Book Description
Learn Adobe After Effects 7.0 with hands-on exercises and demo movies.
Do you like to learn by doing? Do manuals leave you bored and craving real-world examples? Do you want concrete training that goes beyond theory and reference materials? If so, this is the book for you.
These hands-on exercises, complete with insider tips and detailed color illustrations, teach you the latest techniques for creating motion graphics and special effects for film, video, and the Web. You'll learn to animate text and images, integrate sound, and publish the results to a variety of formats. You'll also learn to use the new project management enhancements, how to fine-tune animations, use animation blending and freeze frame options, convert alpha channels to masks with Auto-Trace, use the new Script Editor, and more.
Customer Reviews:
After Effects 7 Hands-On Training is just that!.......2007-07-05
As an educator who teaches Digital Imaging on the college level, I have become familiar with hundreds of training texts through the years. This book is excellent in that, unlike so many others, it starts at the beginning. I am not entirely sure why training books and digital courses so often pick up somewhere near the middle when we are all trying to encourage others to surrender to the digital age.
Good Beginner Book for After Effects 7.......2007-06-25
After completing 3 books on Adobe After Effects 7, I think I have a fairly good view of the types of instruction books that are available. "Classroom in a Book" by Adobe, this one by Fahs & Weinman, and "Creative After Effects 7" by Taylor.
My earlier rating of "Classroom in a Book" should probably have been at least 4 stars since it's the best of the 3 (for beginners) that I've read.
This one by Fahs & Weinman is straight forward and easy to follow, but isn't quite detailed enough in comparison to the "Classroom" book.
The book by Taylor mentioned above is so filled with typos that it's virtually unreadable and that's why I rated it poor and is definitely the worst of these 3.
After Effects is a very complicated video software effects program and has a steep learning curve on par with the still image processing program Photoshop. The more time you spend with it and the more instruction you can get, the better.
best for beginners.......2007-05-13
when you are done with this book, wade into the massive haphazard stew that is the Meyers books. Start with this one though, it starts at the beginning, tells you what you need to know when you need to know it, breaks it down just right. AE is a fairly vast program, and it's easy to become overwhelmed and discouraged, so getting the right book can be the difference between sticking with it or not.
Great source for future references.......2007-03-23
This one is the best book i've had so far because it's just as the title says. hands on training books are perfect for learning
Customer Reviews:
Lacks Good Images.......2007-09-17
Technicaly it is a good book, because it shows you exactly how the subject matter was lit, the amount of strobes used, lightboxes, etc. But, the images themselves are not very good.
Terribly out of date.......2007-09-06
Published in 2002, but full of images that would appear to be from the 1980s, this is horribly out of date. Thus, no mention of digital and the dramatic changes it has bought to studio photography and images that have dated terribly. Even as a 'technique' book this has limited value as many of the compositions are so bizarre and unusual that you are hardly ever likely to need the kind of lighting that is presented. If you are looking for a book with general advice for product and still life (which I was), this is not the one.
helpfull and creative.......2007-09-05
there is a lot of information on how to use lights and input on creative ways for solving problems in a studio. the only thing i would wish for is cheaper more minimalistic ways of coming to great results
Recommended.......2007-07-08
A MUST for photographers who want to do still life photography. Lots of ideas and "how to" information. Loved it!
Must buy.......2007-02-13
As a student photographer, grabbing ideas to inspire me is no small feat, this book has a lot to share. As I have purchased a ton of books on amazon about photography, this is one of the rare finds that is definately worth the money, and more!
Amazon.com
This 330-page coffee-table book combines the writing of Mark Cotta Vaz and Patricia Rose Duignan with more than 600 photographs and illustrations to chronicle the accomplishments of Hollywood's hottest special effects company. Industrial Light & Magic, where Duignan spent two decades of her career, was founded by George Lucas to create the effects for his groundbreaking movie, Star Wars. Since then ILM has continued to pioneer new technologies which have led to SF classics such as "E.T.," "Terminator 2" and "Jurassic Park". This books offers a behind-the-scenes look into the magical moments ILM has helped create.
Book Description
Includes a foreword by Steven Spielberg!
The supernatural wonders of Ghostbusters. The lively three-dimensional toons from Who Framed Roger Rabbit? The unstoppable liquid-metal T-1000 cyborg of Terminator 2. The incredibly life-like digital dinosaurs of Jurassic Park. The thunderous African stampede in Jumanji. These award-winning special effects have one thing in common: Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).
