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COMPOSITION

DESIGN

COLOR

LIGHTING

  • 3D Lighting Tutorial by Amaan Kram

    pIXELsHAM.com

    http://www.amaanakram.com/lightingT/part1.htm

    The goals of lighting in 3D computer graphics are more or less the same as those of real world lighting.

     

    Lighting serves a basic function of bringing out, or pushing back the shapes of objects visible from the camera’s view.
    It gives a two-dimensional image on the monitor an illusion of the third dimension-depth.

    But it does not just stop there. It gives an image its personality, its character. A scene lit in different ways can give a feeling of happiness, of sorrow, of fear etc., and it can do so in dramatic or subtle ways. Along with personality and character, lighting fills a scene with emotion that is directly transmitted to the viewer.

     

    Trying to simulate a real environment in an artificial one can be a daunting task. But even if you make your 3D rendering look absolutely photo-realistic, it doesn’t guarantee that the image carries enough emotion to elicit a “wow” from the people viewing it.

     

    Making 3D renderings photo-realistic can be hard. Putting deep emotions in them can be even harder. However, if you plan out your lighting strategy for the mood and emotion that you want your rendering to express, you make the process easier for yourself.

     

    Each light source can be broken down in to 4 distinct components and analyzed accordingly.

    · Intensity
    · Direction
    · Color
    · Size

     

    The overall thrust of this writing is to produce photo-realistic images by applying good lighting techniques.

    Views : 1,466
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    Read more: 3D Lighting Tutorial by Amaan Kram

  • Christophe Brejon – CG Cinematography book

    pIXELsHAM.com

    chrisbrejon.com/cg-cinematography/

     

     

     

    Views : 666
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    Read more: Christophe Brejon – CG Cinematography book

  • How Steven Spielberg Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski Got These Eleven Shots‏ – composition

    pIXELsHAM.com

    http://www.vulture.com/2012/11/how-steven-spielberg-cinematographer-janusz-kaminski-got-these-shots.html

    Views : 1,322
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    Read more: How Steven Spielberg Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski Got These Eleven Shots‏ – composition

  • Is your perception that these circles are moving?

    pIXELsHAM.com

    The answer is…

    (more…)

    Views : 891
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  • HDRI Median Cut plugin

    pIXELsHAM.com

    www.hdrlabs.com/picturenaut/plugins.html

     

     

    Note. The Median Cut algorithm is typically used for color quantization, which involves reducing the number of colors in an image while preserving its visual quality. It doesn’t directly provide a way to identify the brightest areas in an image. However, if you’re interested in identifying the brightest areas, you might want to look into other methods like thresholding, histogram analysis, or edge detection, through openCV for example.

     

    Here is an openCV example:

     

    # bottom left coordinates = 0,0
import numpy as np
import cv2

# Load the HDR or EXR image
image = cv2.imread('your_image_path.exr', cv2.IMREAD_UNCHANGED)  # Load as-is without modification

# Calculate the luminance from the HDR channels (assuming RGB format)
luminance = np.dot(image[..., :3], [0.299, 0.587, 0.114])

# Set a threshold value based on estimated EV
threshold_value = 2.4  # Estimated threshold value based on 4.8 EV

# Apply the threshold to identify bright areas
# The luminance array contains the calculated luminance values for each pixel in the image. # The threshold_value is a user-defined value that represents a cutoff point, separating "bright" and "dark" areas in terms of perceived luminance.
    thresholded = (luminance > threshold_value) * 255 

# Convert the thresholded image to uint8 for contour detection 
thresholded = thresholded.astype(np.uint8) 

# Find contours of the bright areas 
contours, _ = cv2.findContours(thresholded, cv2.RETR_EXTERNAL, cv2.CHAIN_APPROX_SIMPLE) 

# Create a list to store the bounding boxes of bright areas 
bright_areas = [] 

# Iterate through contours and extract bounding boxes for contour in contours: 
x, y, w, h = cv2.boundingRect(contour) 

# Adjust y-coordinate based on bottom-left origin 
y_bottom_left_origin = image.shape[0] - (y + h) bright_areas.append((x, y_bottom_left_origin, x + w, y_bottom_left_origin + h)) 

