VFX refers to the procedure of creating imagery using live action captured with film making. Visual effects deal with the consolidation of real-life footage and computer-generated imagery (CGI) to make situations, which looks sensible; however, would be risky, costly, unrealistic, tiresome or challenging to shoot on film. Visual effects created with the help of software are available for the movie makers, thanks to the development of cost-effective and simple to use computer software programs.
In movies, everything is possible and nothing is impossible. Dinosaurs roam the Earth, the world comes to an end, mice get adopted by humans, a boy and a tiger are lost at sea and apes take over the planet. Humans battle alien races from lands far far away. Such is the magic of cinema, which is possible through special effects or visual effects (VFX) artists.
Computer generated effects aren’t just for futuristic movies and superhero films anymore. They’re everywhere. Switch on your TV and a CG effect is probably hidden in one of the movie scenes or advertisements you’re watching. Visual effects (VFX) is not meant to be noticeable, and that takes some serious talent and hard work.
VFX Industry :
Indian Animation & VFX industry is expected to grow to Rs. 11,360 crore by 2020.The film and television space play a vital role in boosting the industry. With the emergence of newer gadgets, the gaming industry has also boomed beyond boundaries. Still, more improved growth rate is expected in the next couple of years.
Evergreen Career in VFX :
A career in VFX is today a rewarding and creatively satisfying option for young minds and the job opportunities in the VFX industry are booming. However, while this success, and projected growth of the industry, has a lot of aspiring VFX artists excited.
One can begin their career as a visual artist mainly in the below industries.
TV channels/ Production Houses
VFX studios
Gaming Industry
Media and Advertising
Freelancer
Pay Scale for VFX Artist :
As a fresher, you can expect to earn around Rs.25,000-35,000 and once you gain adequate experience, anything from a lakh to a couple of lakhs and more is yours for the asking. And if you can’t decide whether to take on freelance projects or a full-time job, remember that freelancers are often paid more since they work on contract-based jobs.
Do you wish to be a part of the ever-evolving VFX world? The VFX industry in India is thriving and the VFX career path promises a whole bunch of career options for you – explore our Institute of Animation & VFX coursesthat can help you achieve your ambitions.
Arena Animation Sayajigunj Gujarat’s Number 1 institute of Vfx Training established since 23 years of Excellence in education .Arena Animation’s VFX Prime is a comprehensive program that trains students end-to-end in all aspects of visual effects to make them job-ready VFX professional also trains on the latest technologies and tools used in the Visual Effects industry.
The animation industry in India is expected to grow at a pace faster than the IT industry’s! Animation as a career option is a field where you can fulfill your dream of “enjoy-as-you-work” , feel satisfied at the end of your day and get praise from your clients as well.
The art of putting together images to depict a sequence of events is much older than we think. Today, animation continues offering us a captivating way of telling stories and providing information. Thanks to advancements in techniques and technology.
Blockbuster movies such as Kung Fu Panda, The Chronicles of Narnia, Wall-E, Coraline, Up, Bolt, Ice Age and Monsters vs. Aliens are striking examples of the miracle that is animation. Animation industry has boundless scope for those who love to create magic.
The animation industry is on the path of expansion and ready to experience a extended period of boom. What is more exciting is the fact that this industry would give employment to thousands of prospective 2-D and 3-D animators every year. This boom is further going to be fuelled by the outsourcing of animation project work by Disney and other animation giants to India.
The field of animation is sometimes misunderstood with cartooning. Cartooning is simply drawing caricatures of characters with some distinct subtleties to make the character evoke a sense of comedy. On the other hand, animation is the art of breathing life into these characters. Animation is the art with which inanimate objects are brought to life with the help of various modern computer based sequencing techniques.
