VFX For Directors
Testimonials
"I wish to feedback you guys on the this training series. I'm no beginner, but rather worked in this industry for more a decade. However, my motto is: "There is always something more to learn". Following that, once I learned about your product, I placed an order for it. This was a no brainier to me.
After watching and ingesting all the DVDs, I must say that you did an AMAZING work. This is probably one of the best educational materials on the market. As a trainer and tutorial guy myself, I can imagine the hard work, planning, scripting and shooting that you put into this.
So once again - RESPECT. I think it is a must for anyone who wants to be professional in this field."
Eran Stern, Stern FX, Creative COW Contributing Editor
"There are lots of books that cover aspects of VFX, others that dwell on technical labyrinth of textual knowledge.
None however give you the clear and concise information needed as a Director. This series takes out the mystery and exposes the magic behind the curtain in a simple, yet powerful way that doesn't make you dizzy.
As a seasoned professional in the film industry, I went into this series being rather skeptical. To my surprise, not only was it great, I picked up a few new tricks for my toolbox along the way."
Cesar Dacol Jr., Modeling Supervisor, Fantastic Four, 300, Journey To the Center Of The Earth, Disney's The Wild, Barnyard, Species
"This course presents the fundamentals of visual effects in a very clear and easy to digest format. It works very hard at making it accessible to all, and yet very strong in its depth. A must-watch for everyone in film who wants to know more about this area."
Dayne Cowan, Co-Head of 3D, Double Negative VFX (Harry Potter, Batman, James Bond)
"I'm a big fan of your course materials."
Jeff Light, Dreamworks Animation, Rigging/Mocap Supervisor, Star Wars Episode II, Harry Potter, The Mummy, Jurassic Park, Terminator II
Pro Video Coalition Review
Should be common knowledge ... The set fills a niche that has been sorely vacant for too long.
VisualFXTuts.com Review
Five stars and two thumbs up ... It is really one of the most professional training DVDs I have ever watched.
Quintessential Blog Review
It is an invaluable resource and will save you untold hours and dollars on all of your productions.
Filmmaking Central Review
I just spent about a month with the Visual Effects for Directors DVD set. Yep, a month. This seven DVD set runs over 11 hours, yet is densely educational.
Motionographer Review
The series covers a staggering array of topics ... I enthusiastically recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in visual effects and filmmaking.
FreeFilmSchool.org Review
This is pure genius ... I give it my highest and most enthusiastic recommendation.
MacVideo Review
It's 25 years since I've sweated through intense lectures and come up gasping for air. But then, I find that sort of thing an enjoyable experience.
Script Magazine Review
Filled with many fantastic examples ... I especially liked the fact that the Hollywood Camera Work crew shows you how they constructed a two-wall green screen cyc with lighting for around $700.
"All the products I've been using from Hollywood Camera Work have brought my film prep to the next level. The Visual Effects For Directors has given me an underlying framework and language when approaching visual effects. The basics of 3D objects and lighting are indispensable, as well as the limitations and things to avoid when setting up shots. (Watch out for shadows!)
As a director, my strength has always been story and performance, so having an easy-to-learn set of video tutorials was an absolute treasure trove of information. I'd also love to plug Shot Designer, which has revolutionized the way I block a scene. I just spent the day using it with my cameraman, Marc Spicer (Fast and the Furious and Lights Out)... he's now a sworn apostle."
Adam Robitel - Director/Actor/Writer "The Taking" (2014) "Escape Room" (2019) "Insidious: The Last Key" (2018)
"VFX for Directors is a well structured, easy to understand information package with many details. Very useful for beginners and experienced filmmakers for deeper understanding of VFX. It helped me a lot to communicate the VFX requirements for onset works."
Gergely Takács - Visual FX Supervisor "Gemini Man" (2019) "Inferno" (2016) "Spectral" (2016) "Robin Hood" (2018)
"Great work, as always. I really do appreciate the format, the information, and the way it is presented, which makes it second to none."
Thomas Haberman - Photographer and Founder of Motion2Concept
"Thanks to your amazing VFX tutorials lesson I took last year. Im finally making my Shot design base on the rules & technique you taught us. Such as distinguishing between Fgrd & Bgrd Parallax and the theory of minimum of 7 markers in different of different depth. This is my first time working on a green screen stage and I hope I pull it off effortlessly. The best thing about your VFX course was that it never gets obsolete although the technology changes every min but you have taught us the principles & overall concept of visual effects. Everything from black cloth to the rules of match moving on green screen, corners pins or Rotoscoping is all so valuable and priceless.
I know often I repeat my self and thank you for every little bit but I really can't help it. I love being educated specially on the subject which is my life; filmmaking."
Shams Charania - Director/Editorial/Writer "The Unguarded Moment" "Uroboros: A Snake Biting Its Own Tail" "America's Got Talent" (2011) "America's Next Top Model" (2011)
"This is exactly what I need, a vast wealth of knowledge for filmmaking enthusiasts. It is worth the price. Hope you continue to update the new things in film making in these courses. There will always be people who appreciate the effort and willingness to support by buying your courses."
Cuong Nguyen - Cinematographer "Vo Sinh Dai Chien" (2021)
"Visual Effects for Directors is a must have and must see for anybody who works with CGI in films. It is a precise, comprehensive and hands-on explanation of the basics of modern visual effects and greenscreen shooting."
Guido van Gennep N.S.C (Netherlands Society of Cinematographers) Director of Photography
"After spending countless hours on YouTube and other sites trying to find digestible VFX information I came across Hollywood Camera Work. The VFX For Directors bundle is extremely thorough and easy to understand. I cen't recommend it enough and I look forward to checking out the other bundles HCW offers in the future! "
Casey Wieber - Director and Photographer - 1134 Films Music Videos Heart to Heart - Insufferable (2020) Neverlyn - Far From Perfect (2020) Diner Nights - Runaway (2019) Neverlyn - Beauty Sleep (2018)
"Both the Master Course in Blocking & Staging and the new Visual Effects For
Directors are a boon for media education. For courses ranging from
introductions to aesthetics and cinematic form to more advanced graduate
courses in both theory and production, these DVD collections are invaluable for
instructors who wish to expose students to the secrets of filmmaking.
Moreover,
film and television scholars will find the series worthwhile for expanding their
knowledge of the practice of filmmaking.
Without doubt, all colleges and universities offering majors in filmmaking
must have these DVDs in their departmental libraries and use them in the
classrooms. I can think of no better way to introduce the multiplicity of
creative avenues in filmmaking to students than these DVDs."
Homer B. Pettey, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Film and Television Studies, School of Media Arts, College of Fine Arts, University of Arizona
"As an educational institution, finding excellent reference materials for
students that tie the whole Visual Effects process together is very
difficult. Generally speaking, VFX companies are understandably reluctant to
share techniques and workflows that could compromise their competitive edge.
Finally, there is a set of resources that demystifies and peels away the
secrets of the VFX industry and is, what has to be considered, the best
value training for the price. The Visual Effects for Directors DVD set is a
must have for any serious student that aspires to a career in the VFX
Industry."
Danny Ward, Senior Lecturer, Advanced Diploma in CGI and Visual Effects (3 year, Full Time Course), South Australia.
"Visual Effects For Directors is a great tool for teaching students. Though the main technol,ogies discovered in this program has been developed inside the film industry, they quickly are spreading across whole Digital Media and it is always good to be one step ahead."
Professor Eberghard Hasche - Berlin, Department of Computer Science And Digital Media, FHe Brandenburg, University of Applied Sciences
"I directed a music video on greenscreen before I ordered the DVDs. I wish I would have ordered them first. It would have saved me many hours and dollars in post Production. Moreover, I'm excited to try all that I've learned so far. The course has made me more confident with visual effects. I will be a better director for it."
Joey Medina, Award-winning Director of El Matador, Executive Producer of Latin Palooza
"In the process of building what we like to believe is Europe's, if not the world's most renowned VFX / Virtual Backlot studio based around a pre-lit constant greens screen, cyclops motion control and pre-defined workflow, Visual Effects For Directors saved us almost as much time as we have been waiting for it. And that is not bad, counting the fact that we first heard about it 20 months ago."
Patrik Forsberg, CEO, Stiller Studios/Lidingö Sweden, Inventive Film Factory
"Hey Per Holmes just wanted to say thanks for your great DVD set VFX For Directors! Just the other day we were setting up for a handheld shot and we knew that we might need to
replace the sky and the ocean (which would require good clean tracking data).
Visual Effects for Directors really saved our behinds. We knew exactly how to adjust our shooting to make sure we got the data we needed for post - thank you so much - you truly saved us hours of editing and hair pulling!"
Richie Gibbs, JaRboys productions Inc, Los Angeles CA
"It's about time someone creates a tutorial for directors on Visual Effects! As a Director / Cinematographer for over 10 years it has been trial and error to create interesting visual effects shots. I now have my secret weapon and my clients love me for it!
The Green Screen Intensive section is having me pulling better keys than ever before and is worth the money alone! Another great benefit of these DVD tutorials is the ability to do a better job or pre-visualizing my ideas, as well as being inspired to push the outer boundaries of ideas. Seeing how they created cretin looks and shots have given me inspiration and I have created new ways of doing thing I did differently in the past, saving me time and money.
I highly recommend this DVD series for anyone wanting to truly understand Visual Effects. This is 4 years of Visual Effects School in 7 DVD's.
I love this program, a must own for any DP or Director!"
Scott L. Gribble, Cinematographer/Director, Wonderdog Media, Inc.
"Visual Effects For Directors is as valuable a tool for the educator as The Master Course In High-End Blocking & Staging is. The combination is perfectly complete as a step by step instructional series and an intensive examination of the processes of film making and visual effects. Thus far your series has been the most valuable resource we've found for our classroom environment. Thank you for producing such a comprehensive, yet easy to understand, set of instructional videos."
Detective Daniel Rosario, Worcester Police Department, Director, The Affected Program
"Brilliant advice! More important than software: Applicable to any set if tools you may have at your disposal. Excellent grounding in understanding visual effects and when to use it. Highly recommended!"
