In a previous episode, we hinted there are other types of shadows, beyond the projected ones, that matter when understanding a shot’s lighting.
One of these is the occlusion shadow (or contact shadow). These are the darkest shadows that appear where two surfaces meet, marking the point where light is fully blocked.
This concept is often taken for granted, especially when integrating a CG element into live-action footage or recreating shadows in comp. It’s the classic moment when an audience member thinks, “I don’t know what it is, but this feels fake.” Very often, the culprit is a missing or improperly graded occlusion shadow.
For example, notice on the gif below how the tapping foot on the ground has a far darker contact shadow at the moment it touches the surface, compared to its cast (or projected) shadow when it’s raised. That difference reveals a lot about volume and how light interacts with objects.
Of course, there’s still one more type of shadow we need to explore, an essential piece to master lighting integration. Which is…?
Well…, that’s for another episode.
The journey continues…
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