Animation Industry :
Animation & VFX Industry to grow at 17.3% CAGR in FY 2019 to reach Rs. 86.7 Billion. According to a recent report, the Indian animation and VFX industry is growing in excess of 20%. 3D Animation is one among the greatest buzz words in the entertainment world. Since its emergence to the now seen stage, 3D animation has grown swiftly and steeply. Indian animation companies have especially benefited from the global giants of animation like Walt Disney, Sony, and Warner Brothers, since they are outsourcing animation characters and special effects to Indian firms. With the increasing demands in outsourcing, various animation companies have emerged across India. Animation companies are forming animation hubs in major cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Trivandrum, and Hyderabad.
Start Early
There are no special subjects that are needed to be studied at this level. But aptitude in sketching, drawing and deep interest in computers is always considered essential to gain entry into the animation industry. The main specialization which is needed to become a good animator is to have a creative mind and have a sense of style. Animation is one of the most fast rising industries. Animations have very extensive hold in the world of multimedia.
Is it the Right Career for Me?
If you have oodles of creativity, then yes, this is the right career option for you. For being a good animator you need to possess a great deal of zeal and imagination. You must be good at drawing and sketching. An understanding of human, bird and animal expressions and movement is very important part of animation as it will help you express the characters you create in the most appropriate way.
Job Prospects
Job prospects for animators are rising at a very fast pace thanks to the boom in the entertainment and gaming industry. Animation with time has got a good hold over movies, television and advertising industries due to the excessive use of special effects. Animation is the life generating tool which can create an illusion of movement in any picture or image with the help of technology and software. Animation is used in almost all fields now days, whether it is a movie, any advertisement or an educational e-learning etc.
Excellent Career Avenues In Animation :
If you intend to enter the mind-boggling world of films and television, here is the most promising avenues that you can consider.
Animated Content for International Studios
Indian Animated Films
Indian Feature Films
Entertainment (Television Channels)
Ads (Animated content in Ads)
Education (e-learning)
Virtual Walkthroughs (Architectural 3D Walkthroughs)
Internet (Web Animations & Rich Media)
Fashion Designing and Interior Designing (simulations)
Gaming (Console, Online & Mobile Games)
Medical, Legal and Insurance industry (Medical animations)
Pay Packet
After finishing the training with leading animation institute, one can work as a junior animator with salary ranging between Rs.20000 to Rs.35000. As an animator gains expertise and experience, he/she can surely look forward for promotions and salary anywhere between Rs. 45,000 to Rs.60,000. Those who start own business houses can exploit the opportunities hidden in animation industry up to maximum extent. It’s one of the goldmine fields to explore.
In future, the scope for animation courses will surely increase as various animation giants like Disney are outsourcing the animation works. Hence, choosing a career in Animation will yield a ton of benefits.
Arena Animation sayajigunj Gujarat’s Number 1 institute of Animation Training established since 23 years of Excellence in education. The Arena Animation offers complete training in all aspects of Animation to make its students capable of employment and progress in the animation industry.
The present technological advancement in movies have proven that almost nothing is impossible in the visual effects industry. With the tremendous growth of technology, day by day, there are no limits in filmmaking. We are already at a point where digital animation and CGI can look exceedingly similar to reality.
So what does the future has in the stores for VFX?
1. VFX will be used even more throughout the development, pre-production and filming process of a film. That’s the pretty obvious one!
2. The current VFX technologies are not only time consuming but also expensive. So the companies would be focusing not just to improve the quality but also to reduce the average cost of delivering a single shot. Right now the goal is to make it profitable enough to stay in business.
3. The distinction between Visual Effects shots and real-life shots will fade, further. An incredible number of visual effects shots are not even being noticed today. They go undetected as they are amazing. This gives more opportunities for creativity and storytelling to the filmmakers. For example, TV shows like The Walking Dead and movies like Fast and Furious involving car chase scenes use green screens for driving sequences.
4. VFX may still not be able to do everything 100% perfectly. Like the holograms used in I, Robot and Captain America they still pose a challenge which will hopefully be conquered with advancing software. Traditionally, the most difficult things to simulate are dust, water, smoke, fire, and light distortions.
credits: Digital Trends
5. Optimised work flow can be expected. Fully rendered animations are not real time animations, but hopefully with the advent of faster processors and better technology it will get closer to real time animation which is visually as perfect as offline rendered animation is now.