Toby Esterhuizen
"Visual Effects for Directors is an incredible resource to further one's knowledge of the ever-changing landscape of film. I'm premiering my film HIGH school at the Sundance film festival and prepping another project -- both starring the same Academy Award winning actor. The first project contained 110 VFX shots and I felt very comfortable achieving them with Nice Day, Inc. out of Japan, but the next project is very complicated... green screen, performance capture, full 3D animation, rotoscoping, set extensions, etc.
I needed to ensure that my well of VFX knowledge was full going into this project and Per's new series of DVDs has done just that for me. I'm happy I bought them and studied them and I feel more secure having them on my bookshelf in my office -- at arm's length away for quick access to problems as I encounter them. This is a MUST BUY for any director dealing with VFX in their films now or in the future."
John Stalberg, Jr.
"Wow -- this series is just awesome -- keep up the great work! I will definitely be recommending it to all of the students in my screenwriting course!"
Lawrence J. Clark, Associate Professor, Houston Baptist University
"Visual Effects for Directors is a great tool for creative minds on a tight schedule. It gives you a wide perspective on what is needed to get the job done with great quality."
Mauricio De la Orta, Dean, Animation and Visual Effects School, Westbridge University
"Just the tips on green-screen paint alone was worth the price of admission! A real money-saver!"
Paul Kalbach, Artichoke Productions
"Visual Effects for Directors is a must have for anyone interested in achieving professional level results in their projects. Despite being a professional animator and CG artist for the Web, I was still able to walk away with an enormous amount of new information and techniques. The comprehensive series covers everything you need to know in order to capture and produce amazing shots and effects."
Eric Jordan, 2Advanced Studios
"I puchased Visual Effects For Directors and love it. My last film "Early Release" did really well on the festival circuit but after watching Holly Camera Works Visual Effects, I could have made it so much better. The DVD is really a great reference guide. It is something you watch over and over to refine your skills."
Tom Balsamides, President, Indiefilms LLC
"I am only on Volume III. So far, the information has progressed from clear and useful explanations to more complex issues. One of the things I like best is the fact that when something is bad, you say it, and then explain it. I find this useful because illuminates the issues better than a gloss. So far, I would have to say the value and information are outstanding."
Mark P. Willner
"Visual Effects For Directors has helped me communicate better with Visual Effects Supervisors."
Salil Sundresh, Director of Photography
"While I am not "in" the industry, I'd like to think I have a fair bit of knowledge of visual effects. Watching these DVD's I discovered that my knowledge only scratched the surface.
What really got me and should entice anyone who is thinking about buying this set, is the simplicity in which these areas are addressed, discussed and solved. I think that Visual Effects for Directors will be an outstanding asset for me in the future when I do eventually tackle these various issues. I currently only work in the arch-viz industry, but would like to undertake a few personal projects in the future that will require these types of visual effects.
For myself as a beginner, I would advise anyone who thinks that they will be using any visual effects in their projects, to buy this set. In my opinion, it is worth many times the price and I could not be more satisfied with my purchase. But then, considering the quality and degree of depth that the first series I bought possessed -- The Master Course in High End Blocking & Staging - I thought this course would be at least as good. It is -- and probably an order of magnitude better.
I know this may sound like a gushing review, but although I knew the basics of certain effects, this course (so far) has allowed me to understand to a much higher degree than I ever thought possible. And it also enabled me to believe that even I could accomplish similar effects in my own productions. And when I do eventually get to that point, I KNOW that what I will envisage will be possible and I'll know that I CAN do it!
Thanks for the training Per and I look forward to any other courses you plan on in the future.
Sincerely,"
David Williams, Virtual Renderings LLC
"You have really created a wonderful package -- a wonder package -- ideal for us old-timers who grew up with film, magnetic tape, Steenbecks and Moviolas -- to take away the mystique, so we can dare to learn, and apply more modern tools, to add up-to-date visual effects to our old craft of film making, and contribute to push us onwards in our pursuit of excellence and dreams."
Odd Hynnekleiv, Penelope Film AS, Norway, Director Of Photography, Yohan (2009)
"I've lost a lot of sleep lately thanks to Per Holmes and his team, staying up late to watch Visual Effects for Directors. But next time I'm shooting for visual effects I'll sleep peacefully knowing I have a greater understanding of the principles. These DVDs are the next best thing to learning on a set and much more fascinating than a textbook."
Jesse O'Brien, Editor/Producer, Creswick Creative, Trailer and Campaign Producer for Disney/Miramax Australia
"I haven't finished watching the whole series of DVDs on Visual Effects For
Directors but so far I am very impressed. As a VFX guy these DVDs bridge the
gap for me when bringing 3D into live action footage.
These guys obviously
know what they are talking about and have broken down a very complex subject
into simple building blocks so novices like me can understand.
I highly recommend anyone wanting to further their understanding in
moviemaking to watch Visual Effects For Directors, it's as if you were
actually on the set learning from the best. Many thanks Hollywood Camera Work!"
Jeremy Raven, VFX Freelancer
"I was only half way thru viewing the series when an effects issue came up on a Sears commercial shot on Red. Client decided they needed to add content to a computer monitor in post rather then on the set, not difficult at all. Did not have to think twice about the correct way to shoot this. Its just like the segment with the cell phone -- get the series you'll see what I mean."
John Lizzio, DP
"Fantastic course! And an excellent springboard. Thanks for the knowledge."
Eric Brown, Movieric Pictures
"On the first show I directed after viewing Per Holmes' Masters Course In High End Blocking & Staging and Visual Effects For Directors, the Executive Producer said that he "got more for five hundred bucks than his last crew did with a million dollars". This actually just happened on a shoot I did in Burbank last weekend."
Steve Bishart, Director, Hollywood, CA
"I absolutely love these DVDs! I have been searching for a course that teaches visual FX in terms that I as Director should know, without getting into all the software-specific techno jargon. This program does exactly that, and I can't wait to put all this amazing info into practice. Amazing work, Per. Keep it up!"
Mike Winget
"Thank you so much. I love it. It is my second set of DVD from you. First one was The Master Course In High-End Blocking And Staging. Visual Effects For Directors is easy to understand, even without having an education in this field. Great presentation of each topic and clear instructions. I just wish you had those courses in different languages. Thank you!"
Tetyana Nickell
"Not only can Visual Effects for Directors keep you from making some disastrous mistakes on set, it is a lot of fun to watch! I viewed all seven DVDs in just a couple of days. I will definitely be referring back to them for years to come. I highly recommend this course!"
Michael Miller, Digital Realm Productions
"The Master Course was such a complete and robust training set that I knew Visual Effects For Directors would be just as good. To my surprise, it was even better. Just the first two DVDs alone answered a number of questions that I've had in my mind for quite some time. It has saved me countless hours of trial and error. I highly recommend it!"
Stan Von Miller
"As I am an amateur enthusiast Visual Effects for Directors is a gold mine of information that helps me take my work to a new level. The presentation is both engaging and informative. I highly recommend this DVD series. In addition to the DVD set, having access to high quality green screen and tracking plates from the website was the icing on the cake. Thanks Hollywood Camera Work!"
Reece Robinson
"Congratulations on another fantastic tutorial. It's both comprehensive and easy to follow, with clear explanations and engaging visuals that make this a must for anyone with an interest in filmmaking and visual effects. A practical guide to achieving the impossible. Top job guys, this is inspirational stuff!"
Jon Higgins, cartoonist and film student
"Many of the instructional videos and tutorials on filmmaking out there start at a place for the experienced. The terms and descriptions sometimes used are unfamiliar and no one really takes the time to explain them. If you follow them step by step they can get you where you're are going, but in the end you're still not quite sure how you got there.
After watching both DVD sets from Hollywood Camera Works that is not the case here. Not only do they explain the "how's" of filmmaking and special effects but the "why's" With clear instruction and with a depth of understanding in each subject Per Holmes and those at HCW have put together a wealth of filmmaking knowledge. Bringing many of the benefits of film school within reach of aspiring independent filmmakers. Thank you for this GREAT work."
Jack Duggan
"When I got my DVDs, I went right to slot one into my DVD player with full
expectation. What I saw blew me away. The first thought I had was, I cannot
believe you guys have such great product for the price you sold it to me
at the lower price because of the pre-order. Honestly, I felt guilty.
Now, the only problem I have is keeping up with the huge materials presented
on these DVDs. I am working everyday with them and yet it is going to take
me weeks if not months to learn all the topics presented. This is some great
resource for anyone serious about directing visual films.
Folks, there are no other products in the world today of this type. This is
an excellent product and thanks a lot for bringing this to Directors like me
who want to create visual effects films."
Laetitia Walstra
"The Visual Effects course is brilliant, it's a masterpiece!!!"
Harald Eder, NEWSPOTS
"Finally, a set of instructional videos that are fast paced, detailed and explain why stuff does and does not work. Well worth it."
Bianca Bramham, Producer
"I bought the "Visual Effects for Directors" to update my
knowledge which I built up since the eighties. It's a fantastic overview of all relevant effects and how they can be done properly and without loosing time by going wrong ways or experimenting for days.
Surprisingly I had the opportunity to use the new knowledge from the training materiel in my next job. I completed a perfect matchmove and combined without trouble a whole industrial plant with its 3D model during a helicopter shot. I would not have a chance to complete such a shot before I watched "Visual Effects for Directors".
Thanks a lot and I hope your product earns the success it deserves."
Gilbert Mayer, Switzerland
"I am shooting my feature length film art=(love)2 on 29th of June. The DVD about visual effects approached right in time, which help me and saved lot of money, especially regarding green screen, because my film is full of visual effects. Maybe you will see my film in December."
Mumtaz Hussain, DYK Films Inc.
"I loved the program! I've been a professional filmmaker and corporate video producer for 19 years now and continually kept running into the same problems with green screen work and found it a hit and miss process every time; And lacked the confidence to even attempt match moving project. Now I know what I can and can't get away with during a shoot. You've saved me future headaches in post."
John Mokedanz, Owner of Mokeamedia
"Visual Effects For Directors is a must-have tool. I've just started my first production involving green screen and 3D compositing. With the aid of this course, I feel more confident that the setups for each shot will work smoothly for post production. Thanks, Per!"
Andrew Irish, Director of Photography/Editor
"Visual Effects For Directors connected all the dots for me and filled in the many gaps that existed between what I knew and what I really needed to know. Completely worth every penny! Thank you."
Corey Redfield
"I received the VFX For Directors a couple of months ago, and can't get off my sofa during the visualisation. Watching the DVDs with this posed voice and numerous examples is a real pleasure.