For more than twenty years, George Lucas and the technical wizards at ILM have literally changed the face of movie-making with their stunning, often unbelievable, visual effects.
Industrial Light + Magic: Into the Digital Realm chronicles ILM's second monumental decade--from 1986 through the mid-nineties--and includes a special discussion on the latest groundbreaking visual effects in the soon-to-be released Special Edition of Star Wars: A New Hope.
During this seminal period, ILM virtually redefined visual effects and blazed a trail into the digital realm. With more than six hundred lavish full-color photographs, this fascinating book takes you behind the camera and into the rarely seen workshops, offering an amazing look at the men and women who create movie magic. We follow the intricate crafts of matte painting, model making, and optical compositing as they are transformed into digitally driven systems, and we track the contributions of model and creature makers, animation specialists and optical technicians, and the unsung stage hands and pyrotechnic experts.
Packed with astounding information about ILM's technical innovations and remarkably clear explanations--including a revealing look at ILM's work with TV commercials and theme park attractions, a comprehensive glossary of essential terms, and detailed screen credits for all the company's film projects--this volume will enchant and enlighten all of us who have ever marveled at what we've seen on the screen and wondered: how did they do that?
Customer Reviews:
The 2nd decade of ILM in a great book!.......2006-11-05
First there was ILM, covering the 1st decade of this fantastic Special Effects Company.
This is the second book of the series, covering the main movies from the second decade of existence of this company.
An execelent finishing, great value book (although it is a litle expensive, the book quality is exceptional).
Essencial to all Special Effects lovers.
Fantastic!.......2005-06-17
One of the greatest 'making of' writers Patricia Rose Duignan's Industrial Light & Magic: Into the Digital Realm is one of my all-time favorite books, charting the journey of ILM from fledgling company in George Lucas' garage to the No.1 Special Effects company in the world. Insightful and comprehensive, this is flawless reading and has some great accompanying images from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and surprisingly some of their lesser-known movies like Willow and Hook. An essential movie book, I just love every page, so carefully written, so rich in detail, it leaves the reader feeling that they have experienced something very special. Fantastic and brilliant. BUY IT NOW!
Pricey, but well worth it........2004-01-25
The book is huge and heavy. Every single page has at least several great color photographs and it is a big book. You will love to read about ILM's ventures into the digital realm. It is very technology orientated, but not too much and does talk about the film making process and ILM in general. This is well worth looking at especially for fans of ILM or those who want to see what goes on behind the scenes or for those looking for a career in this direction. This is a good place for inspiration.
Although it does not cover the more recent movies you will still get the picture here. It starts by talking about go-motion and then moves onto the first ever digital sequence and how much people slaved over it before going into detail with the evolution of that process and of the special edition of Star Wars and Speilberg's "J. Park".
The book looks fantastic. Keep it for your grandkids. I am sure they will love you for it. This is the kind of book that you will turn to time and time again just to see "how they did that".
The Future of the Magic.......2000-06-15
For 25 years Industrial Light and Magic has woven magic into countless films, either subtle images through `invisible' effects such as matte paintings or through eye-popping visuals that stand out vividly against the film backdrop. ILM has made it's mark on history, for not only have they been and still are the premiere effects house in Hollywood, they have innovated and invented more technology than any other studio, additionally they have won awards for the processing and compositing technology they have created. ILM had to be the best at special effects, because their flagship title - STAR WARS - demanded the best, because that's what Lucas wanted.
`Into the Digital Realm' isn't so much an abandonment of ILM of the traditional methods of special effects, rather a point of departure for the new technology and all of things that led up to it. Indeed, ILM's work on `The Hunt For Red October' submarine work involved flying the submerged vessels from wires in a smoky room - effects do not get any more traditional than that. Released in 96, the book doesn't mention that Phantom Menace or even that the film is in production. It does have some revised images from the Star Wars special edition. As with the previous tome, this one is packed with hundreds of color photos, plus the same beautiful gate fold images.
