Compositing Zombies in NUKE
2h 40mIntermediate2016-01-28
Authors

Steve Wright
Senior Visual Effects Compositing Artist
Course details
Practice your NUKE skills and prepare for the zombie apocalypse in this NUKE Compositing tutorial. Along with the green-screen zombie clip and graveyard plate supplied in the exercise files, you'll use NUKE's keying, color correction, and effects tools to make a zombie rise from the grave and animate the glow of an approaching zombie hoard.
First you'll learn how to apply a quick key with Primatte, and enhance the zombie with realistic blood, red eyes, and fangs. Then, turning to the graveyard plate, you'll make a day-for-night color correction and add interactive lighting. Finally, you'll composite the key, plate, and effects and finalize the shot, using color correction and a push in effect. The process is broken down into easy-to-watch five-minute videos, rich in valuable VFX production techniques from compositing guru Steve Wright.
Learning objectives
Keying the zombie
Adding a garbage matte
Adding effects
Turning a daytime shot into a nighttime graveyard
Adding interactive lighting effects
Compositing the zombie
Applying final color correction
First you'll learn how to apply a quick key with Primatte, and enhance the zombie with realistic blood, red eyes, and fangs. Then, turning to the graveyard plate, you'll make a day-for-night color correction and add interactive lighting. Finally, you'll composite the key, plate, and effects and finalize the shot, using color correction and a push in effect. The process is broken down into easy-to-watch five-minute videos, rich in valuable VFX production techniques from compositing guru Steve Wright.
Learning objectives
Keying the zombie
Adding a garbage matte
Adding effects
Turning a daytime shot into a nighttime graveyard
Adding interactive lighting effects
Compositing the zombie
Applying final color correction
Skills covered
NukeThe FoundryCompositingVisual EffectsMotion Graphics and VFXProject
Concepts
Overview of the Project
- Project overview
- Using the exercise files
Keying the Zombie
- Keying the zombie
- Adding a garbage matte
- Spill suppression and color correction
Adding Zombie Effects
- Enhancing the bloody parts
- Making the zombie eyes
- Tracking the zombie eyes
- Making the zombie fangs
- Tracking the zombie fangs
Building the Nighttime Graveyard
- Tracking the sky matte
- Clamping the sky
- Day-for-night color correction
Adding the Background Headstone Glows
- Building the headstone masks
- Tracking the headstone masks
- Timing the headstone glow animation
Adding the Zombie Headstone Glow
- Building the headstone masks
- Setting the individual stone brightness
- Adding a photorealistic falloff
- Building the headstone corner masks
- Building the zombie glow
Compositing the Zombie
- Positioning the zombie in the graveyard
- Creating holdouts for the hands
- Fixing the exposed arms
- Adding the front glow
Finishing the Shot
- Final color correction
- Adjusting the background green glows
- Adjusting the foreground green glows
- Adding the edge blur and push-in effects