Layout for VFX, Camera Narrative and Language

Carolina Jiménez - visual effects artist for cinema - has worked in some of the most important studios in the world participating in productions such as the trilogy of The Hobbit , World War Z , Prometheus , Megalodon , The League of Justice , Antman and the Wasp or Power Rangers . His job is to mount the scene by placing all the elements paying attention to the narrative intention, composition and framing of the camera, as if he were shooting a film from the computer.

In the course Introduction to VFX for cinema Carolina taught you the operation of the effects pipeline for audiovisual productions; This is responsible for explaining the importance of knowing the cinematographic language, mastering the audiovisual narrative and the different steps a layout artist must take to set up a scene in Maya. A VFX artist must have a perfect balance between technical and artistic knowledge about the use of the camera

To start, Carolina Jiménez will show you her work as a layout artist, she will tell you about her influences and she will tell you how she has come to work in some of the most blockbuster film productions.

Afterwards, it will explain what the layout in VFX is and expose, with examples, fundamental theoretical concepts such as what is the set camera, the tracking camera or the plate. You will also discover what a full CG shot is.

Once you have learned all this you will go to work on Maya generating your first scene. You will learn to master the position, angle and movement of the camera; you will make replacements, animation blocking and export of elements.

You will work with different types of shots, just as you would on a set where the camera, the characters, the surroundings, the props and the light sources should work as a set.

Carolina will give you some tips to shoot dialogues between two people in a professional way and you will discover the 180º rule.

At the end of the course you will have a global knowledge of all the phases that make up the layout work in VFX.

Putting into practice everything learned during the course you will shoot your own cinematographic scene without the need of great resources or sets.

VFX students, animators and any moviegoer who wants to understand the layout work process for VFX.

Although Carolina will use Maya for her explanations, it is not essential to have this software or know how to use it. Yes you will need a video camera, which can be your mobile phone, and a computer in which you must have installed a video editing program.