If the center piece for the previous book was Star Wars, Digital Realms' focus is obviously Jurassic Park, because it was the first film to use CG on so large a scale, even more than Terminator 2, which ILM also did. Jurassic Park was also the test bed and showcase piece that convinced Lucas that computers had finally matured enough to bring what he had in mind to the screen for the new Star Wars films. More is the pity, because I came to loathe most of the aliens in the Phantom Menace. Digital Realm clearly explains in easy to understand terms how effects - both new and old - are accomplished, be it something as simple as making it appear as if buildings are actually much taller than they or having a velociraptor walk _behind_ a plant situated in the foreground. I have both of these wonderful books, and I strongly recommend them to anyone who is curious about ILM's history and the process of how effects are made.
Extraordinary.......2000-04-09
An extraordinary book about an extraordinary company. You will know all you want to know about special effects wizardry. The book is well published, even watching its pictures is joyful.
Book Description
Whether you are a working professional, a performance student or just interested in the techniques behind the effects, Secrets of Hollywood Special Effects provides the insights you've been looking for. This text is the comprehensive guide to special effects.
Many different kinds of effects are covered, including chemicals, pyrotechnics, weapons, levitation and weather. Written by a recognized expert in the field, this book contains over 200 illustrations and diagrams providing in depth coverage of every detail. Case studies and a "behind the scenes" look at the 'The Fisher King' are included.
Perfect for the professional or for the performance student.
Covers a wide variety of effects and techniques.
Numerous case studies and illustrations are included.
Customer Reviews:
Warning on using chemicals in this book........2005-03-06
WARNING MACARTHY'S BOOK GIVES USES FOR CARBON TETRACHLORIDE, DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL--EVEN ONE BEER--WITHIN 24 HOURS, BEFORE OR AFTER, OF USING CARBON TET--THE COMBO HAS A SYNERGISTIC EFFECT THAT CAN KILL YOU!
This is a great special effects book but the author is not an organic chemist and so didn't know this. (Carbon tet used to be very comon in cleaners and was thought safe at one time.) Since the author gives a number of chemical recipes you should be cautious about drinking before, or after, or during the use of any of them.
Otherwise this is a great book. There is very little overlap between this book and Bernard Wilkie's CREATING SPECIAL EFFECTS FOR TV AND VIDEO so you might want to get both.
The special effect bible.......1998-12-24
Nothing compares to this book when it comes to special effects, the incredible amount of information is hard to find outside of this book
Book Description
Creating Special Effects for TV and Video is a concise and practical introduction to the techniques used in television production. Now completely updated, this third edition covers a wide range of special effects in a simple and practical form, with clear illustrations and photographs that support the text.
Creating Special Effects for TV and Video is a concise and practical introduction to the techniques used in television production. Now completely updated, this third edition covers a wide range of special effects in a simple and practical form, with clear illustrations and photographs that support the text.
Bernard Wilkie now a freelance consultant, director and writer, spent 25 years creating special effects for BBC TV where he became manager of one of the largest and most specialised visual FX units in the world.
Each of the following techniques are detailed, giving full descriptions of equipment, procedure and the type of effect obtained. Attention is also given to aspects of safety and the correct procedure for those engaged in dangerous sequences.
Customer Reviews:
It's Great.......2000-06-26
Creating Special Effects for TV and Video is a good primer on everything from action sequences to car crashes. Each section is split across two pages - half explanation and half diagrams providing very valuable information on almost every subject pertaining to special effects.
Book Description
Visual effects are among the most exciting-and one of the most in-demand-aspects of contemporary film-making. But not all visual effects are created using prohibitively expensive equipment. For the first time, this compelling art form is explained and made accessible to aspiring film-makers and artists in a unique book/DVD combination. Exploring Visual Effects describes and illustrates each phase of visual effects production, from design and research through model building, photography, digital editing, and composition. The authors, drawing on extensive industry and classroom teaching experience, present a range of options for creating Hollywood-style effects using traditional and contemporary technologies-with explanations on how to choose the right technique based on content, budget, and time. The creative and budget-conscious ideas in this book can be explored using commonly available supplies and software-an important consideration when it comes to building the confidence to create convincing visual effects. The accompanying DVD provides a striking visual counterpoint to the text and features a gallery of downloadable stills and video clips for practicing techniques used in the video demonstrations.
Customer Reviews:
Strictly For Beginners.......2006-11-27
I might recommend this book to somebody studying to be in the visual effects business. It has some of the basic information for beginners but even there it falls short on what you would need to know.
