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COMPOSITION

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LIGHTING

  • InLightVFX – A VFX HDRI Workflow Breakdown

    pIXELsHAM.com

     

    https://inlightvfx.gumroad.com/l/zeyufi

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  • Alejandro Villabón and Rafał Kaniewski – Recover Highlights With 8-Bit to High Dynamic Range Half Float Copycat – Nuke

    pIXELsHAM.com

    https://github.com/vfxwiki/8bit2floatCat

    8 bit to half float Copycat
    Views : 25
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  • Composition – How to Catch Light in a Photo Subjects Eye

    pIXELsHAM.com

    http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/how-to-catch-light-in-a-photo-subjects-eye/

    Views : 1,091
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  • Ethan Roffler interviews CG Supervisor Daniele Tosti

    pIXELsHAM.com

    Ethan Roffler
    I recently had the honor of interviewing this VFX genius and gained great insight into what it takes to work in the entertainment industry. Keep in mind, these questions are coming from an artist’s perspective but can be applied to any creative individual looking for some wisdom from a professional. So grab a drink, sit back, and enjoy this fun and insightful conversation.



    Ethan
    To start, I just wanted to say thank you so much for taking the time for this interview!

    Daniele
    My pleasure.
    When I started my career I struggled to find help. Even people in the industry at the time were not that helpful. Because of that, I decided very early on that I was going to do exactly the opposite. I spend most of my weekends talking or helping students. ;)

    Ethan
    That’s awesome! I have also come across the same struggle! Just a heads up, this will probably be the most informal interview you’ll ever have haha! Okay, so let’s start with a small introduction!

    Daniele
    Short introduction: I worked very hard and got lucky enough to work on great shows with great people. ;) Slightly longer version: I started working for a TV channel, very early, while I was learning about CG. Slowly made my way across the world, working along very great people and amazing shows. I learned that to be successful in this business, you have to really love what you do as much as respecting the people around you. What you do will improve to the final product; the way you work with people will make a difference in your life.

    Ethan
    How long have you been an artist?

    Daniele
    Loaded question. I believe I am still trying and craving to be one. After each production I finish I realize how much I still do not know. And how many things I would like to try. I guess in my CG Sup and generalist world, being an artist is about learning as much about the latest technologies and production cycles as I can, then putting that in practice. Having said that, I do consider myself a cinematographer first, as I have been doing that for about 25 years now.

    Ethan
    Words of true wisdom, the more I know the less I know:) How did you get your start in the industry?
    How did you break into such a competitive field?

    Daniele
    There were not many schools when I started. It was all about a few magazines, some books, and pushing software around trying to learn how to make pretty images. Opportunities opened because of that knowledge! The true break was learning to work hard to achieve a Suspension of Disbelief in my work that people would recognize as such. It’s not something everyone can do, but I was fortunate to not be scared of working hard, being a quick learner and having very good supervisors and colleagues to learn from.

    Ethan
    Which do you think is better, having a solid art degree or a strong portfolio?

    Daniele
    Very good question. A strong portfolio will get you a job now. A solid strong degree will likely get you a job for a longer period. Let me digress here; Working as an artist is not about being an artist, it’s about making money as an artist. Most people fail to make that difference and have either a poor career or lack the understanding to make a stable one. One should never mix art with working as an artist. You can do both only if you understand business and are fair to yourself.



    Ethan
    That’s probably the most helpful answer to that question I have ever heard.
    What’s some advice you can offer to someone just starting out who wants to break into the industry?

    Daniele
    Breaking in the industry is not just about knowing your art. It’s about knowing good business practices. Prepare a good demo reel based on the skill you are applying for; research all the places where you want to apply and why; send as many reels around; follow up each reel with a phone call. Business is all about right time, right place.

    Ethan
    A follow-up question to that is: Would you consider it a bad practice to send your demo reels out in mass quantity rather than focusing on a handful of companies to research and apply for?

    Daniele
    Depends how desperate you are… I would say research is a must. To improve your options, you need to know which company is working on what and what skills they are after. If you were selling vacuum cleaners you probably would not want to waste energy contacting shoemakers or cattle farmers.

    Ethan
    What do you think the biggest killer of creativity and productivity is for you?

    Daniele
    Money…If you were thinking as an artist. ;) If you were thinking about making money as an artist… then I would say “thinking that you work alone”.

    Ethan
    Best. Answer. Ever.
    What are ways you fight complacency and maintain fresh ideas, outlooks, and perspectives

    Daniele
    Two things: Challenge yourself to go outside your comfort zone. And think outside of the box.

