VFX Set Extensions

A detailed 8 week course focusing on creating digital VFX environments.

OVERVIEW

VIDEO

INSTRUCTORS

PRICING

BENEFITS

COURSE OVERVIEW

Expand Your World

This 8 week course provides an in-depth look at the process for creating set extensions used in film and television. During this course students will create a visual effects(VFX) set extension with a focus on 3D environment creation and matt painting integration. The course is suitable for someone looking to develop their 3D Generalist skills. Skills covered in the course will be layout, modelling, 3D/2D texturing, projection material setup, shot look development, VFX lighting, 2 ½D matt painting(DMP) and render pass compositing. Software covered will be Autodesk’s Maya, Arnold Renderer, The Foundry’s Mari and Nuke and Adobe Photoshop.

Students will be creating a digital extension of an abandoned Nuclear Power station which will be integrated into background drone footage. This real life example will provide a meaningful production context for the whole course. We will be using industry standards and workflows to teach people about a VFX pipeline, save time and improve production efficiency.

Students will be guided through the production process and given regular feedback to ensure a production quality result that can be used for portfolio and raise their environment industry knowledge and skill level.

Course Format:

Standard

Duration:

8 weeks

Materials:

Maya, Arnold Renderer, The Foundry’s Mari and Nuke, Adobe Photoshop.

Lecture Type:

Pre-recorded

Assignment:

Due each week. Expect to spend 10-15 hrs/wk viewing lectures, q&a, and assignments

Skills Level:

Intermediate - advanced

Feedback:

Individual recordings

Q&A:

Once a week

Prerequisites:

Basic working knowledge of Maya modeling and Photoshop. Course recommendations: Intro to Production Modeling, Hard Surface Modeling for Films, Lighting & Shading for Film

Course Format:

Standard

Duration:

8 weeks

Materials:

Maya, Arnold Renderer, The Foundry’s Mari and Nuke, Adobe Photoshop.

Lecture Type:

Pre-recorded

Assignment:

Due each week. Expect to spend 10-15 hrs/wk viewing lectures, q&a, and assignments

Skills Level:

Intermediate - advanced

Feedback:

Individual recordings

Q&A:

Once a week

Prerequisites:

Basic working knowledge of Maya modeling and Photoshop. Course recommendations: Intro to Production Modeling, Hard Surface Modeling for Films, Lighting & Shading for Film

Course Format:

Standard

Duration:

8 weeks

Materials:

Maya, Arnold Renderer, The Foundry’s Mari and Nuke, Adobe Photoshop.

Lecture Type:

Pre-recorded

Assignment:

Due each week. Expect to spend 10-15 hrs/wk viewing lectures, q&a, and assignments

Skills Level:

Intermediate - advanced

Feedback:

Individual recordings

Q&A:

Once a week

Prerequisites:

Basic working knowledge of Maya modeling and Photoshop. Course recommendations: Intro to Production Modeling, Hard Surface Modeling for Films, Lighting & Shading for Film

COURSE OVERVIEW

Course Trailer

Instructor Demo

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

EXPAND ALL COLLAPSE ALL

The more you know, the better.

Week 0 | Model Planning

Week 1 | Image Modeling and Layout

Using match moved cameras data for modeling and layout | Efficient modeling methods | Using an image modeling workflow with cameras and image projections | Making and presenting layout

Week 2 | Modeling Details and final layout

Week 3 | UV mapping and Subdivision setup

Week 4 | Texturing with Mari

Week 5 | Texturing and Projection Work

Week 6 | Shot look Dev of Displacement, Bump and Spec

Week 7 | VFX lighting and Rendering

Week 8 | Matt painting and Projection Setup and Render pass Compositing

Matt painting(MP) fundamentals explained including color, scale, perspective, lighting | Setting up MP | Projection setup in Nuke | Nuke compositing of rendered pass AOVs and integrating projections

VFX Set Extensions

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Instructor

Unleashing your creativity

Paul McWilliams

/Freelance

LECTURES BY Paul McWilliams

Paul McWilliams has been Environment Generalist and Lighting artist working on films as ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ and the Visual Effects Oscar award- winning ‘Inception’. Paul’s filmography can be viewed on IMDB. He has worked in production at visual effects companies including DNEG and MPC. He has educational training experience as a Learning lead at Technicolor Academy and instructor at the National Film and Television School (NFTS, Beaconsfield, England). He is a returning instructor to CGMA having previously mentored an Environment Creation course with CGWorkshops. He is also a fully Qualified Teacher with a Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE from Institute of Education, University College London).

REQUEST SYLLABUS

FALL TERM REGISTRATION

Jul 26, 2021 - Oct 11, 2021

ONLY

$699

COURSE BEGINS

July 16th

PRICING SCHEDULE

Even though our courses are the most affordable for the quality of education.

These FINANCE OPTIONS allow you to focus on your goals instead of the barriers that keep you from reaching them.

EMPLOYER
REIMBURSEMENT

ANIMATION GUILD
CSATTF