December 14th, 2006,06:40 PM
There seems to be some barrel distortion on the car. Like it was shot with a wider angle lens than the composite.
Also I'm not sure what it is reflecting in its windows. It looks like a really bright scene, but I would expect nothing but black and trees behind. That applies to the specular on the car as well. It's reflecting some giant soft light source like a cloudy day, but it's if anything being back lit by the moon. Windows are also opaque.
The foliage behind the man and the man himself seem to be too bright and even. The light direction feel about right from the Sodium street lamp, but they aren't dark. They should be pretty much out of its light... or in a very punch shadow, but they're both illuminated by some pretty powerful, and mysterious ambient fill.
Also the color of the streetlamp seems off. You have a color reference in your image. It's a very yellow sodium lamp. But then in the up close street lamp you use a fluorescent + green color scheme which doesn't match up.
You're lacking shadows from your key light (streetlamp) in this scene. And also from the moonlight in the shadows of the streetlamp (I guess since he's in the country that nice bright moon could be a back light. Right now it's not making an appearance as a light source which is odd since you feature it prominently at the beginning of the shot.
If you leave the car in, it's going to need to cast light on the guy. As it is, it just looks like a cardboard cut out driving across and is causing you far more bad than good. From a editing stand point, it also is distracting from the reveal of the alien space craft (which is also mysteriously lit, but that's a bit more motivated). However, you might want to consider the story of your FX shot a little more carefully. The fact that we see a car in the first 5 seconds gives me the impression that it's a well traveled road. I would picture it more, like some old guy, sitting next to some blinking, completely unassuming, back water bus stop, a car might pass once an hour, the whole bus stop very ignored, perhaps he's the only person who ever gets on at this stop. It's late.. and all of a sudden this unassuming silhouette emerges from behind, lurking, unnoticed by the unsuspecting nice old man, just trying to read his newspaper.
Then he's engulfed in light (add spotlight to top of head and shadow on ground) and to his amazement is whisked away... nobody ever notices, the bus stop falls into disuse, its last customer gone.
Finally your last camera move feels a bit sharp at the end. A little CG.
I did a quick paint over to illustrate.
Last edited by im.thatoneguy; December 14th, 2006 at 06:48 PM.
Gavin Greenwalt
im.thatoneguy[at]gmail.com