Reading Time: 6 minutesWhat is matte painting? Definition & Meaning Matte painting is a visual effects technique that uses painted or digitally created backgrounds to extend or replace parts of a film scene. Originally done on glass, it helped create environments that were too expensive or impossible to build. Today, matte painting blends digital paint, photography, 3D renders,… Continue reading What is Matte Painting in Film? Definition & Iconic Examples
VFX
CGI, Compositing, Animation
Green Screen Color Code: Best Shades for Fabric, Paint & Digital Keying
Reading Time: 2 minutesHere are the most widely accepted values for keying software and production materials. Official green screen color codes The green screen color code is the precise chroma key values used for digital compositing in film and video. The most common shade is neon or lime green, which doesn’t naturally appear in skin tones or clothing,… Continue reading Green Screen Color Code: Best Shades for Fabric, Paint & Digital Keying
What’s a Chyron in Film? Definition & Examples
Reading Time: 2 minutesChyron Definition & Meaning A chyron is text that appears on screen to provide information to viewers. It is commonly used to show location, time, or a person’s name/title. The term comes from the Chyron Corporation, which pioneered the technology for displaying text on television broadcasts. When to use Chyrons Chyrons are often used with… Continue reading What’s a Chyron in Film? Definition & Examples
The Cyclorama Infinite Screen. Definition & Use Cases in Video
Reading Time: 5 minutesWhat is a cyclorama? Definition & Meaning A cyclorama, or cyc wall, is a backdrop used in studios to create a clean, distraction-free environment. It is commonly used in photography, films, commercials, and music videos. Cyc walls are sometimes curved at the bottom to create a seamless background that appears infinite on camera (called a… Continue reading The Cyclorama Infinite Screen. Definition & Use Cases in Video
How To Convert A RotoBrush Selection To A Keyframed Mask In After Effects
Reading Time: 3 minutesDid you know you don’t have to manually create and track masks with the pen tool in Adobe After Effects if you’ve already created a RotoBrush selection? Instead, you can quickly and easily create keyframed masks from a subject or object you’ve already rotoscoped. The trick is to use the auto-trace function. In this illustrated… Continue reading How To Convert A RotoBrush Selection To A Keyframed Mask In After Effects
ActionVFX. Stunning Visual Effects Library Online (Free & Paid)
Reading Time: 4 minutesSome time ago, I needed some visual effects assets for my short film VECT0R. In particular, I was looking for some muzzle flashes, gun smoke from a pistol, and blood splatter. So, I went to my usual stock photo libraries, which I usually use for licensing royalty-free photos and vector graphics. But I couldn’t find… Continue reading ActionVFX. Stunning Visual Effects Library Online (Free & Paid)
Introduction To Green Screen, Blue Screen, And Chroma Keying
Reading Time: 7 minutesOver the last two decades, green screens have gone from uncommon novelty used solely on VFX-heavy films, to staple of cinema on even the most minute budgets. And while ‘green screen’, like ‘CGI’, ‘mo-cap’, and other well-known filmmaking terms, has successfully permeated the mainstream culture, very few people can, in actuality, describe what it does.… Continue reading Introduction To Green Screen, Blue Screen, And Chroma Keying
How to make a lightsaber and X-wing scene in After Effects
Reading Time: 2 minutesSome of the names on this page are registered trademarks of Lucasfilm (Disney), of which I’m in no way affiliated. They are used here under Fair Use for educational purposes. You can’t claim to be a filmmaker if you haven’t tried to make a scene with a lightsaber at some point! The lightsaber has become… Continue reading How to make a lightsaber and X-wing scene in After Effects