Shoreditch Town Hall
10:30 am, 2pm, 7:30pm
Shoreditch Town Hall hosts our first event on Thursday the 8th of April. We will demonstrate the creation and use of High Dynamic Range Images (HDRIs) with an automotive shoot by Trigger.
Trigger's photographic team, retoucher Christopher Peabody and the Happy Finish CGI team will present step-by-step what to look out for when shooting and lighting CG cars/products in an environment.
We will explain the importance of photographic input when lighting the CG car and creating the HDRI and backplate of the location and invite all attendees for FAQs, nibbles and drinks after the demonstration.
We will explain the importance of photographic input when lighting the CG car and creating the HDRI and backplate of the location and invite all attendees for FAQs, nibbles and drinks after the demonstration.
“How are we going to get that Porsche in there?”
Automotive photographer Trigger and retoucher Christopher Peabody tell us all about squeezing our band-new Porsche Panamera through the doors of Shoreditch Town Hall.
What was it like working on photography isn't dead project?
Trigger: It was great providing people with a detailed insight into automotive photography, and practical advice on using CG cars. I think our visitors will be surprised with the amount of work that goes into creating the images - I'm very happy to be involved.
Christopher Peabody:
Agreed- I think the event will show how much crucial input the photographer has, irrespective of whether they're shooting a real-life or CG car. It was a great opportunity to work closely with Trigger, have his input and hear his views.
How was the concept developed?
CP: The concept was based around the best use of an HDRI environment. In addition to our Shoreditch Town Hall location, which we all fell in love with, we chose our warehouse shot from a back plates library so we could show an alternative shot using the same car.
T:
I know some of the Happy Finish crew quite well; they knew my previous automotive work and so approached me about taking part. They briefed me on the HDRI idea and location options and we developed it on from there.
What surprised you whilst working on the project?
T: The amount of commitment that everyone has shown! I guess we're all donating time to a great project, so I can see why everyone worked really hard to get things together. But it's nice seeing so many people take ownership of a project together to make it happen!
CP:
Yes, it was quite a lot of work, but also a lot of fun! Let's see how the presentations go ☺
How was it working with the others?
T: I was working with a really professional team, who were able to achieve above and beyond the brief they were set. Christopher is such a talented retoucher, with a great eye for detail. I think we really complimented one another, which resulted in great team dynamics.
CP:
Thanks Trigger - you were a great easygoing chap to work with! I always find it interesting and rewarding working with people from different disciplines. In this part of the industry where I'm always working with people at the top of their game, it is apparent that everyone has their specialist skill and viewpoints that they bring to the images.
Having a direct input from the photographer about things like the best focal lengths and which camera angles work best for the type of car and why was invaluable.
Having a direct input from the photographer about things like the best focal lengths and which camera angles work best for the type of car and why was invaluable.
What was your favorite part of the project?
CP: I found lighting the car for the Town Hall shot within the CGI environment probably the most interesting part of the project. We had to match some of the physical lighting from the Town Hall and add a lot of CG lighting and the HDRI gave great reflections & dings in all the right places. Inevitably, a metallic car such as this one needed lights to bring out its shoulder and arches and of course all the nice details and molding around the bonnet & spoiler of the car.
T:
True, it was very involved but really easily amended. For me, to be honest, here are too many favorite things to choose from. But mainly seeing the whole thing coming together was fantastic, as everyone put so much into the project.
Any interesting or quirky stories?
CP: I always have proofs and work in progress up on the walls of the studio. When my colleagues' comments change from 'Hmm.. nice' to the more sarcastic end of the spectrum - or if they are commenting on something less than 10 pixels wide - I know I'm pretty much there with the image.
T: I really liked our pre-render purple leopard skin, spray painted, tattooed and spoilered Panamera warehouse shot. Wonder why we didn't go with it in the end
Thanks a lot and looking forward to the 8th!
How do I get my wire frame model?
There are three possible options you could choose from to create the wire frame model:
- CAD data from the client: usually on an automotive CGI job the client provides the CAD data to the CGI artist. This allows for a 100% accurate build of the model.
