The Art and Science of Digital Compositing: Techniques for Visual Effects, Animation and Motion Graphics (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics)

I started my career in visual effects around the same time the first edition was published and have referenced it constantly through out the 9+ years. I bought the 2nd edition for two reasons, my copy of the first edition was falling apart and nostalgia. I was not expecting much new information and was mostly just looking for an intact copy of the first edition with a few new tidbits here and there. I could not have been more wrong.The second edition has so much NEW information in it was like reading a time capsule of the technological advances of the last ten years. There is not a topic or subject used in compositing that is not covered here. Only two books have sat on my desk my entire career, the first edition and the cinematographers manual. I have read many books available on visual effects, but none compare, honestly. The main reason for that is complete software independence, not partial, complete.There is no other book that teaches you the raw knowledge you need to be an artist. Anyone can teach you how to push certain buttons of a specific app, this is the only book that clearly teaches you when to push them and why. Artists in today's marketplace need a deep core knowledge of what the software packages are doing so that they can easily switch to other packages. This is especially true in feature film compositing where the industry is at a point of impasse and there is no clear winner of the package wars, fingers crossed for NUKE ;). There is no standard tool anymore so the best way to stay employable is to know what this book teaches, the math, the science, the art.This book is chock full of examples, color photos and production examples. Whether you've been at this for a while or are new to the art, own this book. Own it for years and years and years. Yes, it's more expensive then any other book on the subject but it is worth so much more then the others that it will pay for itself very quickly. If you already have the other books, sell them, get this.

Brinkman has created a readable yet technically rich introduction to VFX. It's long but worth the effort, with concepts, case studies and insight throughout. Although a little dated in 2020 it still provides excellent grounding in the subject for anyone interested in understanding how movies are made, whether hobbyist or professional.

I am a seasoned digital compositor (30+ years in the profession!) and I have enjoyed reading this book. Mr. Brinkman's discussions of color space, bit depths, digital image representation systems and compositing order (premultiplied, straight alpha, unpremultiply etc) are among the clearest I've encountered. Although most if not all of the information in this book can be found elsewhere, it is scattered among many disparate sources, which makes it difficult for someone entering the field to get a comprehensive understanding of how digital images are created, stored and manipulated.I'd recommend this book for pretty much any level of person involved in - or aspiring to be involved in - digital compositing... not necessarily as a handbook, but more as a discussion of the theory of compositing. Many (if not most) modern software packages somewhat hide the underlying math and concepts from the user, sometimes leaving newer users wondering what causes certain visual artifacts. Many of the answers are in these pages. This information is not always easy to come by, in a practical setting. Sometimes, the techniques of applying of this information are jealously guarded, and sometimes technical "misinformation" is widely accepted as fact.

You know that saying "You learn a new things every day"? well that pretty much sums this book up...I've been in the VFX industry for nearly five years and this book really goes in depth and explains everything really nicely.Beginner or professional this book will defiantly teach you something. Highly recommended.I bought the hard cover version and when I received it the cover it self was a bit damaged but everything inside was perfectly fine.

If I were teaching an entry level collegiate course (Compositing 101), this would be the text I'd choose, alongside one of the better After Effects texts. Rather than show you how to accomplish tasks as a compositor, this book explains what kinds of tasks you will likely face in the industry, and the general processes (like rotoscoping or keying) that allow you to accomplish those tasks. It's very much analogous to an encyclopedia, rather than a general software manual. You won't actually learn how to accomplish the mission but you'll understand what the mission entails and what all the terminology means. What would be fantastic next go-round is if the author added another 100 pages to interweave some practical how-to examples from industry standard apps like AE or Nuke.

Hi I'm a 3D Artist finishing college at sva and I do my own compositing and to me this book is a must own.Pros:This book will teach anyone how to do professional composites. You will learn concepts over application effects which isn't reall useful for non compositers but if you want to do your own composites and get them done right you need to get down and dirty and understand compositing. That's where this book shines you get all the detials relevant to all software applications. This book is the perfect guide to getting professional work done fast and clear def recommended for production based artist.Cons:If your not into conpositing this thimg is pretty much an alien language that takes a long time to grasp.