VFX with scale models 

This is how CGI should be used but NOOOO gotta do the whole fucking thing. Has anyone seen Moon -2009? Those were scale models with CGI used for lens flares, dust and space stars.

I keep coming back to this. Still looks perfect after all these years

2:08 Looked fine without the grade - I don't get this modern trend of distorting natural colors. In fact, to me, the pre-grade version looks more real, since it's in natural color. The grading over-emphasizes the shadows.

The shadows on the helicopter were one of the details I didnt cover in the tutorial - but creating them is quite simple. Here is a brief description: - duplicate the helicopter layer and use the "fill" effect to colour it black - make sure this black helicopter layer is above the colour helicopter in the layer stack - adjust the opacity of the black layer to around 10% - then add a wiggle expression to jitter the opacity of this black layer to make it flicker I hope that makes sense

It feels like decade old tutorials like this look super outdated nowadays. But with Independent VFX, all of his videos stand the test of time and still look fabulous to this day.

The sound FX of the helicopter were recorded at an airshow - from a video clip of a helicopter. We have a Super Hind helicopter here in South Africa that appears at airshows from time to time, but you could use the audio from any helicopter that you can find.

Really great. I am 3dprinting science fiction 3d cgi models at the moment. I really prefer the effect a real life model gives over a CGI one.

I was filming on 1/50 at 25fps at 1920 x 1080

Still better than CGI.

Outstanding. This is not my forte, but I do enjoy people that are really good at what they do. Nice job. Thumbs Up

Thanks Scott for the inspiration. I built an f-18 and did this one. Using models for special effects tutorial

Wow, really impressive - amazing job 👍

Rotors were modelled in Lightwave, but I can highly reccommend Blender - its a free 3D app. I rendered the blades in Element because its so much faster with the motion blur and allows me work on the project as a whole inside After Effects

I watched the original, can’t believe it’s been over 10 years! I’m turning 40 this week 😂

Hollywood grade if not better from what we see today sometimes... This is all I ever would need to see in an amazing movie/ Good job.

Very believable!!! Incredible! I want to be able to do these kind of FX but the Software is a little out of my budget.

The tutorial is still under construction... sorry I cant be more specific with a date... but SOON SOON SOON

Beautifully done! This really inspired me to consider shooting miniatures instead of relying fully on computer effects for every shot. Your solution is simple, elegant and inexpensive, truly the best qualities you could hope for!

Thanks ClassyDogFilms! I appreciate the feedback.

a bit of dust being kicked up from the chopper blades and I would think you had an actual Hind

the shot looks slow because I slowed it down in After Effects using time remapping

everyone can see, that it is a model. so not really a good effect. as in hollywood - u can see, thats come from a computer.....

Как Русский скажу, что нам приятно, когда интересуется нашими вертолётами, или в общем техникой. Жаль нету русских субтитров, а переводить в 12 лет трудно...

I saw this 9 years ago and this still fascinates me. simply mind blowing!!!

Работа хорошая! Вот только лопастя вертолета создают тягу, а занчит толкают воздух, а значит пыль поднимается

THAT is awesome!!! I just started messing with using 3D models in live action footage, but seeing this makes me wonder if using scale models would actually be a far easier process, as well as giving far better results? In any case, I'm waiting with baited breath for the tutorial!...

amazing amazing amazing!!!!

Impressed at what Element 3d can render out actually. What did you use to model the rotor blades with? And how come you didn't render it in that package instead? Lovely work though... I love the blended CG and physical models... they work beautifully

Only suggestion I would have is have a slight Heat Wave added to the background behind the the helicopter and foreground. Nothing heavy, but something that would create a subtle difference when looking at the edge of the foreground mountain and the background mountain.

Nice work. However the plastic model was a giveaway immediately. Especially the glass canopies stand out as what they are: plastic model canopies.

Thanks to IVFX for their amazing tutorial. Learned a lot in the process of creating it. Take a look: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--kLZycIVQBE.html

Another great job! I love the fact of making all these without (cheap) footage!

very realistic video ............the photo you take is not taken in the distric zone 9 :D

Thanks man. I really appreciate your time in posting the tut. I will be using it for my own work, and again thanks.

Genius! a million dollar shot completed with a shestring budget ( but truckloads of talent!)

Why does everyone seem to assume, that after effects is pre-installed? It promises selfmadable in the title, then it demands expensive pro software as a matter of course, although this can be done with free software alternatives, too.

