Hello all
I am planning to produce a low cost, indie short film in another country, using about 5 minutes of CGI. However, the CGI industry professionals cost a lot of money. That is, until I stumbled upon this site called VIDEOCOPILOT.NET. You may have to type that into your url. I would suggest that the tutortorial section seems most promising to start with.
I would be curious as to what you opinions may be, especially if you have used it. I apologize if this has been covered before, but I have never heard of it before and literally just stumbled upon it.
Thanks... Stephen Thor
VideoCoPilot is a great site! His tutorials help a great number of VFX artists. As mentioned on his site his effects, and tuts, are After Effects focused. Depending on what you need for CGI depends on if you have a go at it or hire someone. Never hurts to approach some effects artists and get their input on how much time, effort is involved with what you need.
Turbo squid is a good resource.
I really didn't know about this program and I see it very promising. VIDEOCOPILOT.NET seems to be a true alternative for the design of CGI in a film in particular, if you have a tight budget. Missing put into practice or find someone who has manipulated. From my opinion I see it very good
Thanks for the replies. From their comments section, they seem to have a lot of satisfied customers. I have heard that "true" professional CGI is like $1-2,000 a minute. If I am wrong on that, then I am wrong, but if I am right $10,000 for 5 minutes of established, professional CGI would definitely be putting me behind. For what I am after, the effects they offer are better than I could hope for at a lower cost. That alone would pay for my entire U.S. crew's airfaire.
Stephen Thor (and everyone else) Count the number of names in credits behind any production with any cgi at all and understand that it really, really does take that many people and that many skill sets to do good CGI. Videcopilot offers various plugins for After Effects, it is not a program. You cannot use it to create cheap effects without the requisite skills, which takes training, experience and yes, money. Current CGI costs ~$1200/finished second, yes. You CAN do it much lower budget but NO you cannot buy a program and have it work - as I said you need the right skill set and understanding of work flow or it will be an utter disaster and complete waste of the money you do spend on it. As an example, I was Supervising Producer on a show last year and the director became obsessed with special effects. Because he could buy the Videocopilot plugins and other apps and they would run on his system, and because he could edit, he decided he had the skills to do a special effects film. He added a ton of them into the movie after I left and.... over a year later... none of them are finished and all of them look amateur and childish... because NO just because you can buy the applications doesn't mean you have the skills or the time.
Oh Shadow, don't be such a party pooper. In the comments section of the site there seems to be plenty of people who were able to make it work. What about developing and devoting the time for such a thing? We can learn. We can take courses. We can take the time. We can hire others who have the skills. Think positive! $1,200 a second is so unrealistic to the budget of low budget film producers it is crazy. But your point is well taken, you just cannot dive into it and within an hour or two expect to know everything or have expert results.
All I am saying is that it is possible to at least try, one way or another and am only suggesting that there may be alternative possibilities to skinning this particular cat. There is enough gloom and doom enough surrounding us already. Not flaming you man, just saying that with time, determination, experience and training a lot is possible. Think Zen.
I am a converted Buddhist and I am saying that nothing is constant or permanent, change is inevitable, and nothing is wasted, especially when it comes to energy or even death, which, yes, includes videocopilot.users and learners. Or, if you prefer, the term "Your experiences may vary", NOT "do not try this at home kids". Or, how about "nothing ventured, nothing gained"?
Craig D, I think to learn your experiences with Squid may be interesting to know. What is your take on the matter, especially if you have some perspectives between the two? Sorry to get to you so late.
I've had to use CGI on most of my projects that I've done but the thing that I've figured out was that when I planed to use CGI the shots were planed and shot correctly to minimize work in post. As a result the CGI took a lot less time to do.
On the other hand when I used CGI to hide of fix something it was always a pain and took waaaay longer than it would have taken to shoot whatever needed to be fixed right.
Sufficed to say I'm not against CGI but I do not like the idea of using CGI with lower budgets when it is the primary means to show something because in most cases it just doesn't look right. But as a set extension or something small to hide something or add something I have no problems with that because it's usually something really simple and short.
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Lessons vs. Tutorials.
I never claimed that it would be easy or quick, hardly nothing worthwhile is, but there are training sessions from the site in the use of this, from basic to advanced. You can choose lessons, even if you are completely clueless on how to use what is being shown on the tutorials, which are not the lessons. Of course you are going to be clueless... you have never taken the lessons. The lessons are way below the advanced level of the tutorials, in which obviously people who are advanced in the education of the programs are demonstrating the tutorials.... which you can understand how to use by taking the beginner lessons. Be positive, patient and optimistic and you can prevail. Don't let the naysayers insult your intelligence. If you have an unlimited budget, then pay the $1,200 a second for CGI if you want as one poster wrote. If you don't, then try this program, starting with the basic beginning lessons.
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If you are stuck, simply google "video copilot BASIC TRAINING". You will find just about anything you need to know there, on several websites. Is it all free? Nope. This is a business. You will be charged on how to use the software. In fact, it will require a sizable investment to learn everything, but you can focus upon what lessons you are most interested in or types of CGI you plan to use and just pay for those. DISCLAIMER: I am not involved with video copilot in any way, shape or form. I am simply offering information as to a possible alternative to industry-grade CGI professionals. I have never run across anything like this before, therefore, I must assume there are others who have not as well.
Stephen Thor I agree with what you wrote. If you have the money but if you don't learn stuff. That's exactly what I do.