For my research, I began looking into the technical aspects involved in planning to film for a CGI character. I started by researching how I should begin planning my film. I found information on how to construct a story through Pixar in a Box. This course gives insight into character, story structure, and visual storytelling from Pixar directors and story artists.
https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/pixar/storytelling
I also found that creating a shot list is useful to organize your shots before filming as well as marking what shots you have already filmed when you are on set. Creating storyboards or animatics in a program such as Cine Tracer could be helpful when planning out shots and camera movements. These methods are important when building out the visual language of the film.
When shooting for VFX, it is important first plan out which shots require VFX and what elements are necessary. When on set, take a clean plate, which is a still of the background without your actor in frame. Avoid shooting video at a low shutter speed and shallow depth of field because it will make it more difficult to motion track. When motion tracking, it is also important to consider the moving elements. Shooting on a tripod instead of handheld will make it easier to motion track. Tracking points must be as clear as possible.
It is also important to consider how the CGI character reacts with the real world. Incorporating practical elements and lighting when filming will assist in making the VFX feel real and bring the CGI character to life. Taking on set reference photos will also be necessary to get a lighting reference. This will allow me to create an HDRI map, which will recreate the onset lighting and reflections digitally. This will then be applied to the 3D model, allowing me to blend the VFX to best match the footage. Using an HDRI map will allow my CGI robot character to more seamlessly blend in to the live action environment.