Week 3

January 19-25, 2026

During Week 3, we received more in-depth feedback from our mentors, primarily focused on lighting direction, visual consistency, and strengthening the product’s branding language across all shots.

Mentor Feedback

A major point of feedback this week was that lighting will be key to selling the product, and that it has not yet been fully nailed. Mentors emphasized the importance of allowing color to drive the lighting, suggesting the use of indirect lighting, emissive color, and caustics, with minimal additional light sources—just enough to reveal key details such as bevels and form.

Consistency was another recurring note, particularly in the direction of the fluid between shots, pacing, and the overall visual language. While Shot 5 was highlighted as a strong moment with a successful painting reveal effect, several mentors noted that it currently feels disconnected from the surrounding shots. We were encouraged to carry the same ink(paint), color, and organic motion language throughout the entire sequence to better reinforce the product’s identity.

Additional feedback included slowing down certain shots, refining transitions—especially between Shots 5 and 6—lowering camera height for more appealing compositions, and being more intentional with references by focusing on a single, cohesive visual direction rather than multiple competing ones.

For Shot 6, the mentors suggested increasing density, varying object speeds, and clarifying the visual message by emphasizing the number and variety of printable objects without overwhelming the viewer.

Week 3 Work Plan

Based on the feedback, we adjusted our responsibilities and priorities for the week:

• Previs change by notes given - Sofia

• AOV list - Sofia

• Shader work (priority is printer shaders) - Benji

• Lighting (priority is shot 1) - Benji

FX Testing

• Liquid Simulation - Yiqi

• Paint Shader + emission/lighting test - Yiqi

• Particle to image Simulation (Shot 4 to 5) - Riley

• Shot 6 objects movement change - Itim

Compositing

• Shot 1 comp - Sofia

My Focus This Week

This week, my primary focus was on organizing and testing the AOV render passes. Itim was able to render frames for Shot 1 with all the required passes, which allowed me to begin compositing tests and explore how the liquid paint and lighting interact within the shot.

Through these tests, I worked on achieving a more consistent and harmonious look, particularly in balancing the paint elements with the evolving lighting direction. We did encounter some issues with the render passes, and additional changes were identified after the initial setup. However, due to time constraints, we were unable to implement those updates in time for this week’s presentation.

In addition to compositing work, I also addressed feedback from the previous week by adjusting the camera angle and position for Shot 2, ensuring that its movement and framing better match the flow and continuity established in Shot 1. This change helped maintain visual consistency and smoother transitions between the opening shots.

Production Notes & Workflow

As the project moves into heavier and more technically demanding stages, we established a more concrete approach to communication and collaboration. Certain tasks may become too heavy for a single team member to handle alone, so sharing work-in-progress notes and screenshots will be essential moving forward. We also discussed being more mindful of time investment per task and using that information to adjust our schedule when necessary.

Next Steps

For next week, my focus will be on refining the render passes and improving lighting integration, particularly for Shots 1 and 6. Benji will be adding textures and shaders to the shots, which will allow us to better evaluate the full look once all elements are combined.

Review presentation for Week 4