# Store as (x1, y1, x2, y2) 
# Print the identified bright areas 
print("Bright Areas (x1, y1, x2, y2):") for area in bright_areas: print(area)

     

    More details

     

    Luminance and Exposure in an EXR Image:

    • An EXR (Extended Dynamic Range) image format is often used to store high dynamic range (HDR) images that contain a wide range of luminance values, capturing both dark and bright areas.
    • Luminance refers to the perceived brightness of a pixel in an image. In an RGB image, luminance is often calculated using a weighted sum of the red, green, and blue channels, where different weights are assigned to each channel to account for human perception.
    • In an EXR image, the pixel values can represent radiometrically accurate scene values, including actual radiance or irradiance levels. These values are directly related to the amount of light emitted or reflected by objects in the scene.

     

    The luminance line is calculating the luminance of each pixel in the image using a weighted sum of the red, green, and blue channels. The three float values [0.299, 0.587, 0.114] are the weights used to perform this calculation.

     

    These weights are based on the concept of luminosity, which aims to approximate the perceived brightness of a color by taking into account the human eye’s sensitivity to different colors. The values are often derived from the NTSC (National Television System Committee) standard, which is used in various color image processing operations.

     

    Here’s the breakdown of the float values:

    • 0.299: Weight for the red channel.
    • 0.587: Weight for the green channel.
    • 0.114: Weight for the blue channel.

     

    The weighted sum of these channels helps create a grayscale image where the pixel values represent the perceived brightness. This technique is often used when converting a color image to grayscale or when calculating luminance for certain operations, as it takes into account the human eye’s sensitivity to different colors.

     

    For the threshold, remember that the exact relationship between EV values and pixel values can depend on the tone-mapping or normalization applied to the HDR image, as well as the dynamic range of the image itself.

     

    To establish a relationship between exposure and the threshold value, you can consider the relationship between linear and logarithmic scales:

    1. Linear and Logarithmic Scales:
      • Exposure values in an EXR image are often represented in logarithmic scales, such as EV (exposure value). Each increment in EV represents a doubling or halving of the amount of light captured.
      • Threshold values for luminance thresholding are usually linear, representing an actual luminance level.
    2. Conversion Between Scales:

      • To establish a mathematical relationship, you need to convert between the logarithmic exposure scale and the linear threshold scale.

      • One common method is to use a power function. For instance, you can use a power function to convert EV to a linear intensity value.



       

      threshold_value = base_value * (2 ** EV)



      Here, EV is the exposure value, base_value is a scaling factor that determines the relationship between EV and threshold_value, and 2 ** EV is used to convert the logarithmic EV to a linear intensity value.


    3. Choosing the Base Value:
      • The base_value factor should be determined based on the dynamic range of your EXR image and the specific luminance values you are dealing with.
      • You may need to experiment with different values of base_value to achieve the desired separation of bright areas from the rest of the image.

     

    Let’s say you have an EXR image with a dynamic range of 12 EV, which is a common range for many high dynamic range images. In this case, you want to set a threshold value that corresponds to a certain number of EV above the middle gray level (which is often considered to be around 0.18).

    Here’s an example of how you might determine a base_value to achieve this:

     

    # Define the dynamic range of the image in EV
dynamic_range = 12

# Choose the desired number of EV above middle gray for thresholding
desired_ev_above_middle_gray = 2

# Calculate the threshold value based on the desired EV above middle gray
threshold_value = 0.18 * (2 ** (desired_ev_above_middle_gray / dynamic_range))

print("Threshold Value:", threshold_value)
    Views : 830
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    Read more: HDRI Median Cut plugin

  • 2021 Fiat 500 Electric Car – Interior, Exterior

    pIXELsHAM.com
    Views : 766
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    Read more: 2021 Fiat 500 Electric Car – Interior, Exterior

