Abstract

As rendering engines become increasingly important in film and television, with their use in virtual production (VP) to display rendered imagery, some underlying issues become more apparent. This thesis aims to investigate how we can improve asset color matching of VP elements with real-life objects found on sets. Experiments were conducted in which objects were exposed to various types of lighting setups, and digital twins were rendered using traditional computer graphics techniques. The renderings occurred in both classic RGB spaces and the spectral domain. Additionally, data reduction techniques were used for the spectral renderings to determine if any of them provided advantages and improved color reproduction. The rendered images were then filmed using a cinema camera, employing virtual production techniques, alongside their real-life counterparts. The footage was then analyzed, and color difference metrics were used to determine if spectral rendering and the data reduction techniques brought advantages over RGB renderings. Additionally, the time and memory usage of the rendering methods were analyzed to determine their impact. The root mean square error between simulated and real-life spectra was also calculated to predict the quality of the renderings. The conclusion of the research is that spectral rendering offers numerous advantages, such as easier colour matching under different illuminants and higher accuracy in rendering colours of materials. However, the selection of terms and rendering methods has a significant impact on accuracy. Nevertheless, the advantages often outweigh the drawbacks, such as increased time and memory consumption by rendering algorithms, and we hope that the industry will strive to adopt spectral rendering techniques.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Rendering (Computer graphics)--Quality control; Imaging systems--Image quality; Colorimetry; Spectrum analysis

Publication Date

7-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Color Science (MS)

Department, Program, or Center

Color Science

College

College of Science

Advisor

Susan Farnand

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Plan Codes

CLRS-MS

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