VSFX 752 - 3D Color, Lighting, and Rendering

Recreating Reference-based Mood with Maya Lighting

Project Summary:
Choose a project with aspects you would like to explore further. This can be a more involved version of a previous project or something new altogether.

Results:
Click on the image to the right to see the final video.

I was really happy with the results of project 3 and with what I learned from a relatively simple scene. I chose to do another mood piece for this project, this time with warm natural lighting. Again, I chose an interior design photo for its simple shapes and emphasis on lighting rather than surfaces or textures. I particularly liked this photo because it has several levels of depth and corresponding changes in light; harsh highlights, deep shadows, direct light, and soft bounce light.

I had originally planned to use GI because it would work well in replicating the color bounce found in the source image (at left). After repeated problems with light leaking around the wall edges I resorted to traditional spotlights and area lights throughout the scene, in itself proving challenging but good experience. When all was said and done I ended up with 15 lights; 6 spot lights, 3 area lights, and 6 ambient lights for color spill. You can see the overall scene layout by clicking on the image at right.

Final rendering was again in Mental Ray. Click on the image to the right to see the final still. Click to see the reference and final image side by side. There are some differences between the two, particularly involving the way the surface of the wall interacts with light. Ultimately, the point of the project was not to replicate exactly the scene but rather capture its overall mood and I feel it was very successful in that regard. The assignment called for a short animation with a small camera move, you can see that video by clicking on the final render at the top of the page.