For those of you who've been reading MFM since it first came out, you know that in our first issue, we reviewed Hollywood Camerawork's first comprehensive training package, the self-titled Hollywood Camerawork. For their first foray into training, Per Holmes and the rest of the HCW team utilized 3D animation to create the most comprehensive training on Cinematography that I have ever seen. A labor of love, it took Per years to complete the training package. But the hard work paid off, as MFM and the rest of the industry press gave it rave reviews.
Now, four years later, Per and the HCW team release their newest labor of love: Visual Effects for Directors. Designed to break down the post-production workflow of visual effects in reverse, this training series will show nearly any director a huge amount about how to obtain effects shots correctly during production. For the Hollywood director, doing things the right way saves time, money, and manpower. For the no-budget filmmaker, it's the difference being able to pull off an amazing effects film yourself or becoming so frustrated with it that you scrap it in post.
Want to learn how to create Matrix-style 3D immersion? Not a problem.
Comprehension
Even if you have no knowledge whatsoever of special effects, if you watch this series through from beginning to end, you will have no trouble understanding what's being discussed and illustrated. As you understand new concepts and new ways of thinking, your entire perspective and outlook shifts as well. In the end, not only are you able to comprehend the information, but your ability to comprehend visual effects problems and solutions is drastically improved, as well.
In addition to capturing footage, Per and the team show you things you'll need to consider when you're creating your 3D environments.
Depth of Information
The depth of information in this series is truly vast. Everything from tracking, to match moving, to green screen creation, to green screen shooting, to integrating 3D characters and environments, to locking everything together is covered in this series. I've written an MWP-published book on greenscreen creation, and this DVD series had information on greenscreen technology and techniques that I wasn't even familiar with!
For those of you who've been reading MFM since it first came out, you know that in our first issue, we reviewed Hollywood Camerawork's first comprehensive training package, 
