Week One

What do you think one of the current VFX trends are?

I think the extensive use of green / blue screens for the background of sets replacing physical matte paintings is a huge trend during the 2010’s for film and tv.

Simulation vs Simulacra

Simulation – The act of copying something, copying reality in a computer model

Simulacra – An image representation of something. An incomplete imitation.

Discussion – VFX artists are a slave to the lens

In my opinion, as long as film is made through a camera, VFX artists will always be a slave to the lens. Anything made digitally has to simulate the look of a lens so that it looks “correct” when placed into the recorded video. This means that VFX in film will always be less realistic unless it is a personal project specifically trying to be as real as possible.

Harold Edgerton’s effect on modern media

Edgerton’s bullet through an apple.

The classic Matrix bullet time.

Week One Homework

Dr James Fox is an art historian, author, and TV broadcaster. In this essay, I will attempt to consolidate my feelings on the first episode of Fox’s “Age of the Image.”
In this episode, Fox tries to explain his thoughts on the phrase “The age of the image.” Through watching this episode. I believe that what he means by this is that, once the camera was available to the masses, people came to realise how easy it is to “save” a memory by just snapping a picture. Through this, multiple advancements were made to streamline this process, and it has ultimately developed into the world of screens that we see today.

Due to how easy it is to relive and share your memories in this modern age, we have developed a sense of needing picture proof to believe someone’s statement. Something as simple as “I’ve seen the Mona Lisa” is now unbelievable until picture evidence is presented.

I believe that, because of this over-reliance on image proof, we have set into motion this dystopian-like present where memories are no longer lived through our eyes, but through cameras and screens.

Week Two

Where are images becoming more like reality, or reality more like images.

While I can’t think of any examples relating specifically to the prompt. I do think that an interesting relation to this prompt is a game called Viewfinder. The objective of the game is to take paintings and images of spaces and place them into your “reality” in order to navigate through the world.

Week Two Homework

The Photographic Truth-Claim is the idea that analogue images are inherently more trustworthy representations of reality compared to their digital counterparts. This belief stems from the notion that analogue images, by their very nature, are created through a physical process that captures light and matter directly, making them a “true” representation of the world as it appeared at the moment of capture.

 

The rise of digital imaging techniques has fuelled scepticism about the authenticity of photographs and videos, as photo and video editing software allows users to easily modify, enhance, or even fabricate content. This has lead to a growing concern that digital images, by virtue of their malleability, no longer provide an unaltered look at life and are thus unreliable.

 

However, advancements in digital forensics have emerged as a response to this challenge. Digital forensics is a specialised field within the forensic sciences, focussed on the analytics of digital data. Experts in digital forensics can use a variety of tools and techniques to detect alterations in digital media. This includes examining metadata, identifying inconsistencies in pixel patterns, and using software that can trace any edits made to an image. Through this, they have helped re-establish the belief in digital media, allowing investigators to uncover the original reality that was captured.

 

One notable context in which the photographic truth-claim is particularly relevant is in news media. News outlets, which are often considered trusted sources of information, can be affected by biases, whether intentional or not. In an era of digital media, news organisations are able to select, crop, and edit images to highlight certain aspects of reality that fit their editorial narrative or agenda. By framing images in a specific way, media outlets can subtly influence how a story is perceived by the public.

Week Three

Week Three Homework

Compositing is the act of compiling together multiple visual elements into one cohesive image. This skill is widely used in the film, video game, and television industries to blend all forms of media into an experience for the viewer. Elements that are used in compositing can be camera footage, 3D assets, matte paintings, and particle renders.
The process typically consists of keying, tracking, shot matching, and compiling resources such as 3D assets, camera shots, and -sometimes- stock footage.
Keying is the process of separating elements in an image or video by their colour, through practices such as removing a green or blue screen, editing the colours of an image to add or subtract warmth, or adding a specific hue to a scene.

Tracking is as stated. When an asset is digitally added to a specific space in a scene, it needs to be tracked onto the image. This is achieved by adding specific tracking points to a spot on an image using keyframes, using a tool to fill in the gaps, and having an asset follow those points across the screen to give the illusion of being in the scene.
Shot matching is a colour grading technique used in post-production that consists of adjusting colour, contrast, and exposure in order to have every shot of a scene look cohesive and consistent.

Week Four

CGI Photorealism

Snoke Supreme, ILM

Concept Car Design

3D Rendering in Marketing

Interstellar’s Black Hole

Week Four Homework

In the world of high-end CGI, photorealism has emerged as a dominant aesthetic standard, particularly in the realm of 3D modelling. Photorealism aims to create images that are indistinguishable from their real-life counterparts.

The key techniques used to achieve a photorealistic image are global illumination, physically based rendering, and subsurface scattering. Added on top of these techniques are high-quality textures, and realistic animation – specifically in the face, as this is where much of our uncanny reaction comes from.

The ability to create photorealistic 3D models has opened up a wide range of applications across various industries. Some of the most prominent uses include:

Film

Photorealism is now a hallmark of modern CGI in the film industry. Many blockbuster movies, such as Avatar and The Lion King heavily depend on this technique in order to create their worlds and characters.