I did enjoy the interviews with Bill Taylor, who I would consider a master of the art form, but this book only scratches the surface.
The price is also very high for what you get, which in my opinion is not very much.
Good book for someone starting out..........2006-06-29
This book has a lot of good information. It focuses more on practical effects and model building rather than digital effects, which is cool. However, if you are already in the business of creating visual effects, you probably will not get a lot out of it. With that said, the book is good and I DO recommend it for people getting started.
Informative, Entertaining, and Very Freakin' Cool.......2006-05-20
I'm not a professional filmmaker (I'm barley a hobbyist), but I totally dug this book! I've always been fascinated with visual effects, and I've read plenty of books on the subject...but none were as clear, concise, and easy to understand as this one. As I was reading, I had to look up a couple of technical terms, but like I said, I don't do this for a living. I have to believe that as much as I enjoyed the read, someone who will actually implement the author's techniques, will freakin' love this thing.
Excellent for beginner and veteran .......2006-05-16
I have woked in visual efeects for over 10 years and I like to think I know a great deal about my field but I still found that this book provded me with additional information on subjects I was already aquainted with. If you are new to visual effetcs the book provides a good overview of the many crafts associated with VFX and it is also a great refresher for those with experience. Mr Woodys book covers a wide spectrum of concpets and disciplines used in visual effects work in an enjoyable, easy to read style. If you're looking to get into VFX this is a great place to start.
A must have for learning visual effects.......2006-05-03
This was a fantastic book that covers a variety of areas of visual effects. I found the examples and DVD to be a huge help. I found it to be well written and the practical industry information is great. A must have for anyone learning the industry.
Book Description
With the introduction of affordable and easy-to use digital cameras, people are taking photographs like never before. While the digital medium greatly simplifies the photographic process, it also offers photographers unprecedented opportunities to manipulate their images on their personal computers.
Photoshop Retouching Cookbook for Digital Photographers tells you everything you need to know to use Adobe Photoshop CS2 to adjust, correct, retouch, and manipulate your photographs-without making you first learn everything there is to know about the application. These straightforward, easy-to-follow recipes give you specific directions so you can quickly and easily:
- Fix exposure, focus, and color problems
- Add special effects like motion blurs, lens effects, and surface textures
- Improve portraits by removing red eye, wrinkles, and blemishes
- Add and remove objects from photos seamlessly
- Use lighting effects to create more dramatic images
- Restore faded and damaged photos
- Give new shots a vintage, old-fashioned look
- Create posterized and hand-tinted images
- Assemble and fine-tune composite photos
- Correct perspectives
The book tackles each real-life project in full color, with a hands-on approach. The fully illustrated recipes produce reliable and immediate results, and include "at a glance" panels and tip boxes that cover key techniques in detail.
Barry Huggins, the author of Photoshop Retouching Cookbook for Digital Photographers, has created the only recipe-format manual on photographic retouching targeted specifically to digital photographers. Founder of a highly successful multimedia training and consulting company, Huggins is uniquely qualified to deliver step-by-step instruction in digital retouching methodology, with easy-to-follow recipes that address specific problems and teach "best practices" techniques. This is his fifth book on digital imaging and graphics software.
Customer Reviews:
Waste of money.......2007-04-04
There are many web sites with better information. Take a look on them.
if you already have photoshop training... look to better books.......2007-03-04
The book is ok for what it is. One to two pages of how to do different tecniques to your photos...but if you have any training in basic photoshop you will know most of this stuff. Changing contrast? Making a picture dark enough to look like it is at night? Using layers to import one picture into another and masking out other parts? Using the clone tool to copy from one area and cover up another area? getting rid of red eye using the 'red eye tool'? Very simplistic stuff...and I am only a novice at photoshop. They do cover a section on using raw pictures from your digital camera... I think that covers about 10 pages. For the cost you could find great books on using photography and photoshop. Although visually filled with information with big pictures and small amounts of print...it is great in that area of display...but for the money I would suggest you get "Photoshop CS2 - One On One" by Deke (it will teach you all these tecniques (and comes with a CD of the artwork so you can work with what you are learning) plus teach you how to use PhotoShop. If you want to get a good book on Photo Retouching with Photoshop... I would reccomend "Commercial Photoshop Retouching - In the Studio" by Glenn Honiball. He has been doing Phtoo Retouching for 20+ years and teaches you to use tried but true tecniques that moset every professional uses without all the bells and whistles (you can use just about any photoshop program for these) These two books are a better bang for your buck.
