Storytelling Feedback for It's Raining Men Contest 2020 (Updated May 30)

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Comments

  • FenixPhoenixFenixPhoenix Posts: 3,091

    vwrangler said:

    Thank you for the detailed feedback! I hadn't thought of using framing and color in quite those ways.

    It was rendered in Iray, not Filament; I haven't done anything with that yet.

    Ah, interesting! Then perhaps make sure you don't have the headlight in the camera active, as that can give that even light (like when you take a photo with the camera's flash and everything is lit so evenly, it destroys any sense of depth).

  • denavindenavin Posts: 30

    FenixPhoenix said:

    Feedback for @Denavin

    The Question - VIP Priority

    I loved this entry because it's a beautiful shot that quickly establishes the precarious situation of the two characters. Now, there are several ways to build upon this shot. The easiest one is to simply play with the lighting. So they are in the middle of a desert, but the colors being neutral do not contribute to the "precarious" vibe. So one thing you can do is play with the warmth of the light so that it's clear the weather is working against them. You could also move the time of the day to sunset. So you can have the sun sinking into the horizon, painting the sky red as blues creep into the scene. That will allude to how it's about to get cold and they'll have to figure out if they can survive the night. Sunsets are also very symbolic of "losing hope", perfect for when things are about to get difficult.

    Another opportunity to explore would be moving the camera closer to the wing of the broken plane. Then using that wing to create lines that would lead our eyes (and therefore focus) towards the pair of characters. Then, behind them, we would still be able to see the vast, empty desert. That would give more weight to the characters and their interaction.

    Here are some resources that you may find helpful:

    These are some handy references that may also be helpful:

    Blade Runner creates mood via colors. In this case, the warmth is saturated to give it that toxic and sci-fi vibe. But this is a prime example of how colors can contribute a ton to the storytelling.

    This shot from The Game: Towards Zero showcases a popular color scheme for movies: orange + blue. It usually has a connotation of danger or peril. You can use a similar color scheme by using the orange as highlights (from the sinking sun and/or a fire) and then have the blue dominate the scene.

    This shot from The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity showcases how poetic lighting can become in constructing mood. Notice how having the sun sinking and bathing her in gold, contrasting with the creeping shadows, gives the scene a sense of loneliness and turns it sad despite the warm lighting.

    The following examples from 365: Repeat the Year showcase leading lines drawing our focus to the characters:

    Thanks so much for your valid feedback FPhoenix and sorry I'm responding so late. I pondered over your advise and finally reached a conclussion. I believe the authenticity of reality, the pale dust that covers everything, the harsh sun and the hint of water far across the plain, would be lost if I tampered with the lighting. If I dropped the sun, I wouldn't have the refraction necessary to create a mirage. The hint of darker tone on the closer edge of the mirage, the phenomenon that make things in the distance distinguishable between a mirage and water, could not be achieved. (A mirage will refract the background making it seem to float upon it whereas, water will reflect it.) The higher sun also portrays very little shadow on the flats, offering very little shelter when down there. The sun is high enough to be out of the lower atmospheric perspective of the dust layer, thereby not yet causing refraction through the dust layer and trying everything crimson. The difficulty of distinguishing between the mirage and water is reduced by the haze cause from atmospheric perspective. If the sun dropped, the perspective would obscure but not a mirage, to a certain degree.

    With your eye, however, and your abiltily to break down an image, it would have been a blast to have had you involved in judging the International Woman's Day competition. God bless!

    eg: push that scene back 15 miles and add a bit more dust. Then elevate the view point to push the mirage closer to the foot of the hills. Notice the refraction of the hills. Its a repitition of the hills and not a reflection. A reflection would be a horizontal flip of the hills.

     

    See the source image

  • FenixPhoenixFenixPhoenix Posts: 3,091
    edited April 2021

    @denavin, of course, my feedback is meant to be taken simply as suggestions :). I still think it's worth it to explore creating leading lines with the plane to transfer the focus from an establishing shot (where we see their precarious situation) to an emotional one (where the relationship between the characters is at the heart of the frame). But that can be taken as a continuation of the story (second frame) while leaving the establishing frame first.

