If you call yourself a computer graphics professional but aren't sure of the meaning of cukaloris, Lambertian reflection, or umbra, you might want to pick up a copy of Visual Effects in a Digital World: A Comprehensive Glossary of over 7,000 Visual Effects Terms. Educational, fun, and historically fascinating, this is one of those books that every pixel monkey should have on his or her shelf.

If you've ever wondered what, exactly, rotoscope means (it has three different meanings) or what to eat with a "metaball," this book is for you. Chock full of interesting tidbits and a 32-page color gallery of examples, this is probably one of the more interesting technical dictionaries you'll ever have the pleasure of looking through.

Perhaps you know the difference between an array and an Arri, but the producer you're trying to explain it to is clueless. The clear, concise definitions listed here can help elucidate these terms and others so that even the most dense suit will, if not understand, at least feel like you must know what you're talking about.

It's one thing to be able to know what buttons to push, but something else entirely to be able to stump your friends with the meaning of arcane terms like Lindenmayer System or octrees. Everyone knows you're a geek. Now you can prove it. --Mike Caputo

Product Description

As the visual effects industry has diversified, so too have the books written to serve the needs of this industry. Today there are hundreds of highly specialized titles focusing on particular aspects of film and broadcast animation, computer graphics, stage photography, miniature photography, color theory, and many others.

Visual Effects in a Digital World offers a much-needed reconsolidation of this knowledge. All of the industry's workers frequently need to understand concepts from other specialties, and this book-the only one of its kind-lets them look up and grasp the basics of any visual effects concept in a matter of seconds. It's a great way for everyone, regardless of experience, to find their way through the jargon and learn what they need to know.

* Authoritative coverage from a winner visual effects expert-winner of a British Academy Award and two Emmys.

* Cover topics such as computer graphics, digital compositing, live action, stage, and miniature photography, and a wide range of computer and Internet concepts.

* Offers job descriptions for positions found throughout the industry.

* Demystifies the jargon used by practitioners in every subspecialty.