Another Ladder

This is another test comp for the Factory scene:

POV of Tyler looking for the exit..

The plan is to get as many of the test comps underway as soon as possible, and capture the feeling for the scene, then to do final renders with some more passes (eg. motion vector). Then the composites should be tweaked and finalised.

As I add more atmosphere to the alleyway shots in order to keep with the feeling of the scene, it is then important to make sure these are as consistent as possible in look. Afterwards, likely requiring dirtying up these CG shots to make them appear as being shot..

Comp-fu:

After getting the bulk of the compositing done, I found that the ladder just didn't stand out enough. This was primarily because of the colour correction washing it out to a blue tone like the rest of the image. In order to fix this I used the depth pass and graded it in order for it to give me a solid white isolation of the ladder. However, the foreground was also white, so I roto'd this area out. Once this re-painting was complete, I used a Keyer node the make the luminance into an alpha and used the Copy (alpha) node to isolate the ladder area of the composite to that point in to re-grade to a redder tone (even with a yellow glare and glow on the highlights - again by using the grade node which is very opaque) and Merge on top again. This brought the ladder to a better colour in the comp, and therefore stand out some more.

Vertigo

Here is a shot clearly inspired by the famous push-pull shot from Alfred Hitchcock's 'Vertigo':

Tyler is nervous and alone, and looks down the ladder of the factory as the only exit. We then see him walking down this ladder into an alleyway...

More Tests

More in synch colour correction

Error at wall fixed by rubble geo (texture and lighting did not do enough)

Very rough comp, but risen 'values' for glowing effect

More feeling of fog and depth needed

Tested motion blur:

Using motion vector pass

Long Shot Test #2

Only master beauty, ambient occlusion and basic zDepth passes were rendered for this.

Power of the comp.

CG-LiveAction Comp Test

I have tested the idea of compositing live action elements into the CG environment.

Here is the sketch:

This example has partially been textured with the wall on the right being composited from a photograph as well as the roughly roto'd circuit box on the far wall.

I think this is the best option if the tracking process goes well. I see the plan of action being exporting the camera from Maya and bringing that into Nuke for the slight pan to work nicely.

3D Tracking Test

Up until now I have tracked shots with 2D (x and y) movements. Today, I have conducted a 3D tracking test (x, y and z) on the main handheld dolly shot.

This is because I see 3D tracking as a step up from 2D tracking and so I wanted to test my compositing workflow tracked to the Tracker node before the CameraTracker node.

In 2D tracking, you can manually pick one point that you think will track well. Then you copy the translate values to a Transform node on the trackable elements. In 3D tracking, the system picks the points. For this track I chose initially 300 tracking points. This is because the camera moves a real lot. After this, basically, you can export the camera information for rendering 3D elements to composite in 2D pipeline; composite 3D elements within Nuke; or composite 2D elements onto 'Cards' which are connected to the 'camera' in your 3D 'scene'... This give you an idea why I see 3D tracking as a progression up from 2D.

I have placed this 3D sphere into the plate:

(Bottom right)

The majority of work on this shot will consist of 2D roto cleanup and possible additions of subtle atmosphere and fog which are of 2D stock footage. So, I will see what this entails in regard to things looking correct or flat and odd.

Here is the track so far:

I am very pleased with the solve. I have achieved a low Solve Error and it looks good to the (my) eye. It follows the many movements of the camera convincingly. I am quite impressed by the Nuke workflow and output here.

More on this later.

Twinning

During the shoot we did use the composition in a lot of cases to create the idea of conjunction and twinning.

Seen as the content is of a man who has been conjoined to his twin brother for his entire life who imagines himself alone and independent, this is compositionally and in terms of storytelling rather significant.

However, some things we could not conjoin or twin up on set/location.

Therefore... COMPOSITING will be at hand to help..

Here is a quick example:

Sh040

In order to integrate these more I would however add a shadow on the original fan, add scratches and such to distinguish a difference between the two and add smoke from the additional composited fan - different to the original, for example.

