Spherical panoramas and 3D visual effects
 

I saw few film crews shooting films or commercials. Sometimes they finished filming of particular scene and somebody said "lets do 3D". Then a photographer came and did spherical panorama with still camera (with three shots - left, right and the front side of the set). I know how spherical panoramas look like, but I am wondering whats the usage of this for 3D effects...

Re: Spherical panoramas and 3D visual effects
 

Previously they used a mirror ball but nowadays they use DSLRs. This image is used as a lighting map which will be used as a guideline for CGI elements that need to be seamlessly composited into the scene. It's also called a reference or environmental lighting map.

Re: Spherical panoramas and 3D visual effects
 

Thanks for the answer.

Re: Spherical panoramas and 3D visual effects
 

well, the mirror ball is totally different than the panoramic picture.
The goal of the mirror ball is to catch reflection from the scene. There is no simpler way to do it.
so, when you set the light from computer CGI, you just create a CGI mirror ball and compare the redering with the real ball. When you cannot make the difference between the two balls, then the result is perfect.
That means any object put into the scene will receive and reflect the light as in the real shot, same color, same intensity, same direction.

I do not really see how a panorama could give the same result.
I think the panorame is there to give a backround picture to a CGI scene, When the virtual camera will move into the scene, they will need the backround. It is easier to take the 360 view than calculate what you would need exactly.