Physically based shading is increasingly important in both film and game production. By adhering to physically based, energy-conserving shading models, producers can easily create high-quality, realistic materials that maintain exceptional performance under a variety of lighting environments. Traditional “ad-hoc” models require extensive tweaking to achieve the same result, so it is no surprise that physically based models are more accepted in film and game production, particularly as they are often no more difficult to implement or evaluate.

This course begins with a brief introduction to the physics and mathematics of shading, before it explores the advantages and disadvantage of some significant new research in the field. After laying the groundwork, speakers from film and game studios share examples of how physically based shading models are used in production. Real-world examples are featured throughout the course.