Oscar for Best Visual Effects Goes To...Inception!

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Updated on Apr 20, 2011 04:28 IST

Inception, starring the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael Caine, won the Oscar Award for Best Visual Effects 2010. It was a science fiction in which a corporate espionage thief enters the subconscious minds of his targets and extracts valuable information. Transcending the prevalent trend of focusing on digital characters, the movie focused more on digital environments that provided the background for the plots.

‘Shared dream space' envisioned in the movie was indeed an intricate and a very difficult task to bring to life. And yet the Director Christopher Nolan insisted on keeping computer-generated graphics to a minimum, only to enhance what has been done physically. The VFX Supervisor Paul Franklin used subtle CG-based effects to blend Physics, Space, and Time. A visionary masterpiece, Inception sets an outstanding example of what a VFX professional can achieve.

Visual effects for Inception were worked upon in London, England. However, Chris Corbould of the team did work with several visual and special effects teams worldwide for the desired results. Recent Bollywood movies that are known for their Visual Effects or VFX include Love Story 2050, Ghajini, and Rajnikanth's Endhiran - The Robot. Commercial ads, such as that of Hero Honda CBZ which bagged the FICCI BAF Award 2008 for 'Best VFX in a Commercial', also provide a large pool of work for VFX professionals. However, there is still a long way to go for Indian VFX professionals to create a niche in their fields at the global level.

Basic difference Between Animation and VFX technology

Animation uses 3D software such as Maya or 3D Studio Max to create animated characters and environments that are then blended together by Animation Compositors to produce a shot. Visual Effects uses same tools and methods but to create elements that are photorealistic and go well with live action. A classic example of an Animation movie would be ‘Shrek' while a typical VFX movie would be ‘2012'. VFX is considered a much more complex skill to bring the feel of ‘reality' as CGI is blended with real-life action.

Scope for Visual Effects Experts in India

Though not as popular as in international markets, VFX industry in India is growing. Visual Effects has several components and there is demand for experts in each of these components. Some of the popular VFX arenas include Painting, 3D Animation, Camera Tracking, Rotoscoping, Rendering and Compositing. Historically, Visual Effects have been very expensive. But in the recent past, more and more movie producers have adopted VFX as a story-telling tool and hence, the cost of Visual Effects has come down. The lower costs have got the attention of international film producers too and they have also started tapping into the talented pool of VFX professionals in India.

In general, talented Visual Effects experts who have the right technical skills and artistically endowed are much in demand and are paid diamonds. While in America, the VFX work has mostly shifted to freelancers; in India there is still a tendency to hire permanent staff. As the number of VFX professionals in India grows, there is a high chance that freelance projects for VFX will also increase.

How to Become A VFX Professional

In the field of Visual Effects, you need to master tools and programs such as Flame, Shake and Nuke. Of course, creativity and artistic training helps you create those real-world-like effects with all the subtle details. Then, you need to have a good grip on latest compositing techniques in the market such as motion tracking, multi-pass CGI compositing, and bluescreen keying.

There are several good institutes that offer specialized courses in VFX but we advise you to take admission in courses that integrate more on-the-floor training, where you get to work on real projects. Animation and VFX institutes that have busy studios and have an impressive portfolios may offer students a chance to assist on projects or at least get a feel of what the real world of animation and visual effects is like.

Some of the Top Institutes for VFX Training Programs in India are: