Our Nuke for Feature Films training course is designed to be extremely flexible, giving you the ability to pick exactly what you want to cover. With an emphasis on film pipelines, working with LUT's and metadata, multipass CGI compositing, and much more.

The way this course works is that if you want to cover everything then it will be a 4 day course, however you can pick just the areas you want and we'll let you know how long it will take to train you. The complete list of everything we can cover is below.

Like all our courses we will train on site at your facility and along side a live project if required. All our staff are production trained and able to work with you to train your artist quickly and efficiently.

Note: spherevfx was the worlds first Foundry certified Nuke Training centre outside of Asia. We are working alongside fxphd and The Foundry designing the 'Official Nuke Trainer Certification' program along with certifying the trainees. Therefore it can be assumed that almost any Foundry certified trainer has been trained by us.


Example shows Industrial Light and Magic's work in Iron Man 2

Finding Your Way Round Nuke

  • Understanding the UI
    • Node Graph
    • Propertise Panel (Undo, Redo, Revert, etc)
    • Viewer
    • Toolbar
  • Changing, saving and loading Layouts

General Compositing

  • General Compositing using Read, Merge, ColorCorrect, Blur, Transform and Write nodes
  • Working with Photoshop .PSD files
  • Bring audio into Nuke using AudioRead

General Utilities

  • Using Dot and Backdrop nodes

2D Techniques - Merging Images

  • Layering Images Together with the Merge Node
  • Merge Operations
  • Generating Contact Sheets
  • Copying a Rectangle from one Image to Another

2D Techniques - Transforms

  • Image Manipulation using Transform, Crop, Mirror, Reformat and F_Align

2D Techniques - Animation

  • The Animation Menu: Set and Delete Key, No Animation, Set to Default
  • Curve Editor and Dope Sheet
  • Copying data between nodes: Copy (Values, Animation, Links), Paste and Link to (Tracker)
  • Basic Expressions

2D Techniques - Concatenation, BBox and BlackOutside

  • Understanding concatenation and which nodes do and don’t concatenate
  • User standing the BBox and Blackoutside
    • Merge (set bbox to)
    • CopyBBox, AdjustBBox
    • BlackOutside
    • Transform (black outside)
    • Crop (black outside)
  • Using the CurveTool (AutoCrop) with the Crop node

2D Techniques - Image Distortion

  • Image Distortion using CornerPin, SphericalTransform, IDistort and STMap
  • Morphing and Warping using GridWrap and SplineWarp

2D Techniques - Premultiplied Images

  • Understanding Premultiplied images
  • Using Premult and Unpremult nodes

2D Techniques - Colour Management

  • Understanding how monitors work and sRGB
  • sRGB vs. Linear
  • How Nuke ‘intelligently’ gamma corrects incoming images
  • How Nuke chooses the gamma correct settings (...Settings / LUT)
  • Nuke’s Viewer LUT
  • Writing files out with the correct LUT
  • Creating a custom Viewer LUT (...Edit / Nodes / Use as Input Process)
  • Working with custom 1D and 3D LUTS I/O and TrueLight
  • Remembering Premult on Read with CG images (RGB and Alpha)
  • Working with OpenColourIO

2D Techniques - Colour Corrections

  • Atomic colour correction using Add, Multiply, Gamma and Saturation
  • Working with Premultiplied images containing Alpha.
  • Integration colour techniques using Grade, ColorTransfer and F_MatchGrade
  • Artistic colour techniques ColorCorrection
  • Other colour techniques using: ColorLookup, CCosstalk, EXPTool, HueCorrect, HueShift,
  • HSVTool, Toe, Invert, Colorspace, Clamp, F_DeFlicker and Expression (Math)

2D Techniques - ChannelSets and Channels

  • Channels Sets and Channels
  • Shuffle
  • Shuffle Copy vs. Copy
  • ChannelCopy
  • Node’s ‘Output’ option

