"Digital Compositing for Film and Video"
Focal Press ISBN #0-240-80351-5
 During
all my years in digital effects I have always been intrigued by
the technology and math "behind the curtain." When
Focal Press asked me to write a book on digital compositing I
was excited to get a chance to share not just production techniques
but a fundamental understanding of the science behind the art.
My thesis throughout the book is that to be a truly good compositor
you must actually understand the principles behind what you are
doing - art is not enough.
While the book does contain some theory and a bit of gentle math,
the truly math-averse can skip over the equations with minimal
harm to their career. The book is mainly written as a hands-on
guide for the digital artist sitting in front of a monitor with
an ugly bluescreen to composite. Practical tips and useful techniques
are the main features. Another important feature is that all of
the techniques described are "software independent" - they
are general principles that can be done in any software package.
They even work in Adobe Photoshop.
I was very pleased that the book has received rave reviews and
has sold beyond the publisher's expectations. In fact, it was so
well received that it has even been translated into Spanish with
the title of "efectos digitales en Cine y Video." The ISBN
number for the Spanish version of the 1st edition is ISBN: 84-932844-4-0.
The second
edition is now available and is printed in full COLOR.
New topics include add-mix compositing, light wrap, HiDef video,
the Digital Intermediate process for film finishing, plus exotic
photoshop blending modes. The book comes with a DVD chock full of
practice and training images from the book, plus bonus material
containing full resolution 2k feature film greenscreen scans as
well as full resolution HiDef video greenscreens.
As a special optional feature to go along with the second edition
of the book, I have prepared a set of 80 production exercises that
offer step-by-step procedures for the many techniques described
in the book. Click here or
on the Products button on the navigation bar at left to learn more
about these terrific exercises.
"There are few books on the market concerning digital compositing.
Fewer still are worth reading. This book is an exception. The author
has clearly put a lot of thought into writing both this and the
previous edition. It is not a book with step by step instructions
for software, so you will be disappointed if that is what you are
looking for. What the author does present are concepts which can
be applied to any decent compositing application. This book is
far more useful and insightful than anything else I have found
in the marketplace. If you are looking to better understand this
field from both an artistic and technical viewpoint, I highly recommend
this book. What you learn here will be useful for many years to
come, not just until the next version of your compositing package
is released."
Josef K
VFX Artist
Chicago, USA
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