I learned quite a lot and the first basic benefit is that you'll know which technique to use for a result you imagine
or you're asked for. This is very useful as you'll know which know how to enrol into your production.
Of course it is not making you a professional in 3D, in motion capture or in compositing, the task is to show and put you into various workflows and describing the steps needed for final materials that really look like professionnal material. After that, depending on your own know how, things are gonna be demystified for you, or you'll learn precious things for the less.
This is opening your mind to new creative frontiers to synthetise, and it gives you desire to try new things."
Arnaud Giret
"This impeccably presented 7-set DVD collection has been invaluable in providing me with an understanding of compositing processes but, more important, the scientific language and technical details of contemporary special effects. Preparing budgets, arranging shoots and discussing strategies is now easier and comprehensible thanks to the wonderful Visual Effects For Directors."
John Celona, Director, Sundialtech Pictures
"I bought both sets of videos, the Camera Work and Visual Effects and have learned more in those DVDs than I have in a couple of years. Filled with practical information and real world examples, I quickly learned techniques that I can used that I probably would have never used if left to my own learning or trial and error. These days, as I am starting to grow my own production company, time is money and both sets of videos will help me to save on both! Thanks so much for producing these valuable production training tools!"
Shawn FitzGerald, Digital Prism Productions, Des Moines, Iowa
"Thank you so much for your great contribution in this fast moving field of entertainment. Your DVDs are second to none. Every person working in film should view these DVDs at least once. It is a roadmap to filmmaking in this millennium."
Nikolaos P
"Beginners will experience the feeling like to find out the way a magic trick is done. Amazing, every thing is so clear, that you will have the need to start experience yourself."
Cote Gallardo, 3D VISUAL EFFECTS, CG Artist
"As a small to medium visual effects team, we have always struggled with trying to get our visual effects to the next level. I have found that through this very educational and practical teaching series, I feel like there is so much more we could achieve using tools we already have, but also helping us refine the skills we already have."
Nick Khoo, Director, Editor, Filmmaker, Illustrator, Supervillain
"Hollywood Camera Work's Visual Effects for Directors is the best training that I have found thus far that considers the novice and branches into the realm of the advanced. The tutorials give you instruction on the right way and the wrong way to tackle the problems that will occur, but most importantly the WHY. This is a must have tutorial set that should find a home on the shelves of all film makers."
Michael Jefferson, Graphic Designer and Visual Effects Artist at CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network).
"I bought the original Hollywood Camera Work Master DVD course a couple of years ago. I learned a lot from it, and still use it frequently for reference.
Based on the quality of the original Master course, I did not hesitate to order Visual Effects For Directors. And I was not disappointed. Per Holmes has once again produced some really great material that is well worth the price. Even those with lots of filmmaking experience can learn something new from this director's tutorials.
In watching the Visual Effects For Directors course I learned a considerable amount of information on how to interface 3D animation and props into live action 2D shots using motion-tracking and compositing and how to make live action actors interact with the 3D world. The course also included material on making the most out of animated characters, on things like complexity of movement and expression. In other words, making them seem real.
The timing could not have been better, as this is an area of production I am beginning to work with.
To be honest, I found myself drooling over a lot of really neat software and hardware systems used for demonstration in the course that are currently beyond my budget ability. However, I now know how many really cool motion effects we see in some TV commercials and movies are created. This has greatly demystified many things for me. Now that I better understand the theory and basics, I’m ahead of the game and can make more informed decisions in future software purchases and production planning. The course’s material on successfully shooting green screen was extremely extensive. I learned a lot about the physics of light and color, the importance of shading, how to pull the best key…all very insightful and quite informative.
One thing that I really appreciated about this course is that they show you how to avoid many pitfalls on the shoot that will/could complicate issues in post. There are plenty of things in this course that are very helpful, even to amateur editing junkies like my self. I may not be able to afford to do some of these things (at least not yet), but now I know what is possible and how to do it.
I highly recommend this course for everyone, from beginners to old pros."
Gaines Johnson, Johnson Imagineering
"I came across your Visual Effects training via a review on motionographer.com The straightforward, practical knowledge in it has really been helpful in bringing my work to the next step in quality and professionalism. Thank you for all of it."
Joel Loukus, Interactive Motion Designer, ADG Creative
"Visual Effects For Directors is a great resource for experienced and newcomers alike, due to its intuitive learning methodology that is very inclusive. As a Director/VFX Supervisor, I learned a lot, and have reccommed Visual Effects For Directors to many other Directors, VFX Artists and DPs."
Marcus Dryden, Head of VFX, Envy Post Production
"These videos should be required viewing for any advertising agency creatives involved in productions that utilize 3D animation or visual effects. I routinely see agencies wasting tens of thousands of dollars because they don't understand the basics of 3D and VFX production. These videos clearly explain the process and point out key areas you need to be aware of in order to ensure you're not causing major delays in production."
Paul Griswold, Music Video / Commercial Director & Animator
"I've been working on very low indipendent film production here in Italy since 2003 supervising and actually doing all the single aspects of cheap but compelling visual effects. As a selftrained vfx guy I've been usually learning all the knowledge and techniques involved in the craft using several training kits on book, cd and dvd along with the experience on the ground.
There are a lot of things to learn but I never found one single resource so comprehensive and clearly explained like Visual Effects For Directors. To me the chapters related to green screen and matchmoving in particular are simply awesome and terrifically useful! For the in the depth quality of all the information wrapped around this 7-DVD set I highly recommend this training material not only for directors but for both beginners and experienced, professional and amateurs VFX makers."
Massimo Storari (Italy)
"Thanks for taking the time to thoroughly research the topics presented in Visual Effects For Directors! As with the The Master Course In High-End Blocking And Staging, this new series really shows a lot of concepts and tips that are helpful in making any production really productive.
Showing some pitfalls that could easily take place, so they can be avoided while working on your production really sets this series apart. At the same time really good effective ways of accomplishing a task are presented. It really engages your mind in coming up with effective ways of making your VFX right, and in the end, hopefully a better overall product."
Donne Palmer
"This is a great DVD training series. I have adult students and 11th and 12th graders in a self paced competency based training program. Since students are at different places in the training and the production pipeline, the Visual Effects For Directors course can be used as an overview of my whole course for the new students. The students that are at the place that they are using the different software, they can focus on the parts of the video that they are now applying. There is so much in the videos that the new students will just get the big picture and understand what the other more experience students are doing.
I like the fact that you show many ways of doing things and stating that one way is better than the other. You can do it this way, but when we did it, this is what happened and this way is better. Sometimes learning what not to do is just as important as learning what to do."
Gary Dunn, Digital Design Instructor, Ridge Career Center, Winter Haven, Florida
"We have always been trying to educate the Directors about visual effects and it has never been so easy, unless we have any visual content. VISUAL EFFECTS FOR DIRECTORS fills this gap. Its a must every visual effects supervisor/director should have."
Surya P, Visual Effects Supervisor, MacawFx Films, India
"It is by far the best investment I made towards my film career. Far more convenient than those expensive film school classes and far more educational."
Srinivas Avasarala
"This is the most comprehensive collection of directorial tools I have ever had the pleasure of owning. I am learning far more with this collection than I did in film school."
Timothy E. Parker, Goodly House Productions
"Knowing how to plan and execute visual effects as a director is a mission-critical skill that will not only help you achieve the best results possible but could also save you thousands (possibly more) fixing mistakes that could easily have been avoided. This is an invaluable resource for any director looking to stay on top of technological developments in the craft."
Charles Edwards, The Media Village, Hong Kong
"Visual Effects for Directors is a great way to understand the process and get invaluable hands-on experience. An excellent tool to learn the craft of visual effects."
Mark Valentine, President, ANATOMY
"I recently had a green screen shoot, and although I had glanced at the training DVDs, I hadn't really studied them. I thought I knew green screen, but ten minutes in found out that I had a lot more to learn, and quickly changed the lighting set up. I can't believe I missed something so fundemental, I can't believe I never picked it up before. But rather than feeling stupid, I feel smart, because your DVDs are a great education. Per and team please keep up the good work."
Otis Matthie , Filmmaker & Learning support officer for Media & Drama @ St Mary's University College
"Once again, Per Holmes and his team have raised the bar for professional video direction tutorials with their new series, "Visual Effects For Directors," a comprehensive guide to shooting and staging for top quality visual effects. Holmes' group reveals for directors all the mysteries that never seem to get answered in the books we read, and that you just can't do without once you get into post production. With this series you will learn everything you need to stage and shoot your effects scenes from the ground up--from creating your own green screens to planning out shots for tracking, match moves, complex composites, and more. You will get a holistic perspective on 3D, simulation, lighting effects, post production technique, and all the details that so often remain hazy for us in the absence of the intense, on-the-job mentoring that those lucky few get when assigned to big projects. In fact, that's it in a nutshell: owning and watching "Visual Effects for Directors" is like having a professional mentor."
Leha Carpenter
"Directing requires a lot of knowledge about a lot of things. In today's film business it is difficult to get the big picture without drowning in the technical demands -- you need enough knowledge of the effects pipeline and technical aspects of a shoot to make artistic decisions on time and on budget. Every director wants more time and more money--but nobody gets it. Per's DVD set shows you just where to put your time and money through practical and thorough explanations of the craft from start to finish. So instead of second guessing effects on set. You are directing effects on set."
John Estes
"As would be expected, another great product has been released from
the creators of the ground breaking Master Course. I'm a
former teacher in the field of VFX and Computer Graphics at the
University of Gotland in Sweden (I created the program together with
Technical Director Marcus Gezelius). My responsibility as a tutor was
to teach the students from a Writer/Director/Producers point of view.
This is what this new DVD course "VFX for Directors" also set out to
do and it does a flawless job at it! If you are seriously interested
in becoming a VFX Director or Producer you should buy this and have it
handy, always. I also think it's great for beginners in any of the
different areas of VFX film production (also for writers) since it
gives you an over all understanding of the whole process, from
beginning to end. This way it could also help to build a deeper
understanding in any team for what everyone brings to the table. A
very important issue in any VFX film project from my experience."