Fantastic Photoshop Book From O'Reilly.......2006-08-15
O'Reilly hits another ball out of the park with this solid Photoshop book. I love the layout and paper chosen with this serious and the tutorials and examples are just as good!!
Employing a slick design, great writing, and nice, tight size, this book is useful for Photoshop users of all levels who want to learn how to take their images and photographs taken and make them shine!!
If you are a photographer on the level of a newbie/amateur or a seasoned pro, I highly recommend this guide so that you can learn how to make your pictures all the better for any purpose.
Wonderful book and easy to recommend!
***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Ok, but I expect better from O'reilly.......2005-12-28
Its often been said that there are several ways to do the same thing in photoshop. This book just gives you a few ways of doing them. My biggest complaint is that it appears noone proofed the photos. Some photo are of poor quality on 1 page and then fine on another. Another photo of showing a whitening effect shows someone with pink teeth. O'reilly is the best usually when it comes to IT books but this effort is subpar.
This is the book I've been waiting for!.......2005-12-05
At last! This is the book I've been waiting for! I've been on the hunt for a book that goes over practical photo editing with Photoshop-you know, how to alter colors, fix over/under exposure, remove distractions, etc. Most books I've come across are either designed for the Photoshop professional (meaning they leave out all the steps between A and Z), or they're too basic. This book is it-a step-by-step guide to Photoshop editing for the casual Photoshop user.
The author does an excellent job in identifying all the Photoshop tools you should be familiar with right off the bat. This introductory material is a great crash-course in Photoshop tools. This basic material forms a foundation for successfully understanding the rest of the book's material.
While there are tools and editing methods the author did not identify, I felt satisfied that the most important tools were not only identified but demonstrated in action. In my own photo editing attempts, I felt like I should be using certain tools, but didn't know how. Using some very illustrative photographs, the author works his way through using the curves tool, the levels tool, masks, layers, etc. The author provides the reader with the tools s/he needs to successfully complete the most common photo editing assignments.
I would highly recommend this book for digital photographers. Huggins' book is now the favorite among my digital photography books.
Amazon.com
Zuckerman, a contributing editor to Petersen's Photographic Magazine, excels in conceiving unusual images and manipulating his equipment to make his ideas a reality. He takes the opposite approach of most of his competitors, though--instead of producing images based on an art director's guidelines, he creates first, then examines the market for his work. An avid maker of computer-manipulated images, Zuckerman advises the reader to be aware of ever-changing trends in photography. Although most of the remarkable pictures in the book were produced with a medium format camera, all of them can be accomplished with 35mm equipment.
Book Description
Adobe Photoshop for VFX Artists is an in-depth guide to using Photoshop to achieve a specific goal. It is not meant to serve as a general bible or litney of functions. By incorporating a straight-forward, visual approach to Adobe's best selling software, this book will provide you with everything you need to use Photoshop within your own specific context. Although there are many Photoshop books on the market, there are very few that are targeted specifically to the 3D artist, and even fewer that are written by a movie industry professional. Adobe Photoshop for VFX Artists adheres to the high standards of the VFX world, but is designed to still be clearly understandable to the intermediate hobbyist.
Customer Reviews:
Worth Checking Out........2007-04-03
This is by far a very informative in-depth guide to advance on the subject of or brush up on Photoshop and VFX skills even for the amateur "that's me" and there's an ample amount of books out there to choose from. I would say that this is worth checking out.
Starting to show its age.......2006-01-29
As of the copy I bought this book is no longer really up to date with the latest techniques and the latest version of PS - CS2.
As a senior Vfx artists there was some stuff of interest but it would be much better for a student than a practicing VFX artist.
