Comp Next Stage – Elevating Compositing in Nuke

The National Talent Academy for VFX is excited to partner with CMAI to offer 10 participants a place on Comp Next Stage – Elevating Compositing in Nuke with Donal Nolan.

Comp Next Stage is a four-week course for compositors looking to bridge the gap between technically correct composites and those with cinematic polish. This course is designed for artists with approximately one year of Nuke experience who already have a solid grasp of the basics and are ready to explore deeper creative and technical workflows. Through a series of practical lessons and hands-on exercises, participants will learn how to finesse their composites using advanced tools, techniques, and visual theory.

Course Structure & Assessment

Each week includes project-based tasks with live tutor walkthroughs and feedback. By the end of the course, participants will submit a final composite showcasing multiple techniques learned, reflecting a client-ready finish.

Course Content:

Week 1: Building a Cohesive Composite

Session 1 (Tues): Putting a comp together – structure, order of operations, and identifying the hero element

Session 2 (Sat): Warping overview and techniques for subtle manipulation of elements for better integration

Week 2: Light & Lens Integration

Session 3 (Tues): Backlighting and light wrap – simulating natural light behaviour between foreground and background

Session 4 (Sat): Lens artefacts – from practical to stylised: flares, leaks, chromatic aberration, and how to calculate it properly

Week 3: Realism vs Stylisation

Session 5 (Tues): Denoising and renoising for seamless integration across plates

Session 6 (Sat): Digital vs film – how to simulate film grain, texture, and optical inconsistencies

Week 4: Final Polish and Camera Dynamics

Session 7 (Tues): Matching colour, contrast, and hue – how saturation interacts with realism and tone

Session 8 (Sat): Camera work and final touches – focal cues, shake, re-racking, and retiming for storytelling impact

Who Is This Course For?

Junior to mid-level compositors looking to develop finishing and polish skills.

Artists preparing for client reviews or final delivery roles in post-production pipelines.

Compositors transitioning from technical to more creative or supervisory roles.

Nuke users with foundational knowledge wanting to refine their eye and elevate their work.

Technical Requirements

• A capable computer system with appropriate GPU/CPU power
• Stable internet connection (for online delivery)
• Working knowledge of basic Nuke operations (roto, tracking, merge, colour correction)

Application Procedure:

Applications are now closed.

For technical difficulties with the online system, please email Barbara.henkes@nationaltalentacademies.ie

National Talent Academies courses are open to all regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.

Reasonable accommodations: We aim to accommodate all attendees to help ensure they can successfully participate in our programmes.