Fredrik Persson
"In this ever dynamic, fast paced, changing world it is imperative to be able to grasp fundamental concepts that constitute the 80/20 rule. This set of DVDs cuts through the thousands of pages and hours one would spend on the 20% and gives a blueprint for that 80% of almost any film. Succinct, precise, and laser accurate. If you're serious about a career in film these DVDs should be the anchor for all reference material. Simply brilliant!
Thank you for your great contribution to this fabulous art."
Cosmos Productions
"I recently watched a few of the Hollywood Camera Work VFX for Directors DVDs with some film friends, and we were all thoroughly impressed. The comprehensiveness of the information is balanced skillfully with explanations that make complex ideas very accessible. I think we're all walking around now looking at the real world and thinking "could I track that"! Who needs film school when there's Hollywood Camera Work ;) You've outdone yourself (even relative to your original series). Keep up the great work. What's next!?"
Jonathan Howells, Creative Director, Dinnick & Howells
"I am approaching the Visual Effects CDs from the vantage point of connecting the link between creating the 3D elements graphically, and joining them with filmed subjects. Nothing seems to be left out of this series, and it is a huge help to be able to see how the pieces are supposed to go together. The lecturing pace is brisk, and a lot of information is economically conveyed. This series goes well beyond my expectations."
Mike Perry
"Still having a great time watching and learning, as I did (and do) with
High End Blocking and Staging.
I guess for us (and there's only two of us here), I'd say this about your
latest:
For individuals and small companies, Visual Effects for Directors is
in-depth and invaluable. Importantly, it stresses the pitfalls that can
leave a shot unusable, or at best compromised in quality. It's a powerful
and intelligent course, and I cannot recommend it highly enough."
Julian Baum, T27
"Hollywood Camera Work has done it again. A collection of stellar DVDs. A cornucopia of knowledge for the novice and a good reference for the seasoned professional. Visual effects for directors will be of use for years to come."
Richard Gill
"I want to say that Visual Effects For Directors should alsmost be mandatory for someone wanting to direct or make movies. Visual Effects For Directors is a hands-on type of course for the theories but so much for the softwares. This course will give you the knowledge to know how to get the effects that you want in your movie. This course should withstand the test of time."
Steven E. Shirley
"I have so far seen two volume of the dvd... it is amazing, informative, interesting and mind-blowing stuff. I love it it. I wish I had this training years ago. I love the green and blue screen section. Well done you guys. Thanks a lot!"
Daleep
"Its a film geeks dream. Technical enough to satisfy the geek in me and cool enough to want to watch."
Seth Melnick, SLM Production Group LLC
"According to the saying "One picture is worth ten thousand words" this DVD set is a real bonanza providing you deep insights in professional Hollywood techniques of film making. It gives me a lot of tips, tricks and hints to improve my skills. The DVDs are easy explained and demonstrated on a high level supported by excellent training material from Hollwood Camera Work's homepage."
Knut Hoflein
"I recently bought HCW Training in advance of the production for a small commercial. The main reason was to get more knowledge about object-motion tracking.
I run a one-man animation boutique in Zurich and I work with Maya and After Effects since over 10 years, but I didn't had much expericene with 3D motion-tracking. The HCW training helped me a lot."
Marti Noe
"In a word BRILLIANT! Very detailed look at what can be achieved, especially on a budget. Well done Per Holmes for making this a FANTASTIC piece of work."
Mark Morris
"I can't imagine or remember having the world of VFX production better explained to anyone new to it than by VFX For Directors. VFX For Directors has just the right balance between overview and in-depth technical information. And I'm no Director nor DP, I'm 3D and VFX artist, so I know what I'm talking about."
Achim Dietze
"This DVD training series deserve an Oscar, because of its effective slow pace informative training.I come from an intermediate background in working with green screen, however what I have learned so far from this DVD series has excelled me in profession.It inspired me to want to explore more in this avenue.This is a great tool for novice and professional alike.It looks likes a great deal of effort went into the creations of Visual Effects For Directors, that's why it is so helpful and I highly recommend it."
Mark, Play Films Pty Ltd
"I am student at De Anza College and my dream is to be an expert ASC cinematographer one day. I bought the "Visual Effects for Directors" Package to learn all ins and outs of the green screen world. Man, let me tell you the information in this package is the equivalent of 4 years in a visual effects school. I haven't even reached the fourth DVD and I already feel like I am a better cinematographer. I strongly recommend all the products of Hollywood Camera work to anyone who is interested in being a film maker because they are simply a complete school on DVDs."
Hisham Izzeldin, www.underdahoodfilms.com
"VEfD helped me become a more efficient problem solver for my clients and personal projects. Since I got the course, I've been really amped to try some new techniques and figure out some clever new ways of getting more efficient pipeline for my studio. This is something you only get from being in the field for many years and spending enough time with the experts. Priceless!!!"
Marcin Biegunajtys, Manmade Media/Creative Media Studio
"Recently I heard about Hollywood Camera Work and checked in the course material they have. Since I am doing Visual Effects for many years I was too keen in checking the Visual Effects for Directors. To my surprise, it was well described! Even a newcomer can learn the industry tricks very effectively in less than two months! Hats off to the creators! I will strongly recommend Visual Effects for Directors not only to Visual Effects professionals but all of them who are interested in making movies!"
Madhu Sudhanan, Visual Effects Supervisor
"Hollywood Camera Word VFX for Directors is a great tool for learning the concepts behind visual effects from a director's and DP's perspective. The 7 DVDs of this course provide a solid foundation for understanding GreenScreen, Match moving, Motion Capture, etc. This is a course every serious Director and VFX artist should go through."
Leif Paul
"Visual Effects For Directors is an awesome source of knowledge geared toward professional approach to the VFX industry. It dissolved the guess work and saved my latest projects, not to mention the stress. Many of us wait to see the special features section found on a blockbuster movie and try to get a grip on how they do it. Well, in my humble opinion, Per did much more than that. He shared and explained and made my base rock solid. Per, thanks for everything."
Vladan Miladinovich, 4Dvision
"I've been working with visual effects for 4 years and I wished to have a video tutorial like VFX for Directors at the beginning of my journey. All the instructional videos are very well explained, using inclusive the correct terminology for 3D software & filming. Definitively a a great tool for newcomers & experienced filmmakers."
Eduardo Torres, Video Editor, www.thefilmfoundation.org
"I want to thank Hollywood Camera Work for producing Visual Effects for Directors! My son is making his first movie, a Sci-Fi adventure. Neither he nor I have any experience making movies and had no idea how to get started with the visual effects. I found Visual Effects for Directors on the web and it is fantastic! It took him from being lost to clarity and direction.
It was so good we also purchased the Master Course in High-End Blocking & Staging DVD set. Customer service was very friendly with very fast responses. They were a pleasure to do business with. I highly recommend this program, it helped us as beginners but also has a lot of information for much more experienced filmmakers."
John Anicetti
"Your visual effects package explains a vast amount of information in a clear and easy way to understand. It has helped me become a better teacher and a visual effects artist."
Shawn Goodrich
"I've been always looking to advance my studies within the visual effects industry and develop my techniques and tools as a filmmaker, visual effects for directors was absolutely the perfect choice, a must have."
Ahmad Faroukh
"I actually liked the Visual Effects For Directors very much and appreciate the effort you have put in this collection."
Claude Kongs
"I must have watched the Camera Work and Visual Effects DVDs dozens of times since purchase. So much valuable information in one place: for me, on a daily basis, it makes a huge difference in terms of the economics from previz all the way through to post."
Bart van Geldrop
"In a world where software and technology constantly change, knowing why is often more valuable than simply knowing how. Visual Effects for Directors gives you the most comprehensive insight into the underlying concepts that all visual effects are built on. Learning why things work the way they do can last you a lifetime and these DVDs have that information to keep you relevant."
Timothy Van Horn, www.pilgrimbeats.com
"It is an absolute "must see" for every director, producer, cameraman and editor. On one hand it gives you a total overview as well as a basic understanding for all methods and techniques used in VFX / CGI. Downloading the DVD images was fast and easy and I got the DVD stickers and box inlays delivered to Germany within 2 days! I would definitely buy any kind of update or extension of this great DVD series."
Ronald Bettac, Head of Digital Arts Department, IFS International Film School
"If you are technologically-challenged (like me), it's a dream-come-true."
Cyrus Nowrasteh, writer-director THE STONING OF SORAYA M.
"Its quality and scope are unmatched by anything else I've seen. Thank you so much."
Nicholas Mathis
"I needed the section on green screen shots. Visual Effects for Directors is a good investment. Very well done."
Quay Tilby
"Es insuperable la calidad del contenido educativo del programa "Visual Effects for Directors", una guÃa práctica indispensable para un equipo integrado de producción, no se escatimaron esfuerzos en la realización minuciosa y detallada de ésta joya que trasciende fronteras."
Guao! Producciones, c.a., Caracas, Venezuela.
"The Visual Effects For Directors is filled with information that is valuable for anyone who is thinking about entering the realm of Visual Effects work. It`s not a step-by-step course, but a theoretical approach on how to shoot Visual Effects. I recommend this course to anyone who is interested in learning how to film Visual Effects rather than learn how to make the Visual Effects themselves. "
Fredrik Honningsvåg
"There is only so much you can learn at an institution about 3D and visual effects. That is why Visual Effects For Directors has become the best compliment for my studies. A must-have DVD set for film and visual effects students and proffesionals alike"
David Escobell
"I recommend this course for everyone who is working in the vfx sector. It gives you a lot of background knowledge and is not suited to any software or hardware. It gives you more more advantages to understand the workflow without focusing on living and died products."
Dag Gerome - VFX Artist
"Per Holmes has created the new standard in visual effects training with his new DVD program Visual Effects For Directors. A must have for all Directors and Cinematographers who seek excellence in their work and the ability to compete successfully in Hollywood."
Oliver Tuthill, President, Blue Wood Films LLC
"You don't Know the ins & outs VFX until you get this training."
Jason Hampton, Camera Op for CBS Big Brother, Women's Entertainment Bridezillas, Steadicam Op for VFX shots on NBC Numbers
"I'd like to say, as a new Director and Producer, that Per Holmes' Visual Effects for Directors has been a very effective tool in my pre-production and production efforts. His tutorials are clear, concise, and informative from A-Z. The value of this training program far outweighs the cost!"
