Content and Task
- Place the cemera
- Color grading
- Render the firest version of the video
The first version of the shot
I discussed this shot with my teacher and received very helpful feedback:
- The pacing of the shot is a bit slow.
- The focus has issues.
- When the camera passes through the statue, there is clipping, which affects the visual experience.
- While the boss is lit, there are no shadows on the ground, which feels inconsistent.
- The boss’s animation, where it turns its head and opens its eyes simultaneously, makes it hard for the audience to identify the primary movement.
I also identified some issues myself, such as:
- Due to the volumetric fog, the dark areas in the distance appear too gray and lack sufficient depth, resulting in weak overall contrast between light and shadow in the scene.
- When the boss sits cross-legged, the leg model deforms noticeably. I need to adjust this using blend shapes.
- The sky behind the boss looks too plain, and the entire scene, including the animation, feels overly static. To enhance the sense of depth and introduce some dynamism, I plan to add birds and distant snowy mountains.
After the modification, I rendered the second version:
Due to the backstory, this boss has been meditating in the cave ever since its power over death was stolen. It neither resists nor continues to fulfill its original duties. Originally, the balance between life and death attracted many explorers to this forest. However, with the power of death taken away, the power of life is left unchecked. Under its influence, the forest’s inhabitants and all living beings cannot experience a proper death.
The protagonist, as the challenger and corrector, is actually being used by a higher deity. Since they cannot directly compel the boss to resume its duties, they tempt the protagonist with the boss’s remaining powers, essentially turning the protagonist into a collector. This power exerts a slow, irreversible influence on the area within a certain radius centered on its wielder. Rather than functioning as a power, iy seems like a moving curse.
According to the setting, after seizing the power of life, the protagonist begins to question whether they are truly walking a path of his or her own choosing.
In this scene, I want to convey the boss’s sense of abandonment and its inevitable “eaten”.
So, this isn’t exactly a highly optimistic worldview, and the boss, as a deity, isn’t as unattainable as one might imagine. It’s merely another piece on the chessboard. Perhaps influenced by Souls-like games, I often enjoy creating worlds that aren’t entirely bright or hopeful. This boss isn’t a noble god; it’s simply a being with extraordinary power, coveted by various forces, reduced to a mere pawn in their schemes. Thus, it remains in this desolate cavern, awaiting the one who will eventually claim its life.
Since the overall scene is very dark, the boss lacks sufficient lighting, leading to a loss of detail. To address this, I separated the scene models and lighting into Channel 1 and placed the boss model and its lighting into Channel 2. Additionally, I positioned around eight area lights around the boss to create dynamic lighting effects.
I aim to create the impression that when the boss opens its eyes, the light from its eyes illuminates its face. Furthermore, as the boss awakens, its body will emit a glowing energy effect.