2D Techniques - Roto

  • Understanding the added Viewer toolbar (side and top)
  • Creating shapes using Bezier, B-Spline, Ellipse and Rectangle
  • Editing selecting and animating shapes
  • Per object and per point feathering
  • Understanding the Root layering system
  • Transform , Shape, Clone and Lifetime
  • Understanding ‘autokey’ and ‘ripple edit’ on top toolbar

2D Techniques - Keying

  • Types of Keyers in Nuke
    • Chroma
    • Color
    • Luma
    • Main / Max
    • Difference
    • Image Based
    • Proprietary (Ultimate, Keylight and Primatte)
  • The use of ‘garbage mattes’
  • Combining multiple keyers using ChannelMergeDifferent keying methodologies
    • Hard and soft matte
    • Spatial mattes
    • Combination mattes
  • Building a custom Luma keyer
  • Using AddMix and KeyMix
  • Lightwrap and Edge Blur Integration Tools

2D Techniques - Paint

  • Understanding the added Viewer toolbar (side and top)
  • Creating paint strokes, clones, reveal, blur, sharpen, smear dodge and burn
  • Understanding the Root layering system
    • Transform , Stroke, Clone and Lifetime
  • Create a clone with a time off-set
  • Understanding ‘autokey’, ‘ripple edit’ and ‘allow paint selection’ on top toolbar

2D Techniques - Tracking

  • Understanding the basics of tracking
  • Creating a Tracker Off-Set (cmd/ctrl)
  • T, R and S and how they contribute to the Transformation
  • Using Settings to affect how the Tracker tracks
  • Using the tracked data
    • None, Matchmove, Stabilize, Add Jitter, Remove Jitter and CornerPin
  • Good Tracker workflow to avoid breaking concatenation
  • Using Planar Tracking
  • Using F_Steadiness

2D Techniques - Temporal Operations

  • Understanding how the Read node works with footage and time
  • Distorting time using Retime, FrameBlend, OFlow, TimeWarp and F_Kronos
  • Editing Clips using TimeOffset, FrameRange and AppendClip

2D Techniques - Wire Removal and 2D Rig Removal

  • Removing wires using F_WireRemoval
  • Removing rigs using F_RigRemoval

2D Techniques - Lens Aberrations and Effects

  • Lens Aberrations and Effects using Blur, DirBlur, Defocus, EdgeBlur, Convolve, Soften, Sharpen, Glow, Flare, Sparkles, Glint, GodRays and VolumeRays
  • Creating a custom Chromic Aberration effect

2D Techniques - Lens Distortion

  • Understanding Lens Distortion workflow
  • Types of analysis
    • Image AnalysisGrid Analysis
    • Line Analysis
    • Removing Lens Distortion
  • Adding Lens Distortion

2D Techniques - General Effects and Filters

  • Effects and Filters using Erode (Fast, Filter, Blur), Bilateral, Median and Matrix
  • Creating a custom Sharpen and Defocus effect

2D Techniques - Motion Blur

  • Using common motion blur parameters built into the Transform Nodes
  • Using Time nodes to add motion blur: TimeBlur and NoTimeBlur
  • Using F_MotionBlur

2D Techniques - Grain and Noise Management

  • Understanding grain and noise management
  • Removing grain and noise using DegrainSimple, DegrainBlue and Denoise.
  • Adding grain and noise using Grain, ScannedGrain and F_ReGrain

2D Techniques - Working with Log vs. Lin

CGI Techniques - Compositing Multipass Renders

  • Understanding multipass rendering
  • Using the render passes
    • Ambient
    • Ambient Occlusion
    • Diffuse
    • Specular
    • Reflection
    • Refraction
    • Global Illumination
    • Sub-Surface Scatter
  • Shuffle vs. ‘In the Pipe’
  • Using Arbitary Output Variables
    • zDepth
    • Motion Vector
    • Fresnel
    • Normal
    • ID

