Lighting and Compositing Showcase 2023
A true Rookie, my journey into lighting started just eight months ago.
Lighting and Compositing Showcase 2023
Lighting up my Life
Having only opened Maya for the first time in September of last year (I didn't even know was Arnold was!) and Nuke a month later, I have worked diligently towards my new career as a Lighting and Compositing Artist.
The following pieces have what come out of my love and dedication to this art form.
Portal to Land of Misfit Toys
Inspiration coming not only from Laika's, "Coraline," but the 1970s claymation Christmas films, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "A Year Without A Santa Clause," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," among others. It is where the original Land of Misfit Toys began.
Shading Just Right
Having a general understanding of shading/materials and the relationship with lighting is important when lighting a scene. In order to have the final result work with lighting, a few iterations of base colors for the wall and floor were tested.
First try was based on the final reference - green wallpaper with yellow oak floor. When that proved to be not quite right, further research into the film noted that the room's walls and floor were more on the teal side. Final adjustments were made in Maya with color correct node.
Testing Work
Throughout the process, it is important that work is checked against the reference to be sure on track. One such test is the 'threshhold test.'
Keen Eye for Color
Matching a color key is imperative for continuity. There are many things to keep in mind when understanding color, such as:
-color temperature
-color relativity
-value
The color temperature is clearly seen on the wall, going from hotter yellow to cooler blue. Understanding the Kelvin scale is important to know when working with light.
Abominable Snowball
I proudly present my very first lighting project, Abominable Snowball, based on Dreamworks film, Abominable.
Finding the Light
Get pre-production right, the rest of the scene goes more smoothly. First thing: references - the blueprint for setting the mood.
Creating the Shot
Sometimes it takes a few iterations to get the right shot. In this case, the story was really about one little monster, keying in on him, well, was key.
Reference v Result
Kubo's Dragon
This piece is my first dabble in using a back plate and then integrating a CG character seamlessly into the shot. This involved learning more about visual effects and compositing.
Using a scene from Laika's film, "Kubo and the Two Strings" as the back plate and reference from Disney's, "Pete's Dragon," I integrated, you guessed it, a dragon into the scene. To add more depth and further push my limits, I also added some godrays peeking through the pathway of trees. This leads the eye to the starring pair.
Seamless Integration
Dolce Amore
For the love of Pixar, this piece was inspired by a two-second scene in the the film, "Ratatouille." It brought me right back to the first time I saw the film - in Italian, in Florence, Italy - with my friend who later became a chef, partly because he, too, was also inspired by this film. This is a true journey of love.
Timelapse
A process is never perfect from the start, many changes and iterations are worked on before the final version.
The End Result
Please see my website or Rookies portfolio for credits to all the great artists that have contributed their inspiring pieces to my work, without them my pieces wouldn't be possible. Thank you to all.
www.thekuzicartoon.com
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