FMC Book Review – The Art and Science of Digital Compositing

At first glance Ron Brinkmann’s book The Art and Science of Digital Compositing might resemble a bible. Its sheer size is a bit daunting. However, just as the Bible was written to inspire and produce a solid foundation for followers of the faith, this book does the same for those interested in the world of compositing.

In all I have ever been involved in, be it football or filmmaking, without a solid foundation under my belt I would have never have been remotely successful. As I ventured into learning more about compositing for my own films I really wanted to create that foundation.

The book, The Art and Science of Digital Compositing, could have also been titled “everything you wanted to know about digital composing but were afraid to ask”. From page one Brinkmann engages you and pulls you into the world of digital compositing. What could easily become too “techie” is instead given to you in wonderful real world examples.

Prior to the meat of the book Brinkmann takes you into a short journey of the history and terminology of compositing. Once you are armed with that the journey of “Learning to See”, as chapter 2 is aptly titled, begins and the concrete that will forge your foundation is being poured.

Throughout the book, wonderful color examples are plentiful. Before and after pictures are abundant and really helped me to learn the differences of what was being done. Additionally, images are given to you on the accompanying DVD for you to try out techniques on your application of choice.

After finishing this book I feel extremely confident in my foundations in digital compositing. I look forward to using the various techniques taught to me in my upcoming films. If you are interested in getting into compositing or even just to understand the process behind manipulating your images then this is the perfect book to pick up. I give Ron Brinkmann’s The Art and Science of Digital Compositing a perfect 5/5 stars for its sheer depth of knowledge. This will be a book that will always be within arms reach.

For more info visit Brinkmann’s blog HERE.