  • DiffusionLight: HDRI Light Probes for Free by Painting a Chrome Ball

    pIXELsHAM.com

    https://diffusionlight.github.io/

     

     

    https://github.com/DiffusionLight/DiffusionLight

     

    https://github.com/DiffusionLight/DiffusionLight?tab=MIT-1-ov-file#readme

     

    https://colab.research.google.com/drive/15pC4qb9mEtRYsW3utXkk-jnaeVxUy-0S

     

    “a simple yet effective technique to estimate lighting in a single input image. Current techniques rely heavily on HDR panorama datasets to train neural networks to regress an input with limited field-of-view to a full environment map. However, these approaches often struggle with real-world, uncontrolled settings due to the limited diversity and size of their datasets. To address this problem, we leverage diffusion models trained on billions of standard images to render a chrome ball into the input image. Despite its simplicity, this task remains challenging: the diffusion models often insert incorrect or inconsistent objects and cannot readily generate images in HDR format. Our research uncovers a surprising relationship between the appearance of chrome balls and the initial diffusion noise map, which we utilize to consistently generate high-quality chrome balls. We further fine-tune an LDR difusion model (Stable Diffusion XL) with LoRA, enabling it to perform exposure bracketing for HDR light estimation. Our method produces convincing light estimates across diverse settings and demonstrates superior generalization to in-the-wild scenarios.”

     

    Views : 162
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    Read more: DiffusionLight: HDRI Light Probes for Free by Painting a Chrome Ball

  • Lighting & Atmospheric Optics

    pIXELsHAM.com

    http://www.atoptics.co.uk/

    Views : 1,466
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    Read more: Lighting & Atmospheric Optics

  • Light-A-Video – Training-free Video Relighting via Progressive Light Fusion

    pIXELsHAM.com

    https://github.com/bcmi/Light-A-Video

    Views : 340
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    Read more: Light-A-Video – Training-free Video Relighting via Progressive Light Fusion

  • Blender Addons for Rendering and Lighting

    pIXELsHAM.com
    Views : 1,039
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    Read more: Blender Addons for Rendering and Lighting

  • Composition – cinematography Cheat Sheet

    pIXELsHAM.com

    https://moodle.gllm.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/190622/mod_resource/content/1/Cinematography%20Cheat%20Sheet.pdf

    Where is our eye attracted first? Why?

    Size. Focus. Lighting. Color.

    Size. Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) on the right.
    Focus. He’s one of the two objects in focus.
    Lighting. Mr. White is large and in focus and Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) is highlighted by
    a shaft of light.
    Color. Both are black and white but the read on Mr. White’s shirt now really stands out.


    What type of lighting?

    -> High key lighting.
    Features bright, even illumination and few conspicuous shadows. This lighting key is often used in musicals and comedies.

    Low key lighting
    Features diffused shadows and atmospheric pools of light. This lighting key is often used in mysteries and thrillers.

    High contrast lighting
    Features harsh shafts of lights and dramatic streaks of blackness. This type of lighting is often used in tragedies and melodramas.

     

    What type of shot?

    Extreme long shot
    Taken from a great distance, showing much of the locale. Ifpeople are included in these shots, they usually appear as mere specks

    -> Long shot
    Corresponds to the space between the audience and the stage in a live theater. The long shots show the characters and some of the locale.

    Full shot
    Range with just enough space to contain the human body in full. The full shot shows the character and a minimal amount of the locale.

    Medium shot
    Shows the human figure from the knees or waist up.

    Close-Up
    Concentrates on a relatively small object and show very little if any locale.

    Extreme close-up
    Focuses on an unnaturally small portion of an object, giving that part great detail and symbolic significance.

     

    What angle?

    Bird’s-eye view.
    The shot is photographed directly from above. This type of shot can be disorienting, and the people photographed seem insignificant.

    High angle.
    This angle reduces the size of the objects photographed. A person photographed from this angle seems harmless and insignificant, but to a lesser extent than with the bird’s-eye view.

    -> Eye-level shot.
    The clearest view of an object, but seldom intrinsically dramatic, because it tends to be the norm.

