VFX308 – Battle for Bazoches VFX Project by Charles Chorein

This project-based course walks you through a complete VFX shot from start to finish. You’ll follow along as a team of specialists handles camera tracking, photogrammetry, HDRI creation, lighting, and compositing. It’s a practical, no-fluff look at how a real production pipeline works.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Set up and solve a complex camera track in 3DEqualizer using LIDAR data
• Build and clean an HDRI from location photography for accurate lighting
• Match CG lighting to a live-action plate in Maya and Nuke
• Manage color pipelines with ACES across multiple applications
• Organize a VFX project with proper file structures and naming conventions

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Solid understanding of Nuke, Maya, and basic 3DEqualizer workflows
• Tools: 3-button mouse, drawing tablet recommended
• Hardware: Minimum 16GB RAM, dedicated GPU

📝 Description

This isn’t a theory course. You’ll work through a real shot—a medieval castle integration into a drone plate—and see exactly how each department hands off to the next. Charles Chorein leads the project, but you’ll also hear from specialists in concept art, tracking, and lighting.

The course kicks off with camera tracking in 3DEqualizer, where you’ll use a LIDAR scan to solve the camera and handle lens distortion. From there, you move into file prep and color management, setting up an ACES pipeline across Resolve, Maya, and Nuke. The HDRI section is particularly thorough: you’ll shoot bracketed images on location, stitch them in PTGui, clean them in Nuke, and finally build a light rig in Maya that matches the plate.

Each class builds on the last, and the instructors explain not just what they’re doing, but why. You’ll see how they troubleshoot tracking errors, adjust white balance, and set up AOVs for compositing. By the end, you’ll have a complete VFX workflow you can adapt to your own projects.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• VFX artists who want to see a full production pipeline from start to finish
• Intermediate users of Nuke and Maya looking to improve their tracking and lighting skills
• Anyone interested in photogrammetry and HDRI creation for realistic CG integration

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Charles Chorein is a London-based VFX supervisor with years of experience on high-end film and commercial projects. He has taught multiple courses for FXPHD, known for his practical, no-nonsense approach. He’s joined by concept artist Aurélien Ronceray and other industry specialists who bring their own expertise to the shot.

🏁 Final Result

• A fully tracked, lit, and composited VFX shot featuring a 3D castle integrated into a live-action drone plate, with proper color management and realistic lighting.