The camera always lies
3D Set Extension Case Study
Le x h ag un d e r t o o k t h e f o r m i da b l e t a s k o f b uil d ing the to p fl o o r s to the ic o nic sho p b uil d ing and su r r o u n d i n g s h o ps in t h e a c l a i m e d B B C d r a m a 'T h e P a r a d is e '. T h e o r i g in a l s e t b u il d w a s b u il t t o 26 f t l e a vin g e ve r y s h o p r oof a n d f l o o r s a b o v e t h i s h e i g h t , s o a n y t i m e t h e c a mera c aug ht im ag es a bo v e that l ine, set exten sio n was c a l l e d t o c o m pl e t e t h e s h o t . T h e pr o c e s s ' in v o l ve d a r e br ie f l y e x pl a in e d be l o w . Re f e r e n c e i m a g e s w e r e m o r e i m p o r t a n t t h a n usual d u ring th is jo b, as the exten sio n n o t o nl y had to m a t c h t h e e x is t in g s e t b u t a l s o e n s u r e t h e a c c u r a c y o f t h e pe r i o d w it h it 's d e s ig n .
1. S h o t p la t e i s su p p l i e d b y cl i e n t : i n t h i s a slow tracking shot of The Paradise's ep o n y m o us se t t i n g .
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2. Using re ferenc e im ag es and arc h itec t u ral d rawings suppl ied by the pro d uc tio n d esigner a 3 D m o d el o f the sho p to p was ac u ratl ey m ad e
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With a c c u r a t e o n - s e t d a t a t h e m o d e l is pl ac ed in s a pc e a n d c a r e f u l l y t r a c ke d t o m atc h t h e c a m e r a t il t
V i s ua ls a n d a r ch e t e ct u r a l dr a w i n g s a r e so u rc ed to pro v id e r e f e r e n c e f o r t h e 3 D e x t e n s i o n . T h e b u i l d ing need ed to seem l essl y m a t c h i t s su r r o u n d i n g s a s w e l l a s b e a cc u rate to the spec ific period of the dra ma.
6.
W it h a n a c c u r a t e m a t c h m o ve t h e s h o t is m o ve d i n t o t h e c o m po s i t e . U n d is e r e d f e a t u r e s f r o m t h e pl a t e a r e r e m o ve d a n d a n e w s ky is add ed
5. B e f o r e t h e f i n a l t w e a ks t o colou r , li g h t q u a l it y a n d d e t ia l i n g is p e r f ome d t h e f i n la pi e c e s o f g e o m e t r y a r e a dd e d. N ot i ce t h e adjencent sho p roofs
A BOV E L E F T : St r a i g h t o ut o f the a r t d epartm ent, t h e o r ig in a l pl an s fo r t h e d e s i g n o f the sho p. A BOV E: Re fe r e n c e i m a g e s o f o riginal s h o ps a n d ho uses fro m t h e pe r i o d . BEL OW L E F T : A n a r t is t 's v isual isatio n o f t h e c o m pl eted se t .
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A bo ve i s t h e f i n a l c o m po s it e d s h o t . T h e c o l o u r , s h a d o w s , l ig h t a n d c o m po s it in g f in e s s i n g h a ve b e e n comp le t e d t o t h e e x t e n d e d s e c t i o n t o a c u u r a t l e y m a t c h t h e s e t . T h e d e t i a l i n g h a s a l s o be e n a d d e d i n c l u di n g t h e c u r t ia n s a n d w in d o w r e f l e c t io n s .
The camera always lies
2D Set Extension Case Study
L ex h ag w e r e a p p r o ac hed to provi d e a sea mless se t e x te n si o n o n a sh o t f ro m Fr o n ti e r , a w i l d w e s t s to r y wit h a t wis t . T he t wo m a in cha r a ct e r s a r e r u nning t hr ou g h a cor n f ie ld in or d e r t o e s ca p e t he clu t che s of a r ather un usual m o n s t e r . T he s h o t was fi l med i n a fi eld su rrou n d e d b y tr e e s, w h i c h d e tr a c te d fr o m th e i n te n d e d i d e a t ha t t he cha r a ct e r s a r e s t r a nd e d f or m ile s a nd m ile s in a s e a of gold e n cor n. In or d e r t o cr e a t e t h is illu s io n L exhag's visual e f f e c t s ar t i s t s b u ilt an exten si o n of the fi eld th a t s tre tc h e d o n to w a r d s th e h o ri zo n l i n e a n d c re a te d a dis t a nt m ou nt a in r a ng e t o ke e p a s e n s e of r e a lis m in t he p ict u r e . Fina lly , a r e p la ce m e nt s ky wa s cr e a t e d a nd d ro pped in to the s h o t t o ma s k t he fores t bord ering the fi eld.
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5.
T he f ina l com p os it e wit h gr a d e : a ne v er- en d in g gold en cor n f ie ld t ha t m e e t s a da r k a nd m oody sk y.
T h e o ri g i n a l sh o t h a s tre e s i n th e b ackgr ou nd t ha t ne e d to b e r e m o v e d to p r o v i d e th e i l l u si o n of a ne v e r -e nding c o rn fi e l d . N e w e l e m e n ts m u s t b e c re a te d f or t he hor izo n l i n e a n d th e sk y re p a i n te d to c o v e r the or igina l s p a ce o c c u p i e d b y th e l i n e o f tre e s.
2. The fil m was based o n a graph ic n ovel of the sa me na me and it was important to lift as many visuals as possible from the illus tratio n s when creating the set exten sio n. Sou rcing resou rce imag es for the sky was also a crucial part of the preparatio n, as the majority of the visual e ffects in th is shot iv olved sky replacement.
COPYRIGHT LEXHAG Š2013
3. T h e i n d i v i d u a l e l e m e n ts i n th e c o m p o s it io n: t he e x t e nd e d s ky line , e x t e nd e d a nd f la t t e ne d e dg e o f th e c o r n f i e l d , so ft m o u n ta i n s o n t he hor izo n a nd t he cor n f ie ld. A ll e le m e nt s we r e p a i n te d i n P h o to sh o p .
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T he com p os it e p a r t wa y t hr ou g h com p le t io n. Here the corn f ie ld ha s b e e n e x t e nd e d. T r a cking a ll t he e le m e nt s cr e a t e d in p a r t 3 was vital to e n s u r e a f lu id a nd b e lie v a b le f ina l ou t come. The ca mera m ov e m e nt of t he or igina l s hot (a gr a du a l pan upward s) was a p p lie d t o t he e x t e n s io n of t he f ie ld, t he moun tain s an d the s ky r e p la ce m e nt .