Abstract

Due to the rapid developments in display technology and real-time rendering, a new field has emerged in the motion picture industry. With so-called mixed-reality production systems, photo realistic environments can be generated in a studio by inserting visual effects on LED walls during filming. This leads to unprecedented creative, logistical, and technical possibili- ties. A major technical challenge in this regard is the matching of the „real” foreground with the „virtual” background. New workflows must be developed, particularly for lighting, that incorporate and link the background and foreground. Lighting on set has always been an essential part of the motion picture industry, with various types of light fixtures available. Possible adjustment parameters include color, brightness, and spatial radiation characteristics. The extension of the film set into the virtual space creates new use cases for which a „digital twin” of a light fixture is required. The spatial radiation characteristics of a virtual light fixture are evaluated by integrating existing luminous intensity distribution curves of an ARRI Orbiter multi-channel LED light fixture into Unreal Engine 5.3, and a methodology to enable an objective comparison between virtual and real light fixtures is developed. These light sources can be compared based on their light distribution and light cone diameter. However, it should be noted that virtual lights do not automatically represent the corresponding real lights with IES files and the default settings. Nonetheless, it is still possible to adjust the virtual lights to achieve a closer resemblance to the real light sources.

Results/Implementation/Project Description

Conclusion

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