VFX and Filmmaking

This is a list of some of the programs and plug-ins I have used for this movie in pre and post production, for those people that know a thing or two about filmmaking.

PRE-PRODUCTION:

• ScreenWriter 6 - This I found really useful in creating the script with the proper formatting. It took a while to learn but is a real time saver.
• ToonBoom Storyboarder – A useful program for creating storyboard easily, I used this for a couple of shots.

POST-PRODUCTION:

• Adobe Premier Pro CS4 – To be honest I dont really think that this program is really neccessary if you have AE but if you cant afford both this is probably the better choice as its a swiss army knife of editing.
• Adobe After Effects CS4 - My favourite piece of babe in the world, this program is seriously fucking sweet, endless possibilities with this beauty!
  • Plugins for AE:
    • Trapcode Particular – easily the best plug-in for AE, this baby lets you generate some awsome partical simulation, including the meteors and clouds seen in the new Face film.
    • Trapcode 3D Stroke – A cool plugin which allows for partical tracking with ease, used once in this film for the title “THE END” at the end (duh)
    • Video-Copilot Twitch – This plug-in is seriously awsome, saves me on several occasions in this film by helping me to distract the audience from some of the films dodgier effects, this plug-in is used for chaotic transitions and stuff like that and a little over used in the film, you will defs notice it!
    • Video-Copilot Film Magic Pro – Massive time saver, that allowed me to give the film a more proffesional look, basicly making it look as if it filmed with a better camera.
    • Magic Bullet – This pretty much does the same shit as the above but has some different and some better “camera looks”
    • Key Light - To tell the truth the chroma keying tool built in with AE is a piece of shit, never gets it right, however this baby allows you to get perfects chroma keys extremly easily. You will see where I have used the Chroma keying!
• Boujou - This awsome program is basicly a 3D motion tracker that is completly amazing, it basicly scans a bit of video you have and tracks it, then you select which ones of the generated tracking marker are x,y and z dimensions and it generates a 3D camera for you of the footage that you can then use to track a 3D model perfectly. This program is worth $5000 and has been used in films like Transformers, it is seriously incredible.
• Auto-Desk 3Ds Max - This is the software I have used for the 3D model of the exploding car. It is an extremly difficult program to use and incredibly complex. I have learnt a lot using it but still know shit all really. At this stage their are only two 3D effects in the film, however if I get enough time I hope to put more in as I have a lot of ideas, it just takes way too long. The car you can see in the teaser took 2 hours to render and export with my shitty computer! And that was for a 3 second clip! Its incredible how much time it takes. But I hope to develop my skills with this a lot more.
  • Plug-ins for 3Ds: (these plugins have not been used yet but the scenes I am working on that I hope I will get finished in time feature them)
    • FumeFX – This plug-in is an epic way of generating fire and smoke in 3Ds max with ease and realism, it can be seen in the film Kick-Ass when Big-Daddy is on fire.
    • RayFire Tool - This is an insane plugin that allows you to easily destroy objects you create such as a building. It can be seen put to good use in these two films

So their you have it, I hope it gave you some insight into all this stuff I have been raping my brain with and the many hours I am putting into this film. In the next Update I will tell you about the films Budget and what I spent money on..