- Build the models from scratch with the help of reference shots, measurements or the real life product. Make sure to use an experienced model builder for a high-quality and accurate model.
- Buy a pre-made model: this method is a short cut to creating the model from scratch but it often still needs a lot of amendments and cleanup. Some amends are easily done whereas others may mean rebuilding entire parts of a model so it is always good to check whether building from scratch may be easier.
What's the stitching software called?
We used software called PT GUI, which we found very straightforward and powerful. You can find out more here: http://www.ptgui.com/. There are also other options available.
Am I to just be a back plate photographer?
No! Far from it. Despite the car not being real it still needs to be lit and made part of a creative concept. As a photographer you are a vital part of the process - whether dealing with a CG or real life car shoot. You will use exactly the same skills and your experience and creative language in either scenario.
Where can I get a cube?
Our cube was made by Paul Jefferies:
tel: +44 (0) 1634 255 200, www.orchestralpercussion.co.uk. You can find other suppliers online.
tel: +44 (0) 1634 255 200, www.orchestralpercussion.co.uk. You can find other suppliers online.
What's a nodal head? How does it work? Where do I get one?
A nodal head is a specialist camera head that enables you to pivot your camera over the 'nodal point'/'no parallax point' or centre point of the lens. You can pivot vertically and horizontally, allowing you to create a 360-degree capture of the environment with all segments lining up perfectly.
You can buy nodal heads online - we got ours from www.nodalninja.com- or off Ebay & Amazon.
Other suppliers are:
MK Panorama Systeme: MK PanoMachine, a motorized VR Head.
Novoflex: Manufactures tripod heads and other panorama hardware.
Seitz Roundshot: VR Drive motorized panoramic head
360Precision: Makers of high precision panoramic heads
Novoflex: Manufactures tripod heads and other panorama hardware.
Seitz Roundshot: VR Drive motorized panoramic head
360Precision: Makers of high precision panoramic heads
Do I need a fisheye?
No - you can use any lens but a wide-angle lens means you can capture a more of the environment in one go so you'll need less segments for a 360-degree capture. To find out how many segments you will need with your lens and camera, have a look on www.nodalninja.com/pano_calculations.html.
So I shoot my HDRI in raw or jpeg?
Shooting in jpeg will do fine. Whilst the captures you are shooting are low dynamic range, they will be merged together to create a high dynamic range image so shooting in raw will only take up a lot of processing power where it is not needed.
How much many segments do I need and by how much should they overlap?
To find out how many segments you will need with your lens and camera, have a look on www.nodalninja.com/pano_calculations.html The segment needs to overlap by 25%.
What measurements do I need?
The most important measurements to give the CGI artist are the distance from camera to the object and the height of camera from the ground. It is also useful to get the measurements of other defining features- we chose to measure the stage depth, the room dimensions and the door height. If you are planning to shoot outside, it is possible to use things like the height of a tree, a car or a prominent object.
If you are shooting in a featureless environment such as a desert get hold of some markers - bits of kit, bags, flip-flops will do. Place them in the scene and measure the distance to the camera and between the markers, this will help you line your back plate up perfectly with the created 3D environment.
Can I do all of this without an HDRI?
We have worked on projects without HDRIs before but it was a lot trickier to integrate the object (in this case the car) as reflections had to be guessed and painted in during retouch, which can be a long and costly process. HDRIs are easy to create and will ensure the best possible fit for the object in its environments, whereas this is very difficult without an HDRI.
Where can I find out more about HDRIs?
As a good start, we recommend 'The HDRI handbook' by Christian Bloch - a comprehensive guide written for photographers.
There are loads of online resources and Nodal Ninja offer comprehensive advice for setting up your camera - www.nodalninja.com/support/camerasettings.html - and general tutorials www.nodalninja.com/support/tutorials.html.
There are loads of online resources and Nodal Ninja offer comprehensive advice for setting up your camera - www.nodalninja.com/support/camerasettings.html - and general tutorials www.nodalninja.com/support/tutorials.html.
