of cutting-edge technologies and craftsmanship—and of projecting such a significant degree of visual innovation and originality, certain Hollywood movies have established techno-visual trends and industrial standards for subsequent filmmaking practice. Hollywood cinema’s entry into the digital realm is intertwined with the intensification of conglomeratic practices within the movie business, the domain of techno-scientific R&D in filmmaking, and the unification of corporate media, information technology, and entertainment. Hence, the standardization of, and convergence toward, the digital medium is emblematic of Hollywood cinema’s techno-industrial evolution in the late twentieth century. Accordingly, this volume identifies various synergies and partnerships—between VFX providers, movie studios, graphic designers, and more—that have emerged from a progressive growth of awareness in Hollywood of the digital medium’s potential.

Master the Art and Science of Matchmoving Written by a matchmoving expert, this book is much more than a technical primer. It helps you think like a pro so that you can find the right solution for your matchmoves, no matter how tricky. You'll also find coverage of tasks that commonly go hand-in-hand with matchmoving, along with advice on the contributions you can make on the set of a live-action shoot. Whether you're a student or professional, Matchmoving: The Invisible Art of Camera Tracking gives you the knowledge and perspective you need to quickly and successfully solve every matchmove. Coverage includes: Understanding how matchmove programs workPerspective matchingGetting optimal 2D tracking dataCalibrating/solving camerasUsing automatic trackingFitting matchmoves into a CG setMastering matchamation techniquesModeling from matchmovesTroubleshooting bad matchmovesMulti-purposing matchmove data.