Did that go over your head? Pardon us. To present in simpler terms – the offline rendering process is usually much less performance-critical, so you have the option to use very expensive rendering techniques for better performance.
6. India may get more VFX. More and more Hollywood studios and directors are willing to outsource their post-production VFX work to Indian studios and companies. This means, there will be more job opportunities for the trained professionals who have completed job-oriented courses in VFX.
Do you see any more advancements in the VFX industry in the near future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Is drawing important for Animators? This is a frequently asked question by students pursuing a career in 3D Animation. Mostly, we get generic answers to this question. But here we delve into this topic deeper and twist the question a little to cover a broader aspect, “Is it required to be an artist to become a successful animation professional?”
To start with, we need to understand the 3D animation production pipeline. In a studio working on 3D animation production, we have separate departments for pre-production, modeling, texturing, animation, rigging, lighting, rendering, FX animation, compositing, and editing.
Out of these above mentioned departments, rendering, editing, and FX animation fields generally don’t need any direct art medium expertise. Barring these departments, others are linked, directly or indirectly, with artistic forms like drawing, painting, photography, etc.
credits: Fudge Animation
If you want to build a career as a pre-production artist, then a sound drawing skill is a must. You should be able to put your thoughts and your visualisation on paper or on to the computer screen through a digital tablet or mouse. As a character designer in the pre-production department, you may be asked to design characters, props, and BG Layouts. Or as a storyboard artist, you may be asked to make storyboards, for which you need to have good drawing skills. As a concept artist you may be required to do inspirational sketches and paintings. As an art or creative director, you may have to create the colour palette with the director for the final look of the film.
credits: 3dvillain.blogspot.com
Modelers need to be well-versed in anatomy studies, which would help them to maintain mesh flow and proportion.
Texturing and lighting artists should have a good light and shadow, and colour sense. Experiences in painting or photography help to enhance these skills.
In the present industry scenario, lighting improvisations are done at the compositing stage too. Thus, it is essential that the artist has some inclination towards photography or painting.
A character animator must have a sound knowledge of posing and facial expressions. Gesture drawing is the stepping-stone for a good character animator.
credits: Creative Bloq
A rigger applies joints and controls to the characters, thus he/she should be knowledgeable about the workings of how the anatomical mechanism works.
Animation, as an industry, provides enthusiasts various options to explore their creativity and project their ideas to the world. Not knowing how to draw is not a major roadblock. The key to this industry is a creative and imaginative mind. If you are creative, it’s time you get the skills to become an animator.
The best visual effects are the ones that never distract the viewers. Today, visual effects is an integral and exciting part of films and television programs, and every so often a few works come out that are VFX game-changers. Below are the shows that made it to the 71st Emmy award nominations, in the category of Outstanding Special Effects. Emmy Award recognises excellence in the television industry.
Game Of Thrones (The Bells)
The Academy made up its mind over the controversial last season of Game of Thrones despite the massive dissatisfaction of the fans over the program’s conclusion. And the result is… 7th Emmy in Visual Effects category, which only further cements GOT’s position as the program with the most wins in this category. ‘The Bells’ shows the final battle for control of the throne.
For its final run, the HBO fantasy epic scored 32 nominations for the Emmy Awards, the most for any program in a single season.
Star Trek: Discovery (Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2)
The thirty years old show is now as cinematic as it can be. Thanks to the VFX team! The conclusion of this space epic features immersive space battles, dynamic camera angles and aesthetically pleasing fireworks. But if you’re a hardcore Trekkie, you may say that VFX is the only thing that has managed to get some appreciation. A third season of the show is currently in the making.