    Also, while I gave some dramatic examples of where to take the lighting, even just upping the warmth a little bit can help. Sort of like they did with Uncharted 3 (your image really reminded me of that game). What I want to show is in the 16-minute mark onward, where the cinematic takes place:

    Here's a quick reference of what I mean. This is your render with warm filters:

    Comparison:

    Although mind you, in the end, it's still personal preference and whatever achieves your vision is the best way to go about it :).

     

    As to the International Women's Day Competition... I'm actually disappointed. I didn't participate, but I saw two really strong entries with very good concepts in the gallery, so I had a ton of expectations as to who would win. The winning entries are indeed quite beautiful, but they lack concept and that's where I would've disagreed with the judges. I think they should've put more weight (points) towards the concept and less on the execution to reward the unique entries, like this one from Hypertaf and this one from Isikol.

     

     

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  • FenixPhoenixFenixPhoenix Posts: 3,091

    @smoke14, I've updated your feedback with two new references I came across yesterday. You'll find the references at the end of your feedback post. :)

  • denavindenavin Posts: 30

    I don't dispute what you are saying and it's very valid advise. I was trying to re-live the atmosphere that I experienced many years ago..and the harshness of the desert.  This may explain. I was operational in South West and Angola during the cold war....one of the few photos I have of the dreadful time if speak so much of. We would live out in the elements for 2 to 3 weeks at a time. When we returned to base, we had no friends....until after a shower....lol. It was the reality of a life time ago that I was aiming for, nothing theatrical, if that makes sense.

    Oh wow, that second image is amazing. Pity they never got to post it on time. I submitted two. The 1 was Eve with a long story but it got removed due to nudity even though everything was covered, Eve had no thong on...lol. I thing the message was to reliigious but it was very close to home and all from the heart...and oh, so for the strength and recognition of woman Gallery moderators didn't even tell me they had taken it down...twice. The 2nd 1 was also, straight from the heart. Thanks again FenixPhoenix. Keep up the good work!!!

    No photo description available.

  • FenixPhoenixFenixPhoenix Posts: 3,091

    @denavin, that's a great picture and I can see why you'd prefer to approach the render more in a realistic sense (think documentary) rather than a dramatic one (movies). Storytelling can be such a personal thing and there's really no golden rule to it. We all have personal preferences and, as we say in México, "hay un roto para cada descocido" which basically means there's always something for everyone. So while I prefer to approach storytelling more dramatically, others may prefer a more realistic/neutral approach. The same can be said with the whole "true renders" vs "post-worked renders" debate (I actually love doing post-work).

  • FenixPhoenixFenixPhoenix Posts: 3,091
    edited April 2021

    Feedback for @BlueFox

    Accidental Dimension Hopper

    I like that this piece makes you wonder who the time hopper really is, as the village looks fantastical enough to give you pause. At the same time, the animals are quite human and we all know there are towns that still look like that (when I was in university, I studied abroad in Tuscania, Italy which looked very similar).

    Your biggest area of opportunity is clarity; specifically to determine what is the story you want to tell and, subsequently, what emotion you want the audience to feel. If we assumed the time hopper is Bullwarg, what was he trying to accomplish, and how does he feel about what happened? Did he succeed? Is he lost and asking for directions? Is he curious? The fact that we can't see his expression makes it hard to gauge what's happening aside from surprising the human (his expression is very comical, mind you).

    (Out of curiosity I showed one of my brothers the artwork to see what story it evoked for him and he mentioned Chrono Trigger; a time-traveling warrior frog. Was that an inspiration?)

    Here are some resources that you may find helpful:

    Understanding Composition

    • An intro regarding the importance of the composition of an image through the eyes of a CGI artist. This video discusses Focal Elements (1:28) and Hierarchy, both of which you may find useful.

