Manchester to New York Conversion
A shot of contemporary New York created by combining live-action footage and VFX.
Storyboarding
I began by creating storyboards for my shot. I need to have a clear idea of my shot's layout and movement before I began looking for suitable locations
Location Scouting
Next I began searching for suitable locations for my shot. The Northern Quatre of Manchester has been used in many productions to represent New York, so I knew to look there. Below is the street I chose:
Previs
I then created previs for the shot to get a clearer idea of the motion I wanted in the sequence.
Filming
I filmed my final shot in the early hours of the morning to avoid any traffic being in shot. Once I filmed my shot I took photos of the area from four different angles at different exposures so I could create an HDRi. Finally I took photos of the area from as many angles as possible so I could use photogrammetry to replicate the area.
Modelling
After tracking my footage, I used simple geo to block out the buildings in my scene. I used these models as shadow catchers later in the project.
Next I modelled the objects I wanted in my scene. I used reference photos to ensure the models were as accurate as possible. I also modelled replacement background buildings using simple geo.
Texturing
I textured my models in Substance Painter. I used procedural textures as a base for each model. I then found weathering and rust textures and applied them where appropriate to give each more more textural detail and make them look more realistic.
The background buildings were texture in Photoshop and were applied to the models using projection mapping techniques.
Lighting
I used the HDRi I took as the main source of lighting in my scene. I also added in direction lights throughout the scene where appropriate to further match the lighting of the footage. I added each light in my scene into its own individual light group so they could be further modified at the compositing stage in Nuke
Compositing
I began by clean-plating and rotoscoping out all the UK-specific objects I did not want in my scene. I then imported my rendered models and composited them into my scene, matching up the lighting and colour-palette of the footage as closely as possible. After this my shot was complete.
VFX Breakdown
For further details on the making of this project, as well accreditations, visit my project blog here: https://thomaschewav3411professionalstudioproject.wordpress.com/