Our first long Nuke task of the course was to create a Balloon Festival scene. This project focused on integrating 3D elements into live-action footage through a combination of compositing and 3D workflows, beginning with rotoscoping the mountain range in the provided plate in Nuke to create a clean separation between foreground and background elements. This step was essential for establishing depth and preparing the scene for the integration of computer-generated objects.

In parallel, a set of stylised flying balloons was modelled, animated, and rendered in Blender. The challenge was not only to create the 3D assets, but to ensure they matched the perspective, lighting, scale, and atmosphere of the original footage. The final stage involved compositing the rendered balloons into the shot in Nuke, where colour matching, depth cues, and overall scene cohesion were refined to make the CG elements feel naturally embedded in the environment.

Overall, this project functioned as a practical introduction to combining 3D and compositing workflows, while giving me hands-on experience with Nuke as a primary tool for shot integration and visual coherence.

PERSONAL GOALS FOR THIS PROJECT

Hard Skills

1. Quality Rotoscoping in Nuke – making sure that the Roto that I create is clean and undetectable due to good shape hierarchy, edge control, atmospheric depth and motion blur
2. Colour and Light Matching – matching CG elements to plate lighting and contrast, as well as adjusting colours to fit the footage
3. 3D Assets Modelling and Preparation – practising modelling and animating in Blender, and rendering assets with consideration for compositing
4. Node-Based Workflow – practising the correct way of structuring node trees for clarity; learning how different nodes interact and behave together
5. Compositing Depth – learning how to add contrast loss, depth of field or assets to create a believable atmospheric perspective

Soft Skills

1. Creative Thinking – creating a video supported by my initial ideas of the general feel of the final product; coming up with an idea for how I want my Balloon Festival to look and feel
2. Problem Solving – trying different solutions for problems met on the way, considering various approaches to get the desired result
3. Shot Management Discipline – making sure that my nodes are named clearly and that they are properly organised; saving iterations of my files
4. Visual Sensitivity Training
5. Adaptivity – being able to apply the requirements provided by the brief using a fairly new software

MOODBOARD

ROTOSCOPING THE MOUNTAINS

The task began with rotoscoping the mountain range in the provided plate. This stage allowed me to practice building clean, well-organized roto shapes, managing edge detail, and creating accurate mattes to separate depth layers within the scene. Working on this step in Nuke helped me better understand how precise rotoscoping supports downstream compositing tasks such as depth integration and environmental interaction between live-action and CG elements.

MODELLING THE BALLOONS

FINAL OUTCOME