    Color Theory in Film — Color Psychology for Directors: Ep5

    • Excellent short introduction and overview regarding the importance of Hue, Brightness, and Saturation when building a scene.

    12 CAMERA ANGLES to Enhance Your Films

    • Short overview on different camera angles and how they can affect your scene.

    Ultimate Guide to Camera Angles: Every Camera Shot Explained

    • Great breakdown on different camera angles and heights can affect your scene. 

     

    Here are some handy references that may also be helpful:

    Notice here how we also have two characters on screen and the environment plays a BIG role in feeding us information. We have a forest, which suggests the characters are isolated and may have been hunting. We also see a separation of the characters via the threes (which actually boxes in one of the characters). The scale of the characters also tells us that the character who is standing is the focus. Not only is he boxed and small, but the dutch angle tells us he's feeling untethered, scared, and alone. The beautiful light also contradicts and, therefore, enhances the feeling of unease since it stills right onto the character who's on the ground.

    This one is a great example (of Soul) of how much light and colors contribute to creating a mood. In this case the mood of feeling extremely sad and isolated. You could always borrow this approach with your render. Having a couple of humans watching Bullwarg and focusing everything else in allowing us to glimpse his mental state (via colors, angle, mood, etc.).

    BTW, that movie does a GREAT job of mirroring that scene towards the end. Notice how he's also alone eating a pie, but the colors change the mood to something positive and warm.

     

    I couldn't think of any other to add since I'm unsure what you were aiming for in regards to the story, but I hope the feedback and references are still useful.

     

     

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  • FenixPhoenixFenixPhoenix Posts: 3,091
    edited May 2021

    Feedback for @Carola O

    Trackers

    I like the concept and the characters themselves, they look very cool and efficient. I think the biggest area of opportunity is to declutter. Right now everything is competing for attention and the scene feels crowded. The colors could also use more direction to separate things a bit more.

    Since the title is offering the biggest part of the story (tracking) I think you could pull the camera even closer to the ground and give the characters more power via a subtle low-angle shot. You could also create some leading lines with the grass coming from the corner(s) of the shot that leads towards the character, rather than has the grass in the foreground create a sort of frame.

    As a secondary area of opportunity, once you've nailed the composition, you could use colors and lighting to determine the mood. Who are they tracking? Are they dangerous or allies?

    Here are some resources that you may find helpful:

    "Leading Lines" in Popular Films

    • A great overview of what leading lines are and how they can be used.

    5 Tips For Filming Cinematic Compositions

    • This video goes over a few basic things that you'll find useful, such as depth (1:43), composition (6:24), camera angles (8:21), and focal points (10).

    Understanding Composition

    • An intro regarding the importance of the composition of an image through the eyes of a CGI artist. This video also provides very useful information regarding focus, structure, and balance.

    Ultimate Guide to Camera Angles: Every Camera Shot Explained

    • Great breakdown on different camera angles and heights can affect your scene. Low angles are explained at 01:15.

    CINEMATIC LIGHTING: Lighting with purpose and story in mind

    • Great analysis of how light affects a mood of a scene by breaking down and explaining examples from films.

     

    Here are some handy references that may also be helpful:

    Notice in this shot from "A Night in Paradise" how a subtle low angle can give power to the scene. The light is also on point in creating a cold scene where something dangerous is about to happen, ergo why the colors are also desaturated (to give it that gritty feel, much like they do in war movies):

    In this example from the Wolf Brigade, notice how the camera is close to the ground and the character is point and center. The decluttered shot allows us to focus on him and what he's doing. Although the colors are warm, everything else provides the information that he may be feeling threatened.

    Notice how the lines on the ground in this shot from 365: Reapeat the Year lead our eye towards our characters. You can certainly do something similar but using the grass instead. Of course, in this shot, I would've taken the tree out so that it doesn't look like it's coming "out" of their heads.

