25 years ago, players were delighted with the level of CGI graphics of cut scenes in games of the Final Fantasy 8 level. Gamers thought this was the pinnacle of 3D graphics, which gameplay would never reach. But today this bar is taken! For special effects artists, this is another challenge. How to make the players, like 25 years ago, admire their work and imagine what the future graphics can be? Today we bring you our top 5 books that every VFX designer should read. These publications will talk about the magic of big movies, as well as how this magic can be used to benefit the development of video games.
The Filmmaker's Guide to Visual Effects
Goodreads Score - 3.83
Books written for professionals often cut off another equally important audience - enthusiasts. But this instance is an exception and talks about the basics of working on a large project. From this book you will learn how to build a project pipeline - from budget planning to creating special effects - and also get acquainted with the intricacies of work in both 3D and 2D.
Grid systems in graphic design
Goodreads score - 4.06
It would seem that special effects and typography are two separate areas. But a good artist should not be limited to just one thing. And this book will help him in this, which will tell you how the text gracefully weaves into the graphics, and teach you how to do it not only stylishly, but also wisely. You will read about how text design has evolved since the beginning of the 20th century and what problems have encountered on this long journey.
The VES Handbook of Visual Effects
Goodreads score - 4.43
88 specialists who are mentioned in this book, tried to cover almost all the issues that a special effects artist will face. It discusses what issues the authors of a project will have to solve throughout its life path - from pre-production to post-processing. You will learn about color grading and stereoscopy, which is able to give your idea in every sense additional depth.
The Art and Science of Digital Compositing
Goodreads Rating - 4.44
This book will be especially useful for those who are just starting to work on compositing. She will introduce them to projects that have already gained worldwide fame, and disassemble them into its component parts. The biggest hits of the last 20 years, including King Kong, Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings, appear to readers “in the context”. You will learn about how the “green screen” has changed the world of cinema and what miracles happen in the studio for special effects at the post-production stage.
Digital Compositing for Film and Video
Goodreads score - 5.00
This book focuses on the main thing - errors at the stage of creating graphics, as well as ways to solve them. In addition, it brings together users of various software - after all, the step-by-step examples given here are universal. The book will help expand your creative horizons and learn about what mistakes are most often made by colleagues in the shop.
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