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Film & TV · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Lighting, Reflection and Post

This advanced rendering course bridges the gap between the 3D engine and the final composite. It dives deep into the physics of light transport—Global Illumination, Caustics, and Raytracing—and how to manipulate them. Crucially, students will learn the “Multipass Workflow,” rendering separate layers (AOVs) for reflection, refraction, and specular, to reconstruct and grade the image with total control in post-production.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Master Raytracing principles: Global Illumination (GI) and Bounces
  2. Control complex material properties: Anisotropy, Fresnel, and IOR (Index of Refraction)
  3. Execute a "Linear Workflow" (Gamma correction) for photorealistic light falloff
  4. Render and assemble AOVs (Arbitrary Output Variables) for compositing
  5. Perform "Relighting" and sophisticated color grading in post-production
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01The Physics of Light: Direct vs. Indirect
  2. 02Global Illumination: Brute Force vs. Irradiance
  3. 03Image Based Lighting (HDRI) Mastery
  4. 04Area Lights, Portals, and Temperature (Kelvin)
  5. 05Material Science: Conservation of Energy
  6. 06Reflection Models: GGX vs. Beckmann
  7. 07Anisotropy: Brushed Metals
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Refraction & Transmission (Glass/Liquids)
  10. 10Caustics: Focusing Light
  11. 11The Multipass Workflow (AOVs) Explained
  12. 12Compositing: Rebuilding the Beauty Pass
  13. 13CryptoMatte: Selecting Objects in Post
  14. 14AO (Ambient Occlusion) & Shadow Passes
  15. 15Final Grading & Bloom/Glow Effects
  16. 16Final Project: The Photoreal Product Render

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Photoreal Product Render

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Digital Lighting and Rendering by Jeremy Birn
  2. Light for Visual Artists by Richard Yot
  3. Physically Based Rendering by Matt Pharr
  4. The Art and Science of Digital Compositing by Ron Brinkmann
  5. Color Correction Handbook by Alexis Van Hurkman
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