Digital Tutors

Today I purchased an account with Digital Tutors which is an online learning centre directly concerned with all things digital. It is one thing knowing how lighting works in the real world, however, lighting in a three dimensional program like maya is a whole different ball game. Part of the issue with lighting in Maya is knowing what tools, lights and dials to press.

In Chris's scene there is one light source in the room which is emitted from a bulb in a lamp shade. In order for this to work I need to understand the way lighting works in maya as well as understanding the rendering process which is where all the magic happens. I began by looking at a tutorial which focused primarily on translucent objects. The scene itself had a regular lamp. In the video the artist used an area light to simulate the light source as it passed through the lamp shade surface. In reality when light passes through a lamp shade colour from the lamp shade itself is reflected onto the surfaces around the room. However, this light needs to be diffused in comparison with the light being directed down towards a surface like a table for example.

The artist used some interesting techniques to replicate realistic lighting by using mental ray shaders to override shadows made by the lampshade itself. This was achieved relatively easily, however, the hard part was manipulating the light so that it would only illuminate parts of the room. The light itself needed some falloff otherwise the moody look chris wanted would be destroyed. The area light used to create the initial light source needed some linear decay which simulates the way in which light reflected gradually gets darker over distance.

Currently I am writing up a dissertation about the importance of lighting in film which has helped me to understand the principles of lighting and the way in which it is use as a storytelling device. I have also learnt that shade and shadow are equally important as light itself. Using shadow in high contrast images makes for more dramatic compositions and create the illusion of a three dimensional space within a two dimensional frame. Vilmos Zsigmond a cinematographer who lit films like close encounters as well as the deer hunter has stated that he usually paints with shade and shadow. "I consider lighting not as turning on lights, but rather as taking it away from the object that you are shooting. I light with shadows . . . . Silhouettes, shadows and light are more important than colour."

So lighting with shadow will be an important aspect within Chris's film. This will enhance the not only the genre but the story itself. It should bring to light the strong moral connotations of the film and the main characters emotional struggle. Creating an equilibrium between light and shadow will be an important aspect when selling the character and the story.