Factory/Station Comp Tests

After yesterday's very basic start, I am beginning to get a lot more satisfied with some of the proposed effects.

Here is a test of the composite so far:

Focus #1

Focus #2

Lighting: I have opted to do the beams of light solely in Nuke. Here you can make more interesting shapes with roto'. I have added extra spotlights - so I have three, one for the door, one for the light cast at the back, and one for  the foreground over the car. The direction fill light faces the way of the camera. An ambient light is used for the diffuse layer for creating a simple pass at the moment.

Composite: I have applied the same idea of light outside with a light wrap spilling onto the inside. I might go for a sunset feeling with this later. As I mentioned I have created beams of light using roto'. I have used a light layer and ambient occlusion layer and then down-played the diffuse so the ugly textures aren't as visible - and this adds to the misty effect. I have created mist in the background and played with zDepth. I have also applied an 18mm lens distortion from the alleyway scene. I have composited smoke into here - in the foreground, from the pipes and roto'd around the car and the tunnel area to place it in space.

Here are some breakdowns to demonstrate this:

This is the node tree:

I can visibly see things improving and can feel the progress here. I still looks like concept art and not quite realistic enough yet. The big aim is obviously for it, once developed some more, to work as a moving image (even if very slight). The shot will have a simple shake when meant to be still as well as a version which very slightly dollies in. All while smoke glides from pipes and beams twinkle with dust in a state of slow motion.

I will work with my cinematographers to get this scene to become seamless with the rest of the shots in the film.

Basic Nuke Stuff

Just mucking about in Nuke, trying to get used to nodes like the RotoPaint, and merging some stuff in, using the light wrap etc.

Hopefully this will lead onto actual good work....

I am enjoying working at becoming more fluent in Nukeish...

My Belbin Profile

We got our behaviour within a team results based on our self evaluation questionaire which we answered last week.

My main results were as follows:

Plant - creative, imaginative, unorthodox. Solves difficult problems.
However, ignores incidentals. Too pre-occupied with own thoughts to communicated effectively.

Shaper - Challenging, dynamic, thrives on pressure. Has the drive and courage to overcome obstacles.
However, prone to provocation. Liable to offend others.

Resource investigator - extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative. Explores opportunities. Develops contacts.
However, over-optimistic. Can lose interest once initial enthusiasm has passed

Other results were:

Co-ordinator - mature, confident. Clarifies goals. Brings other people together to promote team discussions.
However, can be seen as manipulative. Offloads personal work.

Monitor evaluator - Serious minded, strategic and discerning. Sees all options. Judges accurately.
However, can lack the drive and ability to inspire others.

Completer finisher.
Specialist.

I am not:

Teamworker - co-operative, mild, perceptive and diplomatic. Listens, builds, averts friction. Indecisive in crunch situations
Implementer - Disciplined, reliable, conservative in habits. A capacity for taking practical steps and actions. Somewhat inflexible. Slow to respond to new possibilities.

Nickname: 
'An explorer' (secondarily a 'maverick')

My thoughts:

So, it is clear to me that everyone reading the descriptions for the profiles and roles can relate to them all in some way. It is a bit like cold reading in a sense but at least there are 9 different options and not just one. 

I took a similar test in 2011 with Dundee-based company Insights. They used a different technique in the questionare and were based more on personality defining, and so the profiles I got back were harsher as this apparently can't be changed it is in your DNA and the way you are, but nonetheless, again, true.

I only had two 'least preferred roles' in the profile, so I practically was competent in them all as the other 7 were either preferred or manageable. They say this is behavioural, or not a personal, evaluation so these things can change in the future. So it is likely, I believe, that these 7 roles will fluctuate in competency or preference through time for me. However, it was a good idea and as I say I do relate to the profiles and it does make you think about your behaviour in a team and where you can fit in, improve or where you are allowed not to be so great or as good as others are if you want to take up a particular role. I like the idea this can also adapt. I would agree with the particular roles I least prefer as these do not 'talk to me' like the others do.