    The following examples are meant to show how similar compositions can build different moods depending on the light and colors used. Notice how in all of them the figure is rendered almost a silhouette, but the mood is still quite different.

    Sad, romantic fantastical, and a little nostalgic. The light is diffused so it becomes soft, almost like a dream:

    Red and low light is a perfect recipe for danger:

    Desaturated and hazy are perfect for war, gritty scenes:

    Orange, soft and monochromatic are a staple of toxic apocalyptic scenes:

    Blue (sometimes replaced with green) + Orange (which is sometimes replaced by yellow or brown) combined with low light, high contrast and deep shadows are perfect for crime thrillers:

    Horror and/or psychological crime thrillers tend to also lean into the lifeless greens:

    Sci-fi & fantasy tends to also use purples and blues, with some haze to create a mood of danger.

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  • FenixPhoenixFenixPhoenix Posts: 3,091
    edited May 2021

    Feedback for @MelanieL

     Prometheus Bound

    I love the idea of portraying mythology for this contest. It just so happens that I also love the story of Prometheus, so right away you had me on your team. I think the clarity of your storytelling was top-notched, as even without the title, I would've known who the man in the picture was, so well done in that regard! I also think your composition is very well done. Your biggest area of opportunity is therefore the mood. Right now, you have neutral colors and bright light which actually contradicts what's happening in the scene. The light is harmonious and happy, which overpowers the suffering of Prometheus.

    So one way to approach this would be to change the time of the day to sunset. A sunset is evocative of something coming to an end. In this case, Prometheus' hope could be dwindling. So you'll want the colors to be warm but dim, with hues of red and gold peppering the sky. Or you could go with the opposite and choose a sunrise. Meaning that Prometheus is still hanging on to hope. The colors can therefore be warm but more in the tones of purples and pinks (which is also a color that correlates to fantasy).

    Or, perhaps even more appropriate, you could go for a foggy, rainy weather. Dull the colors (de-saturate) and use cold lights to really embrace the suffering his enduring. Think of how movies portray their scenes --almost monochromatic in their color which lends them grit.

    BTW, while your composition is already fine, you could also move the camera closer to the rock and have it lead us towards the character. You can also always play with the angles to show either the power of Promethus who is still hanging on (low angle) or the impotence of Prometheus who can't escape his horrible situation (high angle).

    Here are some resources that you may find helpful:

    Color Theory in Film — Color Psychology for Directors: Ep5

    • Excellent short introduction and overview regarding the importance of Hue, Brightness, and Saturation when building a scene.

    Understanding Color

    • An overview of the importance of color when designing and some basic explanations regarding color theory.

    Video about Color Theory (how color conveys emotions)

    • You'll want to especially take a look at the section that talks regarding Hue (0:56).

    Lighting Concepts in Cinematograph

    • You'll want to focus especially on High Key vs Low Key (4:00) and Light/Color Temperature (8:08).

    How Light Conveys Emotion

    • This video goes over several aspects of light positioning and the mood they create which you'll find very useful.

    Understanding Composition

    • An intro regarding the importance of the composition of an image through the eyes of a CGI artist. You may find the part about focal elements useful (5:17).

     

    These are some handy references that may also be helpful:

    Here are some examples of Color Schemes + Lighting Choices that may fit help you build a sad/tragic mood for your picture. Notice how most of them make use of haze to diffuse the light and soften shadows:

    Gritty and dready:

    Sad and Tragic:

    Sad and Lonely:

    Toxic:

    Sad but embracing her fate:

    Turning Prometheus (and the eagle) into a silohuette could also be worth exploring, like in the following examples.

    Beautiful but sad and lonely.

    Similar to above but with more grit. BTW, this shot comes from the last chapter of a k-drama called Vincenzo, wherein the main antagonist meets a similar fate to that of prometheus. So he's strapped to a chair and sitting on his chest is a crow, waiting to bite at his organs.

