Visualisation Process

Previs or Previsualization is pre-production process of visual planning and mapping out scenes before filming and production. It can be done using many methods such as drawing, storyboard, animatic, photography, and more advance using 3d graphic. Previs helps the director and production team to experiment and understand the camera direction, subject placements, lighting and compositions of the scenes. It can also serve to identify the technical aspects, required assets and possible issues before money is spend on actual production.

Postvis is combining previs elements or placeholder visual effects with the live action footage to quickly preview the film and validate the before proceeding for the final process. It provides a post-production blueprint for the VFX team and a comprehensive look at the film for test screenings.

Techvis is an aid to explain how certain scenes could be accomplished. It can be in many forms such as sketch drawing, detailed schematic diagrams and simulation videos that reveal the relationship between camera rigs, actors, how sets were constructed and what the visual effects process might then involve. Techvis ensures that every previs shot is achievable and can be reproduced during the shooting.

Animation Types

VFX animation refers to visual effect animations in live-action film or video. It involves enhancing footages by fixing visual, adding digital props, character and particle effects. The added elements are usually designed to look as realistic as possible that blend with the live-action footages. The process involves tracking, manual animation and simulation.

Film animation refers to fully animated movie. The animation can be cartoony or in realistic style depends on the concept. Although more advanced methods like motion capture can be used, most film animation production prefers to animate manually to have more control and make the stylised animation more visible.

Game animation refers to animation created for game and real-time interactive use. The animations are usually action sets designed to be loop-able and can be blended with other action. The process can be manually animated or motion captured. In terms of finishing look, the animator sometimes will ignore the intersection between polygon and parts as long as the overall animation is good. 

Motion Capture Types

Motion capture or mocap is a technique of recording the motion of person or object so it can be applied to virtual character and object. The process requires actors to act and implementation of special equipment or hardware to track the movements. Among the data that can be captured are body, fingers, lip and facial expressions. The results are usually intended to look realistic to be used in film, animation and games.

Matchmove is a technique used to track the motion of the camera in a footage so computer graphics can be implemented into the scene to appear in perfectly matched perspective with correct motion, position and orientation. Match moving is typically a software-based technology and applied after the normal footage is recorded.

Rotomation is a technique of tracking and animating 3d element by matching the movement frame by frame with the actor or object in the live-action footage. The method is used to replace or adding parts to the original subjects with digital version.