It is not a waste of time but it would be nice to see more on newer things like Smart objects, HDR, layer groups and alike. It would be worth checking out if there is a new edition.
good, and useful .......2005-09-23
You will make nothing cool in this book as far as examples, tutorials go, but what it will do is concentrate on solid methods you can use to get the most out of photoshop. Most content is geared toward small tweaks, processes you can use to add quality to your work. For example, most people use the unsharp mask or sharpen tools to crispen images, in addition to this, she will show you some lesser-known features such as high-pass, which may give better sharpening results in many situations. This whole book is based on stuff like that. So if you are interested in exploring lesser-known ways of going about things, then you should get it. My guess is that intermediate artists would benefit the most from this. Even beginners will get something out of it. All in all this is a good title.
the first and only Photoshop book for vfx artists.......2005-06-16
there are hundreds of books on Photoshop but none that have been made specifically for VFX Artists. Except this one.
VFX Artists means those that create the materials and do the mapping for 3D objects as well as Matte Painters.
Although targeted for the intermediate to advanced user you don't have to know much about photoshop to read this book. Lopsie invests the first 92 pages to explain all the basics and make sure that everybody will be able to follow the following chapters.
Part two is all about textures. She introduces her own version of a UV-testing checkerboard which is (as her example clearly shows) better suited for checking the correct alignment of all UVs than the standard black-and-white checkerboard often used for mapping-tests.
She also explains how to create your own tileable textures from any photo, even when the tiles on the photo have been shot in a non-orthographic angle.
She shows how to create custum brushes for dirt maps, create actions and lots more.
Part three is about matte paintings. Having read that Lopsie Schwartz has been doing work for "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers", "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", and "Hollow Man" i thought that this chapter would be filled with inspiring examples of fantastic matte paintings, fantasy landscapes and so on. Well, it's not. But that's okay. If i just wanted inspiration and examples i could have ordered "the invisible art" by by Mark Cotta Vaz and Craig Barron. What she does instead might be less stunning but more valuable: she shows how to handle common tasks and problems. Such as removing unwanted elements in a photo, how to sharpen images using the highpass filter, reduce the noise, extract portions of an image, change the color of objects and scenes, merge two photos into one, change a daylight scene into a night scene (pictures on the front cover show before and after) and the list goes on ...
Lopsie Schwartz has a very nice way of writing and explaining things. She also has humour. Reading the book is a joy.
The book is all in color. Pictures for the exercises can be downloaded from the publisher's website.
Summary:
Adobe Photoshop for VFX Artist is a great book and covers a topic that has been left out so far, even though there are already so many books on Photoshop. It might not cover everything you need to know but i believe it's the best way for you to get started.
Book Description
A lavish, profusely illustrated volume that tells the remarkable story of the organization whose name has become synonymous with state-of-the-art special effects: Industrial Light & Magic. From its early days in a large empty warehouse in Southern California's San Fernando Valley, to its Oscar-winning accommplishments creating special effects for the STAR WARS trilogy, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, ET, POLTERGEIST, and a host of others.
Customer Reviews:
Behind the Scenes, Behind the Magic.......2000-06-15
No one would ever have guessed that when Industrial Light & Magic opened its doors in Maren County that day way back in 1975 that they would produce the standard by which other special effects and other effects houses would be judged. ILM has formed the cornerstone of LucasFilm Ltd. a company that has spawned more spin-offs such as THX Sound, Skywalker Sound, all held neatly under the Lucas Digitial banner. Back in the days of Star Wars it was mostly using what was already known, and inventing everything else. ILM has been at the forefront ever since, from the early days of motion control cameras controlled by Apple computers the latest CG marvel like Galaxy Quest, Phantom Menace or Mission to Mars.
The Art of Special Effects deals more with the older films-those before 1986, illustrating a time when computers were not so large a part in the film-making process. It gives the reader a great look at the sheer amount of detail that went into the models, the props, costumes from Star Wars to Explorers, from Raiders of the Lost Ark to the some of the Star Trek films, ILM constantly and consistently proven to innovative. The book as a whole is on a level lower than, say, Cinefex magazine, assuming that the reader doesn't know how blue screening and rotoscoping works or how miniatures are lensed. It is light reading without getting itself bogged down in too much technicality, for those who want that, read Cinefex.
It also strikes me that this book is also best at presenting a dying era. A time when model makers kit bashed hundreds of plastic models just to build a Super Star Destroyer - few companies bother with that any more when everything can be rendered on a Silicon Graphics box and Maya and Soft Image software. Such films as Star Trek: Insurrection used few practical models and a completely CG Enterprise-E. The time of the supremely detailed, hand crafted model or set may be at an end, and I think the industry will be sadder for it. Partially because when I read Cinefex, a lot of what I see is the same-different movie, different space ship, but they're all rendered the same way and most use the same software, with only minor modifications or original code going into it to get a certain look or solve a certain problem.
