*This seminar will be held in-person in Levine 307 as well as virtually via Zoom. The seminar will NOT be recorded.

ABSTRACT

This talk will describe how virtual cinematography techniques developed at UC Berkeley for image-based modeling, rendering, and lighting helped enable iconic visual effects sequences in movies such as The Matrix, X-Men, Spider-Man 2, Benjamin Button, and Avatar. It will also show how real-world image-based lighting techniques which surround actors with computer-controlled LED’s have led to new virtual production techniques seen in The Social Network, Gravity, Rogue One, Asura, and The Mandalorian. The talk will conclude by describing new research to improve the lighting reproduction, color rendition, and alpha compositing capabilities of these new virtual production stages.