Charles Nathan
"I am having a great time with this training! There is so much to learn from very simple perspective. Appreciated! This will help me becoming better in the visual fx."
Zeljko Speranda
"The course is the best you can get currently on this planet. I’m really enthusiastic. It gives you a profound knowledge of visual effects establishing a detailed connection between camerawork and handling the special software during the post process. It is a valuable backing for me preparing a project where I’ll have to do a lot of green screen shots, compositing and for instance to create a fictional 3D building which will be destroyed later by an explosion."
Hans Georg Nenning, Actor and Director, Vienna, Austria
"The VFX course clarifies concepts and is the perfect tool for directors because I have learned that there is a BIG difference between doing the job and getting the job done.
It is absolutely INTENSE and very intuitive in approach. Your words are so measured and I wish we could have a complete transcript of all your lines because just reading them will be a good revision!
I am literally writing down every line!"
Sai Prakash - Director/Producer "Kashi from Village" (2005) "Rowdy Aliya" (2004) "Janmasthanam" (2014)
"The measure of critical and detailed information contained within these tutorials is Himalayan in magnitude! Client support of their product is the same."
Timothy Thomas - Actor/Art Director "The Voyage" (2002) "The Deluge" (2002)
"I'm a big fan of Hollywood Camera Work's videos. Instead of spending hours searching the internet for relevant tutorials, HCW gives me instant access to unified, cohesive information that is arranged in such a way that each lesson builds upon the last. The well thought out dichotomy of the videos as well as the comprehensive subject matter definitely accelerate the learning process."
Dan LaGuardia, Director of Dan LaGuardia Media/Director/Writer/Visual Effects "Breed" (2011) Clients include: Crisco, Dunkin' Donuts, General Electric
"VFX for producers offers an insightful, thorough, yet easy way to understand how VFX work in films from Ray Tracing to Rigging and everything in between. It helps new directors such as myself or seasoned veterans to become aware of the techniques and language of VFX so they can communicate their ideas with professional animators.
It even prompted me to buy a new desktop with specs to fit all my editing and animation needs so I can edit and animate on a professional level for the type of films I would like to make."
John Cross - Actor/Director/Producer "Moulin Rouge" Add Crew (2001) "House Hunters and Gatherers" (2016) "Violet Red" (2017)
"Visual effects were a kind of magical and aggregated blob to me, now I feel l know everything I need to direct a Marvel movie!"
Francois-Regis Jeanne - Director/Writer/Cinematographer "Demi Soeurs" (2018) "Break" (2018)
"Like all the other courses on the Hollywood Camera Work, VFX for Directors is an absolutely essential course for anyone venturing into Visual Effects and now the more talked about Virtual Productions. I am starting a Virtual Production studio myself and badly needed all that information that is given in a systematic way. I definitely recommend this course."
Bharadwaj Dayala - CEO Virtualone Studios
"Visual Effects for Directors is far more than the title implies. Even an experienced VFX artist can still learn something from this excellent series, but most of all it's about communication. In the era of digital post production, it's indispensable that the specialists talk to each other and understand what is possible in post - and what's near impossible. That's what you will learn from these DVDs. Their price may seem high at first view, but they are packed with pure information and one single mistake you avoid during shooting will save you much more than that. I can highly recommend the series not only to directors, but to VFX supervisors and to educators as well."
Prof. Uli Plank, Dean Of Studios, Institut fur Medienforschung, Germany
"The two Green Screen Intensive DVDs are worth more than my 4 years in film school learning VFX. Also, I have read every issue of Cinefex and thought I knew how to make a great green screen shot; I was wrong. The comparisons of film vs video color space, paint selections for cycs, how to test your colors in photoshop, etc. the list goes on. I really learned how much I didn't really know or understand. This series is what every filmmaker, not just Director or VFX Supervisor, needs."
Geordie Martinez, Technical Director, Fantastic 4: Rise Of The Silver Surfer, Character Finaling Lead, ImageMovers Digital
"In a word: Fabulous! Visual Effects for Directors! is 11 hours of the absolute best training on the subject I've seen anywhere. This seven DVD master course is a must have for anyone interested in the practical, real-world application of VFX technology. Per Holmes has created a indispensable tool for cinematographers, directors, producers, and VFX supervisors at any level. Worth every penny!"
Dale K. Myers, VFX Supervisor and Animator, Lead Character Animator on M&M commercials
"Visual Effects For Directors, as expected, answers the questions that even accredited courses I'm sure would take months to drag out in explanation. Discovering Hollywood Camera Work's first box of educational DVDs for directors was a great moment for me having only recently completed an entire degree and yet still never seemed to be taught these fundamentals. Visual Effects For Directors, I'm sure, should have a comparable effect on those moving into visual effects. So Hollywood Camera Work, what's your next project?"
Troy Darben - Special MakeUp Effects 'Beauty and the Beast', D.O.P. 'The One That Got Away', Production unit 'Goblin Shark Attack', TVC Special Effects Technician.
"We find both of these series invaluable. Though we do quite a fair amount of matchmove and other effects covered in the VFX for Directors series, we now have our Directors and DPs watch the pertinent chapters prior to the shoot. Information coming from your DVD is somehow more persuasive (and clearer) than from a TD/Animator in a meeting. It is particularly helpful when we can't be at the shoot - now everyone is on the same page.
The Blocking series has given me lots of inspiration in my 3d work, by reminding me that every sequence doesn't have to be through-composed, but can take advantage of the rich visual language of dramatic camera work."
Michael Powers, Creative Director, Animation, Cramer
"I have been a fan of Hollywood Camerawork's products since I got the "Master Course in Blocking and Staging" years ago, and have been impatiently waiting for the Visual Effects for Directors course to come out.
Although, as an editor in film and TV, I find the title to be misleading. In post, I always find directors to rely on my knowledge of ways to set up and shoot VFX shots properly when there is no VFX supervisor around. Being able to give informed answers to these questions helps me both in pre-production and also in post, as I have a better idea what the compositor's capabilities will be when we get to that stage.
I recently had a "discussion" with a DP on set about how to effectively shoot a plate for a composite we were shooting. He claimed he always did it the same way, and (having just watched the chapter on shooting this set up a week before) I was confident in arguing my point that the other way was better, and why. Of course, being a DP, he shot it his way, and I had to fix it later, costing unnecessary time and money. But it was nice knowing I had the correct info from Hollywood Camera Work. I've referred 7 or 8 people (ranging from editors to directors and a VFX coordinator) to HCW's products and they've all bought and benefitted from them. Keep up the good work!"
Jason Stewart, Editor, "World's Greatest Dad"
"Simple, clear and informative. Required viewing for all of my Creative Directors."
Chris Do, President/Executive Creative Director, BLIND INC, Los Angeles
"Visual Effects For Directors is one of best courses you might get. No fancy university or college education can match the superb, concentrated and extra valuable information contained in this 7 DVD collection. The world of low budget productions should thank Per Holmes for his dedicated hours."
José Carlos Poeiras, Head of Pre-production at Pura Imagem, Lisbon.
"Wow! You guys are unbelievable! First you totally ruin my vacation by sending me "The Visual Effects For Directors" and "The Master Course In High-End Blocking & Staging". I spend every possible moment watching those DVD's, and I fell asleep with my laptop running. My wife, for some reason, couldn't see the importance of loosing ones sleep over this. But I have to tell you, it's the best I have seen, EVER! I learned so much in the first FX DVD, that I couldn't let go of it! THANK YOU!! And now you give away training plates too! THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU!!!!"
Michel van Steenwijk
"As a trained designer and director in the motion design and animation field, I would really like to send you guys a two thumbs up from everyone at my company working with your material shown on the "Visual Effects For Directors" DVDs. It is without a doubt one of the most comprehensive and yet easy to understand workshops I have ever seen, and my employees loved to go through it. There is material in there for newbies as well as longterm pros.
Two of our designers just went through the process as post supervisors on a pretty tough shoot. Guess what? All I had to do is hand the "Visual Effects For Directors" out to them, and they just walked on set as if they had and did it all a thousand times already. Congrats for the good stuff, and please keep it up and running."
Philipp Zünd, Founding Partner at "boutiq", a Zürich/Switzerland based motion production studio.
"I'm working for a great production company in Germany. The last two shots with greenscreen and bluescreen i get from high-professional directors and cinematographers were totally crap: Different colours, the canvas was wafting, many seams and so on. I couldn't believe that. Maybe they think we're magicians in the post (but we are..!). I wish every professional filmmaker should see these videos. They would save lots of money."
Piero Masztalerz
"The studio I work for acquired a RED One digital camera, and they decided to use it for both documentaries and trailers for the PC games they develop. This resulted in a need for good and cheap greenscreen keying and camera tracking - ARMA II game is a military simulator that aims to look very realistic, for promo videos it'd mean to blend CGI weapons into real shots (obviously, it is impossible to hire a US tank squad for one trailer video).
It was clear to everyone from the beginning that solid greenscreen can't be solved just by great digital camera; and camera tracking too; there is more to that and to get whole pipeline ready for production would mean either trial and error development or hiring some skilled expert (costly and hard to find).
Per Holmes's DVDs are exactly the answer to this problem and accelerated us dramatically. We are skilled 3D CGI experts and there are cameramen among us, too; however, the DVDs present all the concepts which bind our skills together and add more.
Highly recommended!"
Stepan Kment, Lead Engineer, www.motioncapture.cz
"Visual Effects for Directors opened a whole new range of possibilities to me. It's fantastic, both as learning material and reference work. Most importantly it fires the imagination in ways that perfectly translate to film. Thank you for your great work!"
Paul Reisinger, Film Production/Directing MFA student at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Writer/Director at JewelLabs Pictures Film Productions
"The Hollywood Camera Work DVD series is absolutely an amazing DVD set. I have been in the business for almost 20 years, and I can finally say that there is a DVD training set that is worth every penny. No one goes into the type of detail like they have.
Between the Visual Effects course, and their other DVD set on Directing / Camera Blocking, Per Holmes and his team have built a total 4 year college degree in just 20 hours on DVD. The Blocking DVD makes you re-think how to shoot a scene on a set. As a DP, I have new confidence, whether it is working on a feature film, or a client commercial.
With Visual Effects For Directors, Per Holmes and his team went through the same amazing detail as they did in the first collection.