    Ethan
    What are the ways/habits you have that challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone and think outside the box?

    Daniele
    If you think you are a good character painter, pick up a camera and go take pictures of amazing landscapes. If you think you are good only at painting or sketching, learn how to code in python. If you cannot solve a problem, that being a project or a person, learn to ask for help or learn about looking at the problem from various perspectives. If you are introvert, learn to be extrovert. And vice versa. And so on…

    Ethan
    How do you avoid burnout?

    Daniele
    Oh… I wish I learned about this earlier. I think anyone that has a passion in something is at risk of burning out. Artists, more than many, because we see the world differently and our passion goes deep. You avoid burnouts by thinking that you are in a long term plan and that you have an obligation to pay or repay your talent by supporting and cherishing yourself and your family, not your paycheck. You do this by treating your art as a business and using business skills when dealing with your career and using artistic skills only when you are dealing with a project itself.

    Ethan
    Looking back, what was a big defining moment for you?

    Daniele
    Recognizing that people around you, those being colleagues, friends or family, come first.
    It changed my career overnight.

    Ethan
    Who are some of your personal heroes?

    Daniele
    Too many to list. Most recently… James Cameron; Joe Letteri; Lawrence Krauss; Richard Dawkins. Because they all mix science, art, and poetry in their own way.

    Ethan
    Last question:
    What’s your dream job? ;)

    Daniele
    Teaching artists to be better at being business people… as it will help us all improve our lives and the careers we took…

    Being a VFX artist is fundamentally based on mistrust.
    This because schedules, pipelines, technology, creative calls… all have a native and naive instability to them that causes everyone to grow a genuine but beneficial lack of trust in the status quo. This is a fine balance act to build into your character. The VFX motto: “Love everyone but trust no one” is born on that.

     

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  • Arvid Schneider – SKYWARD: Crafting Avatar-Like Worlds in CG | BREAKDOWN

    pIXELsHAM.com
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  • Polarised vs unpolarized filtering

    pIXELsHAM.com

    A light wave that is vibrating in more than one plane is referred to as unpolarized light. …

    Polarized light waves are light waves in which the vibrations occur in a single plane. The process of transforming unpolarized light into polarized light is known as polarization.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polarizing_filter_(photography)

    The most common use of polarized technology is to reduce lighting complexity on the subject.
    Details such as glare and hard edges are not removed, but greatly reduced.

    This method is usually used in VFX to capture raw images with the least amount of specular diffusion or pollution, thus allowing artists to infer detail back through typical shading and rendering techniques and on demand.

    Light reflected from a non-metallic surface becomes polarized; this effect is maximum at Brewster’s angle, about 56° from the vertical for common glass.

    A polarizer rotated to pass only light polarized in the direction perpendicular to the reflected light will absorb much of it. This absorption allows glare reflected from, for example, a body of water or a road to be reduced. Reflections from shiny surfaces (e.g. vegetation, sweaty skin, water surfaces, glass) are also reduced. This allows the natural color and detail of what is beneath to come through. Reflections from a window into a dark interior can be much reduced, allowing it to be seen through. (The same effects are available for vision by using polarizing sunglasses.)

     

    www.physicsclassroom.com/class/light/u12l1e.cfm

     

    Some of the light coming from the sky is polarized (bees use this phenomenon for navigation). The electrons in the air molecules cause a scattering of sunlight in all directions. This explains why the sky is not dark during the day. But when looked at from the sides, the light emitted from a specific electron is totally polarized.[3] Hence, a picture taken in a direction at 90 degrees from the sun can take advantage of this polarization.

    Use of a polarizing filter, in the correct direction, will filter out the polarized component of skylight, darkening the sky; the landscape below it, and clouds, will be less affected, giving a photograph with a darker and more dramatic sky, and emphasizing the clouds.

     

    There are two types of polarizing filters readily available, linear and “circular”, which have exactly the same effect photographically. But the metering and auto-focus sensors in certain cameras, including virtually all auto-focus SLRs, will not work properly with linear polarizers because the beam splitters used to split off the light for focusing and metering are polarization-dependent.

     

    Polarizing filters reduce the light passed through to the film or sensor by about one to three stops (2–8×) depending on how much of the light is polarized at the filter angle selected. Auto-exposure cameras will adjust for this by widening the aperture, lengthening the time the shutter is open, and/or increasing the ASA/ISO speed of the camera.