    Low angle.
    This angle increases high and a sense of verticality, heightening the importance of the object photographed. A person shot from this angle is given a sense of power and respect.

    Oblique angle.
    For this angle, the camera is tilted laterally, giving the image a slanted appearance. Oblique angles suggest tension, transition, a impending movement. They are also called canted or dutch angles.

     

    What is the dominant color?

    The use of color in this shot is symbolic. The scene is set in warehouse. Both the set and characters are blues, blacks and whites.

    This was intentional allowing for the scenes and shots with blood to have a great level of contrast.

     

    What is the Lens/Filter/Stock?

    Telephoto lens.
    A lens that draws objects closer but also diminishes the illusion of depth.

    Wide-angle lens.
    A lens that takes in a broad area and increases the illusion of depth but sometimes distorts the edges of the image.

    Fast film stock.
    Highly sensitive to light, it can register an image with little illumination. However, the final product tends to be grainy.

    Slow film stock.
    Relatively insensitive to light, it requires a great deal of illumination. The final product tends to look polished.

    The lens is not wide-angle because there isn’t a great sense of depth, nor are several planes in focus. The lens is probably long but not necessarily a telephoto lens because the depth isn’t inordinately compressed.

    The stock is fast because of the grainy quality of the image.

     

    Subsidiary Contrast; where does the eye go next?

    The two guns.

     

    How much visual information is packed into the image? Is the texture stark, moderate, or highly detailed?

    Minimalist clutter in the warehouse allows a focus on a character driven thriller.

     

    What is the Composition?

    Horizontal.
    Compositions based on horizontal lines seem visually at rest and suggest placidity or peacefulness.

    Vertical.
    Compositions based on vertical lines seem visually at rest and suggest strength.

    -> Diagonal.
    Compositions based on diagonal, or oblique, lines seem dynamic and suggest tension or anxiety.

    -> Binary. Binary structures emphasize parallelism.

    Triangle.
    Triadic compositions stress the dynamic interplay among three main

    Circle.
    Circular compositions suggest security and enclosure.

     

    Is the form open or closed? Does the image suggest a window that arbitrarily isolates a fragment of the scene? Or a proscenium arch, in which the visual elements are carefully arranged and held in balance?

    The most nebulous of all the categories of mise en scene, the type of form is determined by how consciously structured the mise en scene is. Open forms stress apparently simple techniques, because with these unself-conscious methods the filmmaker is able to emphasize the immediate, the familiar, the intimate aspects of reality. In open-form images, the frame tends to be deemphasized. In closed form images, all the necessary information is carefully structured within the confines of the frame. Space seems enclosed and self-contained rather than continuous.

    Could argue this is a proscenium arch because this is such a classic shot with parallels and juxtapositions.

     

    Is the framing tight or loose? Do the character have no room to move around, or can they move freely without impediments?

    Shots where the characters are placed at the edges of the frame and have little room to move around within the frame are considered tight.

    Longer shots, in which characters have room to move around within the frame, are considered loose and tend to suggest freedom.

    Center-framed giving us the entire scene showing isolation, place and struggle.

     

    Depth of Field. On how many planes is the image composed (how many are in focus)? Does the background or foreground comment in any way on the mid-ground?

    Standard DOF, one background and clearly defined foreground.

     

    Which way do the characters look vis-a-vis the camera?

    An actor can be photographed in any of five basic positions, each conveying different psychological overtones.

    Full-front (facing the camera):
    the position with the most intimacy. The character is looking in our direction, inviting our complicity.

    Quarter Turn:
    the favored position of most filmmakers. This position offers a high degree of intimacy but with less emotional involvement than the full-front.

    -> Profile (looking of the frame left or right):
    More remote than the quarter turn, the character in profile seems unaware of being observed, lost in his or her own thoughts.

    Three-quarter Turn:
    More anonymous than the profile, this position is useful for conveying a character’s unfriendly or antisocial feelings, for in effect, the character is partially turning his or her back on us, rejecting our interest.