3D Techniques - Basic Techniques

  • An Introduction to Nuke’s 3D Environment
  • Understanding the core 3D nodes: Card, Camera, ScanlineRender, Axis, Scene and
  • TransformGeo
  • Using Lights: Point, Spot, Directional and Environment
  • Using Shaders: ApplyMaterial, Phong, FillMate, UVTile and Displacement
  • Using UDIM's
  • Using Deformers and Modifiers: Trilinear, DisplaceGeo, Normals and MergeGeo
  • Snapping in 3D
  • Working with .fbx data
  • Working with .chan data

3D Techniques - 3D Camera Tracking

  • 3D Camera Tracking basics
  • Refining the Solve
  • Refining the generated 3D Camera
  • Working with the Point Cloud data

3D Techniques - Advanced Techniques

  • Pan and Tile Setup
  • Camera Projections
  • 3D Retouch and Rig Removal Techniques
  • Set Extensions
  • Rotoscoping in 3D
  • Coverage Mapping
  • Environmental Mapping Techniques
  • Working with 3D Data from 3rd Party Applications
  • Working with CG Normal and Point passes

3D Techniques - Miscellaneous Techniques

  • ProjectionSolver
  • Photogrammetry techniques using Modeler
  • Dense Point Clouds and Meshes

3D Techniques - RenderMan

  • RenderMan shaders: Reflection and Refraction
  • Rendering with RenderMan in Nuke
  • Working with RenderMan .rib files using ModifyRIB

3D - Particles

  • Emitting and Spawning Particles
  • Emitting particles with the ParticleEmitter
  • Spawning particles with ParticleSpawn
  • Adjusting the Speed and Direction of Particles
  • Applying directional force to particles with ParticleDirectionalForce
  • Attracting particles to a specific point with ParticlePointForce
  • Modifying Particle Movement
  • Bouncing particles with ParticleBounce
  • Adding drag to the particles to slow them down with ParticleDrag
  • Adding turbulence motion on particles with ParticleTurbulence
  • Adding spiral motion to particles with ParticleVortex
  • Adding a wind effect to particles with ParticleWind
  • Adjusting Controls Common to Several Particle Nodes
  • Particle rendering controls
  • Particle transform controls
  • Condition and Region controls
  • Customising the Particle Stream
  • Adjusting your particle properties with curves using ParticleCurve
  • Merging particle streams
  • Creating geometry to particles with ParticleToGeo
  • Adding expressions to particles with ParticleExpression

Deep Compositing

  • Understanding Deep Compositing
  • Reading in Deep Footage
  • Merging Deep Images
  • Creating Holdouts
  • Creating 2D and 3D Elements from Deep Images
  • Modifying Deep Data
  • Cropping, Reformatting and Transforming Deep Images
  • Sampling Deep Images
  • Creating Deep Data

General Techniques - Meta Data

  • Viewing and modifying Metadata

Gizmo Creation

  • Creating gizmos
  • Managing the gizmo controls
  • Sourcing gizmos

Basic Python Techniques

  • Understanding menu.py and init.py
  • Adding Custom Hotkeys to Existing Nodes
  • Adding a Custom Toolbar
  • Changing Tool Settings
  • Displaying Data from a Knob on the Node in the Node Graph
  • Adding Custom Formats
  • Creating Saved Layout Names under the Layout Menu

Optional Extras (call for details...)

  • Tweak Software's RV Integration for Nuke
  • The Foundry's Hiero Integration for Nuke
  • The Foundry's Mari Integration for Nuke


Example shows Industrial Light and Magic's work in Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen

Per days Nuke course £500 (+VAT @ 20%)

Recommended course books:

  • Nuke 101: Professional Compositing and Visual Effects (Ron Ganbar)
  • The Art and Science of Digital Compositing (Ron Brinkmann)
  • Professional Digital Compositing (Lee Lanier)
  • Digital Compositing for Film and Video (Steve Wright)
  • Encyclopedia of Visual Effects (Damian Allen & Brian Connor)
  • Visual Effects in a Digital World (Karen Goulekas)
  • Bluescreen Compositing (John Jackman)
  • Greenscreen Made Easy (Jeremy Hanke & Michelle Yamazaki)
  • The HDRI Handbook (Christian Bloch)