BEST MAC MAGAZINE

EXCLUSIVES

Encyclopedia of Visual Effects

Book Review by Ric Getter

April 2008

Perhaps the only thing more amazing than the world that visual effects artists create for us is the overwhelmingly complex and fast-changing world in which they work. Even though the craft is far younger, the techniques, terminology and best practices in a computer graphics (CG) shop can be every bit as intricate (if not more so) than a Hollywood back lot. In the Encyclopedia of Visual Effects, Damian Allen and Brian Connor have amassed a broad handbook of knowledge for special effects professionals. Part of the Apple Pro Training series, it offers a wealth of information for anyone wanting to expand their skill in this rapidly expanding field.

The book begins with three introductory chapters offering a general overview of the fundamental elements of compositing: 3D effects, keying and motion tracking. Here, you'll find some excellent tips on workflow as well as some common pitfalls to avoid, as revealed by two voices of significant experience. The bulk of this well-written and copiously illustrated book comprises the encyclopedia itself, covering topics from alpha channels to the Z depth pass. Some topics are simply definitions and cross-references, but most will include in-depth tutorials with detailed, step-by-step instructions. Even though the authors provide some coverage of Motion and After Effects, their tool of choice is Apple's Shake, a node-based tool very different from the timeline approach of the other programs.

Even though the Encyclopedia is rich in compositing theory, you'll really need to use Shake or a similar tool to put the techniques in practice. The DVD-ROM included with the book has demo versions of all three programs, as well as files for the tutorial projects. To help you get up to speed, an appendix titled "Shake in a Day" offers up a crash course for anyone so motivated (or well caffeinated). You'll probably want to defer to the Pro Training volume on Shake 4 for a more thorough education.

Interspersed throughout the book are brief, first-person "cameos" with narratives of how some of the techniques were applied in real life (at least real, computer-generated life). As an artist and creative director, Allen brings years of commercial experience to the book. As a compositor for Industrial Light and Magic, Connor has had a hand in nearly all of the shop's major films since the late 1990s.

Encyclopedia of Visual Effects is an exceptional book for an exceptional audience. With its delicate balance of depth and scope, it is an essential volume for the compositor's bookshelf.

Encyclopedia of Visual Effects by Damian Allen and Brian Connor; $59.99, Peachpit Press ; 590 pgs. ISBN 0-321-30334-2