Field guide · 02

On-location data capture

You only get one chance at the plate, so capture everything the VFX work will need: lighting, scale, colour and accurate notes, all in one pass.

The reference rig

Mount everything on a single tripod so a reference pass takes seconds rather than minutes:

• Grey ball (we made our own) for a neutral lighting reference.
• Chrome or reflective ball (also homemade) to capture the lighting environment and reflections for matching CG later.
• Colour-checker chart so you can recover accurate colour in the scan and the grade.
• Golf rangefinder and laser measurer for precise distances and positions, so the scene can be rebuilt in 3D.

Lighting and HDRI

• Shoot a 360 camera pass for HDRI lighting and for projection-based previs.
• For photogrammetry, shoot on an overcast day. Flat, even light with no hard shadows bakes cleanly into textures you can relight later.

Record metadata for every setup

For each setup, note:

• Lens and focal length
• Format, resolution and frame rate
• Colour space
• Sensor height and distance to the actor

Consistent, per-shot metadata is what lets the 3D, the comp and the grade line up afterwards. Use the same template every time, and look at automating it in future.

Capture more than you think you need

Spare scans and B-roll cost nothing on the day but are very useful later: redundancy for the edit, and a reusable library of assets for any wraparound or marketing content. One stone from a test shoot ended up as a recurring element in the finished film.