Helen comes through again.

NOTE: This is an excerpt from my personal blog. I occasionally post bits and pieces from my creative process, here's one.

I mentioned in a previous entry that I had to do a new Scrooge! image for another run of that show for the second year in a row. They wanted something like the last one, but different. If you'll recall, it was our good friend Helen who was able to furnish me with a background image to which I added Xmas Magicks for the final. Well, Helen has outdone herself once more, and here's how it works. In this entry you'll take a journey into the murky fog that is The Process. Hold on tight to someone you love, it'll be a bumpy ride. NO GROPING. There are cameras everywhere.

First we begin with Scrooge himself. Check out my awesome lighting gear! This shot is being taken on the set of another production, that's why all the ramps & stairs in the back. The client is very anti-face this year, so Scrooge is walking away from us. Into what? We don't know yet! Well, you don't know. I know damn well what he's walking into. I don't know why I said "we". Sorry.



Helen supplied me with several angles, but I ended up using these two shots.


All the people MUST GO! All the shadows MUST GO! Lots to do...


The first comp of the big elements. The buildings had to be squashed and mashed and pulled and sliced until they fit into the layout. Helen supplied very hi-res images for me, which is handy because you'll note that I'm only using small portions of them (especially the right side of the street). If they were smaller resolution they'd look all poopy when blown up, but these are nice. I touched out all the people & umbrellas & crap for the tourists. The lame cobblestone floor is a closeup of my neighbors asphalt driveway distorted to mimic the perspective.

That's all the tough stuff. Now, just hit the "Xmas Magicks" button in Photoshop...


POW! That was easy!

So now I've given you all you need to know to be a Computer Graphics Professional making many tens of dollars. It is worth noting that the above image isn't final, I'll probably be adding some more Xmassy crap. But I need to get some feedback from the client, so this is a good spot for stopping.

With that, GOOD NIGHT.