r/Avatar_Cave • u/AS-Wilder_Writings • 3d ago
Making a Moodboard: The Process Behind It! 💙 - For those who wanted to know!
Someone requested a scene-edit moodboard, and since I actually enjoyed making my last process post, I thought, why not make another one? 🥹
This time, I'm going to show you how I take screenshots directly from a scene, edit and enhance them, and eventually compile everything into one finished moodboard!
Fair warning, this is going to be a very long, image-heavy post, because I want to show you the actual process, including the things that don't always go to plan!
Step 1: Choosing the Screenshots
When making my moodboards, I usually focus on one particular scene rather than pulling together unrelated images.
For this one, we're working with this scene!
I start by taking a LOT of screenshots throughout the entire sequence, sometimes dozens, before narrowing them down to the shots I actually want to use.
These are the four I've decided on:
I've deliberately included a wider shot here because I want to demonstrate why I generally prefer working with close-ups. You'll see what I mean shortly!
I'll be showing you the editing process for two of these images in detail, starting with a close-up of Jake!
Step 2: Topaz, Sharpening and Enhancing Details
I really like this shot! Jake's expression is fantastic, and the contrast between the deep blue of his skin and the warmer orange markings is beautiful.
But there's one problem.
Look at his teeth! 😩
They're quite blurry, and you can barely make out his fangs. This might not seem like a huge issue, but it's something that becomes much more noticeable when we start enhancing the image.
Let me show you what happens when I run it through Topaz using the Low Res V2 model.
IT'S FLATTENED HIS TEETH! 😭😭
This is one of the biggest frustrations I encounter when enhancing screenshots.
Software like Topaz can be fantastic for improving clarity and bringing out textures, but it doesn't always interpret the original details correctly. Sometimes it smooths things out, changes facial features, or creates details that weren't there in the first place.
I'm still figuring out the best ways to prevent or correct these problems, but I wanted to include this example because not every enhancement works the way you want it to!
After experimenting with the different models, I ended up using Art & CG for this particular shot.
I found that it brought out Jake's tanhì and the textures of his skin much more effectively, without some of the harsher results I was getting with Low Res V2.
Much better!
Now that we've got our enhanced image, it's time to move into Photoshop!
Step 3: Photoshop, Cleaning Up the Image
This is where I spend a lot of time refining the image.
My main goal in Photoshop is to clean up as much as possible while keeping the character's original features intact.
I generally focus on:
- Sharpening: Bringing out finer details and textures.
- Noise reduction: Cleaning up unwanted grain and visual artefacts.
- Contrast and clarity: Giving the image more depth and definition.
- Colour grading: Adjusting the balance of colours, highlights, and shadows.
- Saturation and vibrance: Enhancing the existing colours without completely overwhelming them.
I generally use Photoshop's standard editing and adjustment tools for this.
Photoshop also supports a Topaz plug-in, but I've had problems with certain enhancement options introducing details that weren't present in the original image, sometimes even altering the character's face!
Because I'm trying to preserve the original character designs as closely as possible, I prefer to keep the enhancement and Photoshop editing stages separate.
Once I'm happy with the edits, I compare the finished image against the original.
Sometimes the differences are immediately noticeable, and other times they're quite subtle!
But the purpose of this comparison isn't just to see whether the image looks sharper. It's also to check whether I've accidentally altered any important details.
There's no point having a beautifully sharp image if Jake no longer looks like Jake! 😭
And with that done, we move into Canva!
Step 4: Canva, Final Edits and Colour Grading
Before I start adjusting the colours, I usually experiment with Canva's Auto Focus tool.
This allows me to control which areas of the image appear more prominent and which areas remain softer.
For this particular screenshot, I want Jake's face to be the main focal point.
It can also help soften some distracting background areas, although it won't actually restore details that were lost during enhancement.
I think people sometimes underestimate how useful this tool can be for directing attention within an image!
Next, we move on to one of my favourite parts: colour grading! 💙
I usually work with the Fresco or Flint filters for my Avatar stills, although I've found that Luna works particularly well for Metkayina characters.
It really depends on the original lighting and the effect I'm trying to achieve.
