Introduction to Lighting & Compositing for Cinematics by Jon Perez

Ready to level up your cinematic lighting and compositing game? This workshop dives deep into a real-world production pipeline, showing you exactly how professionals at top studios bring environments, assets, and animations to life. Forget just artistic flair; we’re talking about building solid, efficient workflows that get you noticed.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Establish effective reference gathering workflows using PureRef.
• Configure Houdini lighting tools like Bundles, Operators, and AOV settings.
• Develop cinematic lighting scenarios from concept to final render.
• Execute professional compositing and image treatment in Nuke.
• Optimize render passes and AOVs for post-production flexibility.
• Implement studio-standard quality control throughout the lighting pipeline.
• Create portfolio-ready work demonstrating professional lighting and compositing skills.

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Familiarity with 3D concepts and production pipelines.
• Tools: Nuke, Houdini, Arnold. (Software not included)
• Hardware: A computer capable of running Houdini and Nuke.

📝 Description

This workshop is your backstage pass to a professional lighting and compositing workflow, straight from the trenches of cinematic production. Jon Perez breaks down how to move from gathering references with PureRef to setting up your scene in Houdini and finishing touches in Nuke. You’ll get hands-on with Houdini’s powerful tools like Bundles and Operators, and learn how to leverage Arnold’s render settings and AOVs for maximum flexibility.

Plus, Jon shares essential Nuke tips for image treatment and how to manage render layers effectively. This isn’t just about pretty pictures; it’s about understanding the pipeline, optimizing your renders, and building a workflow that’s ready for studio demands. You’ll also get access to project files to follow along and build your own portfolio pieces.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Intermediate to advanced 3D artists aiming to specialize in lighting and compositing for cinematic productions.
• Artists looking to transition into professional studio roles or upgrade their technical skills to industry standards.
• Environment artists, lighting technical directors, and compositors who want to understand the interconnectedness of production phases.
• Anyone aiming to create portfolio-quality work that meets current industry benchmarks.

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Jon Perez is a seasoned Lead Lighting & Compositing Artist with over a decade of experience in the CGI industry. He’s worked on major feature animation films, series, and VFX projects, with a strong focus on the cinematic realm. His impressive credits include work for Axis Studios, Goodbye Kansas, and Digic Pictures, contributing to projects like Amazon Studios’ Secret Level, Shogun, Eurovision, and Love Death Robots Anthology, as well as cinematics for games like NewWorld, Forspoken, and Diablo Immortal. Jon brings a wealth of practical, real-world knowledge from high-end productions.

🏁 Final Result

• A completed, portfolio-ready cinematic scene demonstrating professional lighting and compositing techniques, built using industry-standard Houdini and Nuke workflows.