Digital Compositing for Film and Video, Second Edition
by Steve Wright

Digital Compositing for Film and Video is a hands-on, how-to guide that addresses the problems and difficult choices faced by the professional compositor in real-life situations. This book presents you with tips, tricks and techniques for dealing with the badly shot elements, color artifacts, and mismatched lighting that bedevil compositors. Included in this book is: in-depth, practical methods for bluescreen matte extraction, despill operations, compositing operations, and color correctionthe "meat and potatoes" of all digital effects. Written in a completely software independent style, it is totally applicable to any brand of compositing software.
The second edition contains many important additions:
* printed in full color with over 400 color photos and illustrations
* companion DVD with 3.7 gigabytes of test images, including hard to get HiDef video and feature film scans
* new section on working with HiDef video
* new section on digital intermediate, the feature film finishing process of today
* more Adobe Photoshop blending modes and procedures
* new material that reveals the add-mix composite, light wrap, slot gags, and how to defeat banding problems

Compositing Visual Effects: Essentials for the Aspiring Artist
by Steve Wright

Put the essential concepts and techniques of digital compositing to work for you without the need of a single mathematical equation. Compositing Visual Effects is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of film shots, figures, illustrations and diagrams to help the visual reader gain a valuable vocabulary and understanding of the full range of visual effects, in which digital compositing plays a key role.
Beginning with an inspirational tour of the scope and magnitude of digital compositing you get a solid overview of the kinds of digital effects routinely executed today. See how CGI (Computer Generated Image) is composited with live action, how set extensions are done, and what a match-move shot is. Following that, you learn each of the key applications of digital compositing, which include bluescreen compositing, bullet time shots, motion tracking, and rotoscoping, and you get a primer on digital images, key concepts, and terms used in the compositing process. The subsequent chapters dig down into each of the major digital compositing applications, introducing the fundamental concepts and processes behind them. This includes the many ways to composite CGI, bluescreen compositing, animation, creating masks, working with digital keyers, and many more; but most importantly, the art of digital compositingmaking your shots look not just photorealistic, but cool.
Learn what is easy and hard, possible and impossible, and what to expect when working on a job that entails digital compositing. There are tips on when not to use the new low-end DV video cameras and tips for the client, such as guidelines on how to shoot a quality bluescreen or greenscreen to get the best results at compositing time. All the while, special attention is paid to defining new terminology and telling a clear story from the ground up, with the only requirement being that you have read the previous chapters.
* An accessible introduction to a complex subject for novice compositors
* Full color presentation illustrating the art and techniques of the practice
* An experienced book author of 20 years compositing experience; with 60 feature film credits including Vanilla Sky, X-Men 2, Swept Away, and Solaris

3ds max 6 Bible
by Kelly L. Murdock

* Shows beginning users how to create an exciting animation their very first day with 3ds max, the world's most popular animation modeling and rendering software for film, television, games, and design visualization
* 3ds max is used to create high-profile animations for feature films such as X-Men 2, Minority Report, and Tomb Raider, and in the creation of popular games such as Dungeon Siege, Spiderman, Command and Conquer: Renegade, and Grand Theft Auto
* More than 150 tutorials give readers valuable hands-on experience under the expert guidance of 3ds max master Kelly Murdock
* A valuable CD-ROM will include a demo version of the new 3ds max release, tutorial files, 3D models, bonus plug-ins, and more
* A sixteen-page, full-color insert shows how contributing artists are taking max to the next level

Model, Rig, Animate! with 3ds max 6
by Michele Bousquet

This book uses easy-to-follow tutorials and color illustrations to show you how to model a low-polygon character, create a rig (no plug-ins required!), then animate the character, including facial expressions. It focuses on the tools you need to get a result, so you can learn quickly and put your knowledge into practice right away with your own characters and projects. In the first chapter, you'll start from scratch with a box, and model a fully animatable body including clothing. Then you'll model a head, face, and hair, and learn the tools you can use to create any character.

