SCAD + THE MILL
SCAD + THE MILL
Veronica Ramirez - Compositor
Team Oasis
for Week 10
This week, I enhanced the shots and cleaned the dirt off the lens as requested by my mentors. I also stabilized the last shot and highlighted the green from the sprite. To look at the process for the lense clean up and the new color grading click on the button.
for Week 10
One of this week's challenges that the mentors gave me was enhancing the lighting of one of the Hero shots; for this, I decided to research many elements to make it more magical but still keep it looking real and make it look better. I worked with a lot of methods. To see all of the enhancement made to this shot please go to Magical Light.
for Week 9
Working on the hero shots this week allowed me to research how to incorporate Zdepth and embrace CGI compositing with multiple camera elements, such as using grain according to the live-action footage that can help embrace the little details in the compositing. As compositors, it is always important to research and learn new nodes because they will help us expand our tool belt and give us more ideas on how to solve problems when we need to composite a plate. For more information, click on the button.
for Week 9
The Ocean has been one of the biggest challenges in this project because of the time crunch we are on, because of that this is the first time I have been able to get any renders of the Ocean full CGI shot. This is the progress I have made for this week on that shot and all of the things that need to be done before next week. I also worked on refining the colors of the elements for shot 020_010, the shadows and re color correcting. For more information click on the button.
for Week 8
I updated the compositing with the suggestions from the mentors including the Oclussion Shadow and color changing of the chest, I also worked on getting the new smoke composited from the mentors. The team decided to render the coins separately because of render times so that brought some new challenges for the compositing, I also have more options about the color of the chest in the button.
for Week 9
Recovering the sky in the last two shots, working with windows, roto and working with Da Vinci Resolve. During this week I enhanced the sky for the last two shots by using new tools and reasearch from DaVinci resolve. Workind color correcting different elements has been a curve for learning for me during the quarter but I am happy with the result of the color in our advertisment. For more information click on the button.
for Week 8
Working on this shot allowed me to make some reaserach about Nuke. I also worked on the compositing and the color matching on the elements specially enhancing the sprite logo as it was suggested from the mentors. To know more about the compositing challenges and elements please click the button.
for Week 8
I worked on getting the boat CGI match the original image since the model and the shadows that changed. I worked on the shadows in order to match the shadow provided by the original plate and I managed to color match it. Click the button to see more information.
for Week 7
Embracing what the look artist did vs what matches the vibe of the short film and how to embrace that? Reasearch on how to fix your file when it is giving you crazy render times?
Learning new things - for Week 7
As Visual effects artists we need to be constantly learning. During the last 3 days, I have been reading about cryptomattes and AOVs, watching tutorials, asking professors and learning how to use this elements to enhance my compositing for the Hero Shot.
Shadow problems - for Week 7
Working on getting the shadow and getting it to look right has been a challenge, I have worked with multiple techiniques and color correcting nodes in order to improve the shadow work for all of the CGI elements that are part of our adverstisment campaign. To read more about this clic in the button.
for Week 6
I have been working on the color grading for the short film; I compiled two quilts comparing the before and after for all the shots. I also worked on the compositing for the 2 CGI shots as soon as I received all the elements.
for Week 6
This weekend I worked on color grading the short film. I am prioritizing the color grade of the last to scenes in order to make the film more cohesive, this has been a new interesting challenge for me because I am learning how to color grade images in Da Vinci. Using different nodes and color correction tools outside of nuke have allowed me to learn more about color matching and grading that I have imagined. Click the button to see more comparisons and more information.
Fixing the provided shadow - for Week 6
Time crunch got us for last week, so we had a hard time with exporting a shadow, desipite all of the troubles I tried to match the provided lighting to the plate we had on the background. We also had problems with our rendering and had to render in a low quality that what we have set up with the project which cause a problem with our smoke. So this is what I am doing to keep the shadow as best as I can with the provided shadow. There should be a new shadow soon with our next render for next week. Click in the button for more info.
MID WAY -WEEK 5
During these 3 days we developed a frist composite of our Hero shot that includes all of the elements, we faced a lot of challenges when implementing the test we did for our pipeline. For more information click in the button
First slap comp
With the team during one of our weekly meetings we tested out the size of the chest with the camera and the perspective doing a quick render and a slap comp without the look development and the textures.
Camera matching
Since we shooted this weekend and had a meeting with the mentors, I started working on getting the camera match for our Hero shot. The CGI integration of the tresure chest with our life action footage.
Re-Shooting - Pivoting
A weekend full of pivoting - Despite of the hurricane, we decided to film this weekend so we would not get behind according to the schedule. We had a little bit more challenges especially when it came to the HDRIs, because the method we had chosen to capture them did not work, so we had to pivot again and fixed it with our plan B.
Working on going back on track
Changing our pipeline - This was one of our hardest decisions because we where working all with Karma and USD's, but since this ipeline is so new, and the most of us where learning we decided to change our pipeline, and work with arnold, houdini and nuke, in order to enhance our talents and get our best foot forward for this project.
Meeting with The Mill
Thurdays are the day we meet up with the mentors from the Mill and they are able to give us feedback on how to improve our project and what is the right direction to keep going.
Checking filmed material
During the weekend, we downloaded all of the material we shooted and stored it in a shared folder so all of the people from the group have access to this materials. At the same time, with jenson we started setting up the HDRI's. Click for more information.
Shooting.
We went to Tybee Island to shoot the advertisement campaign; we left Montgomery Hall at 5 am to film for sunset at the beach. We all helped with filming and taking the HDRIs of the plates that will help us do the CGI integration of the elements. During the shoot, we had some troubles with the sunrise simulating the sunset, lighting the camera, and taking some of the HDRIs that will allow us to improve for our second shoot, which is coming this week. Click for more information.
Preparing for shooting.
Today after class we went and picked up all of the equipment in Montgomery Hall. After picking it up with Zack we decided to test the equipment so everything will be ready for tomorrow's shooting. We worked with the Ursa Mini, to figure out how to set up. Click for more informtation
Pitch preparation.
For week 1, with Team Oasis we developed our Pitch and worked on our references as well as the story. We also did a previsualization to show how the comercial was going to work. Some of the images are from our pitch presentation, Click for more information in the button.