The training they give for Green Screen, matchmoving, and 3D was nothing short of fantastic. They spent hours on talking about Green Screen and they went into answering questions that no one talks about. I spent hours on line trying to determine how to deal with motion blur or shallow depth of field when keying - and the answers weren't easy find -- until now. They go into detail on whether or not to use professional Chromakey paint. They back up their reasons with actual data. They go into detail on building a cyc wall, how to light it, how to make sure it is even lighting, how to deal with match moving it, etc.
The list goes on and on. Again, there is NOTHING like this type of training. Thank you for making these two DVD collections. They have changed the way I think on set, and they have increased my quality of production 100 percent. I owe you!"
Jon Schellenger, VP of Production, www.GlamourKey.com
"Visual Effects for Directors is comprehensive enough to be an inspiration to the budding amateur with a camera and After Effects, a useful reference for the jobbing director of commercials or dramas, and an invaluable primer for the non-technical director who needs to understand what's possible these days, not just what to do on set once the shot list's written. It's highly watchable, down-to-earth and topics are clearly signposted. The nature of the example material (and the superior narration) means it's much easier to watch from beginning to end than the (excellent, but very dense) Master Course."
Carl Homer
"I finally found visual effect that does not have a lot of nonsenses and gets to the point I have watched it twice and plan to watch it section by section and I love it. I can tell they have spend a lot of time to show you how to do it without big budget and the service is excellent Mr Holmes himself took his time to answer all the questions I had about visual effect. I highly recommend buying it and having it in your library."
Wonedwossn Goshu
"I love this thing! The Visual Effects For Directors DVD collection is the bees knees, bees ankle bracelets, earrings and all. There is soooo much covered in here that I haven't reached the end yet. I keep watching over and over again the same DVDs, because of the amount of info given. Understanding more each time.
I can't express how much there is to know and learn from this. From the techniques of lighting for a green screen to placing 3D objects and a brief explanation of reflection and shows that one MUST take into consideration, is priceless. The Crowd replication thing is so explanatory that after viewing this, if you make any mistake, you need to pick another career... cause you're an idiot.
The ONLY thing this collection is missing is the in depth tutorials of the programs used. And that's not necessary for these guys to put in. But if it were... that woulda been COMPLETE! My head would spin and I'd be giggling like a school girl at the Grammys.
It does help to already have an understanding of 3-D and animation, but it's not necessary. They point you in the right direction anyway."
Neil Sorhaindo, Barbados
"After purchasing Hollywood Camera Work's "Master Course in High-End Blocking and Staging" a few years back, I had very high hopes for the "Visual Effects for Directors" set, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. These sets are not tutorials, they are concept training. Nothing is worse than a paint-by-number tutorial that is not relevant to your own day-to-day work. These sets are nothing but relevant. They are among the very best instructional videos I have seen (and I have seen a lot)."
Chad Huebner, Multimedia Specialist, Beckman Coulter, Inc.
"What sets this training series apart from other DVDs is the huge amount of real world advice provided. These aren't just how-to videos. They take you through real issues and workflows, providing advice and guidance that would not normally be available to those looking to develop their understanding of VFX shots."
Mark Corderoy
"Visual Effects for Directors is everything I had hoped for and more! I am very impressed with the lesson content and how it is put together in an informative and easy to understand package. WORTH EVERY PENNY!"
Justin Smith
"Your products stand out ! I get a lot of inspiration from Visual Effects for Directors and look upon it as a resource bank of knowledge. As fairly new in the film industry, it feels good to get insight into high end production methods. I can recommend, highly, chapters of using green screen techniques. Our results will improve instantly.
The methods of implementing 3D into real world footage is extremely up-to-date and I see that 3rd party companies are starting to offer plug-ins for Final Cut. I wouldn't be surpriced to see me experimenting with this, even implementing it into projects, during the next couple of years.
These words of admiration would not be complete without mentioning your Camera Work DVDs. They made me start using FrameForge 3D to try to build sets of my own, appreciating how smart it is to plan in detail, in advance. People who see how well you do this, just start looking for ways to express camera positions, movements, relative positioning themselves…
Looking back, I think the combination of you boosting my knowledge, and interest, combined with getting my hands on a Sony XDCAM EX1, were the most important reasons for making the leap from the IT industry to the film industry."
Lasse Ogland, IMAGINE AS, Norway
"Visual Effects For Directors has a unique educational value for anyone wishing to know more about the visual effects processes. This title provides a great overview and a lot of useful tips and tricks for both the beginning and the more experienced visual effects techie. Recommended."
Terje Rian, Director/Producer, Norway
"Visual Effects For Directors is a great set of tutorials with high density of information and is very well organized and structured!
If you've ever wondered how some things are made to happen in film and visual effects work you are likely to find some solutions here. I had a lot of fun watching the tuts and will also use this as a library to search for detailed description on film setups etc. and refresh some knowledge. THANKS A LOT,GUYS!!"
Stefan Aschke
"You must have it training. Very clear with different exemples to show you how to do it. Those exemples covers all my questions about how to do it. Thanks Hollywood Camera Work, I am waiting for your next training with great expectation!!!"
Olivier Gemayel, France
"The most comprehensive VFX course available anywhere. Easily worth 5 times the purchase price."
Luke Stewart, Director, Holodad
"You need more than a testimonial, mate, you need a bloody award!"
Ralston Humble
"Visual Effects for Directors has proven to be an invaluable tool when trying to push the envelope. It has also been a great aid in communicating ideas to my crew and saved invaluable production time, as it has helped to put all of us on the same page. Needless to say, an invaluable training aide."
Dante Betteo, Producer/Director, Pallanza Media Group, LLC
"As a long time Producer / Director, I've looked for training and support
for directing with visual effects in mind. While I've known the basics for
greenscreen filming, I wanted to stretch my abilities and creativity.
Visual Effects for Directors was that tool.
Our next movie will involve
large crowds and some visual effects. I struggled with idea of coordinating
hundreds of extras and now I can multiply small groups utilizing the
techniques learned. I look forward to implementing the many skill sets
I've learned in just the last few weeks."
Phil Bransom, Producer/Director, Phil Bransom Productions
"I'm one of those filmmaers who didn't go the film-school route. My training has been books, website forums, asking around, trial and error.
"Visual Effects," has not only proven to be comprehensive, it has also corrected conceputal errors I had and supported that information with sound theory. For a low-budget filmmaker like me it is a visual effects supervisor in a box."
Michael Drummond
"Thank you for all the detailed and precise information, which has helped us to eliminate cost-intensive troubles in post."
Bjoern Lehmann, Director, ENTRANCE Digital Film
"As a filmmaker and visual effect artist, I was very impressed with Visual Effects for Directors. Even though I knew a lot of the topics covered, there was insights, tricks and ideas I had never heard before or things I never thought about. That alone was worth the price of admission. As for the stuff I did not know, there was a wealth of knowledge in the DVDs that will serve me well for my future works. Highly recommended and two enthusiastic thumbs up!"
Christian Viel, Producer/Director/Editor, Movie Seals Productions Inc.
"Draws the relationship the a director and the VFX team closer!"
Chin Yew Chong
"I found the Visual Effects for Directors very very very informative."
P.V.Anthony, Partner, Mind & Media
"Visual Effects for Directors was a fantastic overview of all the different disciplines of VFX, explained quite clearly with great examples. As a VFX artist, it managed to fill a lot of the holes in my knowledge, and really gave me a great foundation upon which to continue to build my skills."
Jacob Dyer
"Teaching Visual Effects can be an imposible task if you don't have the right tools. You need clear explanations and good examples. After watching the complete DVD series I can say that I have the perfect tool. The knowledge inside Visual Effects for Directors is simply amazing. One of the best well inverted money!"
Joaquin Torrents, Professor, Universidad de Navarra
"You know, I wasn't expecting too much when I bought the Hollywood Camera Work DVDs (was a friend's advice). I've been working with VFX for 13 years now, and I thought I knew pretty much all the tricks for VFX shooting and compositing. But from the very first DVD, I realize how wrong I was. The language is clear and easy to understand, and I learned a lot of new techniques to improve my shooting and work flow."
Marcos Vaz, CD Wondermint and 3RingCircus
"It helped make my small production company better. I learned so much from this DVD set, and I could now offer to my clients the vision that they wanted for the fraction of the price. The knowledge you will get from this DVD set is worth thousands of dollars. It's like working on a real hollywood production set with a personal teacher telling you the common mistake on a green screen set. How to avoid these problems and make post production easier and cost effective."
David Chia, Motion On Canvas Production
"The best training series of its kind. I would recommend this to anyone working with visual effects."
Richard Krause, Director/Designer, Reserve17
"I am a senior in high school and I am a VFX artist which means I shoot, edit, matchmove, model, composite, etc. This training set has took me from nothing, to having a complete understanding and knowledge of all the most up to date and time proven techniques out there. Gone are the days of shooting and experimenting and praying to sweet baby Jesus that i will bring home a working shot!
After going through these DVD's I get asked why a 17 year old sounds like a VFX veteran! Great investment without a doubt for anyone in the VFX field, I might be wrong but every other day i hear through whatever website.com that so-and-so studio is reducing staff. So In turn means more work for less people. So now your boss sends you out to supervise a shoot with heavy VFX because your on set VFX director is not employed due to budget constraints. This is such a powerful tool to own because you have the power to increase your skill-set and knowledge of how this is done right minutes before a shoot."
Daniel Margiotta
"Yes, the Visual Effects For Directors course was really interesting for me. I found there tons of interesting topics and production tips very clearly explained, that often take years to learn in production. It is fantastic. It is everything a newbie director or TD needs to know. The amount of knowledge included here makes worth the prize absolutely.
I recommend it to anyone that wants to start a carrier on VFX.
You guys did a great job with this course! Absolutely happy with it. It is hard to find this quality in other learning programs.
I have to admit that I learned more in your 1st DVD (3D Primer) about Maya, than in months studying Maya. It is really clearly explained. Please, consider creating a DVD course about Maya. I will be the first in purchasing it!"
Dario Lanza
"This DVD Course should be required viewing to anyone wanting to bring the Visual FX to the next level.
Even if you think you know it all already you will be shocked at the amount of info and insight you'll gain form viewing it.
