Review: Visual Effects for Directors

I've been restricted to quarters due to Man Flu recently, and have kept some rather odd company, in the form of the boxed DVD set of "Visual Effects for Directors".

Over 7 intensive DVDs, the Hollywood Camera Work team takes you through the basics and the not so basics of working with 3d software, compositing, match moving, a deep dive into chromakey (from painting a studio to planning shots in a small cyc studio), and dealing with simulations that overlay your movies - explosions, collisions, hard/soft body interaction, particles.

All this is from the point of view of an Indie film maker with an HVX200 or something similar, non-esoteric 3d and compositing software running on desktop computers, and a big vision.

It's not a course in how to use 3d or compositing software, though it pulls no punches on giving you very detailed information. Rather, it's to gain an understanding of the process to enable the director or producer to fully comprehend the unfolding workflow when 'we'll comp that in post', and how to plan a chomakey shot that tracks round a subject so they can be inserted into a CGI scene.

Like the other product in HCW's stable - "High End Blocking & Staging", this is not an easy watch. You'll be 'drinking from the firehose' so to speak. Info comes thick and fast, and you'll benefit from repeated watching. There's over 10 hours of stuff in there, spread over 7 DVDs, and there's no time for tourists. Buckle up, take notes, and there's coursework for you to test yourself on hosted at the HCW website.

These courses are sometimes called a 'film school in a box', and that's a pretty good description. It's 25 years since I've sweated through intense lectures and come up gasping for air. But then I find that sort of thing an enjoyable experience....

It's not going to be suitable for every videographer. It's aimed squarely at indie film production of the high-tech type (Blocking & Staging is much more general and recommended for all 'film makers'). The price, $329, is a bargain for what you're getting. A wise investment. But since I bought my set, HCW are now offering you an option to download images of the DVDs, and they will post you a box and some labels.

Why? Because I had to pay VAT and import duty on my set, suffering delays and surcharges along the way. This way, you download the DVD images, and burn your own disks - the official labels are valued at $3 so do not attract surcharges and duty.

Besides which, this is the sort of thing that's great to dip in and out of on a small screen as well as the home setup. There is SO much information, it needs repeated viewings to allow all that great knowledge to become part of your own mental toolset. It may not be as instant as Neo's upload - "I know kung fu..." - but you'll empathise with with the intensity of the upload experience.