Cling Film Film | Pure Cinema/Suspense Test

I wrote, storyboarded and directed a short test in 'pure cinema' as Alfred Hitchcock defines it. It is fairly long - 12 minutes, and copies the technique of the three shot process over and over, and with the timing it should in theory create suspense. This test was created so I could practice storytelling techniques, so within my masters study such techniques were easy for me so I can concentrate on the likes of compositing more directly.

The film was shot in June 2012, and editing was completed in August 2012. However, due to problems with meeting with the musicians and sound engineers to record the music, there has been a heavy delay in the finishing touches. We hope to record it December of 2012.

Here is the version with no music:

And, here is an example of the the music:

There is also planned to be, and has been rehearsed to have, a play-off between fiddle and saxophone...

Test Composites Progress

Here are some examples of composites for one of the shots in the test:

I have composited this in After Effects, but I aim to try out some keying and some nodes within Nuke, to find out more about that program. Unfortunately, this composite does not have any light wrap in it, so using the light wrap node within Nuke might be worthwhile. 

In regards to the shoot, I feel we haven't done to well with the layout of the shot. This could have been avoided by more planning, and less improvisation. Let's see how the final video looks... I'll keep you updated.

Green Screen Test - Edit Progress

I have edited each shot for the green screen test shot on Wednesday down and put the sequence together.

Here is the progress:

Green Screen Shoot And Chroma Keying Tests

Example of simple chroma keying test in After Effects for 'multiple exposure' shot.

Myself and Michal Zagorski led a shoot at the green screen studio with the beautiful Alona Kiricenko doing the performing.

We filmed from 3pm to 8pm and were quite efficient at following my storyboard and keeping everything simple and well executed (in our opinions...)

I have since executed some simple chroma keying using Keylight within After Effects. I also hope to do this in Nuke (with Keylight, and IBK colour nodes, etc.) and composite it with more style. I find that After Effects creates naturally quite an artificial look, and there aren't many, many options available to rectify this, quite like it seems Nuke, complicatedly, can.

A simple AE key and composite.

The original plate shot on Wednesday.

 _____

Another, less accurate example.

This test should allow myself and Michal to know better how to go about a green screen shoot, even though we were very textbook in how we went about it and knew/were confident in how to do it beforehand. But, also it should allow us to see how more creative one can be with it, after practicing the basics fairly smoothly.

Warehouse For Test Progress

This is Lina Ivanova's environment so far for the test (which we shall shoot for next week.)

The lighting will be a little different, based on film noir, and the textures shall be touched up in terms of resolution.

I will do a multi-pass render and create an atmosphere in the place in the composite. Then, I might composite the beautiful Alona Kiricenko into the the environment after the live action (green screen) shoot next Wednesday with Michal Zagorski (if the chroma keying goes well enough...), and follow the storyboard presented in a previous post.

Environment For Test So Far

I am doing a test this semester for compositing an environment in Nuke.

For this, I am working with classmate Lina Ivanova.

So, here is a render with physical sun and sky lighting.

Once a few more objects are modeled and placed into the environment, as well as some simple textures are applied, I will set up the camera, lighting, render layers and then add elements, other styles and correct everything and generally composite in Nuke (I might even add a live action character if all goes exceptionally well)...

Here is Lina's full post on this.

References For Test

Myself and Lina are starting up on a test of an environment, so I can try out the type of composite I'd like to achieve this year as she works on her experience in 3D environment modelling.

I have taken inspiration from derelict buildings in Dundee. However, I could not get inside, where are are basing our environment, but I still managed to get some interior shots.

Particular films explore the types of imagery I'd like to create:

'Red' Particularly good style in this exterior shot.

'Station Park'

Orson Welles' 'The Trial' (1962)

These materials should be relevant for the final piece. Even though I do not have a character locked yet, I will look to create a similar setting based on these, and other, influences. Then I want to explore a variety of shots to explore not only compositing in Nuke but the variety within filmmaking further.