01 Professional compositing techniques (EN)

Welcome to my course, designed especially for compositors who already have experience with Nuke and are ready to tackle real production challenges. Throughout the course, you will face real-world challenges similar to those found in high-level film productions, working on 5 different shots.

Environment Creation: You will start by developing environments using matte painting techniques, progressing to the integration of CGI with real filmed elements and simulating specific optical effects of various lenses.

Look-Dev Development in Nuke: You will learn to perform look-dev techniques directly in Nuke, optimizing the process without the need for rendering additional passes.

Sequence Management: You will manage shots within the same sequence, where you will learn to optimize the workflow to apply changes efficiently and ensure visual consistency across all results.

Technical Problem Solving: You will face complex technical problems, such as handling chroma keys, removing artifacts in renders, and applying advanced techniques in deep compositing.

Course Modules

Matte Painting

In the first module, you will learn to create a digital matte painting. I will guide you in the meticulous selection of visual references to ensure consistency in your projects, and we will discuss the importance of maintaining uniformity in lighting and color. You will discover techniques to use layers that add depth and detail to your scenes, as well as methods to integrate elements organically. Additionally, using Nuke, we will incorporate subtle movement into environment components to revitalize your creations. We will explore specific tools in Nuke that facilitate this integration and develop tactics to reuse resources and streamline your workflow.

Shot 01

Our first step will be an introduction to the project and our workflow. I will show you techniques to correct errors and tricks to polish details. We will use Nuke to precisely integrate both digital and real elements and employ matte painting techniques to develop realistic environments. We will address common problems such as wind in outdoor scenes and learn to add additional details to our environment. We will create trees digitally and add leaves using stock elements. Furthermore, I will teach you how to optimize your VFX workflow to facilitate future adjustments and changes, improving your efficiency and adaptability in complex projects.

Shot 02

In this module, I will teach you to create a more complex scene within our sequence. We will start by addressing issues associated with our chroma key and color compression. We will integrate our plane, adding effects for bullet impacts and creating new interactive lights. We will proceed to develop the look development of the character's shot and, finally, integrate all the smoke and dirt explosions present on the ground, generating volumetric effects that will add more life to our elements.

Shot 03

Here, we will explore the challenges in creating fully computer-generated (Full CG) shots, ensuring that each scene meets the highest quality standards. You will learn to use matte painting techniques to enhance textures that appear close to the camera and to integrate CGI elements with real environments convincingly. We will balance all our elements and create new ones directly from Nuke. We will explore tricks and techniques of Deep Compositing to incorporate complex atmospheric effects. I will teach you color adjustment techniques to increase the realism of your CGI and how to incorporate elements like sparks and fire to enrich your shots. Finally, we will emphasize the importance of maintaining visual consistency throughout your CGI projects to ensure continuity in the visual narrative of the scene.

Shot 04

Now we will start by manipulating our plate and solving all the problems with its edges, also correcting all the track issues we have with our CG robot and manipulating it to integrate it into the plate. We will add details to give more realism to our character, such as raindrops. I will show you how to prepare and use masks and facilitate their manipulation with geometries. We will explore lookdev techniques to develop laser beams procedurally and applicable to other shots. I will teach you how to make small variations in the shots to save time and effort, optimizing your workflow. Finally, we will combine various light effects to achieve a final result that is both realistic and attractive.

Shot 05

In our last shot, you will discover how to work using a combination of matte painting, CG, and particles, showing the integration of elements such as trees, fire, and smoke to achieve a realistic result. I will highlight key techniques for color correction, lighting, and adding optical effects such as heat distortion and camera movements. Additionally, we will discuss how to address and resolve common issues such as artifacts and noise, ensuring a high-quality final composition.

Particles

In this final module, you will learn to generate particles efficiently using simple but effective techniques. Creating a setup that will serve you in many of your projects, optimizing its configuration to improve memory and performance.

You will have access to all the necessary materials such as plates, renders, assets, and scripts, ready to use in your own projects and improve your reel.

More Information:

Technical Requirements

The Bounty Hunter

- VFX course sequence