VFX Core Concepts 101

Wanna learn VFX, but you aren't sure what you want to do, or where to start? Director and VFX artist Clinton Jones (aka The Pwnisher) walks us through the basic disciplines & tools you should know that all fall under the big world of "Visual Effects".

Have questions for Clinton? You can chat with him directly in the forum:

Here are some of our favorite VFX videos and tutorials:

Compositing & Basic Training:

Motion Tracking:

Rotoscoping

Keying

Modeling & Texturing:

3D Particles

3D Lighting:

Rigging:

Animation

Special thanks to RØDE Microphones! Check them out here:

We're on TWITCH every Thursday at 3PM PST!

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[IGameChangerI]

I love how he sighed when he mentioned rotoscoping. That's the only accurate attitude when it comes to rotoscoping.

[Michal_Kedzierski]

Wait is that Clint from Corridor crew?!

I'm honoured that you guy's used one of my comps from the film 'Everest' as an example for keying! Been watching you for years, and you were one of my biggest inspiration to start doing visual effects! Keep it up!

[Garyq]

I've seen so much real smoke in movies thinking that its CG smoke that I now think real smoke looks fake.

[prakudh]

I just clicked the video randomly and it made me really interested in learning VFX now. Thanks!

[safferoth]

Wish you had posted this 10 years ago before I spent an ass ton of money going to school for it. Great video I'm glad you shined a light on this complicated little industry

[eiriklunde]

I am not a movie/media student, but watching movies is one of my passions. The first time I watch a movie, it's because of the story. The 2nd to the N-th time I watch a movie it's because of the time, hard work and software engineering that goes into making a movie. Thank you for teaching me how to appreciate it even more

[lourensed]

Do things like this more! 101 so we have something to start learning from <3

[LoneEditor]

I love to rotoscope, especially when you mess up one frame and you fix it and AE messes up all the other frames for you so you can keep the fun going

[CDNerd]

3:57 - 5:09
This is why I always get mad when people say 3D is "cheap" or "lazy" compared to hand-drawn animation. Hand-drawn animation is tedious in its own right, but to say that 3D is "lazy" is ridiculous because there are SOOOO many things that go into making a good 3D movie/effect - far more so than what goes on into making a good 2D movie quite frankly.

It's as if people think 3D is just when people sit on the computer and just flail their arms on the keyboards and magically stuff happens. It takes a LOT of freaking work in creating a character even before you really get a chance to actually animate them.

[Jonnyvonwallstrom]

That was a really comprehensible and elaborated discourse on VFX. Thanks a lot!

[angelicaamora]

I clicked bc i saw Clint, stayed bc i love this channel :))

[endaoconnor]

I sighed at the same point as soon as Rotoscoping was mentioned. I had to rotoscope gloves onto a hand in a TV series once (a detective forgot to wear forensic gloves) the hands were holding evidence that was a bloody glass bulb full of water, the actors hands moved in front and behind the thing. it was a long long scene, too many late nights rotoscoping it. So the word sends a shiver down my spine.

[Foxarocious]

Thank you for explaining all of this. I didn't know the difference between vfx and sfx! That's what hooked me!

[kev_mcx]

So cool! Now I know slightly more!

Can't wait to learn so more stuff!

[jaycorbin]

Davinci Fusion can do particle effects and CGI, and it uses a full 3D space for compositing.

[marschrr]

About 4:30 in the video you talk about lighting using a 3D modeled face as example. I would be cool to see an 101 episode about practical scene lighting on faces, facial expressions, emotions, body, object lighting, reflections, shadow casting, etc.. how to play with light. Great job on the channel btw!

[rishabhlaheja]

By far the most well explained tutorial on youtube regarding VFX and all different roles and responsibilities in it. Thanks!!!!

[izifantastic]

I think the piece he's missing is the enormous talent you need on top of just learning the tools to make good VFX.

[jomiar]

I really like this idea, and I wish more people would do something like this - just tell me all the main things that I might want to look into to figure out how to do some larger task. In this case, visual effects, and the many pieces of that. I loved your sigh for rotoscoping--probably my least favorite thing to do :P

Anyway, thanks for this!