Architecture and Visualisation

In the visualisation industry, architects and concept designers use realistic renders to display their projects to clients and sell products. Architects will have teams create detailed renders of buildings, interior designs, and urban landscapes. These renders are then shown to clients to propose an offer to them and can be edited per their request. Such a process has helped massively with the construction of these custom buildings due to having such a streamlined planning phase.

Virtual Reality and Videogames

The gaming industry is another domain where, in recent years, photorealism has taken off. In games, having the world be as realistic as possible helps players immerse themselves in the world and interact with it as they would their own.

Week Five

Week Five Homework

Motion Capture
Motion capture is a technique where the movements of an actor or object are recorded using sensors or cameras and then translated into data. This data is applied to a 3D character or model, making it move in a way that mirrors the original performance.

Advantages:
Realistic motion – Since it captures human movement, the resulting animation tends to look lifelike and natural.
Efficiency – Capturing an actor’s movements once can save a lot of time compared to animating every frame.
Complex movements – Mo-cap can handle intricate and subtle movements, such as facial expressions and body language.

Disadvantages:
Limited to realistic motion – Mo-cap works best for human-like or realistic movements, it cannot capture what is unnatural as it is based on an actor.
Setup – The process can be expensive, requiring specialised equipment, studios, and technicians.

Keyframe Animation
Keyframe animation is a traditional technique in which an animator creates a series of key frames that define the major points of an animation. The computer, or animator, then generates the intermediate frames (In-betweens) to fill the gaps, creating motion.

Advantages:
Creative freedom – Animators have full control over the character or object’s movement and can create highly stylised or exaggerated actions that are impossible to achieve with mo-cap.
Cost-effective for simpler animations – For certain animations, keyframe animation can be less expensive than motion capture.

Disadvantages:
Time-consuming – Traditional keyframe animation is a very time intensive process.
Limited Realism – While skilled animators can produce convincing movement, it often lacks the natural fluidity that motion capture can achieve.

Week Six

Week Six Homework

Reality Capture
Reality capture involves using 3D scanning, photogrammetry, and LiDAR technology to create precise digital models of real-world environments. One of the pioneers in this field is ScanLAB Projects, a UK-based company known for using advanced scanning techniques to document and reconstruct spaces for architecture, heritage conservation, film, and more.

ScanLAB Projects employs LiDAR and photogrammetry to capture 3D models. LiDAR uses laser pulses to create accurate point clouds, while photogrammetry combines photographs into 3D models. These technologies have been applied in projects like the King’s Cross Station renovation, where they provided detailed scans of the station’s architecture. This data served as the foundation for preservation and redevelopment, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in planning.

Another example is ScanLAB’s work with cultural heritage, where they use reality capture to preserve artworks and historic buildings. Through photogrammetry and scanning, they have created immersive VR exhibitions, allowing users to explore digital replicas of these spaces and artefacts remotely. This technology also enables the virtual restoration of these scans, which can bring new life to these artefacts digitally.

Beyond architecture, reality capture is transforming fields such as film, urban planning, and forensics, offering precise, data-rich models for analysis, simulation, and preservation.

Week Seven

Week Eight

Image analysis based on Baudrillard’s theory of Simulation and Simulacra

Phase one – A painting

Phase two – A picture of the painting

Phase three – A digitally edited version

Phase four – Computer generated (AI)

Week Nine

What is virtual production?

Virtual production is a method of filmmaking that uses CGI, motion capture, and other modern technologies and approaches in order to create realistic environments on a virtual set. This technique incorporates VFX throughout the production, instead of in the post production stage. Different kinds of software are used to allow studios to capture something like the movement of a physical camera and translate it into a virtual world to replicate that movement behind an actor. This is most commonly known from the production from The Mandalorian (2019).

A major benefit of virtual production is it’s use in fantasy productions, where magical or off-world scenarios can play out much easier with a virtual background than with more traditional film methods.

Virtual Production Pipeline –

• Previsualization (Previs) – Planning out what the film is going to look like. The process of blocking out ideas and making rough animatics of potential scenes.
• Pitch Visualization (Pitchvis) – Usually occurs before a project is greenlit, designed to pitch the project to stakeholders by demonstrating the look and feel of the completed project.
• Technical Visualization (Techvis) – Used to work out the feasibility of shot designs and find the technical requirements of said shots. Can also help find out how much of a physical set is needed before going virtual.
• Stunt Visualization (Stuntvis) – Also known as Action Design. A combination of previs and techvis for physical stunts and action sequences.
• Post-Visualization (Postvis) – Is used after the shot is completed, or is used to create the shot entirely. These shots are most commonly ones with green or blue screen elements.
• In-Camera VFX (ICVFX) – The production technique showcased in the image above. These are filmed on virtual sets with huge LED screens that display a digital set tied to the movement of the camera.

Virtual Production Case Study – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Previs

Dry-to-Wet

CGI Scene

Assignment Title Choice