- Posts: 25
- Joined: Mon Jul 17, 2017 1:16 am
Please expand on what you mean by "do VFX." Are you planning a fully CG animated piece? Compositing CG into footage? I assume you're looking at doing some level of CG work since you're talking about Maya. Has the footage been shot, or are you looking for guidance in how to shoot for VFX?
The question is akin to asking "How do I do mechanical engineering? I'd like to build a machine this summer." Visual Effects is quite a large field in terms of the various different disciplines involved, and it's pretty rare to find a single person who is qualified to teach everything. Let's narrow down your needs to see if we can connect you with the resources you need.
I would like to (self-servingly) suggest starting with Blackmagic's Fusion software—it will have everything you need for things like greenscreen compositing, optical effects, titling, and simple effects like smoke, heat ripples, lens flares, and the like. And I say self-servingly because I happen to be in the process of writing a textbook for an introduction to compositing course. The first draft is currently available free of charge (that will change when I publish the real thing, so get it while it's hot!) at http://www.bryanray.name/wordpress/comp ... -contents/
Fusion has the added benefit of having a free version that contains all of the functionality you're likely to need for a project of this kind. The only likely exception would be 3d tracking, but if you do happen to need that ability, the Studio version is only $300 for a permanent license.
On the 3D side, I'd recommend Blender before spending any money on a subscription product. It's free, open source, and very powerful. It's main downside is that the interface can be clunky. Still, it's fully capable of producing professional-quality results. If using free software means you have budget burning a hole in your pocket, the best place to spend it is on lighting your shoots.