Tip of the Week - Reference

Reference. noun. A work frequently used as a source.

In visual effects, this is the most frequently used word when trying to recreate realistic environments and interactions. Sometimes your reference may not be a realistic environment either. It could be a concept painting, an animation, pre-visualization, and so forth. Regardless, it's something you should always have when creating your shots.

Even in a wholly 3D created film, how do the interactions between characters or environments convey the sense of being there? Are their shadows in the right place? Does the light illuminate features that should or should not be there?

Only by analyzing reference will you be able to set the mood of your shot, and add subtle nuances to it. Even if your shot is one of many in a sequence, your references are the surrounding shots, the shots that contain no visual effects surrounding your shot.