How can you ensure visual effects are consistent throughout a video?

Something that has really helped me plan was to layout the “master shots” These shots are moslty the key shots of the sequence (mostly wide angle) which help establish the visual effects. Once these shots are finalised, the closeups are extremely easy to pull off keeping master shots as reference.

Creative vision is key. Open your heart to the crew! A) No matter how cold they sell, stay emotionally available. Gain insight by listening. Observe language, rhythm and style - adapt to it - like an actor would. B) Find out who's in charge and "always" stay close to him/ her. C) VFX in film mostly cover budget constraints. Be brutally precise with notes, scans, refs, submissions, emails - check everything 2x! D) Don′t bump into the furniture. E) Planing is not to avoid surprises, it′s there to meet the crew and connect with the vision - early. F) Give short and clear instructions, like: Try to keep her in frame, Please remove.. Avoid fake requests, like: Can we, Are we.. G) Your feedback goal is: Yes, thank′s! if else goto F)

Don't cheap out on the VFX supervisor. Give them access to the director and DP as early in pre-production as possible. During production, know that they are an important part of the crew and not an outsider making the day go longer. The few minutes they spend fixing something on set, setting up tracking markers, or suggesting a small shift in camera framing can save hours (and thousands of dollars) in post.

All things that are mentioned, like "Plan ahead", "Use reference images", "Track and match" are just tehniques to get images match. But in my opinion, most important thing is to have good VFX sup that is not directly related to any of VFX houses. That will ensure that all those different vendors are in line with each other. And will ensure that VFXs work for the movie, have the same feel, are aesthetically compatible, and have the same style and quality.

I 100% agree as I am an Visual FX Artist! Being able to aline every aspect of the shot before post is key! Most new film makers either don't have the budget or don't understand the need for VFX Supervisor.

That makes sense – when you’re alone. From a professional perspective, a director might refuse to delve into your creative interpretation. Usually he′s found or seen a desired style, an old photo or a book, probably years or even decades ago. An image might have a completely different meaning to them than what you may be referring to. They may decide to not reveal any reference until years after the film's release - and then only to their spouse. Do not expect a stylistic guide that makes your job easier. So before your thoughts get too technical, connect emotionally - rank VFX accordingly. Work around until final plates are released. Demonstrate excellence in execution. Be your director’s sidekick.

One thing I found helpful while reviewing and checking or working on the same shot throughout the day is that sometimes we miss obvious things. Taking a 5-10 min break where we look at something else can make us more consistent and after break when we're back on the shot we start noticing things that are making our VFX non consistent.

When you're alone, reviewing and revising your own content within a deadline is pointless - a waste of time. In order to formulate constructive feedback, you need distance. Try to find similar industry professionals, artists like you – not complete strangers. Their fresh perspective will easily lead you closer and closer to your goal. Treat their opinions as true and respect the time invested in you by reading everything with an open mind. Before finally implementing such in detail, check if any previous version you did already match or come close to that feedback. According to Pareto, 80% of your results are achieved with just 20% effort, or: V02 looks so much better than V10.

To maintain a uniform quality of visual effects, it is essential to ensure that the budget is well distributed among the different shots. It's important to avoid spending too much on key shots at the risk of not having enough budget for secondary shots. The same attention must be paid to budget allocation among sequences. Good communication between the client and the vendor is crucial to ensure optimal efficiency. This allows for the delivery of the best quality within the deadlines established with the client, while avoiding burning through the budget on retakes that could have been avoided.

I've also found it very useful to assign entire sequences of like shots to the same artist on the team, once a look is established for the effects. Kind of obvious, but this promotes mindful consistency of the concept and execution, allowing for a shorthand to develop for review and iteration that can save so much time. What may not be so obvious is that it also promotes an intrinsic value - ownership. There is so much pride and satisfaction in being a key custodian of a concept through execution. I haven't met an artist that doesn't give more of themselves when they tap into this, and they walk away with huge personal rewards. Winning!

Split. Work on scenes and sequences and build key effects progressively. Approve sequentially and always go back and forth as much as possible comparing with your hero shots. Keep everything consistent by comparing color schemes, time span and overall effect impact. Keep an eye on the story and match the effects weight with the script progress.

VFX are generated through countless hidden creative processes by talent from various departments, countries while being continually monitored and managed financially in a way that allows for errors, revisions, changes and to a certain extent even outright misunderstandings - despite countless discussions across the board. The visionary director conducts an orchestra that gradually slams the doors in his face with increasing speed. During the grand finale in post-production, the rug is pulled out from under him. As he hits ground, the stillborn in his arms starts to breathe - wow! This thing has little in common with his vision. So what?