The craft of creating lifelike virtual characters has many challenges, one of which is realistic lighting.  At USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies, they have made great strides in inventing solutions to virtual lighting.“ICT’s Academy Award-winning Light Stage technologies helped create realistic lighting for computer graphics in films including  Spider-Man 2, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Avatar.”
See what they are up to at USC’s Institute of Creative Technology in Playa vista:
Website: Â USC Institue of Creative Technology
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USC Institute for Creative Technologies
12015 Waterfront Drive
Playa Vista, CA 90094-2536