Overview

My aim during this project was to get myself acquainted with the techniques needed to produce realistic lighting and convincing textures to enhance the theatrical element of the film.

Using Digital Tutors, I observed professionals and the tools they used in order to accomplish the material that was required. Although the subscription was expensive, I believe that it was money well spent as Christopher an I are now in a better position now than we were at the start of term.

In terms of lighting I have learnt to use Maya's render settings to my advantage as well as mastering the tools and attributes needed to create translucent objects. It is important to stress that I wanted to learn the fundamentals of both lighting and texturing as they are directly linked to one another. If your lighting is off, then your scene and its contents will suffer and the theatricality and the mood will evaporate. It is important to find an equilibrium that will augment the composition of the image and the film. The lighting and the textures tell a story all be it a subtle one. The small nuances in the textures like cracks or worn furnishings tell you something about the character.

The second reason why I wanted to learn these key areas was the fact I wanted to bolster my existing knowledge so that I could produce more varied, good quality images.

I believe that by having these skills I will be more employable when I look for work in the future. I realize now that the techniques I have obtained need not be exclusively used for animation but could branch out to other areas such as interior design and architecture.