    Back to Camera:
    The most anonymous of all positions, this position is often used to suggest a character’s alienation from the world. When a character has his or her back to the camera, we can only guess what’s taking place internally, conveying a sense of concealment, or mystery.

    How much space is there between the characters?

    Extremely close, for a gunfight.

     

    The way people use space can be divided into four proxemic patterns.

    Intimate distances.
    The intimate distance ranges from skin contact to about eighteen inches away. This is the distance of physical involvement–of love, comfort, and tenderness between individuals.

    -> Personal distances.
    The personal distance ranges roughly from eighteen inches away to about four feet away. These distances tend to be reserved for friends and acquaintances. Personal distances preserve the privacy between individuals, yet these rages don’t necessarily suggest exclusion, as intimate distances often do.

    Social distances.
    The social distance rages from four feet to about twelve feet. These distances are usually reserved for impersonal business and casual social gatherings. It’s a friendly range in most cases, yet somewhat more formal than the personal distance.

    Public distances.
    The public distance extends from twelve feet to twenty-five feet or more. This range tends to be formal and rather detached.

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  • Deconstructing Film Lighting || Masterclass by gaffer Julian White

    pIXELsHAM.com
    Views : 1,132
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    Read more: Deconstructing Film Lighting || Masterclass by gaffer Julian White

  • Ethan Roffler interviews CG Supervisor Daniele Tosti

    pIXELsHAM.com

    Ethan Roffler
    I recently had the honor of interviewing this VFX genius and gained great insight into what it takes to work in the entertainment industry. Keep in mind, these questions are coming from an artist’s perspective but can be applied to any creative individual looking for some wisdom from a professional. So grab a drink, sit back, and enjoy this fun and insightful conversation.



    Ethan
    To start, I just wanted to say thank you so much for taking the time for this interview!

    Daniele
    My pleasure.
    When I started my career I struggled to find help. Even people in the industry at the time were not that helpful. Because of that, I decided very early on that I was going to do exactly the opposite. I spend most of my weekends talking or helping students. ;)

    Ethan
    That’s awesome! I have also come across the same struggle! Just a heads up, this will probably be the most informal interview you’ll ever have haha! Okay, so let’s start with a small introduction!

    Daniele
    Short introduction: I worked very hard and got lucky enough to work on great shows with great people. ;) Slightly longer version: I started working for a TV channel, very early, while I was learning about CG. Slowly made my way across the world, working along very great people and amazing shows. I learned that to be successful in this business, you have to really love what you do as much as respecting the people around you. What you do will improve to the final product; the way you work with people will make a difference in your life.

    Ethan
    How long have you been an artist?

    Daniele
    Loaded question. I believe I am still trying and craving to be one. After each production I finish I realize how much I still do not know. And how many things I would like to try. I guess in my CG Sup and generalist world, being an artist is about learning as much about the latest technologies and production cycles as I can, then putting that in practice. Having said that, I do consider myself a cinematographer first, as I have been doing that for about 25 years now.

    Ethan
    Words of true wisdom, the more I know the less I know:) How did you get your start in the industry?
    How did you break into such a competitive field?

    Daniele
    There were not many schools when I started. It was all about a few magazines, some books, and pushing software around trying to learn how to make pretty images. Opportunities opened because of that knowledge! The true break was learning to work hard to achieve a Suspension of Disbelief in my work that people would recognize as such. It’s not something everyone can do, but I was fortunate to not be scared of working hard, being a quick learner and having very good supervisors and colleagues to learn from.

    Ethan
    Which do you think is better, having a solid art degree or a strong portfolio?

    Daniele
    Very good question. A strong portfolio will get you a job now. A solid strong degree will likely get you a job for a longer period. Let me digress here; Working as an artist is not about being an artist, it’s about making money as an artist. Most people fail to make that difference and have either a poor career or lack the understanding to make a stable one. One should never mix art with working as an artist. You can do both only if you understand business and are fair to yourself.



    Ethan
    That’s probably the most helpful answer to that question I have ever heard.
    What’s some advice you can offer to someone just starting out who wants to break into the industry?

