VFX compositing: integrating 3D elements into real scenes

The invisible effect

Compositing is the heart of visual effects. It’s the process of combining different elements — live footage, 3D models, matte paintings, particles — into a single image that looks real. The key word is “looks”: successful compositing is the kind the viewer doesn’t notice.

In twenty years of work on films, commercials and productions of every kind, I’ve developed a simple principle: it’s not the complexity of the effect that matters, it’s the believability of the integration. A perfectly rendered 3D element that’s poorly integrated is worse than a simple effect that blends into the scene.

The pillars of believable compositing

Coherent lighting. The inserted element must react to the scene’s light exactly as it would if it were really there. This means analyzing the direction, intensity and color of ambient light, and replicating it on the 3D element. It’s not enough to light it “well” — you must light it “like the scene.”

Environmental interaction. A real object doesn’t float in a void. It casts shadows, creates reflections on nearby surfaces, is partially occluded by foreground elements. Every missing interaction is a clue the viewer’s brain catches, even subconsciously.

Grain and texture matching. Film has grain, digital has noise. If the inserted element is perfectly clean in grainy footage, it jumps out immediately. I always add grain, chromatic aberration and imperfections that match the original footage.

Integrated color grading. The 3D element and the footage must live in the same palette. The advantage of my integrated workflow is that I manage compositing and color grading together — not as two separate phases but as a single process where every color choice influences the integration.

OM Floating — Bioluminescent jellyfish in an office

The OM project required telling a corporate transition story with a powerful image. The concept: bioluminescent jellyfish floating in the real office spaces, as a metaphor for transformation and new beginnings.

The challenge was twofold. First: the jellyfish had to seem physically present in the space — not overlaid, but immersed. Second: being luminous creatures, they had to influence the surrounding lighting.

I built the jellyfish in 3D and integrated them scene by scene in After Effects. Each jellyfish has its own light that interacts with the environment: reflections on glass walls, luminous halos on surfaces, shadows coherent with the space’s geometry. Color grading in DaVinci Resolve unified the look into a cinematic blue-green palette that transforms the office into something resembling an aquarium.

The result: jellyfish that truly seem to float between desks. See the full case study.

Stalking — The effect that must not exist

The spot for Italy’s Ministry of Equal Opportunities on stalking presented the opposite challenge: visual effects had to be completely invisible. No fantastic elements to add — just reality to manipulate so the viewer wouldn’t notice anything.

The compositing work here was about cleanup and masking: removing unwanted elements, unifying scenes shot in different conditions, creating visual continuity where there was none. It’s the kind of VFX that will never end up on a spectacular reel, but that makes the difference between a spot that works and one that distracts.

When director Paolo Scarfò saw the result, his comment was the best possible compliment for a VFX artist: he didn’t comment on the effects. He didn’t see them. See the full case study.

Tools and workflow

My compositing setup revolves around After Effects for most projects, with Mocha Pro for planar tracking and advanced rotoscoping. For more complex cinematic projects I use Nuke, which offers a node-based workflow ideal for multilayer compositing.

But the tool is only half the equation. The other half is the eye — the ability to look at a frame and feel what’s wrong before even analyzing it technically. This sensitivity comes from experience, from seeing thousands of composite shots over twenty years, and from working closely with cinematographers and directors who demand perfection.

When compositing is needed

Compositing comes into play whenever the footage alone isn’t enough. It can be spectacular — fantastic creatures, impossible environments, explosions — or it can be silent: removing a cable, extending a set, replacing a sky. In both cases, the principle remains the same: integration must be flawless.

If you have a project that requires visual effects — whether visible or invisible — let’s talk. Twenty years of experience mean knowing exactly what’s possible, what’s realistic within time and budget, and how to get there most efficiently.