Maya 6: The Complete Reference
by Tom Meade, Shinsaku Arima

Become a pro in the premier 3D graphics program with this great resource as your guide. The expert authors offer detailed coverage of Maya X including advanced texturing and post-production rendering techniques and dynamics. Learn from step-by-step tutorials that show you how to put Maya X tools into action. A special 16-page color insert showcasing the impressive computer graphics you can create, plus the bonus CD-ROM that features sample files supporting the tutorials, make this a must-have reference.

Learning Maya 6 | Modeling
by Alias

This official book, produced by Alias, is your key to creating effective and efficient models in Maya 6. Get hands-on experience working with surface types such as polygons, NURBS and Subdivision Surfaces to build both animate and inanimate objects. Each chapter includes a theoretical discussion of the concepts, combined with tested tutorials that make complex topics easy to follow. Gain additional insights from the valuable chapter-by-chapter QuickTime overviews provided by an Alias Certified Instructor. The companion DVD also includes Maya Beginners Guide | Modeling ($34.99 value) to help you get started right away.

Experience XSI 4: The Official SOFTIMAGE XSI 4 Guide to Character Creation
by Michael Isner, Aaron Sims

XSI is the next generation in digital animation software. It was used to create some of the first realistic CG characters developed for film and it continues to be used by artists and animators worldwide in new and creative ways and in many different fieldsfrom computer games to the film industry, from commercials to music videos. This official Softimage guide will show you how you can effectively use XSI to create compelling, lifelike characters. Youll cover each stepfrom designing and modeling to rendering and compositing. Learn how you can use Behavior to create intelligent characters that can interact with one another to form a realistic 3D animated crowd. Youll also cover scripting and how it can be used to save time and increase productivity.

Softimage ®|XSI Character Animation f/x and Design
by Chris Maraffi

Readers will discover the important pre-production steps in creating a 3D character through developing inspirational illustrations, character bio, and creating a design sheet. This book will take the reader through the storyboard process from thumbnail and inspirational sketches for a 3D storyboard and 3D animatic. Advanced features and techniques are covered including examining shape animation, muscle control, squash/stretch effects, and modeling techniques needed for realistic and cartoon characters. Tips for creating a good demo reel is also provided in this book.

Introduction to 3D Game Programming with DirectX 9.0
by Frank D. Luna

This book instructs the reader from the beginning by teaching the underlying mathematics and 3D theory necessary to make sense of the DirectX 9 API.
This book provides a thorough tutorial of the DirectX 2002 API and a solid introduction to 3D programming concepts. Special effects and useful algorithms are discussed and implemented. The book also covers specifics like DirectInput, integrating DirectAudio, key components of the D3DX utility library, and more. By the end of the book the reader will have a powerful class library that can be reused again and again in future 3D applications. Includes CD.

3D Game Engine Design : A Practical Approach to Real-Time Computer Graphics
by David H. Eberly

Now considered an essential reference in the game industry, 3D Game Engine Design is the first book to go beyond basic descriptions of algorithms and accurately demonstrate the complex engineering process required to design and build a real-time graphics engine to support physical realism. Faster algorithms will always win out over faster processors and assembly-language optimization techniques. Implementing those algorithms, however, can be a challenge for even experienced programmers. This book provides rigorous explanations and derivations of all the essential concepts and techniques. Ideas are revealed step by step with numerous code examples and illustrations. Source code implementations are included on the companion CD-ROM to help you understand the full progression from idea, to algorithm, to working code. Since algorithms are not used in isolation, the source code for a complete engine is provided to bring crucial context to the implementations. This book and CD-ROM offer the most comprehensive professional reference available for the development of 3D game engines.