The heat haze was done using Effect > Distort > Turbulent Displace in After Effects. There is a full tutorial coming soon where I will explain it in detail.

That was absolutely amazing! I can't wait to access the rotors when you make them available. I'm working on an action film that I have plans on using a Black Hawk. Great work, once again.

I thought this was a clip from Rambo 3, well done

how do you hold up the model plane and take off the bar used to hold it up ??

I think it looks good without the color grading, can you tell me how did you do the heat distorsion please?

Thanks for the great feedback! More videos will be on the way

YOU FROM SOUTH AFRICA! YAY!! ANOTHER SOUTH AFRICAN EFFECTS ARTIST

@ NVthe GT - I am working on a step by step tutorial that will exactly how I got rid of the bar that was holding the model up. But basically you mask it out using the mask tool in Adobe After Effects.

the shadows you created for the rotating blades sold me... can you do an tut for that plz?

Looks fantastic, may actually try this.

Dude. This just blew my mind. Keep up the good work!!!

This takes an incredible amount of time.

Hello. Thanks for posting this video. I have a question. You said you used photos for the mountains. If I were to instead record those mountains with video rather than photo, could that yield more realistic results or just cause problems for the vfx process? Thanks.

Thanks Joscha, Ive just uploaded part 1 of the tutorial. Please check it out and enjoy!

Nice work, what accent is that I recognise:)? Sorry, I'm just curious

you got my sub

Brilliant looking work on a budget...You da man!!

@Xtrememous... The Tutorial is very close to finished and should be up by the end of this week! Thanks for your patience.

WAY, WAY COOL EFFECTS -- mixing the old & the new techniques-! It's stuff like this that will cause a whole new (and old) generation to make some films that even the poor ones can afford. BRAVO-! D.A.

Thanks Ryan! I may just do a digital version of this shot in the near future - as a comparison. No doubt the digital version would give you more flexibility.

It's after effects that sells it with the propellers

Awesome work! I will be using these techniques on my next vid. Question: I noticed in the tutorial you didn't cover the shadows from the rotor blades casting onto the body of the helo. How'd you manage that?

Looks amazing.. out of curiosity.. how did you lock the rotors to the hull?.. motion track?.. pick whip a null?..

Very Nice. (+1)

Amazing! Way to go! I am by no means denigrating your work but I'm wondering how hard it would be to add some light dust swirling under the helicopter? Just curious. Awesome work!

Thanks Buddy! More tutorials will be coming soon

email id please

SOLD please make more of these kind of vids.

Holy shit that looks awesome!

Looks sweet, but the blades would benefit from more extreme motion blur.

Wow...that's all I have to say

Fantastic!

Great work. At first I mistook the video for a clip from a Hollywood movie and was going to be a breakdown of how professional FX is done.

Im working on it! As soon as possible

Tutorial done soon? :D

Lovely work!

I was your 969th subscriber, never forget me when you get famous! REALLY NICE VIDEO!

this is so epic!

South African!

Yes, I will be doing a full tutorial

WOW !!!!!!!!!!!

Did you animate the rotors yourself? How did you do it?

I'm actually a bit angry with this video. I'm just too selfish to let these techniques get learned by other people. haha The vid's just too perfect! You guys earned a subscriber!

very beautiful and unexpected effect. i like that it is really amazing.

Simply put... this ROCKS!!!

I was blown away. Then I found out it was a real physical model. Heartbreak. No wonder it looked real. :-) Still, for the right type of shot, amazing solution. Great work!

Awesome work !!! it looked real !

Would be interesting to see a direct comparison. Element 3D seems capable, but I wonder if the lighting can hold up to a real object. Keep up the good work. Look forward to more videos from you.

Were you filming at 1/60?

How did you animate that rotor blade?

Will you do the tutorial?

wow, really pro. DO you have any color correction and grading tutorials?

Awesome work. Your previous video inspired me to do something similar for a university assignment last year. Thanks!

You sound like Kruger from Elysium.

SOLD - excellent video

you are the best

wow for a moment i thougth it was afganistan in the 80s!

Wow, that's awesome!

Great work!

nice work Scott!

Good stuff and thank you for posting! Q: How detailed should a model be for shooting, and or is that something that is 'tightened up' in post? I'm sure the more detailed the better but wanted to ask for clarity. Thanks!

Very cool!

Great job

Excellent work.