I suspect the Digital Realm of the movies, while producing better special effects, lacks the mystique of knowing that several people labored for months to build that model. That instead it was modeled by a few people over a period of a week. (Though it should be noted that a lot of films, including the Phantom Menace, used practical models). I suspect their days are number.
Well presented and clearly written explanation of specialfx.......2000-05-18
Thomas Smith was general manager of Industrial Light and Magic a year before he came to write this impressive book. The book is centred around the film special effects creations of ILM between 1975 and 1985. This includes the then "Star Wars" trilogy, two Indiana Jones movies and other lesser known projects. For the Star Wars fan theres plenty to learn about one of your favourite movies. This book is lavishly illustrated with full colour photos including triple page or gatefold images. The focus though is on how the effects are done and who did them at ILM. From the art work in developing concepts of storylines, through modelling, creature creation, the actual filming methods and matte image creation to the finishing touches of animation and optical compositing this book gives a gradual demonstration of the work of a special effects company. For someone with no knowledge what so ever of special effects this is a good introduction and to those involved it must be fascinating as well. As Thomas Smith points out, while film fans still love the movies from this era (1975-85), movie goers constantly seek new visions on screen. The digital era has brought movies like Toy Story etc but these were just figments of imagination at the writing of this book so its worth noting Thomas Smith's far-sightedness in the final chapter on digitized movies. The format of the book is to take each department of the special effects process and show what it does and where its part comes in the crafting of a movie. In each chapter there are short biographies of the leading people in each area of effects, this is a nice touch as it can serve as guide for those interested in getting involved. Its worth noting, many of those profiled have a long interest in their specialty going back to their youth and through the various twists and turns of working in an industry knew of other members of the ILM company before actually joining this now esteemed organisation. Thomas Smith by no means is setting out to sell ILM's considerable expertise though he tells the story of a company making dreams into reality, itself moving from an idea to a serious business proposition. (As a final note another book on movies of this period Paul Sammons "Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner" contains insightful descriptions about the crafting of a movie not least its special effects.)
One of the best on Special Effects.......1999-04-22
Years ago I longed for this book, as it sat on the shelf in the local book store(it was not cheap). I received it with much gratitude on my birthday. Now as a teenager I found a reinterest in this book, and was overjoyed when the next book "into the digital realm" came out. For anyone who is captured by the magic of special effects, this is for you.
Un gran bel libro.......1998-08-24
Pér tutti quelli che vogliono sapere come fanno i film, per tutti quelli che amano Star Wars con tutti i suoi segreti, direi che questo è il libro che fà propio al caso vostro.Scritto in un inglese molto facile è un libro che può veramente appassionare
If you love "Star Wars" then you must have this book........1996-12-29
This book shows how I.L.M. made most of their films. It goes into full detail about special effects for their films
Books:
- Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers,The (Voices That Matter)
- Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Book for Digital Photographers,The (Voices That Matter)
- Agile Web Development with Rails, 2nd Edition
- Aim for the Heart
- All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets & Witnesses for Our Time
- An Inner Silence: The Portraits of Henri Cartier-Bresson
- Anatomy for the Artist
- Art Deco 1910-1939
- Art of Technique, The: An Aesthetic Approach to Film and Video Production
- At Home in Mitford/A Light in the Window/These High, Green Hills/Out to Canaan/A New Song/A Common Life (The Mitford Years 1-6)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- All of the Women of the Bible
- The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word
- The Courage Consort
- Scratch and Sniff: Garden
- Storm Riders, Volume 1
- Scientific Computing
- The Disappearance of the Universe: Straight Talk About Illusions, Past Lives, Religion, Sex, Politic
- All the Pain Money Can Buy: The Life of Christina Onassis
- The World of Sofia Velasquez
- Carlo Rosselli: Socialist Heretic and Antifascist Exile
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Adobe Premiere Pro 2 Hands-On Training
Adobe After Effects 7.0 Studio Techniques
Adobe After Effects 7.0 Classroom in a Book
Creative After Effects 7: Workflow Techniques for Animation, Visual Effects and Motion Graphics
Final Cut Pro 5 Hands-On Training
