Digital Matte Painting

Digital matte painting extends or replaces environments in shots where physical construction is impractical or impossible. The technique dates to glass paintings used in the 1907 film Missions of California, where artists painted scenery on glass placed between the camera and the set. Today, matte painters work digitally in Photoshop, combining photographs, 3D renders, and hand-painting to create photorealistic environments. A typical task: the set has a castle wall 20 feet tall, but the script requires a 200-foot tower. The matte painter extends the wall upward, adds the tower, paints a sky, and composites it over the live-action plate so seamlessly that the audience never questions it.