The best part is that every topic has excellent visuals to help illustrate the point. I learned more about the correct way to do a greenscreen shoot and the best way to get a good key. And the tracking portion was phenominal. I now can do Tracking shots with excellent results.
Unlike other DVD courses that just show you how to do something, this one takes the extra step to tell you WHY to do something. In other words... Do you want to tinker under the hood all day, or take the car out for a drive?"
Vincent MacTiernan, Extreme Digital Productions
"The course is fun to watch. At first I thought it went a little slow, however i realized that with that much information it is good that it is slow. The course teaches you how you must Direct, and not how you eventually must do the post production. I'm very glad that I bought both boxes. The shipping of the boxes went wrong due to the Dutch post office, however Hollywood Camera Work helped me with that and offered me a download version. I was very pleased!"
Jos Buurman
"I thought I'd write and say a big thanks for VFX for Directors. I'm in pre-prod for a film next year and I think you just saved my butt production's rear end, meaning, post and the VFX guy's future sanity.
I imagine more than a few indie directors have said this but I would add a couple things - VFX For Directors gave us a lot of room to re-think some shots. It looks like now we'll add visual effects (some additional limited greenscreens and some 3D objects). Also, huge thanks for the green screen downloads. I know they were intended as exercises but they really helped us set up and think about our proof of concept."
Kevin Traywick
"A groundbreaking tool in today's complex and demanding world of visual effects in film. Per has encapsulated years of learning In his DVD course. I will use it as long as there are effects in my films."
Jerome Cohen Olivar, Director, Kandisha, "A tale of hope"
"I am totally new to special effects and had always been fascinated by the effects I've seen in major films. But it was only when I purchased the Hollywood Camera Work Visual Effects For Directors did a lot of the core concepts of how this cool stuff was done hit home. The best part to me was realizing you don't have to do it all yourself, but as an up and coming director, I can have a complete and total understanding of the process whereby others more proficient in that arena can take my ideas and bring them to light.
Having purchased the HCW Camera Work series, (and more than pleased with it), buying the Visual Effects series was a no-brainer for me. I'm currently working on my first original series for the web, and there is simply not enough words to describe how much both HCW series are helping me along the way. Worth every penny in my book."
K'ankh, Portal Moon Studio
"I'm a jack of all trades: I do photography, 3D work, compositing etc. and even Direct occasionally. Even though I'm a VFX veteran who has been involved with visual effects work for well over a decade, there still was a wealth of new tidbits and concepts in the DVDs, explained in a very straight forward and understandable manner. I can see myself benefiting from the information in all lines of my work. In my opinion, Visual Effects For Directors should be required reading for every Director and Cinematographer."
Eki Halkka, Freelance, Helsinki, Finland
"We had high expectations, but still we were very pleasantly surprised by VFX For Directors. Not only did it save us from some pittfalls during our last shoot, it also made us aware of possibilities we did not think of before.
VFX For Directors is a product that will both save you from costly technical mistakes, as well as stimulate your creativity. Ordering was easy, with a same-day confirmation, and delivery within a couple of days to Norway.
If you would churn out new titles every month, we would buy them all! Highly recommended!"
John P.H. Bour, Director, JNC Film Productions
"Visual Effects For Directors was extremely helpful. At first glance I thought I new all the tricks covered...boy was I wrong! I would recommend Visual Effects for Directors for anyone serious about VFX!"
Michael Ricker, Art Director/Motion Graphics Artist, KSTW-CW11 Seattle, WA
"We are a little motiondesign-studio in germany. We have seen all the DVDs with much pleasure and got much inspiration from this - and that although we are working in motion-design since more than 5 years! Thank you for so much good ideas and materials! It was more useful than 4 years of studying."
Jarno Muller
"As a independent German filmmaker, I learned from Visual Effects For Directors in one week more than in 2 years before. The training is very helpful, very professional and easy to understand, also for non-native speakers."
Rolf J. Heiler, Vorstandsvorsitzender, Heiler Software AG
"In every one of these DVDs I was able to find useful tips and techniques that I hadn't learned in my entire career or education. Regardless of how skilled you are or how much experience you have, something from this collection will suprise and educate you. I sincerely recommend VFX for Directors."
Eric Woods, VFX Supervisor
"It is a pleasure to write recommending Visual Effects For Directors. It is an awesome work. I am learning a lot! I have watched the 7 DVDs at least twice, but I will need to see them again and again to learn more. Thank you very much for this wonderful course!"
Marco Sales from Londina, Brazil
"The Visual Effects For Directors DVD box isn't just an arbitrary collection of DVDs. Its a step by step learning process that explains a Director or DOP how to anticipate on special effects efficiently. On the other hand, it is so well illustrated that making special effects yourself isn't that unbelievable at all.
If you are tired of looking over the internet for tutorials that lacks quality and only last 5 minutes, just try to get the Visual Effects For Directors DVD box and jump into an advanced level of visual effects within 11 hr and 13 minutes."
Maarten Vandewalle
"Visual Effects for Directors is a must for any serious director. It opens your mind creativity and makes you look at visual effects in a whole new perspective. Those Special-FX scenes running inside your mind, once considered a luxury, now come to life and under an Indie budget thanks to this great course!"
Oscar Sánchez, Videographer, Puerto Rico
"Out of all the VFX based training I've used, Visual Effects for Directors is by far the best. The training is thorough, comprehensive, and intelligently presented. Whether you're a beginner, or a die-hard veteran, if you're looking to enhance your knowledge and skill set, I highly recommend this series for its in-depth explanation of virtually every facet of visual effects production."
Dominic Amatore, New York
"I have your Hollywood Camera Work and Visual Effects for Directors. Both are excellent teaching tools and have benefited me and also my students, when I am teaching green screen at CDIA in Georgetown."
Ross Stansfield, www.rsprod.com
"Visual Effects for Directors far exceeds my expectations! There are so many techniques inside the collection I never knew existed that can help ANY director improve their filmmaking beyond their expectations. Professionally done, well explained, and beautifully presented. Per, you’ve outdone even yourself in this training program!"
Ricky Lien, Singapore
"Marvelous job done! Amazing. I've learned so much from your VFX for Directors series. It's the most effective way to teach these things. Extremely informative and exciting. You could call it a visual and informative page turner. Thanks for this work."
Oliver Frohnauer
"The DVDs were just great! I've learned alot, never thought that so much information could be squeezed in so little time. Amazing work! Two thumbs up!!"
Tim Elschner
"Thanks and congratulations to you Per. I jumped on the email offer for VFX as soon as I got it and I am so happy I did. This is fantastic material! I will dive into things I sorta knew how to do but did not do because I was not sure I could pull it off. Of course, I learned a lot of new things too!
When I'm done, I'll dust off the "camera work" series to go thru them again."
Louis Gendreau
"For several years, I was looking for a such tool! I am doing digital specials effects on Flame and I am giving a lots of advices to my clients, the Cinematographer and the Special Effects Directors. In France there is a lack for learning special effects at a High Level, even during the shoot.
The DVDs "Visual Effects for Director" will fullfil this lack. You will discover the secret of a perfect green key (as a Flame artist, I know what I am talking about), the secrets of tracking, without doing a Roto, the good sense you must have in pre-prod (which is not a French Speciality !) and you will discover that's match-moving 3D and real picture is not a big deal when you know the techniques and a lots of others precious tricks...
A must have, for everybody who wants to work as a professional and not as amateurs!"
Marc-André Pointel, Advertising Director, Special Effects Consultant, and Flame Artist, Pandora Corp.
"Visual Effects for Directors is terrific! I actually moved to Orlando and went to school for computer animation, just so that someday I can be more hands-on with visual effects in my own films.
After about a year and a half of study and over $30,000 in tuition, I know a good deal about how CG works, but for just a couple of hundred bucks, Per Holmes was still able to teach me MUCH I didn't know, through this course. As an aspiring writer/director, who wishes to learn all I can about film-making, Visual Effects for Directors has been enormously valuable, easily worth many times the cost. By the way, so is Holmes' original course in blocking and staging. If you don't already have that one, get them both! I have them right next to one another on my shelf.
If you should see my name on the big screen in a few years, these two courses will be a big part of how I got there!"
Daniel Jack Avery
"I am grateful and really pleased with my purchase of the Visual Effects For Directors DVD series. It is educational and it has reinforced concepts that needed reminder. The down to earth nature of the writing/narration is also appreciated as it relates personal insight into the kind of mistakes that can happen which are costly and sometimes unrecoverable.
This DVD series displaces many years of film related SFX articles that purport to
teach."
David Collard, Fieldview
"WOW! I only wish I had the opportunity to work alongside Per Holmes during the making of the series. Simply Amazing!"
Daniel Vellucci PGA/DGA, Paperplane Pictures
"I loved your VFX DVDs I wanted to really learn this stuff, so i started looking for the software used in your DVDs "Autodesk Maya" and found it was way beyond my affordability! So I will just work on my camera work and hope I can save up for it. Great work on your VFX DVDs!"
Richard Persons
"In-depth series covering many aspects of visual effects. Their approach to green screen, from materials to preparation most helpful. Explained a great many mysteries including 3D matchmoving."
Scott Hartnett
"As a hobbyist, I am always on the outside looking in at visual
effects so the completeness of the your DVDs was just what
I have been looking for. Greanscreen to matchmoving to compositing
you covered it all.
The way the DVDs tie keying, to camera capture, to motion capture to
compositing just seems natural. Finishing it off with a complete how-to build
a green screen was a extra bonus. Of course, there was also the section
on virtual props that will have me wanting to put a super charged plasma gun in
my hands. Finally the walk through of the different scenes at the end was
a great way to recap all of the info in the first 6 DVDs."
Mark Weaver
"I find myself referring to Visual Effects for Directors much like a book.
It's a seven-volume DVD set that I will watch over and over. Quality wise,
I think it is very much on par with The Master Course.
Visual Effects
for Directors has saved me well over the purchase price of the set by
helping me avoid mistakes and charging off in the wrong direction. It has
also opened my eyes to the fact that special effects are really not so
special anymore. By studying the DVDs and using a software training website
like www.lynda.com, I believe that my production is limited only by my
imagination. The DVDs are also a practical aid in the meticulous planning
required for producing a project. The DVD tells you what you need to get
and points you in the right direction, even if you do most of the actual
work yourself."
