Thanks for attending the History of VFX workshop with Ian Failes. Here’s some key books, extra reading and links relating to visual effects that you might find useful.
Masters of FX: Behind the Scenes with Geniuses of Visual and Special Effects
https://www.amazon.it/Masters-FX-Geniuses-Special-Effects/dp/1138845965
Industrial Light & Magic: 50 Years of Innovation
https://www.abramsbooks.com/product/industrial-light-magic-50-years-of-innovation_9781419784019/
The VFX Notes podcast with Ian Failes and Hugo Guerra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geT4pQtAV9I&list=PLw7TZXbFAyfcmeoFFmaEMYPRqaR5EO1sf
Calculated Imagery: A History of Computer Graphics in Hollywood Cinema
Mark J. P. Wolf
https://dl.acm.org/doi/book/10.1145/3694828
The Core Skills of VFX Handbook
Free resource aimed to help teachers of all types create or update VFX courses with contemporary quality skills and knowledge, and to enable new learners to understand what they need to know and do to gain meaningful work and a place in the VFX community.
https://coreskillsofvfx.com/
The Art and Science of Digital Compositing: Techniques for Visual Effects, Animation and Motion Graphics
Brinkmann, R. (2008)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Science-Digital-Compositing-Techniques/dp/0123706386
The VES Handbook of Visual Effects
Zwerman, Okun (2010)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/VES-Handbook-Visual-Effects-Procedures/dp/1138012890
The VES Handbook of Virtual Production
Susan Zwerman, Jeffrey A. Okun (2023)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/VES-Handbook-Virtual-Production/dp/1032432640
The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting
Mark Cotta Vaz, Craig Barron (2004)
https://www.amazon.com/-/zh_TW/Invisible-Art-Legends-Movie-Painting/dp/081184515X
Virtual Production Glossary
https://vpglossary.com/
A history of physically based rendering
(from) Physically Based Rendering: From Theory To Implementation, by Matt Pharr, Wenzel Jakob, and Greg Humphreys
https://www.pbr-book.org/3ed-2018/Introduction/A_Brief_History_of_Physically_Based_Rendering
Nuke history
A visual history of Nuke, at befores & afters
https://beforesandafters.com/2020/02/20/a-visual-history-of-nuke/
The first Nuke composite, at befores & afters
https://beforesandafters.com/2022/02/08/vfx-firsts-what-was-the-first-composite-done-in-nuke/