     

    www.adorama.com/alc/nd-filter-vs-polarizer-what%25e2%2580%2599s-the-difference

     

    Neutral Density (ND) filters help control image exposure by reducing the light that enters the camera so that you can have more control of your depth of field and shutter speed. Polarizers or polarizing filters work in a similar way, but the difference is that they selectively let light waves of a certain polarization pass through. This effect helps create more vivid colors in an image, as well as manage glare and reflections from water surfaces. Both are regarded as some of the best filters for landscape and travel photography as they reduce the dynamic range in high-contrast images, thus enabling photographers to capture more realistic and dramatic sceneries.

     

    shopfelixgray.com/blog/polarized-vs-non-polarized-sunglasses/

     

    www.eyebuydirect.com/blog/difference-polarized-nonpolarized-sunglasses/

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  • StudioBinder – Lighting with Candle Light — Low Light Cinematography Techniques from DP Claudio Miranda

    pIXELsHAM.com
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  • THE GRAY MAN | Directors Anthony & Joe Russo & Executive Producer Geoff Haley | ShotDeck: Shot Talk

    pIXELsHAM.com

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  • ShotDeck Shot Talk – ALIEN: ROMULUS – Dir. Fede Álvarez & DP Galo Olivares

    pIXELsHAM.com
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  • The colors of the sky and the sun

    pIXELsHAM.com
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  • Unity 3D resources

    pIXELsHAM.com

    http://answers.unity3d.com/questions/12321/how-can-i-start-learning-unity-fast-list-of-tutori.html

     

    If you have no previous experience with Unity, start with these six video tutorials which give a quick overview of the Unity interface and some important features http://unity3d.com/support/documentation/video/

    (more…)

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  • HDRI Median Cut plugin

    pIXELsHAM.com

    www.hdrlabs.com/picturenaut/plugins.html

     

     

    Note. The Median Cut algorithm is typically used for color quantization, which involves reducing the number of colors in an image while preserving its visual quality. It doesn’t directly provide a way to identify the brightest areas in an image. However, if you’re interested in identifying the brightest areas, you might want to look into other methods like thresholding, histogram analysis, or edge detection, through openCV for example.

     

    Here is an openCV example:

     

    # bottom left coordinates = 0,0
import numpy as np
import cv2

# Load the HDR or EXR image
image = cv2.imread('your_image_path.exr', cv2.IMREAD_UNCHANGED)  # Load as-is without modification

# Calculate the luminance from the HDR channels (assuming RGB format)
luminance = np.dot(image[..., :3], [0.299, 0.587, 0.114])

# Set a threshold value based on estimated EV
threshold_value = 2.4  # Estimated threshold value based on 4.8 EV

# Apply the threshold to identify bright areas
# The luminance array contains the calculated luminance values for each pixel in the image. # The threshold_value is a user-defined value that represents a cutoff point, separating "bright" and "dark" areas in terms of perceived luminance.
    thresholded = (luminance > threshold_value) * 255 

# Convert the thresholded image to uint8 for contour detection 
thresholded = thresholded.astype(np.uint8) 

# Find contours of the bright areas 
contours, _ = cv2.findContours(thresholded, cv2.RETR_EXTERNAL, cv2.CHAIN_APPROX_SIMPLE) 

# Create a list to store the bounding boxes of bright areas 
bright_areas = [] 

# Iterate through contours and extract bounding boxes for contour in contours: 
x, y, w, h = cv2.boundingRect(contour) 

# Adjust y-coordinate based on bottom-left origin 
y_bottom_left_origin = image.shape[0] - (y + h) bright_areas.append((x, y_bottom_left_origin, x + w, y_bottom_left_origin + h)) 

# Store as (x1, y1, x2, y2) 
# Print the identified bright areas 
print("Bright Areas (x1, y1, x2, y2):") for area in bright_areas: print(area)

     

    More details

     

    Luminance and Exposure in an EXR Image:

    • An EXR (Extended Dynamic Range) image format is often used to store high dynamic range (HDR) images that contain a wide range of luminance values, capturing both dark and bright areas.
    • Luminance refers to the perceived brightness of a pixel in an image. In an RGB image, luminance is often calculated using a weighted sum of the red, green, and blue channels, where different weights are assigned to each channel to account for human perception.
    • In an EXR image, the pixel values can represent radiometrically accurate scene values, including actual radiance or irradiance levels. These values are directly related to the amount of light emitted or reflected by objects in the scene.

     

    The luminance line is calculating the luminance of each pixel in the image using a weighted sum of the red, green, and blue channels. The three float values [0.299, 0.587, 0.114] are the weights used to perform this calculation.

     

    These weights are based on the concept of luminosity, which aims to approximate the perceived brightness of a color by taking into account the human eye’s sensitivity to different colors. The values are often derived from the NTSC (National Television System Committee) standard, which is used in various color image processing operations.

