Hasta La Motion!

Hey Guys,

I recently did a new episode of Protocol called LAQUARIeM. This episode was build on using green screen and sky replacement tricks in After Effects, simply to give it a shot and see how it all works. We did a behind the scenes to it, where you can see bit of the workflow.

Hit me up with any questions etc.

Enjoy!

LAQUARIeM

Behind the Scenes

Hey Guys!

This was what happened after we watched a great vid, based on a very long time freeze sequence. We rushed out and gave it a shot… It was not supposed to be released but actually it shows how the camera movement plays an essential role in the whole process of time freezing and what it adds to the result…

So I got a few emails asking how we did this effect and since we are not into making on screen tutorials I will try to give you a little step by step guide:

1. You shoot your footage while you try to move your camera as steady as possible (If you can use a dolly or Glide/Steady cam).
What is important is that your actor has to try to stand as still as possible (try to use a position which already looks freezed like shooting a gun and having your mouth wide open as if you shout).
What you do now is try to make the pan as quick as possible so you can later slow it down so you won´t see the movement of you actor. (slow it down to 50-60 percent)

2. You import your footage into AE and track your shot with the inbuilt motion tracker (if you have bojou or any other tracking software use it, its way better), but for a shot like this the AE tracker does the job.

3. After having tracked you shot you will see that you have to adjust some of your frames, since the tracker is not 100% accurate. Now you slow down your shot about 60-70%.

4. Now you have a steady shot of the camera panning and your actor being kind of freezed. What you need to do next is to give whole shot a mood.

5. To give the shot the right mood you need to add some nice colors etc to give it the right touch.

6. Now comes the part where you make your shot look “real” again. You create a new camera and depending on your shot (we did 24mm) you adjust the settings of your camera. now you go into the position settings and add a “wiggle” to your camera which adds a fake camera movement and makes your shot look hand held and more realistic.

7. Now you might think your done, but the most important thing has been left out: The Sound…
Many people tend to ignore or just add a song from Hans Zimmer and think “wow that’s so cool” but no… it´s not.
Every shot needs to have it´s individually designed sound effect and music. In a shot like this we should focus on the sound effects. the best thing to do it to use some kind of build-up sound in the beginning. When it freezes you simply add a “swoosh” sound ( we use Pro Scores from Video Copilot) and reverse the sound you used before and slow it down. In that way you keep the same atmosphere when it freezes and when it is in regular motion.

8. Now that you have done this you can add muzzle-flares or what ever fits your shot and needs to be added to make it fit your scene. This was only a simple test to try out a freeze. We did a full freeze-motion scene in one of our movies. you can find it here:

(1:46)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3-D0alquOE

Double Negative is a full-service VFX facility capable of handling projects from initial design through on-set supervision and production to post-production. All key post-production technologies are available in-house to allow for maximum flexibility. Our R&D Department is constantly developing groundbreaking software to ensure we remain at the cutting edge of global VFX.
We are currently in production on John Carter Of Mars, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Paul, Captain America: The First Avenger and Attack The Block.

* Job Title: Assistant Technical Director (ATD)
* Department: 3D
* Location: London
* Reports To: Head of 3D

Key Purpose of the Job

Provide support to TDs and CG supervisors in the smooth running of shots through a show pipeline.

Needs To Do

* ATDs are tasked with monitoring disk usage, managing throughput on the render farm and building and maintaining elements of the show pipeline.

Needs To Know

* A good knowledge of Maya is required, as well as a good working knowledge of Python and shell scripting. Houdini, C or C++ is a welcome bonus
* A degree or equivalent in Computer Graphics, Computer Science or other related course

Needs To Be

* Pro-active
* Very meticulous and accurate, and able to monitor and identify potential efficiencies in a production pipeline.
* Able to take direction and feedback well from a supervisor
* Team oriented
* Adaptable
* Accepting of change

Measures of Performance

* On time delivery
* Continuous improvement

If you are interested please apply online at www.dneg.com/jobs

We look forward to hearing from you!

Double Negative is a full-service VFX facility capable of handling projects from initial design through on-set supervision and production to post-production. All key post-production technologies are available in-house to allow for maximum flexibility. Our R&D Department is constantly developing groundbreaking software to ensure we remain at the cutting edge of global VFX.
We are currently in production on John Carter Of Mars, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Paul, Captain America: The First Avenger and Attack The Block.

Job Title: Resource Manager
Department: Production
Location: London
Reports To: MD and CEO

Key Purpose of the Job

* Take responsibility for the overall company schedule working hand in hand with VFX Producers, Heads of 3D and 2D to allocate crew

Needs to do

* Forward planning to identify potential opportunities for new work to come into the business and potential allocation of crew
* Working closely with HR and Heads of Department to identify recruitment needs

* Analysing data and pulling relevant reports, which help inform decisions within the business and give visibility of the Schedule in a meaningful way.

Requirements

* 5 years minimum of professional Visual Effects production experience
* Strong Understanding of VFX 3D animation processes
* Strong Management Skills
* Evidence of being a leader or role model at a team level
* Demonstrated Success engaging in Problem Solving Techniques
* Strong Oral Communication Skills
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Needs to be

* Must be skilled at quick analysis, problem solving and decision making in order to meet ongoing daily/weekly challenges with solutions, as well as the capacity to see longer term strategic goals in terms of resourcing and the demands of upcoming projects.
* Proven track record in project management
* Capable of organising and co-ordinating people, with enthusiasm and clarity
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If you are interested please send your CV and cover letter to jobs@dneg.com

We look forward to hearing from you!

•As an Animator at ForgeReply games you will be required to work closely with the Lead Artist and Design team to create high quality animation content to fit the projects specifications.
•You will be required to create in game animation content (in particular, looping animations) and set piece animated sequences to the highest possible quality and correct technical specifications.
•During development you may also be required to create any animations required for pre-visualisation content at the correct fidelity, both quickly and accurately.

Required Skills
•Minimum 2 years professional experience in the games industry (VFX or featured film will take in consideration).
•Credited on at least 1 published title (or featured film).
•Ability to adapt to different animation styles (realistic / cartoon). Must have the necessary skills to provide realistic animations that are based on real world physics or cartoon like animations depending on the needs of the project and/or the direction of the Art Lead/Director.
•Working knowledge of Maya.
•Should have a basic understanding of how to skin and rig a mesh for animation (Maya preferred).
Desirable Skills
•Ability to create 3D models at both low and high resolutions an advantage (Maya preferred).
•A basic understanding of cinematography, shot direction and composition.

Please also include any relevant examples of work.
To apply for this position please send your application to jobs@forge11.com