Matchmoving: The Invisible Art of Camera Tracking [Paperback]

Tim Dobbert (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0782144039 | ISBN-13: 978-0782144031 | Publication Date: February 11, 2005

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 work
• Perspective matching
• Getting optimal 2D tracking data
• Calibrating/solving cameras
• Using automatic tracking
• Fitting matchmoves into a CG set
• Mastering matchamation techniques
• Modeling from matchmoves
• Troubleshooting bad matchmoves
• Multi-purposing matchmove data

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Master the Art and Science of Matchmoving

Written by amatchmoving expert, this book is much more than a technical primer. It helps youthink like a pro so that you can find the right solution for your matchmoves, nomatter how tricky. You’ll also find coverage of tasks that commonly gohand-in-hand with matchmoving, along with advice on the contributions you canmake on the set of a live-action shoot. Whether you’re a student orprofessional, Matchmoving: The Invisible Art of Camera Tracking gives youthe knowledge and perspective you need to quickly and successfully solve everymatchmove.

Coverage includes:

• Understandinghow matchmove programs work
• Perspective matching
• Getting optimal 2Dtracking data
• Calibrating/solving cameras
• Using automatictracking
• Fitting matchmoves into a CG set
• Mastering matchamationtechniques
• Modeling from matchmoves
• Troubleshooting bad matchmoves
• Multi-purposing matchmove data

About the Author

Tim Dobbert is matchmove supervisor at noted visual effects house The Orphanage. He has worked on such films as Hellboy, Spy Kids 3-D, and The Day After Tomorrow. He also teaches matchmoving at the Art Institute of San Francisco and Expressions Center.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Sybex (February 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0782144039
• ISBN-13: 978-0782144031
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #184,580 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tim Dobbert is a true master, March 19, 2005

By 

G. Leavitt (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Matchmoving: The Invisible Art of Camera Tracking (Paperback)

This is an amazing book. I am a VFX professional and this book has shed a whole new light on the "mystical" art of matchmoving. The veil has finally been lifted!

This book is a must have for both begginers and advanced effects artists. If your new to the visual effects world, then this book will help you understand the very seldom talked about skill of matchmoving. If your a seasoned pro, and rely on a matchmoving department to create your matchmoves, then this book will help you understand what goes into this very time consuming and sometimes very difficult skill.

I have been using matchmoving software for a while, but never really understood what it takes to acheive the best results. This book has helped me re-asses my thought process when it comes to building my shots.

This book is well writen and layed out perfectly. Once I picked it up, I could not put it down.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Its Amazing, October 1, 2005

By 

Priyank "PC" (Noida, India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Matchmoving: The Invisible Art of Camera Tracking (Paperback)

Every page of this book is worth. Whether you are a student or a professional if you are jumping in to the field of matchmoving this book will fulfill your dreams more than you had expected to learn through a book. I am a vfx professional but a starter to this field and was struggling to understand the subject because u wont find many teachers on this subject like other fields of VFX.I was also very uncertain about the material before buying the book because it was the single book available on the subject, but voila it was more than i could have expected. Tim Dobbert is a wonderful teacher, he will make you understand matchmoving like anything, from very basic to quite an advanced level of problem solving techniques, figuring out the problems when matchmove isnt working and the ways to make it work. Twelve chapters are arranged in a class room type lecture, packed with tutorials and the techniques which you can apply literary to any matchmoving software.

Don't think just buy it..........

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Industry Staple, October 24, 2005

By 

Ryan A. Thompson "GuerillaRy" (Venice, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Matchmoving: The Invisible Art of Camera Tracking (Paperback)

This book is cheap wisdom that might save you its weight in gold on your next complex track. If you're a seasoned artist or even beginner, you may be surprised by the considerations required to produce perfect results. Automatic systems are incredible tools, but you can't always rely on them without a solid understanding of camera and setup. This all-encompassing, step-by-step coverage of matchmoving is a mandatory read for any interested CG artist, producer and / or supervisor.