Compositing Projects - Outcomes

I have now completed both projects for this compositing module, which I am ready to hand in. I am pretty pleased with the outcomes, although I would have liked to have used more accurate editing in After Effects but I have not yet got a vast enough knowledge for this standard of work. Also note, I haven't added any sounds to these videos, mainly because it wasn't stated in this particular brief, and I wanted to focus on the compositing skills rather than extra effects, etc. Anyway, here are my completed videos for both the character and creative effects compositing projects. :)

Compositing 2: Creative Effects

For my second compositing/After Effects project, I have been given lots of rendered frames of a 3D scene, which I have to place together and add creative effects to in After Effects.

There's not really much I can say or show for this, as I keep changing my mind everytime I open it! :) Anyway, for now, I think I have decided on a color balance/saturation change to pinks and blues. I have also added a couple of glows.

Here are a few screenshots to show what I have been doing so far:

I have yet to edit/use all of the renders given, for instance one effect I will have to try and use is a lens blur, as we have been given some zdepth maps for certain frames. I may also play with more colour correction techniques such as contrast or exposure, or something totally different likea particle effect! We shall see...

Compositing 3D into a photograph :)

The first of two compositing projects for the end of my second year involves animating a character realistically into a still photograph or video file.

I have experimented with my character from my previous animation project with a chrome material (this was advised in the brief, so I hope I am not cheating :D ) into a photograph on a reflective work surface from the kitchen.

Part of the brief states the character must walk/go behind an object in the image, compositing in 3D using the shadow/matte/reflection material. In this example I have used a mug, and placed a 3D teapot behind it, to show that I know my material set-up is working.

Anyway, here are a couple of renders and a quick video showing how I have added depth of field using a simple zdepth map. (I still havent got the hang of making this look very effective yet - something I will practice more...)

jpeg render with environment background

zdepth map render pass

A quick sample of zdepth and len blur in action:

Visualisation Practice - Daylight system v. Standard Volume Lights

Basically, because I rather like doing visualisation work, I have decided to keep practicing it, seeing as it's nearly the end of the year and only have one project left to do (well.. two mini ones I think). First of all, I just made a simple room with 2 windows in 1 wall and a camera facing this wall. I then added a few objects, before trying to add light and shadows from the windows.

Firstly, I tried using standard lights with the volume light effect coming from outside the windows. I also used a couple of standard omni lights of a similar colour to the wooden floor to light the scene generally.

Secondly, I tried using a daylight system to add lights from outside the windows. With this, I then experimented with the mr (mental ray) sky and daylight settings, so I could have the illusion of a ground plane outside. I also used some photometric omni lights for the same effect as the previous example. However, for these lights, I had to combine their "kelvin" levels and the photometric exposure settings to get my desired colour and brightness.

I think if I used these techniques combined (i.e. use a daylight system and photometric lights, but also adda couple of volume light effects onto photometric spotlights from the windows?) then I could achieve a better effect overall.
 

This is only very simple lighting in terms of visualisation, and I will be learning and trying muuuuch more over the summer, as lighting and cinematrography are the main parts of my research question. :)

Uploaded new website :)

For any of you who may be interested, I have been working on completing the main pages for my website this weekend, and have just finished uploading it to my domain. :) It seems to be working now - yaay!

Take a look:


http://www.samantha-freeman.com/index.html