ENDA Episode 185→ The time when ENDA faces a Multipass Challenge (Part 9)

What are the two defining characteristics of a camera lens?

Well… it depends on whom you ask.

A photographer and a filmmaker will have different needs and different types of lenses to choose from. There are obvious differences between them, and not just in price.

But that’s a topic for another episode.

What we need to understand here is what defines a lens from a visual effects perspective.

And the answer is simple: lens distortion and depth of field.

But how do we know which type of lens we should be replicating?

By studying the plate.

If we pay close attention to this shot, we can see that it’s a wide shot. Even though we don’t see the character’s full body, the intention is clear: to establish the character in a new location.

Taking into account that the character is looking around in awe, we can assume this is the first time they’ve arrived in this new world.

So, if we have a wide shot with the purpose of establishing a location… what’s the ideal lens for this situation?

3…

2…

1…

A wide lens.

Yes, it will distort around the corners, but it will also match the framing of the shot. And its greater depth of field will allow us to keep a broad area of the scene in focus.

In the video below, you can see how depth of field and lens distortion work together to transform our shot into something much more cinematic. Now it feels more like footage captured through a real camera.

And for the cherry on top, we add a subtle shift in focus to make the depth of field feel more organic and to support the narrative.

We start focused on the location, with the character slightly blurred. This lets us feel what they’re feeling: we are so amazed by this new world that, for a brief moment, we forget about ourselves.

By the end of the shot, we shift the focus back to the character, to tell the audience that the initial amazement is fading and we’re starting to process things again from our own perspective. After all, we’re standing on a new planet, surrounded by unknown variables.

A lot of narrative information is being conveyed through a technical decision made in comp.

So, what’s the next step?

A final check, and there’s an interesting way to approach it.

But that will be for the next episode.

The journey continues…

#ENDA #TrainingArc #Breakdown #Multipass #Compositing