Customer Reviews

The Art and Science of Digital Compositing, Second Edition: Techniques for Visual Effects, Animation and Motion Graphics (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics)

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I started my career in visual effects around the same time the first edition was published and have referenced it constantly through out the 9+ years. I bought the 2nd edition for two reasons, my copy of the first edition was falling apart and nostalgia. I was not expecting much new information and was mostly just looking for an intact copy of the first edition with a few new tidbits here and there. I could not have been more wrong.

The second edition has so much NEW information in it was like reading a time capsule of the technological advances of the last ten years. There is not a topic or subject used in compositing that is not covered here. Only two books have sat on my desk my entire career, the first edition and the cinematographers manual. I have read many books available on visual effects, but none compare, honestly. The main reason for that is complete software independence, not partial, complete.

There is no other book that teaches you the raw knowledge you need to be an artist. Anyone can teach you how to push certain buttons of a specific app, this is the only book that clearly teaches you when to push them and why. Artists in today's marketplace need a deep core knowledge of what the software packages are doing so that they can easily switch to other packages. This is especially true in feature film compositing where the industry is at a point of impasse and there is no clear winner of the package wars, fingers crossed for NUKE ;). There is no standard tool anymore so the best way to stay employable is to know what this book teaches, the math, the science, the art.

This book is chock full of examples, color photos and production examples. Whether you've been at this for a while or are new to the art, own this book. Own it for years and years and years. Yes, it's more expensive then any other book on the subject but it is worth so much more then the others that it will pay for itself very quickly. If you already have the other books, sell them, get this.

The Art and Science of Digital Compositing, Second Edition: Techniques for Visual Effects, Animation and Motion Graphics (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics)

I've been doing video and 3D work for the last couple of years without really knowing how or why I do many things. This book gives me the source knowledge of the nuts and bolts of composisting that don't come in the directions for compositing software. I would consider this required reading for anyone in the video or 3D world. Serves as a great reference book as well.

The book is full of excellent photos and examples, too. The writer does a great job of building the reader's knowledge from review of basic photography to hard core compositing techniques. This book will live close at hand for a long time.

I read this book front to back in 7 days. Not that I'm an avid reader or I can read 1000s of words a minute. The content is so exceptionally good that I just could not stop letting go off the book. I think I finally found something that can replace sex. There are many masters in compositing but very few are good teachers. Ron is one of those rare Zen master's who not only realized nirvana but can also teach the ways to achieve it. Try explaining light to a blind man and you will know how difficult it becomes with words.

The patience and accuracy with which Ron has laid out the nuts and bolts of the whole process of digital compositing is rare and for loss of a better word I will call it "Excellent". I also think that amazon should incorporate another rating system that calls "SuperHero stuff" or something. There are lots of books that say push this button and select that option and fall in love with the resulting image. But when the next version of the software is released those buttons are either gone or the options have been changed completely and what not.

Anyway, if you want to go underneath the hood, and I think you should, of any modern compositing software be it nuke or after effects or fusion or katana (i heard that nuke will incorporate some of katana into their software) please look no further. Real world compositing problems are not as simple as pushing this button or that. There will be no button in any software for that matter that says "Ladies! push this button if you have an uneven greenscreen with a flickering foreground element that is heavy in motion blur". Wallah, the problem is solved, your boss is ecstatic that you won an academy award for visual effects just because of that single lovable, darling, push me again and again - button.

There is a particular way in which I use this book. Courtesy Ron again. He made a software resistant book. What I mean by that is that he will not talk about nuke or after effects in particular. Anyway, I read the book, Ron sets out to put a concept in place. Then I dig out the option or options that would lend themselves to solve that Ron's concept from the particular software Im using and give the options a good spanking, punishing or a good squeeze to; you know "Bruce Lee's Fist Of Fury" style squeeze and make them give me the codes to the zion's mainframe. And even before you know it, everything falls in place like a Brian De Palma's movie.

Goodness God I already am feeling tired writing this simple review and wondering how Ron must have squeezed the juice of digital compositing with such elegance. I need a vacation(Terminator 2).

In short "BUY THIS BOOK YOU FOOL!!!!!!".

Rajneesh.

The book is perfect but I also want to mention that the DVD (double layer) that cames with it is also fantastic. It actualy has compositing scenes from feature films like Star Wars !!! Must buy !

This book does not talk about any particular software, but rather the techniques and strategies of compositing. You can read it back to back, like a novel, instead of seating by the computer and doing tutorials. I think I will bring it with me on vacation :)

For anyone who wants the clearest, most comprehensive reference on digital compositing, this book is a must.

Platform agnostic, all aspects of compositing are covered, with specific case studies from recent films. "The Art and Science of Digital Compositing" strikes the right balance between specific data and details and overall concept coverage.

I love the fact that it's completely accessible for novices but yet has enough "meat" in it that I can return to it for refreshers and reference. The first edition never left my desk, and now the expanded 2nd edition will take up permanent residence within easy reach.

You need to know the bigger picture issues of compositing, not just the button pushes of a specific package. This book is the best source of that "big picture" knowledge.

If I were teaching an entry level collegiate course (Compositing 101), this would be the text I'd choose, alongside one of the better After Effects texts. Rather than show you how to accomplish tasks as a compositor, this book explains what kinds of tasks you will likely face in the industry, and the general processes (like rotoscoping or keying) that allow you to accomplish those tasks. It's very much analogous to an encyclopedia, rather than a general software manual. You won't actually learn how to accomplish the mission but you'll understand what the mission entails and what all the terminology means. What would be fantastic next go-round is if the author added another 100 pages to interweave some practical how-to examples from industry standard apps like AE or Nuke.

I'm a concept learner, and this book delivers.

The principles revealed in this book will greatly expand your mind, and unleash the creativity you've been holding back on for lack of ability to flesh it out.

And for a lousy $40.

Hi I'm a 3D Artist finishing college at sva and I do my own compositing and to me this book is a must own.

Pros:
This book will teach anyone how to do professional composites. You will learn concepts over application effects which isn't reall useful for non compositers but if you want to do your own composites and get them done right you need to get down and dirty and understand compositing. That's where this book shines you get all the detials relevant to all software applications. This book is the perfect guide to getting professional work done fast and clear def recommended for production based artist.

Cons:
If your not into conpositing this thimg is pretty much an alien language that takes a long time to grasp.

This book is a bible for digital compositing that starts from the basics to advanced techniques used. I love examples of compositing from many popular movies and I wish more of the book was about case studies from different films and showed more detailed steps of the techniques used rather than spending the first chapters explaining the basics of visual graphics and etc. But overall this is a must have book for those who want to learn all the basics of CGI and compositing. Users of compositing programs like Adobe after effects can benefit from the the included DVD that has videos/pictures and use those in the program to practice the techniques explained in the book.