    Daniele
    Breaking in the industry is not just about knowing your art. It’s about knowing good business practices. Prepare a good demo reel based on the skill you are applying for; research all the places where you want to apply and why; send as many reels around; follow up each reel with a phone call. Business is all about right time, right place.

    Ethan
    A follow-up question to that is: Would you consider it a bad practice to send your demo reels out in mass quantity rather than focusing on a handful of companies to research and apply for?

    Daniele
    Depends how desperate you are… I would say research is a must. To improve your options, you need to know which company is working on what and what skills they are after. If you were selling vacuum cleaners you probably would not want to waste energy contacting shoemakers or cattle farmers.

    Ethan
    What do you think the biggest killer of creativity and productivity is for you?

    Daniele
    Money…If you were thinking as an artist. ;) If you were thinking about making money as an artist… then I would say “thinking that you work alone”.

    Ethan
    Best. Answer. Ever.
    What are ways you fight complacency and maintain fresh ideas, outlooks, and perspectives

    Daniele
    Two things: Challenge yourself to go outside your comfort zone. And think outside of the box.

    Ethan
    What are the ways/habits you have that challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone and think outside the box?

    Daniele
    If you think you are a good character painter, pick up a camera and go take pictures of amazing landscapes. If you think you are good only at painting or sketching, learn how to code in python. If you cannot solve a problem, that being a project or a person, learn to ask for help or learn about looking at the problem from various perspectives. If you are introvert, learn to be extrovert. And vice versa. And so on…

    Ethan
    How do you avoid burnout?

    Daniele
    Oh… I wish I learned about this earlier. I think anyone that has a passion in something is at risk of burning out. Artists, more than many, because we see the world differently and our passion goes deep. You avoid burnouts by thinking that you are in a long term plan and that you have an obligation to pay or repay your talent by supporting and cherishing yourself and your family, not your paycheck. You do this by treating your art as a business and using business skills when dealing with your career and using artistic skills only when you are dealing with a project itself.

    Ethan
    Looking back, what was a big defining moment for you?

    Daniele
    Recognizing that people around you, those being colleagues, friends or family, come first.
    It changed my career overnight.

    Ethan
    Who are some of your personal heroes?

    Daniele
    Too many to list. Most recently… James Cameron; Joe Letteri; Lawrence Krauss; Richard Dawkins. Because they all mix science, art, and poetry in their own way.

    Ethan
    Last question:
    What’s your dream job? ;)

    Daniele
    Teaching artists to be better at being business people… as it will help us all improve our lives and the careers we took…

    Being a VFX artist is fundamentally based on mistrust.
    This because schedules, pipelines, technology, creative calls… all have a native and naive instability to them that causes everyone to grow a genuine but beneficial lack of trust in the status quo. This is a fine balance act to build into your character. The VFX motto: “Love everyone but trust no one” is born on that.

     

    Views : 3,493
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    Read more: Ethan Roffler interviews CG Supervisor Daniele Tosti

  • 9 Best Hacks to Make a Cinematic Video with Any Camera

    pIXELsHAM.com

    https://www.flexclip.com/learn/cinematic-video.html

    • Frame Your Shots to Create Depth
    • Create Shallow Depth of Field
    • Avoid Shaky Footage and Use Flexible Camera Movements
    • Properly Use Slow Motion
    • Use Cinematic Lighting Techniques
    • Apply Color Grading
    • Use Cinematic Music and SFX
    • Add Cinematic Fonts and Text Effects
    • Create the Cinematic Bar at the Top and the Bottom

     

     

    Views : 677
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    Read more: 9 Best Hacks to Make a Cinematic Video with Any Camera

  • HDReye – shoot a bracketed multi-exposure panorama of your location and generate a 32-bit (.EXR format) HDRi from your phone

    pIXELsHAM.com

    https://hdreye.app/

     

    Views : 885
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    Read more: HDReye – shoot a bracketed multi-exposure panorama of your location and generate a 32-bit (.EXR format) HDRi from your phone

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