The Adobe Photoshop CS Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)
by Scott Kelby

This update is so important, because if there was ever a version of Photoshop that was aimed at digital photographers, Photoshop CS is it, and "The Photoshop CS Book for Digital Photographers" by Scott Kelby (Editor of Photoshop User magazine) once again breaks new ground by doing something for digital photographers that's never been done before¿it cuts through the bull and shows you exactly "how to do it." It's not a bunch of theory; it doesn't challenge you to come up with your own settings or figure it out on your own. Instead, it shows you step by step the exact techniques used by today's cutting-edge digital photographers and retouchers, and it does something that virtually no other Photoshop book has ever done -- it tells you, flat-out, which settings to use, when to use them, and why.

Adobe Premiere Pro 1.5 Studio Techniques
by Jacob Rosenberg

Tight deadlines and tighter budgets define digital video production today--a fact Adobe has acknowledged and responded to with its completely revamped Windows XP-only Premiere Pro video editing software. By focusing on a single (non-Mac) version of Premiere, Adobe has been able to deliver a product that raises the bar for desktop digital video editing; this approachable, complete volume gets readers beyond the basics. Offering in-depth explanations guaranteed to make the knowledge stick (and in an easygoing style that makes the book fun to read), filmmaker and Premiere whiz Jacob Rosenberg focuses on the concepts, features, and techniques that are key to mastering Adobe Premiere Pro. If you're a novice user, you'll get the grounding you need to begin capturing, editing, and outputting digital video. And if you're a Premiere veteran, you can go straight to the comprehensive coverage of all that's new: three-point color correction, multiple timelines, a new audio mixer, enhanced media management, and more. The accompanying DVD includes project files, sample footage, Third Party Plug-ins and an hour of video tutorials that help articulate concepts and features that are better suited for video explanations than on a page.

Focal Easy Guide to Discreet combustion 3 : For new users and professionals
by Gary M. Davis

If you are new to Discreet combustion, or moving over to use this powerful animation and effects software from another effects package, then this is the book for you. It gives you all you need to know to get up and running with combustion, fast! It includes an overview of all the key features you need when starting out with simple and concise details on how to use them and how best to integrate the power of combustion into your workflow.
An ideal Discreet combustion primer for computer graphics students or professionals with some prior experience in the field of computer graphics. Learn how to do many familiar concepts such as animating with paint and layers of video specifically in combustion. This guide will provide a jump-start into the major features of the software without going too in-depth about every single button in the program. Through the use of various samples and screen captures, you will learn why an artist would use one tool over another in addition to just what the different buttons do.

Careers in Computer Graphics & Animation (Gardner's Guide Series)
by Garth Gardner

Careers in Computer Graphics and Animation offers 13 chapters of extensive, up-to-date information for the individual planning a career in Computer Graphics. Resources include descriptions of over 130 positions, along with salary information, 100 interviews with real-life practitioners, and advice from over 75 different practitioners from studios such as PIXAR Animation, Blue Sky, Will Vinton, PDI/Dreamworks and Disney Interactive. Find out about daily duties, educational needs, salary and resources for further inquiry into the areas of specialty. Also includes practitioners' general advice to beginners, and advice on portfolio issues. The appendix contains sections on organizations with contact information, books and magazines for further reading, and an extensive glossary of terms used in this book.

Digital Lighting & Rendering
by Jeremy Birn

Digital Lighting contains strategies for lighting design that are relevant to any digital artist. It presents an awareness of computer lighting models, how they differ from real-world lighting effects, and how to approach 3D lighting projects differently from practical light. Topics covered include: What good lighting can do for you; Light sources; Shading; Shadows; Exposure and content; Color: temperature, correction, mood; Qualities of light; 3-point lighting; Indirect illumination; Multipass rendering and compositing; Lighting in production; and Case studies: natural lighting, interior lighting, character lighting, and effects lighting.

Digital Texturing & Painting
by Owen Demers

This book takes you outside the studio and walks you through the museum of life. This full color book combines traditional texture creation principles with digital texturing techniques to enhance your scenes and animations. In the first half of the book, you will learn about the history of textures in fine art and in the second half, how to apply these principles to your 2D and 3D digital scenes.