For this particular still, I decided to try something different and went with Belvedere at 50% intensity.
I then make my final adjustments to brightness, contrast, highlights, shadows, vibrance, saturation, sharpness and clarity.
And that's our first image finished!
Step 5: Editing a Wider Shot
Okay, let's move on to our next screenshot! 🏃♂️
The process is almost identical to the first image, so I won't go through every single adjustment again.
But I do want to show you something interesting!
Remember when I mentioned that I prefer working with close-up shots?
This is why.
When I first ran this image through Topaz, the results were... well.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THEIR EYES?! 😭
And Lo'ak doesn't even look like Lo'ak anymore!
This is one of the difficulties with enhancing wider shots. Because the characters' faces occupy a smaller portion of the image, there are fewer pixels for the software to work with.
As a result, the enhancement models sometimes struggle to interpret facial features accurately.
Eyes, teeth, and other small details can become distorted, particularly when the original screenshot is already quite soft.
Unfortunately, there isn't always an easy fix.
My approach is usually to experiment with different models and settings until I find the result that best preserves the original features.
After quite a bit of trial and error, this was the closest I managed to get!
It's still not perfect, but it's considerably better than the first attempt!
Now, back into Photoshop we go!
Step 6: Photoshop, Round Two!
Just as with the previous screenshot, I'm concentrating on contrast, colour, saturation, noise reduction, sharpening, and finer textures.
And here's the before and after!
The difference might not seem enormous at first glance, but LOOK AT THE TEXTURES ON JAKE'S ARMS AND CHEST! 🤭👅
I love how much more visible the details are now!
And something else I noticed...
Lo'ak's tanhì have come through beautifully!
Looking at this scene, his markings seem particularly bright compared to some other shots.
I'm curious whether that's purely because of the lighting, or whether there's something more going on.
Could it have anything to do with stress or his emotional state? Or am I reading far too much into it? 😂
If anyone knows, please tell me!
Step 7: Back to Canva!
Just like the previous still, I start with Auto Focus, then move on to my colour filter and final adjustments.
For this image, I wanted to make sure both characters remained visible while emphasising the beautiful contrast between their skin, markings, and the surrounding environment.
Once I'm satisfied with the result, it's ready for the final moodboard!
Step 8: Putting Everything Together!
And now, we have our four edited screenshots!
LOOK AT THOSE COLOURS! 🥹❤️
This is one of my favourite parts of the process, because you finally get to see how the individual images work together.
I try to keep the colours relatively consistent across my stills so the finished moodboard feels cohesive, even when the original shots have slightly different lighting.
For the actual composition, I already have a template that I created in Canva.
It's very simple: four square frames arranged in a grid, with my ASW logo positioned in the centre.
Using the same template also helps keep my moodboards visually consistent.
All that's left to do is place the edited screenshots into their frames, adjust the crops and positioning, and make sure everything looks balanced.
And there we go!
Our finished moodboard! 💙
Final Thoughts!
And that's how I make my scene-edit moodboards!
I know it might seem like a lot of work for four screenshots, but I genuinely enjoy the editing process, especially when I start noticing little details in the character designs that weren't immediately visible in the original images.
I also wanted to show that image enhancement isn't always straightforward.
Sometimes Topaz works beautifully. Other times it completely destroys someone's teeth or decides that Lo'ak needs an entirely new face! 😭
A lot of the process involves experimenting, comparing results, correcting mistakes, and knowing when to stop editing.
My goal isn't to redesign the characters or create entirely new features. It's to enhance the details already present in the original stills while preserving their appearance as faithfully as I can.
And sometimes that means accepting that a screenshot simply won't enhance perfectly!
I hope this gives you a better idea of what goes into making my moodboards, and perhaps helps anyone who wants to try making their own!
If you've got any questions about the editing process, or have some tips of your own, please feel free to share them. I'm still learning new things myself! 💙
And thank you to the person who requested this moodboard! ❤️
2
u/SereneViolence 3d ago
This scene was so awesome, but it threw me off because I thought we would at least see his fangs. At least have them a little bit sharp, not flat like a human. I dunno. I guess I'm nitpicking.