Week 5
- 3 feb
- 3 Min. de lectura
Actualizado: hace 3 días
February 02-08, 2026
Week 5 marked the beginning of a more focused push on FX refinement and particle behavior, with mentors providing targeted feedback to help clarify the relationship between particles, paint, and the printed result.
Mentors Feedback
Most of the feedback this week centered on particle readability, motion, and material behavior. Mentors pointed out that the particles currently feel too solid and defined, reading more like glitter than pigment. We were encouraged to push toward a more chalky, liquid-like paint behavior, using smaller particles, greater variation in scale, and increased density while avoiding clustering at the center.
Another recurring note was the lack of a clear visual connection between the particles and the printed surface, particularly in Shot 3. Suggestions included ensuring particles continue moving until they reach the painting, improving collider interactions so they feel intentional rather than accidental, and reinforcing the transition from particles to paint through motion blur, trails, layered simulations, and smoke or volume passes.
Lighting was also emphasized as a critical factor. Once again mentors suggested allowing the particles to act as a light source through emission, reducing specular highlights, and using lighting spill to better integrate the particles into the scene. Shot pacing and camera movement were addressed as well, with recommendations to tighten shot lengths while maintaining logical camera flow.
Shot 4 was identified as a strong layout reference, but after discussion, we decided to restructure the sequence and consolidate shots for clarity.
Week 5 Work Plan
Based on this feedback, we established the following plan:
Combine Shot 3-5 - Itim/Riley
Shot 2/3 get more lighting spill - Benji/Sofia
Shot 5 get bumping map accordingly - Benji
Shot 1 get lighting to be warm on the particles and cold behind - Benji
FX Testing
Shot 2 Particle Simulation + emittion - Yiqi
Add trail to particles or change shape - Itim/Riley
Shot 4 particle to image Simulation / Check colider - Riley
Add more volume and tin the particles - Yiqi
Compositing
Get AOVs passes render for Shot 1-3 - Team
LED light test - Sofia
Shots 1 and 3 will serve as our hero shots, allowing us to concentrate our efforts on fewer moments and strengthen their visual impact.
My Focus This Week
Since this week marked the start of a new FX direction, my focus has been on supporting lighting integration and compositing needs, particularly for Shots 2 and 3. This includes preparing for updated AOV passes, assisting with lighting spill tests, and continuing LED light testing to ensure consistency as the particle system evolves.
As the team continues to generate AOVs, I’ve been refining lighting interactions, paint glow, and reflections—gradually aligning the visuals more closely with the mood and tone established in our reference board.
SHOT 2
Before After
SHOT 3
Before After
SHOT 4
Before After
One issue we began encountering involves noise and inconsistencies within the USD renders, where certain frames show lights turning on or off unexpectedly. To address the noise, I implemented a Denoise node to reduce grain while preserving as much image detail as possible. Meanwhile, Itim has been consulting with Professor Fowler to identify a more permanent technical solution.
As a temporary measure in compositing, I’ve introduced additional control nodes to manually balance lighting fluctuations between frames and maintain visual continuity. However, this adjustment can only compensate to a limited extent and does not fully resolve the underlying rendering issue.
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