Modelling Previs previs will be used only as

Modelling

Pre-vis pre-vis will be used only as a guide on set so the shots as filmed may differ greatly from the inital pre-vis although sometimes it will match shot for shot, framing for framing, action for action.

The idea is capture as much visual information about the shoot so that anything can be reconstructed later in CG if needed.

LIDAR is a laser-based 3 D scanning device that can create highly detailed models of buildings or environments. Samller objects will be scanned using a similar device.

Once the shoot has finished and the edit begins the actual takes of each shot that will be used in the film are selected and then scanned by the client. Most film is scanned at 2 K, or 2048 x 1556 pixels if the film is shot on Super 35 mm. Each frame is scanned as a separate high dynamic range image to preserve as much detail from the original negative as possible.

Grading is a process whereby colour and exposure changes are made to the scanned frames. The purpose of a technical grade is to get all shots in a sequence to have the same overall look and feel so that there are no noticeable jumps in brightness or colour changes when the shots are viewed together as a sequence.

Grading

Luster

Plate Input

Plate Output

Rigging Creature rigging is especially difficult as layers of bone, flesh and skin need to be simulated by the rigging process

Rigging

Rigging

Tracking-Match Move The first thing to be done will be the production of a camera track. This will be done with a piece of 3 D tracking software like Boujou, 3 DE or PFTrack. On set, the lens measurements will have been taken so that the correct focal length can applied to the CG camera. Often it will require manual tweaking of the output of the tracker to finesse the camera move into something which locks perfectly with what the real camera did on set.

Animation is the process of taking the modeled, rigged elements and bringing them to life.

Effects Animation Effects animation refers to anything involving simulation. These will generally fall into one of three categories, particles, rigidbody dynamics and fluids

Texturing nce the models are finshed they need to have texture maps both for colour and for fine detail and texture that it isn't sensible to try and model like pores, wrinkles and so on.

Look Development

Lighting

Compositing is the last process in the chain and it is where all the CG, elements and the scanned plates are brought together to create a seamless finished image

Compositing

Reverse Telecine