A lighting plan is only as useful as the person it's lit on. If the subject stands like a mannequin, the shadows on the face and body won't match the ones you get on set. Over 1.9.2, 1.9.3 and 1.9.4 we reworked how the cast holds a face, stands, sits and rests their hands.
Smiles that reach the eyes
When people smile for real, it isn't only the mouth. The cheeks lift, the lower lids rise and the eyes narrow a little. We now build the expressions from each model's own facial muscle controls (the FACS units animators use), so a smile moves the cheeks and eyes along with the mouth.
- Five expressions for everyone with face controls: neutral, soft smile, smile, serious and talking, each with a strength slider.
- Serious is a slight tension around the eyes and a small brow lowering, not a frown.
- Talking opens the jaw with the lips parted and the teeth showing, for podcast and interview frames.
- Eyelids rest slightly lowered instead of staring wide open, and the upper lids follow the eyes when someone looks up or down.
Same person, same light, same 105 mm lens. In the smile the cheeks lift and the lower lids rise.
Standing at ease
People at ease put their weight on one leg, and our standing poses now do the same. The hips shift a few centimetres, the shoulders sit slightly off level, the free knee softens and the feet turn out a little. Arms hang with a slight bend at the elbow. We left arms crossed and hands in pockets as they were in 1.9.
Seated people sit in the seat
We measured the seat of each chair, sofa, armchair and posing stool in StrobeRoom: height, depth, backrest angle and how far the cushion gives. People are fitted to that seat, with the hips on the cushion, the back against the backrest where there is one, the feet on the floor and the hands resting on the thighs.
1.9.3 fixed a detail that is easy to miss, and we had missed it. On a bent body the lowest point is under the thighs, not the buttocks, so seated people hovered above the cushion. Since 1.9.3 they sit on it, pressing in a little.
1.9.4 sits people back in the armchair and sofa. On deep seats they used to sit too far forward and lean back stiffly to reach the backrest. Now the knees stop just past the front edge, the back follows the armchair's reclined backrest and sits up over its top, and people settle into soft cushions instead of perching on them. On the armchair's high seat, the heels lift and the toes rest on the floor.
- Seated people, 1.9.3 2 to 7 cm above the cushion → sitting on it
- Armchair cushion, 1.9.4 perched on top → settled 5 cm in
- Sofa cushion, 1.9.4 perched on top → settled 3.5 cm in
Hands
Fingers now curl a little more toward the little finger, the way a relaxed hand does, and the thumb lies along the index finger. It used to stand off as if holding a cup.
How we tested it
We rendered every change and compared it before and after. An automated test also poses each person in every pose on every type of seat (208 combinations) and measures where a hand, arm, leg or foot goes into the body, the furniture or the floor.
- Median worst overlap, 208 combinations about 29 mm → about 13 mm
Known issues
- Sleeves can still press into clothing in some arm positions, since there's no cloth simulation.
- Some broad legs touch when seated.