    Sad and Lonely:

    More artistic (like a painting) with deep shadows:

    Also, thinking of ways to soften images, I came across these other references (for DAZ Studio) which you may also find very useful:

    5 Ways to Create Soft Lighting Effects

    • The blog-post covers ways to soften images within DAZ Studio (though some of them deal with post-work in photoshop).

    Depth of Field (DAZ Studio)

    • This is a good tutorial on how to create Depth of Field in DAZ Studio. I'm bias when it comes to this option because I'm a fan of using depth of field, lol.

    DAZ Studio Lighting Tutorial - Bloom Effects

    • This video covers how to set bloom effects within DAZ Studio, which can help to create mood (I'm also a fan of using Bloom).

    DAZ Studio Lighting Tutorial - God Rays

    • Another great way to create drama and mood is through the usage of God Rays (which could pair great with the sunset idea).

     

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  • MelanieLMelanieL Posts: 7,424

    Thank you for your feedback (it must have taken you a lot of time doing all this feedback for everyone - I'm very grateful).

    What you say about mood is definitely a good point - I think I probably tend to overuse bright sunshine in my scenes. I like your idea of sunrise and a (misguided) feeling of hope. Maybe I'll try that out on the scene. Fog/rain is also an interesting idea - I used that approach to give a feeling of misery to a Bryce scene some time ago - but find it harder to get it to look good in Daz Studio, and the slowness of rendering with fog tends to put me off (I have to render CPU-only because my video card is no longer supported for Iray - I would love new kit with a good card, but that isn't feasible just at the moment.)

    As for the camera position, this was my final attempt after trying some higher angles first (which I thought made him loook too small and insignificant), then more frontal views (which entirely lacked drama), before settling on this one. Maybe I should try a more extreme view from closer to the rock.

    I'll take a good look at your references - thank you for making the effort to find them for me. Some of the stills I certainly recognise!

  • FenixPhoenixFenixPhoenix Posts: 3,091

    MelanieL said:

    Thank you for your feedback (it must have taken you a lot of time doing all this feedback for everyone - I'm very grateful).

    What you say about mood is definitely a good point - I think I probably tend to overuse bright sunshine in my scenes. I like your idea of sunrise and a (misguided) feeling of hope. Maybe I'll try that out on the scene. Fog/rain is also an interesting idea - I used that approach to give a feeling of misery to a Bryce scene some time ago - but find it harder to get it to look good in Daz Studio, and the slowness of rendering with fog tends to put me off (I have to render CPU-only because my video card is no longer supported for Iray - I would love new kit with a good card, but that isn't feasible just at the moment.)

    As for the camera position, this was my final attempt after trying some higher angles first (which I thought made him loook too small and insignificant), then more frontal views (which entirely lacked drama), before settling on this one. Maybe I should try a more extreme view from closer to the rock.

    I'll take a good look at your references - thank you for making the effort to find them for me. Some of the stills I certainly recognise!

    Glad you found it useful, and I agree regarding the fog. You could cheat and do the fog in post-work (which is what I do sometimes when I can't afford long render times).

    Also, thinking of ways to soften images, I came across these other references which you may also find very useful:

    5 Ways to Create Soft Lighting Effects

    • The blog-post covers ways to soften images within DAZ Studio (though some of them deal with post-work in photoshop).

    Depth of Field (DAZ Studio)

    • This is a good tutorial on how to create Depth of Field in DAZ Studio. I'm bias when it comes to this option because I'm a fan of using depth of field, lol.

    DAZ Studio Lighting Tutorial - Bloom Effects

    • This video covers how to set bloom effects within DAZ Studio, which can help to create mood (I'm also a fan of using Bloom).

    DAZ Studio Lighting Tutorial - God Rays

    • Another great way to create drama and mood is through the usage of God Rays (which could pair great with the sunset idea).

     

    I'll add these to your feedback post as well so they are all in one place :).

     

  • FenixPhoenixFenixPhoenix Posts: 3,091
    edited May 2021

    Feedback for @Andricaus

    Welcome You're Doom!

