VFX

Visual effects were never meant to take over the frame. If anything, I wanted them to disappear into the world. Every adjustment I made was there to serve the tone of the story. Whether it was a digital zoom, a soft vignette, or a 3D tracked shot with anchored text, it all had to feel like it belonged. No effect was added for the sake of aesthetics. It was always about reinforcing the atmosphere.

VFX Work

Most of the heavier VFX work happened in Resolve’s Fusion tab. The most complex sequence involved a 3D planar-tracked shot where I positioned text in space above a tracked surface. I used corner pins to anchor the text precisely, then masked it to create depth and layering. Lighting was adjusted to match the natural tones of the shot, and I added a soft blur and drop shadow to embed it further. The goal was to make the

text feel grounded in the environment rather than just floating on top.

Masking also allowed me to integrate the text more organically with movement and surfaces. It helped break the flatness and gave the effect more presence without overpowering the frame.

For the flashback scenes, I pushed the stylistic direction further. I added motion blur with a slight stop-motion feel to create a disoriented visual rhythm. Halation helped sell the nostalgia and emotional haze, bringing warmth and slight glow to the brightest parts of the frame. It was a calculated distortion, designed to feel intentional and affective.

Edit Page Enhancements

On the edit page, I used lighter tools to polish and fine-tune. The handheld camera shake brought a subtle unpredictability to some still shots. It was minimal, just enough to make the image feel alive. Stabilization was used when the scene demanded more focus or stillness, especially in emotionally tense beats.

how shake made the image feel so much more emotional.

how i fixed this shot which my balance or lack of ruined.

Glow was one of the most powerful tools in the set. It didn’t just make highlights bloom. It added punch. It gave the image that final lift, making certain shots more dynamic and visually engaging without feeling artificial. When used right, glow doesn’t stand out, it enhances what’s already working.

Vignettes and digital zooms were used sparingly, mostly to guide attention or add pressure to a frame. The vignette helped frame emotion, while the zooms let me intensify a moment without a harsh cut. These effects were subtle by design but still central to the pacing and tone of specific scenes.

A Thought on Restraint

Every effect served a purpose. Even when I leaned into stylization, it was never for the sake of style alone. The aim was to elevate the mood, support the visuals, and disappear into the story. There’s always a line between using effects as tools and letting them become distractions. I kept that line in check in this project.

This part of post-production felt like second nature. Years of working with photography and visual design gave me a strong sense of when an image is working and when it needs a push. These tools just helped me sharpen what was already there.