Advanced Compositing in Nuke – Prometheus MasterClass by Fabrizio Vera Cardenas

This MasterClass walks you through recreating a Prometheus-style VFX shot from scratch in Nuke, focusing on the actual decisions a compositor makes in production rather than just button-click demos. You work with live-action plates and CG renders using NukeX, so by the end you not only have a portfolio-worthy sci-fi shot, but a repeatable pipeline you can apply on real shows.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• How to structure a full VFX comp in Nuke from first plate import to final render using a clean, production-friendly node tree.
• Techniques for integrating CG and live-action (keying, grading, relighting, and atmospheric FX) so the shot looks like it came straight out of a feature film.
• How to use NukeX 3D tools, projections, and passes to match the look of a Prometheus-style sci-fi scene with solid depth and mood.

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Comfortable with node-based workflows and basic Nuke operations such as transforms, merges, masks, and simple keying.
• Tools: 3‑button mouse or stylus-friendly mouse; optional pen tablet for detailed roto and paint.
• Hardware: At least 16 GB RAM, dedicated GPU, and fast storage for handling HD plates and multi-pass EXRs in NukeX.

📝 Description

This MasterClass is built like a real production task: you are not just learning random nodes, you are delivering a finished Prometheus-style shot step by step in Nuke. The training focuses on how a compositor actually thinks—how to read the plate, what to fix first, where to keep things flexible, and how to avoid breaking the shot when notes come in.

Instead of staying in 2D-only examples, you move into NukeX 3D space to rebuild parts of the environment, push parallax, and add depth with projections, fog cards, and volumetric-style layers. You work with CG passes inspired by feature film workflows, so you get used to handling AOVs, splitting out lighting, and controlling the final look from the comp side rather than waiting on 3D.

Throughout the project, Fabrizio keeps the graph readable and modular, so you can see how to structure a big shot that stays editable even late in the process. You learn practical tricks for compositing sci‑fi elements—glows, flares, atmos, contact lighting—without turning the image into a noisy mess, and you finish with a shot that makes sense technically and holds up stylistically next to real movie references.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Intermediate Nuke users who are comfortable with the basics and want to push into production-style, shot-based compositing using a Prometheus-inspired sequence.
• Junior compositors, FX artists, or generalists who want a strong feature-film VFX piece for their reel and a clearer idea of how studios expect shots to be structured.

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Fabrizio Vera Cardenas is a professional VFX compositor and the founder of FusionLearningFX, where he has been teaching Nuke and compositing in Spanish and English for years. His training focuses on project-based learning, using scenes inspired by films like Life of Pi, 2012, I Am Legend, Prometheus and Avengers to mirror real production challenges and expectations. Thanks to his mix of studio experience and teaching work, Fabrizio is known for explaining advanced Nuke concepts in a straightforward, practical way that artists can apply directly in their shots.

🏁 Final Result

• A finished, portfolio-ready Prometheus-style sci‑fi composite built in Nuke/NukeX, demonstrating full-shot ownership from plate prep and keying through CG integration, 3D atmospherics, and final grading.