Lighting and the Bayou

Well, it’s been a whirlwind. The schedule is a tight one with how fast we have to light things and get them approved before they are test rendered and then sent back to me to fix and then cycle through them until we all agree. However, 2 days is not enough. But, it’s been a interesting trial on trying to get the lighting done and approved in those two days.

Three point lighting has been working I think. It has a moody element to it, but there are so many smaller lights that go in the background to help emphasize the main characters or to help them feel like they are more than just digital clay moving through a set. Little area light here, a large spotlight to simulate moonlight, it all goes together to make it seem plausibly real.

At first, the lighting kind of felt super bright. We tried a whole bunch of solutions only to be left stumped. It wasn’t until we looked into the actual skydome that we figured out that the exposure and intensity were too high. So the first one is before the switch, and the second image is after. Much more moody and nighttime-esque.
Then we had to figure out how to light individual scenes so that the characters weren’t lost in all the other lights. With enough little lights to help sell that there is a fire here, or a moon there, it all culminates in a scene that hopefully goes unnoticed by the audience but all pulls them in at the same time.

Anyway, that’s all for today. More to come as I continue my lighting journey!