Our art director, Jan, is sharing his insights about post-production. Is Photoshop a must? How does he recognize over-edited render? What tips does he have for juniors?
Where does your post-production start?
The easiest way is to start post-production in Lightmix in Corona Render. Lightmix has many features to tweak your image – curves, saturation, white, black, LUT profiles… It’s a lifesaver if you’re not a Photoshop expert. It allows you to do basic post-production, which can be quite enough.
What other software can a CG artist use?
I know there are people who do post-production in AfterEffects, DaVinci Resolve, or even Nuke… – it’s about what suits you best. It has a different environment and slightly different features. I didn’t go that route because I like things simple (it’s in our brand philosophy of “mono” and “lot”). I don’t like to overcomplicate the process, for me, the simplest post-production is the best.
Editing still images in video software? I hadn’t thought of that… Is there a big advantage?
The advantage is definitely that if you need to create an animation, the color corrections, and other adjustments are already done. It has happened to me personally that I did post-production in Photoshop, and only after that came the request for animation. Someone else tried to transfer my edits into video software, and it’s not easy. Of course, the client wants the same atmosphere. But if one person can’t do both, then another person works on it. And even if you use the same scene and lighting, it may not be trivial to achieve the same effect. Photoshop adjustments can be so sophisticated that it’s impossible to replicate.
Is this changing as the software advances?
It certainly changes. My experience comes from a history where raw renders didn’t look very good. Now, if I look at a five-year-old raw render and final image, I tell myself I could do magic in Photoshop. Today, I’d even say I can do it very well in Lightmix, and I’m just working on the details in Photoshop.
Does it ever happen to you that the visualization doesn’t need any adjustments after Corona?
No, but I would say it needs minimal adjustments. The shadows, for example. Often in 3D, you can’t fine-tune the exposure, the render is darker than it should be. But for that, I just need the Camera Raw filter, where I play with the basic values and just tweak the image.
What is the reference you try to get close to in post-production?
The reality, of course, I try to get as close to the photo as possible. That’s why I use the lens correction features.
As an art director in the studio, do you ever come across visuals where you think, “Well, this is too much post-production”? How do you know?
Definitely, and actually, the more someone enjoys Photoshop and learns and wants to try, the more likely they are to “overdo it” a little bit. When I open a .psd file like that, I might end up deleting 2/3 of the layers. The boundary is difficult to determine, but nothing should be overdone. You try to help it at all costs, you go the way of trial and error, and you try to find what helps the most. But the more you try, the more mistakes you make, and the picture gets worse.
And how do I know? I can describe it by looking at the picture and seeing it as if it’s in a fog, blurry, I have to squint a little. And then I realize there’s a lot of layers. The best analogy I can think of right now is that women don’t need layers of makeup to be beautiful. Even a raw render can be messed up if you put “layers of makeup” on it.
Is Photoshop ever an absolute necessity for you?
Photoshop is a necessity in photomerge. You can’t do it any other way. A CG artist has to be able to mask well and plan their process. I recommend masking like a theater set. Have a foreground, then individual layers at different depths – then the CG artist can adjust the layers independently. In this case, I usually start by trying to get the photo a little closer to the render, and the render closer to the photo. I try to match, but on that scale, I’m more likely to adjust the render because the photo captures reality. If you have a beautiful photo, it’s a shame to degrade it. The render is artificial, the photo is real.
And you don’t edit the photos beforehand?
Not really. I try to take the photos on the spot, as technically correct as possible.
Finally, do you have any advice for juniors who are struggling with post-production?
Don’t be afraid to make a mistake, but most of the time, less is more. And if you feel something is not working, it is not working. So trust your instincts and take a step back. Don’t be lazy, find the right reference and place it next to your render in Photoshop.
And even if you cannot take a photo of the street you are working in, maybe you can at least take a photo of some elements – a road with all its imperfections, a sidewalk, trees, or even just a tree trunk and its connection to the ground. Do the extra work to be better.
