Compositing for VFX Part-time

Module Information

Compositing for VFX Part-Time Evening Course

Week 1 – Introduction to Compositing

• The VFX pipeline

• The Nuke interface

• Project settings and formats

• Read and write nodes

Week 2 – Merging your elements

• Premultiplied images

• Image and channel blending

• Generating masks, alphas and mattes

Week 3 – 2D Tracking

• Understanding tracking and stabilising

• Curve editor

• Multi-point tracking

Week 4 – Advanced Tracking

• Cornerpinning

• Planar tracking

Week 5 – Rotoscoping in Nuke

• Roto and tracking

• Rotoshape breakup

• Human motion vs objects

Week 6 – Mastering Rotoscoping

• Silhouette Rotoscoping (SFX)

• Tracking in SFX

• Working with motion blur

• Project: Roto a shot in SFX

Week 7 – Rig Removal Prep Work

• Painting in Nuke

• Marker Removal Procedures

• Generating clean plates

Week 8 – Mastering Prep Techniques

• Film grain management

• Warping and morphing

• Retiming techniques

Week 9 – Silhouette Painting

• SFX paint cleanup

• Wire removal painting

Week 10 – Keying Foundations

• Luma keying and the keyer node

• Primatte keying

• Compositing outside the keyer

Week 11 – Improving Edge Mattes

• Colour difference keying: keylight node

• Nuke’s IBK keyer

• Pre & post processing: refining the matte

Week 12 – FG and BG Edge Integration

• The despill process

• Keying motion blur

• Edge treatment and luminance

Week 13 – Understanding Colour Corrections

• Colour management and LUTs

• Float and linear light workflow

• Density and colour matching

• Mastering the colour correct node

Week 14 – Colour Matching FG and BG

• Primary grading: grade node

• Exposure, gamma and curves

• Depth queuing and atmospherics

Week 15 – Nuke’s 3D System

• Intro to the 3D interface

• Projection types and 3D displacement

• Projected mattes

Week 16 – Nuke Camera Tracking

• Lens distortion

• Solving the camera

• Utilising camera data

Week 17 – 3D Projection Workflows

• Projection cleanup workflows

• UV and camera projections

• Optimising 3D motion blur

Week 18 – Compositing CG

• Multi-channel workflow

• Rebuilding the beauty pass

• Utilities passes

Week 19 – Integrating CG with Live Action

• CG grading

• Applying convolve filters to CG

• Interactions and depth of field

Week 20 – Final Project Submission

The course also includes:

● A free online primer course before you start studying, so your foundation skills are up to speed.

● Access to our unique Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) – where you’ll find additional resources to supplement your training throughout the course, and for 12 months afterwards free of charge.

● Escapee Alumni after-care and career support including help and advice with your CV, showreel and job applications.

● Free Autodesk Software when you register with the Autodesk Education Community (full details will be available in your welcome pack if you choose to study on this course).

● Access to software including Nuke and Silhouette.

Industry partners

Our industry partners influence everything we do. On the Compositing for VFX Part-Time Evening course, we work alongside an impressive list of VFX studios including The Mill, Framestore, BlueBolt, MPC, Glassworks and many more, to keep our courses as current as possible and to help you get the most from them.

Fees and funding

Fees: £3,750

Payment Plan Early Bird Offer

Save £500 when you pay in full at least 3 months before starting.

Pay £750 deposit to reserve your place and then 3 instalments of £1,000 on weeks 1, 6 & 12

Fees and funding for UK students

You may be able to get funding to help cover the cost of the Compositing for VFX Part-Time Evening course. For independent advice on fees and funding, and to find out more about your options, visit gov.uk/career-development-loans or call the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900.

If you’re a UK resident, you can apply for a Professional Career Development Loan (PCDL). PCDLs are bank loans to pay for courses and training that help with your career. You may be able to borrow between £300 and £10,000. Loans are usually offered at a reduced interest rate and the government pays the interest while you’re studying. It’s best to apply at least three months before starting your course, to give your bank time to process your application.

To be eligible for a PCDL, you must be 18 or over, have been living in the UK for at least three years before your course starts and planning to work in the UK, European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) after you graduate.

To apply, find out which banks offer the loan and order an application pack by calling the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900. Complete and return the application form to your bank and they’ll decide if you qualify for a loan.

Fees and funding for international students

Before applying for the Compositing for VFX Part-Time Evening course, we recommend you visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs website at ukcisa.org.uk. The Council doesn’t provide funding directly, but it will give you all the information you need about studying and living in the UK, including visas and funding.

We do our best to find funding solutions for overseas students. For example:

• If you’re from Sweden, you may be able to get help from the Swedish loan and grant course. Find out more at csn.se
• Spanish students should visit the government website empleo.gob.es for useful information on studying, employment and emigration, plus details of grants available to Spanish students.
• If you’re from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Burma, you may be able to get funding from the Charles Wallace Trust, to help towards your living costs and educational development in the UK. Find out more at wallace-trusts.org.uk

How to apply

Entry requirements

You must be over 18 and have a good understanding of written and spoken English, and feel comfortable using a computer. A working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop would be an advantage.

How to apply

We welcome and encourage applications from students with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

Stage 1 – Apply

Call our Admissions Team on 020 7348 1920 or email admissions@escapestudios.com and we’ll talk you through how to apply, the application process and confirm the next available Compositing for VFX Part-Time course. We’ll also send you an application pack including an application form which you just need to complete and return it to us by email or post.

Stage 2 – We’ll consider your application very carefully

Our Admissions Team are on hand to help you understand how to apply for the Compositing for VFX Part-Time course. Once received, we will take a look at your application and if you meet our entry requirements, we’ll invite you for a one-to-one meeting. We’ll do our best to get back to you with our decision within two working days.

Stage 3 – One-to-one meeting

You’ll meet with a member of our Admissions Team who’ll assess your potential to succeed on the course. It’s also a great chance to present your portfolio of work if you have one, and ask any questions you may have about the course, Escape Studios or the industry in general. We’re looking for passionate and committed students who have the desire and work ethic needed for a career in VFX. If you’re an overseas student, we can arrange this meeting by phone or Skype.

Stage 4 – Your offer

If we feel you have what it takes to succeed on the Compositing for VFX Part-Time course, we’ll make you a formal offer of a place on the next available course. We’ll send you a registration form by post or email, which needs to be completed and returned to the Admissions Team, and we’ll also ask you to pay a deposit.

Places on our courses are strictly limited, so we can only secure your place once you’ve returned your completed registration form and we’ve received your deposit.

If you would like to talk to us about anything to do with applying for a place please call our Admissions Team on 020 7348 1920 or email admissions@escapestudios.com

Why not come and take a look?

We hold regular open days where you’ll be able to see our studios and find out more about us and the VFX industry. We’ll also show you examples of our students’ work and depending when you come, you may even hear from one of our industry partners.