Phil Brockett
"The new Visual Effects for Directors series by Hollywood Camerawork
expands their previous training series on camera movements. Although aimed
at directors who wish to do effects projects, I found it useful as an
editor. It points out clear potential problems in shots, outlines the
current standard in applications for planar tracking, and also has an
extensive review of the technical issues in green screen shoots. For a non
effects editor, this is a useful introduction to the field.
The opening
section on 3D is a somewhat technical but fascinating overview of how to
create effective 3D objects for insert into live action projects.
I would recommend the training series to anyone with a serious interest
in special effects projects."
Ronald Milestone
"This is truly a personal "VFX Supervisor" school. I got the "Blocking and Staging" DVDs, so I already knew I could expect great quality with this new box set."
Eric Gervais-Despres, Effects Supervisor and Stereographer
"The only thing I can say is: Watched it, loved it!
We already do a lot of green screen shooting... more or less professional.
But this DVD-Series will boost our quality and creative output.
Thank you a lot for the opportunity to become more professional and creative
in our work."
Rene Grasser
"The "Visual Effects for Directors" series from Hollywood Camera Work is fantastic. Program structure is solid - examples and illustrations are practical and geared toward professional film makers.
This is not just for Directors and DPs, but should be seen and studied by all departments. It makes sense for Directors, DPs, camera assistants, gaffers, grips, art/scenic, stylists, wardrobe and makeup.
This is a great "instructional" series - it has helped me fineness technique & become more confident in my green screen skills. Wonderful learning tool. Worth 5X the price! I enjoyed it very much and will certainly use it for reference for years to come. Great Work!"
Rod Jensen, Director/DP, The Great Plains Motion Picture Company
"Only brilliant! takes the mystery out of creating special effects. Easy to follow and very informative."
Cashell Horgan
"I found Visual Effects for directors an enlighting experience. The combination of detailed information, visual examples and projectbased approach makes this series an excellent tool for training, but also for modular or incidental use. It's an attractive learning experience for novice to more advanced users/directors.
I'm quite familiar to 3D integration in live-action footage, 3D motiontracking and keying, but still I gained a lot of new helpfull information and different approaches to certain issues.
The tips on building your own greenscreen, explanation on lighting, use of camera, grading the greenscreen are invaluable. It provides a deep insight on the process of motiontracking and keying do's-and-dont's.
Another important aspect is the excellent pace of the learning path in the videos. Great use of repetition and follow-up on things learned in previous videos, which overall, create a deep understanding of how things fall in to place in the production process. I will definitly make use of this series in my academy."
Mike van Rossum, Milkyway Animation Academy
"I am a 38 year old director and cameraman from The Netherlands. I produced over 50 musicvideos all over the world. When I came on the website of Hollywood Camera Work, I was blown away by it! I had been searching Vimeo and Youtube already by useful tutorials, but nothing comes close to what Hollywood Camera Work is offering. Such clarity in explaining the in's and out's of visual effects, clear understanding, and there is so much to learn from it, even my girlfriend, who works as a professional photographer was glued to the television to follow its episodes, its great to learn the basics and the advanced technics of something that I was not yet familiar with. Great product and worth every $ I spend on it. 2 thumbs up for Hollywood Camera Work!!"
Maurice Swinkels
"Douglas Adams stated that "it is a mistake to think you can solve any major
problem just with potatoes." I think VFX4D is a far better option, it saved
me from many pitfalls and reinvented wheels. You should go and buy it.
Do not panic."
Philip van Wijngaarden, Studio Flip, www.flip.nl
"I can't find the right words to say how much and how many time your product saved my work. I'm not a director, I'm a vfx supervisor and I spend a lot of time keeping me up to date with tutorials, new software release and everything but, hey, I never found a dvd collection so complete and so transparent like yours: the tricks, the explanations and the experiences you share are invaluable, even for experienced vfx people who too often focus only on a single portion of the production and missing the big picture. I realize this really sounds like and advertisement but, people, do yourself a favor and buy this DVD set. If you can't find a use for yourself (and I doubt that) you can always do a gift to some of your clients and let they know WHAT there's behind every single request they made to you ;) Thanks, keep up the great work!"
Andrea
"With the speed at which technology has been moving, I think its extremely important for directors to be aware of the technical possibilities available. Low or high budget, more and more films are using some kind of digital effect and Visual Effects for Directors makes it extremely easy to understand the basic theory behind many valuable digital tools.
Personally, it has opened up endless creative possibilities and made it much easier to conceive, communicate and execute shots that otherwise would have been impossible. It is clear that those guys took their time putting the series together; I try to make everyone I work with watch it at least once."
Carlos Lopez Estrada
"This course is helping us to raise and level up the technical knowledge of our animation and VFX crew. Our project managers are now more confident when supervising live action footage for CG applications."
Juan Paulo Mardónez B., CEO, Gerente General, Leyenda | VFX
"Although I haven't got through all of "Visual Effects" yet, I have learned a tremendous amount in the first two discs. More and more I am being called on to do more with less money, whether it be a corporate video or orientation film or commercial. That means I have to be not only a jack-of-all-trades, but an expert on many disciplines. That is difficult, if not impossible without the correct knowledge. "Visual Effects" is a wealth of information that I normally would't have access to."
Glenn Dreher
"To be a serious director today it is impossible to compete in the marketplace without a knowledge of visual effects and the creative freedom they provide. Hollyood Camera Work Visual Effects for Directors has provided me with confidence that I will be able to get the shot even when the budget seems limited."
Therese Farley
"Visual effects for directors is a must have for anybody working or wanting to start working in this industry. It goes above and beyond, not just showing the viewer how to do something, but supplying the information for the viewer to understand how to execute a specific task and enough knowledge for them to adapt and apply it to their own future projects. All educational institutes teaching this field should have this as a compulsory part of their curriculum. The sheer mass of knowledge available in this 7 DVD training series is worth a lot more than the asking price. This is an unsurpassable training series!
5 Stars and Two Thumbs Up!!!"
Jack Watts, Freelance Visual Effects Artist & Technical Advisor.
"I've taken 2 very expensive visual FX classes at USC, skimmed several FX books that I never got around to reading because they were so long, watched countless behind-the-scenes and making-of's on DVDs, spoken with several friends who do FX work for a living, and have worked with different FX supervisors on projects I've directed, but watching Visual Effects For Directors over the course of one week was the first time that I got a full, complete understanding the ins and outs of how it all works from production through post. If you want to direct projects that involve FX, this will make you much more effective. Do yourself a favor, get the DVDs."
John Thompson
"This series of DVD's will provide a director or DP will all the necessary information to make the correct decisions on set to insure their footage is ready for effects post production. It will save you thousands of dollars in post and re-shoots and should be required viewing for anyone considering shooting green screen."
Paul Cotto
"Yes, thanks for making such a useful training guide. We recently completed a large scale green screen shoot, and without the knowledge your guide gave us we wouldn't have been able to pull it off. We managed to get some awesome matchmoves, and a really nice key. Your DVDs are now our go-to resource for anything greenscreen/compositing related."
Ben Tillett, Head of Production, Creative Life Media
"I want to personally thank you for making them, I really thought they are excellent, it's more than what you get from film schools ;)"
Johnny Dabeet
"I must say (and I am sure that you have been told this many times already mate), the set of VFX tutorial DVD's are fantastic. And its influence and impact will last for many years to come. Thank you for sharing the knowledge."
Ricardo Barker
"You have created an amazing product here. I thought I knew what I was doing until I watched the Visual Effects for Directors videos. This is such a comprehensive and helpful tool that I wanted to write and say thank you for going to the effort to create it. I've had a blast watching and learning."
Luke Ellis, Executive Producer, Workaholic Productions
"Not only a valuable resource for VFX beginners to intermediate training, it's also a great start for people working together with VFX artists...far more in-depth than many books."
Marc Schmitt
"What else can I say? I am impressed!!! This is professionalism per excellence."
Ibrahim Hammed
"Visual Effects for Directors is a terrific overview of how VFX technology is applied today. There really is no other resource for this kind of a high level contextualized overview. There are a million places where you can train yourself on the minutia of every VFX software tool available today, but you will still not understand how they are used in conjunction with all the other tools in a real world workflow.
There is also a lot of specific information that is valuable. I have lit and shot process screens for 30 years, but I still learned a number of important facts about process screen technology that I never knew. It is well worth the six or so hours of time."
Jim McEachen
"As a Director and VFX Artist, the VFX for Directors is well worth every penny."
Zhibo, writer/director/editor/3D animations/VFXs
"I teach directing at a film school and I believe the Visual Effects for Directors DVDs fill a gaping void in the materials available for directors. They distill the complex into the understandable and allow directors to comprehend ideas about effects they might never have the time to learn otherwise. I’m truly thankful to have found this product. This is a must own for directors at all levels of experience."
Jay Black, Directing Instructor, Regent University
"It is so nice to finally see how it's done, and to have a guide."
Tony Picciotti, Jenny Lynn Productions
"VFX for Directors is really awesome. I came to know so many new things after watching this! I'm eager to take other classes offering by them!! Please, add more new courses. Technology is changing everyday."
Ramakrishna - FilmMaker
"I think Visual Effects For Directors is a must for anyone who wants to use effects in their films. There is so much useful information in these DVDs, I have watched them through 3 times so far, and each time I find more information to digest. Thanks for showing us how we can compete with the big boys while on a shoe string."
Herb Polsky, Herbsart Productions
"The word "thank you" is not enough for what you have made for me. Your DVDs were amazing. Thank you very much sir."
Sami Mohamed, Oman-Muscat
"This is a great package and I hope that it will be in every director and assistant’s hand as soon as possible.
I was motivated to own this package based on the hope that this will be a communication tool for all non-CG "geeks" and people such as us. It will save time and money if everyone on the set has the chance to have this well-presented information."
Dr. Sassi, Filmmaker and Cineversity Instructor, California
"Great video series!"
Jonathan Chai - Production Designer "Back in 10" (2009)
"About 2 years ago I discovered Adobe After effects out of a curiosity I had about how some VFX were done. VFX is a hobby not a job, so all of my learning has been done through a hodge podge of online videos, and articles. Some good, some very bad. Of all the learning tools I found and used in that time, your video "Visual Effects For Directors" was by far the most helpful. It helped answer a lot of questions that I was scratching my head about."
Izaak Kelley
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