Abstract
In the visual effects industry computers have become the new workhorse, and the digital artist is at the reigns. With this relatively newfound approach to creating reality-suspending imagery, there has been an ongoing effort by digital effects studios to streamline the production process. Many studios have come to rely on commercial software, while others maintain proprietary software. While both solutions are viable, they both require the development of additional production tools for the challenges introduced by new and potential projects. The LightPick tool developed for this thesis is one such tool. To better understand how computers are used to create digital effects today, it is important to trace the development of computer technology in the area of digital effects. In addition, a case study of the film Young Sherlock Holmes was conducted to better understand the production process for the first digital character to be seen in a feature film. This thesis then documents the design, usage, and analysis of the production tool, LightPick. The tool was designed to generate digital lights that simulate, one for one, a set of real lights used to shoot a scene of a film or television production, for the express purpose of rendering digital elements to be composited into the live-action scene. Once the LightPick tool was fully developed, a set of test shots were composed and analyzed to determine the effectiveness of LightPick as a production tool. Upon analysis it was found that the LightPick tool met the desired performance requirements that had been established during the conceptual design phase.
Bennatt, William Rhett (2000). Light derivation for compositing digital elements into live action photography. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -2000 -THESIS -B456.