Customer Reviews

Digital Compositing for Film and Video, Second Edition (Focal Press Visual Effects and Animation)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well written and good reference for technique, however a key tool the author uses throughout the book is not common in all applications and does not take 3d color space into account. Also check out The Art and Science of Digital Compositing, more expensive but a bit clearer in it's approach.
Not for the beginner, but for anyone with basic compositing knowledge ready to move past pro-sumer applications.

If you're new to the effect industry or a seasoned pro this is still the bible for understanding what is happening under the hood of a compositing software. This is not software specific, but be it 'Shake' or 'an other' this will help you truly understand the what, when and why.

This book together with - Ron Brinkman's 'The Art and Science of Digital Compositing' - also available at Amazon, will hold you in good stead throughout your career.

It truly gives you the 'wow' factor.

There are few books on the market concerning digital compositing. Fewer still are worth reading. This book is an exception. The author has clearly put a lot of thought into writing both this and the previous edition. It is not a book with step by step instructions for software, so you will be disappointed if that is what you are looking for. What the author does present are concepts which can be applied to any decent compositing application. This book is far more useful and insightful than anything else I have found in the marketplace. If you are looking to better understand this field from both an artistic and technical viewpoint, I highly recommend this book. What you learn here will be useful for many years to come, not just until the next version of your compositing package is released. If, however, you want a book to tell you what buttons to press in what order, you should probably look elsewhere.

If you've ever been on set and heard the catchphrase "fix it in post" this book is for you.

Not only is the information detailed and thorough, but also extremely readable. Some ironic asides demonstrate Wright has the experience to back up his text. He covers all levels of compositing, from basic luminance keying to green-screen/blue-screen, to color corection and matching foreground and background elements, motion tracking, alpha-channels (to premultiply or not premultiply) and the differences between film and video.

The book is not software specific, and the enclosed exercises and demonstrations can be done on most software with compositing features -- including Photoshop!

Why four stars and not five? The extra money demanded for addional exercises seems to be an unfair gouge. But the book is definitely worth the cover price! Even if you have no immediate aspirations at all to composite something, you'll at least see just how tough it can be.

Producers, Directors and Camera departments (aspiring or experienced) can all learn something here -- and with any luck they'll learn it before they light their next green/blue screen.

Too bad the cover is so damn ugly.

Even advanced compositors will glean juicy bits from Steve Wrights' effort. I've read all the standard texts and this one stands with the best. Clear, friendly prose makes this book a comfortable read; read it two or three times and you'll find that you get a little something out of it on each pass. Whether your work end up in print, video or film, this is a must-have book.

Buyer beware. After paying for this book, the DVD-rom will prompt you to pay another US$30 for 80 additional exercises. That's a hidden expense which is not mentioned in the product description. This is wrong. I suppose for a book which is not intended for the beginner, the author assumes that you have the extra cash to spend on the additional exercises.

Digital Compositing for Film and Video 2nd Edition is an indispensable resource for me professionally. I find myself using the book over and over again for reference when working on projects. With the new full color layout, comprehension of the materials has never been easier. Also new in the 2nd edition are some amazing tutorials for new users and seasoned professionals alike. They include professionally shot high definition and film footage, something that is generally very hard for new users to get their hand on. The tutorials work hand in hand with the book making it very easy for anyone to get a deep hands on understanding of the material. This is the must have book for anyone thinking about doing compositing.

I found the second edition to be a worthy upgrade from the already very good first edition.

For those looking for an image slice tool as used throughout the book, if you use Adobe After Effects you can get the image slice tool as part of the Test Gear plug-in for After Effects.

(Disclosure: I helped create the Test Gear product. But the image slice tool *is* a very useful tool and it's otherwise not commonly available, despite it featuring prominently in this book.)

Just when you thought you knew it all there comes along a book that shows you techniques and explanations that make your workflow that much better. It's like having a Master's Degree inn book form.

You can't be a great effects artist without a deep understanding of the inner workings of a composite.
You'll learn so much more than how to mush images together. whether you want to or not, you'll learn
everything you need to know about compositing. What I enjoy most about this book is the information on light and how to
pull flawless keys.