Amazon’s critically acclaimed series has shown an alternate history of what America would have been if the Axis powers won the World War II. Pulling off the VFX for such shows is very challenging as the audience is expected to feel like they’re seeing a New York confined in an imperial Japanese and Nazi German society. The streets, the architecture, the costumes and almost every aspect of a City and its citizen had to be reimagined through special effects. This show has been previously nominated twice for Outstanding Visual Effects.
Set 400 years in the future this sci-if show is created by Seth Mcfarlane, well known for The Family Guy and Ted. This Star Trek comedic ripoff features lots of CG shots and practical effects. In fact the episode ‘Identity part II’ features an eight minute space battle which is too dynamic for a TV series. Pixomondo and FuseFX were given the task for the CGI. Pixomondo also had previously won The Emmy for ‘Valar Morghulis’, the final episode of second season of Game Of Thrones back in 2013.
As someone who is a big fan of the MCU or DCEU movies, there’s no way you could miss ‘The Umbrella Academy’. It is really trendy and has gained everyone’s attention. Though it had mixed responses to the plot development which lagged behind character growth, the visuals were moody and suited the theme of the show very well. The show features an advanced chimpanzee named Pogo. The character was created by Weta Digital, famously known for the Planet Of The Apes franchise.
Which of these VFX-heavy programs is your personal favourite? Let us know in the comments.
If VFX amazes you, you could consider a career in the industry. Check out some of the best VFX courses here.
Masking is one of the most powerful in adobe photoshop. Masks can be used to create very useful visual effects. From combining images to stylizing texts, there are numbers of uses of masks in Photoshop. Here we will learn about the two types of masks which is used in Adobe Photoshop: layer masks and clipping masks through examples. Both should be useful in a different way and if you want to master Adobe Photoshop, then you will need to understand these crucial differences.
Difference Between Layer Masks and Clipping Masks
Adobe Photoshop: Layer Masks
Layer masks are one of Adobe Photoshop’s most useful features. The path to Photoshop software mastery begins with grasping the power of layer masks.
Basically, a layer mask controls a layer’s transparency.
Layer masks use a single mask that is applied to a single image and that allows to hide portions of a layer while exposing other layers positioned underneath. This is performed by adjusting the layer’s transparency and opacity through a mask.
It can only have monochromatic colors in grayscale between white, black and the various shades of grey in between.
Click on below Video: Difference Between Layer Masks & Clipping Masks in Photoshop
How to Create a Layer Mask
Open Photoshop software and start by selecting the image you wish to manipulate. There is a number of tools to select the object you want to mask. In this example, here we make use of the magic wand tool to select the pumpkin object, but you can also make use of the marquee tool, quick selection tool or a shape tool.
Once the selection process is active, click on the mask button to create a new mask layer. The selected pixels set to visible while the unselected are hidden. If you look at the layer palette, you will mark that the mask is being applied to the layer itself.
Now that you have the layer mask, you can choose to add it to a totally different background.
Adobe Photoshop: Clipping Masks
Clipping masks allow you to hide portions of an image, but these masks are created using multiple layers, whereas layer masks only make use of a single layer. A clipping mask is a shape that masks other artwork and only reveals what lies in shape. Not only clipping masks be created from shapes, but they can also be applied to vector and text objects.
This mask work in the same way as layer masks, except that they don’t have the monochromatic grayscale color range. Instead, they acquire the transparency of the layer beneath them.
Click on below Video: How to use Layer Masks in Photoshop
How to Create a Clipping Mask
To create a clipping mask using text, start by typing out the text you want to mask in Adobe Photoshop.
Next, add the image you wish to mask above the text layer. Right click on the image layer and select create a clipping mask.
Now you should see your image displaying through the letters you created. If you look at layers palette, you will see the mask was created by connecting two layers.
There are many uses of this wonderful masking feature. You can learn more about layer masks and clipping masks in Animation courses.
Stylizing text and blending images are just a few examples of how you can enhance your designs with Adobe Photoshop masks.
For students who are interested to learn more on Step to Learn the Magic Wand Tool in Photoshop and would like to learn this on a more professional level, please sign up today for our Arena Sayajigunj Course.
