Light Tests

This week I have been hard at work on lighting tests. The primary light sources in the scene are the over head windows, and the mobile phone itself. It's important that both sources cast light onto the dummy geometry so that realistic lighting can be added during the final composite.

The mobile phone will be moving throughout the scene, bumping into props and casting a glow on the environment. It's also important to me that as the screen is on, it should have a realistic interface. The idea that someone is calling the phone can only be realised if the screen lights up an image as well emits light. This has been a cause of some head scratching, but after thinking through the idea logically, and acquainting myself with the shader shop in more detail, I seem to have managed to produce a decent effect.

I am also attempting to produce God rays/Cathedral rays to light the scene from above. This is an early test render comped onto the back plate. This is NOT the final grade or composite, I was just interested to see how the lights from the dummy geometry would look with the back plate. I think the effect is working relatively well, perhaps a little fast, and the geometry certainly needs cleaning up a bit. I'm also not liking the rays through the side portholes. Perhaps a simple glow would be more effective here. It'll be interesting to see how the light rays are effected by the movement of the phone through the scene.