VIDEO
Bow down to the Masters of Visual Effects. In a 20-plus-hour, four-part series, the stars of the field talk about creating visual effects, from previsualization to postproduction. Heavy on information, the tapes earn their hefty price for wannabes and aficionados alike. Though I've been working in postproduction for 15 years, I learned a thing or two watching "Post Production Basics."
What makes the series compelling - and legit - is that the masters in question are the real deal. With a flip of the remote, Ron Brinkmann of Contact fame appears, and I watch the man who literally wrote the book on compositing talking about how color, shadows, glare, and film grain will affect my images. The visuals aren't fancy - basically talking heads - and listening to the laundry list of tips and facts Brinkmann imparts may have you reaching for the reclining handle on your La-Z-Boy. But hang in there. The film's editors added well-timed jolts of Mission: Impossible-inspired graphics from cool independent films and unusual commercials to explain the techniques.
Masters of Visual Effects: $695 for parts 1 and 2. Masters of Visual Effects: +1 (415) 705 0858, www.mastersvfx.com.
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