I had a conversation with Curtis the other day. He’d like to direct – he’s written scads of lots screenplays and lately has been exploring editorial. Now I want him to learn how to do roto. Is that a digression, a distraction from his objectives?
Great moviemakers are not afraid to edit. To become a savvy editor, it’s key to have a working knowledge of VFX. Rotoscoping is a core VFX skill. See the dominos? But don’t take my word for it, cue the gurus…
“But one thing is certain-the technologies and techniques that we think of as being primarily a part of “visual effects” are really becoming the tools that will be used for any kind of sequential-image storytelling. Image manipulation has become the heart of postproduction, and knowledge of these concepts will benefit anybody who wants to work in that industry.”
Ron Brinkmann, The Art and Science of Digital Compositing
“As a VFX artist, you are primarily creating motion graphics or visual effects. A thorough knowledge of rotoscoping and roto tools is vital to solving a vast amount of problem solving in VFX: rig removal, stereo conversion, greenscreen compositing, hold out mattes, split screens, and even object or feature-based color grading. It is perhaps one of the widely used tools in visual effects.”
Mike Seymore from fxguide.com (one of the dudes from FXPHD.)