    I love this image in terms of style and I think the colors compliment the mood of impending doom (threatening). I got to say that I didn't get the reference you mentioned, btw, so where is the title from?

    Since the mood, style, and lighting are already great, I think your biggest area of opportunity lies in pushing your composition a bit more. I would algo give the big fella a different pose, as his weapon becomes obscured by the pose itself. So, going back to the composition, I think you could use the environment a bit better. You already have those pillars behind them, so you could:

    • a) Change the angle to a more neutral (front) one and use the pillars to "cage" them in a frame within a frame (examples further down).
    • Use the pillars to separate the three heroes from the skeletons attacking them by boxing them on one side of the pillars and having the skeletons on the other side (creating a visual division).

    BTW, your angle right now suggests that the trio is losing, correct? Otherwise, you'll want to switch to a different angle.

    Here are some resources that you may find helpful:

    Understanding Composition

    • An intro regarding the importance of the composition of an image through the eyes of a CGI artist. You may find the part about focal elements useful (5:17).

    5 Tips For Filming Cinematic Compositions

    • Great Insight into Cinematography Basics.

    My Popular Visual Cues in K-Drama Series PART 1 (Grouping & Dividing), PART 2 (Boxing, aka Frame within a Frame), PART 3 (Dutch Angle) & PART 4 (overview)

    • The followings are a series of articles I published that explained some of the framing/composition techniques common in K-Dramas. I give example of each technique and what it conveys to the audience. While I use examples from Korean Dramas, these are techniques use in worldwide cinema, so once you know what to look for, you'll start seeing them everwhere.

    High Angle Shots: 3 Towering Types of Camera Angles

    • Good explanation of three types of high-angle shots and what they signify.

    Ultimate Guide to Camera Angles: Every Camera Shot Explained.

    • Great breakdown on different camera angles and heights can affect your scene.

    Visual Storytelling 101

    • A great overview video with tips regarding composition (1:30).

    In the Mood for Love: Frames Within Frames

    • A video essay about the film "In the Mood for Love" which integrates a lot of very artistics frames within a frame visual cues (boxing).

    These are some handy references that may also be helpful:

    Notice in the following two examples, how the characters are shot within a frame (usually a doorway or window) to shrink the space around them and, in so doing, let us know they may be feeling trapped, caged, isolated, and/or in danger.

    In the following examples, characters are trapped in different "boxes" (frames) to let us know that they are divided. The character with the smallest frame is usually the one that holds the least power (or feel less powerful) within the context of the story.

    You can also divide characters and play not only with the space of the boxes to let us know who holds more power (think of it like hierarchy. The bigger the space, the more hiearchy you give that character), but you can also play with which character fills the box more (even if the boxes are the same size) such as in this example from Itaewon Class:

    You can also use a line on the floor (usually a table) to separate characters as well:

    You can use a combination of boxing + an angle to specify how the character is feeling like in the example below. Where she's not only feeling trapped but extremely powerless as well:

    Sometimes the high angle can also give the feeling like we're watching something while hiding ourselves, intensifying our anxiety:

    Sometimes the frame is also less apparent, but if you look closely you'll see it. Here's an example of it being used in combination with a low angle shot, which tells us the character is in danger but may not necessarily feel powerless:

    Of course, you can also do the opposite and group characters within a box to signify they are together:

    And of course the opposite is true as well, where you can group two characters who clearly are enemies and create tension:

     

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  • FenixPhoenixFenixPhoenix Posts: 3,091
    edited May 2021

    Feedback for @Gordig

    Morning Routine

    So I'd intended to give feedback on your other entry (My Cabbages), but I kept thinking back on this one. While your other entry is tons of fun (and props for creating the character's outfits!), this one has more heart to it. So, needless to say, I love the concept of this one and the sweet feelings it evokes. It's a creative way of showing the relationship between this father and son and the expressions are on point!

    That said, I think you could certainly push the composition by at least adding more colors and perhaps switching to a warmer light rather than neutral. Right now, the entry feels "stripped down" to almost the bare essentials. And while that helps in making us focus on the interaction between the characters, the visuals don't really support the emotions all that much. So while thinking on what type of resources to recommend, I actually ended up purchasing two PIXAR books: "The Color of Pixar" & "The Art of Pixar". While those are worth getting if you're interested in Pixar's art direction, I prefer "The Color of Pixar" a bit more as a reference for color schemes to support the emotion. So I highly recommend that one.

    Other than that, here are some resources you may find useful:

    5 Tips For Filming Cinematic Compositions

    •  Great Insight into Cinematography Basics.

    The Power of Color in Animation.

    • A brief but great introduction to Pixar's Color Script, which is built on the importance of color to convey emotion.

    Secrets of Color-Grading in Photography

    • Quick overview of color associations and mood, supported with great examples.

    Color Theory in Film — Color Psychology for Directors: Ep5

    • Excellent short introduction and overview regarding the importance of Hue, Brightness, and Saturation when building a scene.

    Understanding Color

    • An overview of the importance of color when designing and some basic explanations regarding color theory. You'll find the part about color harmonies (7:33) really useful.

    Video about Color Theory (how color conveys emotions)

    • You'll want to especially take a look at the section that talks regarding Hue (0:56).

    Adobe Kuler

    • A great tool to quickly look at color schemes and even create your own based on different rules.

    5 Ways to Create Soft Lighting Effects

    • The blog-post covers ways to soften images within DAZ Studio (though some of them deal with post-work in photoshop).

    Depth of Field (DAZ Studio)

    • This is a good tutorial on how to create Depth of Field in DAZ Studio. I'm biased when it comes to this option because I'm a fan of using depth of field, lol.

    DAZ Studio Lighting Tutorial - Bloom Effects

    • This video covers how to set bloom effects within DAZ Studio, which can help to create mood (I'm also a fan of using Bloom).

    These are some handy references that may also be helpful:

    Notice that to showcase "happiness", bold and bright colors are always a great choice. Yellow in color psychology is tied to happiness, Orange is tied to fun, Pink to sweetness, Blue is tied to security, Red to boldness, Green to life, etc. But remember that choosing the color harmony is one step, deciding on the hue and brightness is another that contributes to the emotion you want to build:

    You can also use colors to tie two characters together, turning them into a unit like in this screencap of Up:

    This one is an interesting one because, although the colors are a bit desaturated on the environment, the character's clothes are bolder, allowing us to focus on them and showing us that they are happy despite their circumstances:

    With this Toy Story 3 & Inside Out screencaps there's an additional warm filter that lends the scenes a cozy feeling:

    To show the importance of the brightness you give the colors, look at the comparisons from Inside Out below:

     

    InsideOut04-Colorpunch.jpg
    726 x 408 - 30K
    InsideOut05.jpg
    1280 x 720 - 54K
    InsideOut-Colors.jpg
    1024 x 576 - 71K
    InsideOut-Colors.png
    1280 x 720 - 1M
    InsideOut-Desaturated.jpg
    1920 x 960 - 219K
    InsideOut-Saturated.jpg
    1080 x 720 - 129K
    InsideOut04-Neutral.png
    936 x 624 - 545K
    InsideOut03-Desaturated.jpg
    1263 x 706 - 58K
    InsideOut03-Saturated.jpg
    1920 x 1080 - 134K
    InsideOut02-Desaturated.jpg
    650 x 398 - 30K
    InsideOut02-Saturated.JPG
    1557 x 820 - 130K
    InsideOut05-2.JPG
    1573 x 879 - 102K
    ToyStory3-Colors.jpg
    1280 x 720 - 147K
    Up-Colors.jpg
    1920 x 869 - 262K
    Up-Colors02.jpg
    1680 x 1050 - 572K
    Post edited by FenixPhoenix on
  • GordigGordig Posts: 10,109

    Thank you for the feedback. Color is definitely a major blindspot for me (no pun intended), and I'm also shockingly bad at lighting. I understand the principles of cinematic lighting, but for whatever reason have a difficult time actually applying them in my renders. I also do that thing I do where I make things unnecessarily difficult for myself, and tend to aim for more naturalistic lighting. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on My Cabbages, even if not nearly as in depth.