     

    Here’s the breakdown of the float values:

    • 0.299: Weight for the red channel.
    • 0.587: Weight for the green channel.
    • 0.114: Weight for the blue channel.

     

    The weighted sum of these channels helps create a grayscale image where the pixel values represent the perceived brightness. This technique is often used when converting a color image to grayscale or when calculating luminance for certain operations, as it takes into account the human eye’s sensitivity to different colors.

     

    For the threshold, remember that the exact relationship between EV values and pixel values can depend on the tone-mapping or normalization applied to the HDR image, as well as the dynamic range of the image itself.

     

    To establish a relationship between exposure and the threshold value, you can consider the relationship between linear and logarithmic scales:

    1. Linear and Logarithmic Scales:
      • Exposure values in an EXR image are often represented in logarithmic scales, such as EV (exposure value). Each increment in EV represents a doubling or halving of the amount of light captured.
      • Threshold values for luminance thresholding are usually linear, representing an actual luminance level.
    2. Conversion Between Scales:

      • To establish a mathematical relationship, you need to convert between the logarithmic exposure scale and the linear threshold scale.

      • One common method is to use a power function. For instance, you can use a power function to convert EV to a linear intensity value.



       

      threshold_value = base_value * (2 ** EV)



      Here, EV is the exposure value, base_value is a scaling factor that determines the relationship between EV and threshold_value, and 2 ** EV is used to convert the logarithmic EV to a linear intensity value.


    3. Choosing the Base Value:
      • The base_value factor should be determined based on the dynamic range of your EXR image and the specific luminance values you are dealing with.
      • You may need to experiment with different values of base_value to achieve the desired separation of bright areas from the rest of the image.

     

    Let’s say you have an EXR image with a dynamic range of 12 EV, which is a common range for many high dynamic range images. In this case, you want to set a threshold value that corresponds to a certain number of EV above the middle gray level (which is often considered to be around 0.18).

    Here’s an example of how you might determine a base_value to achieve this:

     

    # Define the dynamic range of the image in EV
dynamic_range = 12

# Choose the desired number of EV above middle gray for thresholding
desired_ev_above_middle_gray = 2

# Calculate the threshold value based on the desired EV above middle gray
threshold_value = 0.18 * (2 ** (desired_ev_above_middle_gray / dynamic_range))

print("Threshold Value:", threshold_value)
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  • Eye retina’s Bipolar Cells, Horizontal Cells, and Photoreceptors

    pIXELsHAM.com

    In the retina, photoreceptors, bipolar cells, and horizontal cells work together to process visual information before it reaches the brain. Here’s how each cell type contributes to vision:

     

    1. Photoreceptors

    • Types: There are two main types of photoreceptors: rods and cones.
      • Rods: Specialized for low-light and peripheral vision; they help us see in dim lighting and detect motion.
      • Cones: Specialized for color and detail; they function best in bright light and are concentrated in the central retina (the fovea), allowing for high-resolution vision.
    • Function: Photoreceptors convert light into electrical signals. When light hits the retina, photoreceptors undergo a chemical change, triggering an electrical response that initiates the visual process. Rods and cones detect different intensities and colors, providing the foundation for brightness and color perception.

     

    2. Bipolar Cells

    • Function: Bipolar cells act as intermediaries, connecting photoreceptors to ganglion cells, which send signals to the brain. They receive input from photoreceptors and relay it to the retinal ganglion cells.
    • On and Off Bipolar Cells: Some bipolar cells are ON cells, responding when light is detected (depolarizing in light), and others are OFF cells, responding in darkness (depolarizing in the absence of light). This division allows for more precise contrast detection and the ability to distinguish light from dark areas in the visual field.

     

    3. Horizontal Cells

    • Function: Horizontal cells connect photoreceptors to each other and create lateral interactions between them. They integrate signals from multiple photoreceptors, allowing them to adjust the sensitivity of neighboring photoreceptors in response to varying light conditions.
    • Lateral Inhibition: This process improves visual contrast and sharpness by making the borders between light and dark areas more distinct, enhancing our ability to perceive edges and fine detail.

     

    These three types of cells work together to help the retina preprocess visual information and perception, emphasizing contrast and adjusting for different lighting conditions before signals are sent to the brain for further processing and interpretation.

     

     

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  • Light Controls De-Mystified

    pIXELsHAM.com

    http://lowel.tiffen.com/edu/light_controls/index.html

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  • Minute Physics and color, There is no pink light

    pIXELsHAM.com
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