The Visual Effects Arsenal: VFX Solutions for the Independent Filmmaker Bill Byrne 9780240811352

Build your VFX arsenal with quick-access, step-by-step instruction on how to create today's hottest digital VFX shots. This essential toolkit provides techniques for creating effects seen in movies such as 300, Spiderman 3, Predator and others, with lessons on how-to:
* splatter blood or digitally lop someone's arm off
* create a scene with actors running from an explosion
* create the "twin effect" (same actor, same location, 2 performances)
* produce space-ship dog fights

Organized in a 'cookbook' style, this allows you to reference a certain effect in the index and immediately access concise instructions to create that effect.

Techniques are demonstrated in each of the most popular software tools- After Effects, Final Cut Studio, Photoshop, and Combustion are all covered. Brilliant, 4-color presentation provides inspiration and stimulating visual guidance to the lessons presented, while the downloadable resources contain project media files enabling you to put concepts learned into immediate practice.

Bill Byrne is a multimedia digital artist whose work has been exhibited internationally. His visual and sound art focuses on building surrealistic, organic worlds. He makes digital-photomontage-based prints, animated installations and conceptual sound art podcasts. He performs experimental electronic music with a laptop, Game boy and circuit bent toys with his wife Suzanne as The Painful Leg Injuries. They have recently performed at Make magazine's Maker Faire in Austin.

On November 14th 2007 he was the invited speaker at Bloomfield College in New Jersey discussing his career as a fine artist and professional designer. Prints of his digital photomontage were chosen to be in Arts and Science Collaborators Digital exhibitions in 2001, 2002, and 2004. His image The Flowering was published in the October 2005 issue of Wired magazine. His article Wii Will Rock You was published in Make magazine's issue #14 (Spring 2008).

As well as making art, Bill is also a professional motion graphics designer and editor for television and film. He has worked with clients such as Electronic Arts, NBC, Tiffany & Co., ABC Sports, ESPN, Panasonic, Snickers and RCA Records. His film projects include the title sequence and special effects for the independent feature Red Doors (winner, best narrative feature, Tribeca Film Festival 2005). He has also directed and animated the video for "All About House Plants for the DVD project, Addendum by the band One Ring Zero.

Bill has also been involved in education for a number of years. From 2004 to 2007 he was a professor of Digital Filmmaking at the Katharine Gibbs School in New York. He is now the academic director of the Media Arts and Animation, Visual Effects and Motion Graphics, Game Art and Design and Digital Filmmaking and Video Production departments at The Art Institute of Austin.

Bill is a graduate from New York's School of Visual Arts Master of Fine Arts in Photography and Related Media. Bill is an Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop CS3.

He lives with his wife, Suzanne in Austin, Texas.

The attributes that make Bill Byrne a terrific teacher - his industry experience and encyclopedic knowledge of creating digital effects - also make his book an invaluable resource to filmmakers, editors, digital designers and anyone interested in visual effects. In addition to his easy to follow step-by-step tutorials, he provides readers with the relevant historical context and aesthetic background to assist in making sound design choices. Byrne's enthusiasm infuses The VFX Arsenal with an energy that makes it fun to read. I am sure this book will quickly establish itself as an essential tool in both academic and professional circles."
-- Andrea Moore Paldy, co-author, Exploring Motion Graphics