May 7, 2015 : Animating With A Mirror
A recent scene I animated had a mirror prominently within it. This presented some challenges with several sequences, and I felt it a worthwhile topic for a post.
Due to the extra work related to having it, you first need to ask if a mirror is required. In my case, the mirror helps sell the location of the scene. It would be similar to having a scene in a kitchen but not having a refrigerator or sink – it wouldn’t look right to the audience.
As such, I felt the mirror was necessary, and it is used early in a sequence to help establish the scene. Below is a shot from this sequence.
After Effects was used to place the reflections (as well as the glow of the light bulbs). This took a little extra time, but I felt was worth it to help set the scene. However, with the mirror established in the room, it had to be addressed in later sequences – particularly ones where it didn’t have as much impact on the scene but couldn’t be ignored. Below is a screen shot of a frequently used side view for the scene:
The mirror is off to the side of the frame and doesn’t have any real role, however I still want some reflection. I felt not having anything would have made it stand out… and in a negative way. The reflections for this angle weren’t as complex as earlier shots but still required effort. I also had to add in the glow for the light bulbs, which added more time.
Ultimately, having a mirror in a scene is a double edged sword. It can effectively establish the scene, which is what I did by having it play a prominent part in an early sequence, but this comes at a price since it requires extra time and effort to make sure the scene remains consistent.
posted by Pi Visuals at 2:45 am
Tags: Shapes