When we came to learn about lighting in 3D I was very excited to see what was achievable. When I was studying Moving Image Arts and Art and Design at a secondary level, considering lighting was and is one of my favourite parts of live action filmmaking and creating artwork. Whether I was making a mock-Noir short for GCSE, a Ridley Scott-influenced scene at AS, or A level experiments taking inspiration from the Safdie Bros, lighting is one of the most integral parts of creating the mood and atmosphere of a scene, so naturally I was looking forward to having full control over this without the limitations of budget or space or equipment.
Looking at Westerns- particularly Spaghetti Westerns from the 1960s- that shot on location, the feature of a blazing sun during a stand-off is often a key element. The brutality of the untempered solar rays beating down from a clear sky unto flat, dry planes complimenting well the tension, fear and anger involved in a classic duel. For this reason, after some quick tests with other lights and setups (none of which yielded the results we wanted), we discovered the skydome light which created the perfect effect. This effect is especially suited to our environment as the bright orange of the ground becomes a surprisingly effective bounce, filling in the indigo shadows and downfacing planes with that desired warmth.
To have this outcome remain I figure we won’t be rendering the environment separately to our characters when it comes to that.
Above: first lighting tests ft. Wayne T. Worm
The rubber tire material I chose for my character’s skin in substance painter is particularly suited to this lighting as the specularity of it almost gives the impression of beads of swear forming and glistening in the harsh, hot sun.
I used this render test in particular to test out some ideas by way of colour grading, adding warmth and film grain to evoke a better sense of the genre and its aesthetics.
Adam found a way to add Depth of Field in Arnold which he shared, making every shot with it so much more convincing and filmic. Having so much control over cinematography is something I’ve come to really like about working in 3D.
Above are some extra stills of the environment I’ve taken that might be used in the opening of our film.