Subscribe now

HOLLYWOOD’S special effects will become even more realistic, thanks to a
lighting rig that can automatically recreate the illumination of any location,
researchers told the conference last week. It will reproduce the flash of light
from an explosion reflected on the face of the actors, for example.

Directors often film actors in a studio and then superimpose them on a
separately shot scene. Film crews have become so good at this long-established
technique that it is almost impossible, say, to tell that Keanu Reeves’s
martial-arts feats in The Matrixwere filmed in a studio and not on top
of a towering…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop