H O P P E R P E D I A ©
-Brian Hammons


3D Previsualization

Previsualization (also known as previz or previs) is a term that is often misused to describe any technique that attempts to visualize scenes in a movie before filming begins. While the term is often erroneously applied to techniques such as storyboarding, either by hand drawn sketches or the use of 2D digital computer technology in the planning and conceptualizing of movie scenes and sequences, most industry practitioners believe that the term previsualization should be applied exclusively to 3D representations of sequences to be shot where the virtual camera literally mimics the optical properties of the camera that will be used.

Thus previsualization is differentiated from storyboarding (whether hand-drawn or generated in a 2D computer program) by the core fact that it mimics the physical production process in a virtual 3D space.

The advantage of previsualization is that it allows directors to experiment with different staging and art direction options – such as lighting, camera placement and movement, stage direction and editing - without having to incur the costs of actual production. On larger budget project, the director works with artists in a visual effects department or with dedicated previsualization service companies. Previsualizations can include music, sound effects and dialogue to closely emulate the look of fully produced and edited sequences, and are usually employed for complex or difficult scenes that involve stunts and special effects. Digital video, photography, hand-drawn art, clip art and 3D animation have all been used either singly or in combination to preview sequences.