  • FenixPhoenixFenixPhoenix Posts: 3,091

    Gordig said:

    Thank you for the feedback. Color is definitely a major blindspot for me (no pun intended), and I'm also shockingly bad at lighting. I understand the principles of cinematic lighting, but for whatever reason have a difficult time actually applying them in my renders. I also do that thing I do where I make things unnecessarily difficult for myself, and tend to aim for more naturalistic lighting. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on My Cabbages, even if not nearly as in depth.

    Then I highly recommend getting one of the PIXAR books I recommended, as they would help you reference color harmonies and how they relate to emotion. The adobe Kuler link is also a great resource for creating or looking up color combinations. I also included some tutorials for creating light effects inside of DAZ Studio which I hope you find useful.

    As to getting feedback on your other render, sure thing. I just need to finish up round one with Charles this week, then I can look up some references for Cabbages. This time I'll skip adding links to video resources and simply use a few image references for ideas on things you can explore. :)

  • FenixPhoenixFenixPhoenix Posts: 3,091
    edited May 2021

    Feedback for @charles

    King of the Hill

    First off, I really enjoyed your entry and was astounded by the level of detail in that human pyramid of fallen enemies. You mentioned that Frank Frazetta was your inspiration and looking at some of his artwork, I can see how it helped you shape your render. I think for sure your strongest point is in regards to composition. This means that the area of opportunity you could explore to refine this render would be in playing with the brightness of your scene (either through post-work or tweaking your lights). Because right now, although we do focus on your main hero since he's the one at the top with some empty (sky) space framing him, in regards to colors and brightness everything actually looks a little muddy.

    So here are some resources you may find useful:

    5 Ways to Create Soft Lighting Effects

    • The blog-post covers ways to soften images within DAZ Studio (though some of them deal with post-work in photoshop).

    DAZ Studio Lighting Tutorial - Bloom Effects

    • This video covers how to set bloom effects within DAZ Studio, which can help to create mood (I'm also a fan of using Bloom). When used right, Bloom can actually also sharpen images and make them brighter, by decreasing the amount of bloom but upping the brightness settings of the bloom itself.

    DAZ Studio Lighting Tutorial - God Rays

    • While your inspiration doesn't quite use godrays, you can still use the techniques explained in this video to diffuse the light via a volumetric cube and have a soft, but bright, image.

    Steal the Color Grading from Any Image with Photoshop

    • If you use photoshop, this tutorial could be useful, as it would allow you to apply a color scheme of an image of your choice to yours.

    Color Theory in Film — Color Psychology for Directors: Ep5

    • Excellent short introduction and overview regarding the importance of Hue, Brightness (1:59), and Saturation when building a scene.

    These are some handy references that may also be helpful:

    This image from Frank Frazetta seems to be in a similar vein to yours, down to even some of your color choices. But notice how this image seems brighter. So you'll want to brighten the skin of your main hero (especially) so he isn't as cast in shadows and he stands out a bit more. You could also even reverse the colors. Right now you have your hero lit as a silohuette (light background, dark figure), but it might work out better to have a darker background and brighten up your hero.

    Another option to explore would be to again, brighten your hero, but keep all the pile of bodies as they are (darker) and perhaps explore a bluish hue to break away the monochromatic scheme and lend even more weight to your hero. But notice here how the hero is still lit brightly.

    In fact, I found the first artwork also in a similar color scheme to the one above. Although, personally, I like the warmer version of this one better (looks more heroic).

    In this next example, notice how even though the colors are monochromatic, the main figure also seems to be lit with a high spotlight, allowing us to focus on him first by creating a point of contrast:

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Post edited by FenixPhoenix on
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