VFX Software

VFX or visual effects are the stunning and enhancing effects used on live-action shots. Often, there are scenes that are not possible to be filmed, be it due to cost, impracticality, or danger. Examples include clips of fighting in a battlefield of thousands of army, dragons flying, or an outer space floating scene and likewise.

Why You Need VFX Software?

It creates realistic scenes by combining CGI or Computer Generated Imagery with real-world footage. The effects are achieved with the help of various VFX software solutions. From the creation of 3D objects to completely altering the environment, the capabilities of these tools are ever-evolving and ever-advancing.  

Where storytelling meets cutting-edge technology

Thanks to VFX software packages, modern art has embraced newer and more creative forms of storytelling with technology. For instance, take Interstellar, the 2014 Academy Award-winning film for Best Visual Effects, a film whose story wouldn’t have been complete without the accurate on-screen portrayal of a black hole. Without VFX tools, this wouldn’t have been possible. Thus, VFX adds a charm to the cinematic experiences of the viewers. And for VFX artists, this provides an opportunity to be creative under the most challenging and technical-heavy workloads. Working with VFX software tools is about being creative beyond the rule books, sometimes taking every possible bit of human knowledge, from mechanics to astrophysics, coding to photography and drawing, and everything in between and beyond to deliver the final output. 

An integral part of the film-making industry

VFX software has taken the film industry by storm. However, it is to be noted that any VFX software, although it involves post-production work, requires shots to be pre-planned and filmed in particular ways to get the desired results. Special effects such as small explosions, prosthetic makeup, or blank projectiles are mostly shot on camera. In contrast, visual effects are more about using technology to produce scenes that weren’t shot directly. For instance, in the scene where the main character dodges a bullet in the film Matrix, a VFX method called bullet time was used where 122 still cameras were placed to shoot the moment in sequence (filmed in a controlled environment). On the other hand, in match moving, another software-based technique in VFX, computer graphics are inserted into live-action standard camera footage recorded in an uncontrolled environment. So, in any film, a visual effects supervisor strategizes with the director and stays involved in production to simplify the work in post-production with the VFX tools. 

The need to use more than a single VFX software

VFX is a complete process, right from conceptualizing the filming of a shot to editing it for getting the final output that the viewers see. It is a very dynamic landscape where new and more advanced software is flooding the market every day, including the in-house packages of many VFX studios. Creating a great visualized shot often requires mastery of more than just a single VFX software. The VFX workflow or pipeline includes processes such as 2D and 3D modeling, rigging, simulation, 3D motion tracking, composting, rendering, etc. Specific software caters to specific requirements involved in these post-production steps. Today, the immense possibilities of these VFX tools have led to their utility beyond the high-budget blockbuster films for TV commercials, architecture, and even in online brand content creation for digital marketing.