Set up lighting for digital animation
Overview
This Standard is about your ability to light characters, props and environments for digital animation in a way that creates the correct ambience and style for the production. Getting the right lighting is an iterative process that needs working on through the production process. This standard is for you if you set up lighting for digital animation.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
determine the requirements that will affect your work by analysing
briefs, scripts, visual references, storyboards, colour keys and
technical and production parameters
- generate ideas on the use of lighting for each shot that meet the
design brief
confirm the lighting plot with relevant people
set up lighting to meet creative requirements, technical
parameters and production schedules
work within existing lighting set ups created by others
light characters, props and environments to create the required
moods and effects to enhance the narrative
- create or work with prototype animations to confirm that lighting
meets requirements
- adjust lighting to meet production and aesthetic requirements of
specific shots and sequences throughout the production
- review material with relevant people and offer suggestions to
assist others with the production
- respond to feedback about the material you create in a positive
way, making refinements as needed
- remain flexible and adaptable to new directions, creative
requirements and technical developments on an ongoing basis
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
the design, style and look of the production and how lighting
impacts on it
- the production parameters, such as budget, schedule, digital
pipelines and edit suites being used
- the technical parameters, such as aspect ratio, colour space and
format of final deliverables
- image capture equipment theory and techniques and the
limitations of real camera gear
- lighting theory and techniques, real world set lighting and vector
maths sufficient to carry out the role
- colour theory and how lighting works in films, painting and
photography
how to set up creative lighting to match real lighting from plate
how to create different moods and effects such as times of day
and seasons through lighting and camera angles and how it is
used in story and character
- how camera movements impact on the effectiveness of animated
performance and the physical rigging involved to achieve them
- the importance of light, shade and intensity, the impact these
have on colour and how shadows behave and can be used
the way shading and reflections behave and can be used
the effects of camera positions, angles, lens types and lighting in
relation to characters, props and environments
- how to exploit the potential of industry-standard digital animation
software
- the entire production process and the impact your work has on
those people who are animating, shooting scenes and
compositing
how to effectively work alongside key people
how to use scripting to help workflow