Lens Distortion — Undistort & Redistort
CG that sits wrong is often a distortion problem, not a tracking problem.
Every lens bends the image. Wide lenses bend it a lot. That curvature is invisible until something perfectly straight and computer-generated is placed into the shot, at which point the CG looks subtly wrong and nobody can say why.
The fix is a pair of passes. Undistort the plate so it behaves like a pinhole camera, do the work in that space, then redistort on output so the delivered shot still looks like it came out of the lens it was shot on.
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What’s included
- check_smallDistortion solved from a lens grid where one was shot
- check_smallDistortion solved from the plate itself where no grid exists
- check_smallUndistorted plates for tracking and compositing
- check_smallRedistort pass applied to CG and comp on output
- check_smallSTMaps or distortion data handed over for your own pipeline
- check_smallFull frame range coverage with handles
How the work is done
- 01
Find the distortion
Solved from a lens grid if one was photographed, and from straight edges within the plate if one was not.
- 02
Undistort
The plate is flattened so straight lines in the world are straight in the image, which is the space tracking and CG placement need.
- 03
Work in undistorted space
Camera solving, CG integration and compositing all happen here, where the geometry is honest.
- 04
Redistort on output
Distortion reapplied so the finished shot matches the lens character of every other shot in the cut.
- 05
Hand off
Undistorted plates, redistort data or STMaps supplied alongside the deliverables as ProRes, EXR, DPX or DNxHR, at source resolution and frame rate.
Why the redistort matters as much as the undistort
Teams remember to undistort and forget to redistort, and the result is a shot that is technically correct and visually wrong. The CG sits perfectly, but the finished frame no longer has the lens character of the shots either side of it, so the edit develops a subtle stutter in feel that nobody can locate. The other common failure is solving distortion from a plate with no genuinely straight reference in it, which produces a confident-looking solve that is simply incorrect. If no grid was shot and the plate has nothing straight in it, you will be told that rather than handed a guess.
Lens Distortion — Undistort & Redistort — questions
01What is an undistort and redistort workflow?
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What is an undistort and redistort workflow?
Undistorting removes the curvature a lens introduces so that straight lines in the world are straight in the image. Tracking, CG placement and compositing are done in that corrected space, where the geometry is accurate. The distortion is then reapplied on output so the finished shot matches the lens look of the rest of the footage. Skipping either half is what makes CG elements sit subtly wrong.
02Do you need a lens grid?
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Do you need a lens grid?
A photographed lens grid gives the most accurate solve and is always worth shooting when possible. Without one, distortion can be solved from straight edges within the plate itself, such as building lines, door frames or horizons. If the plate contains nothing genuinely straight, the honest answer is that the solve will be an approximation, and you will be told that up front.
03Can you deliver STMaps for our pipeline?
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Can you deliver STMaps for our pipeline?
Yes. Undistorted plates, redistort data or STMaps can be handed over so your own compositors work in the same space, rather than the correction being baked invisibly into a delivery. Everything is supplied to your naming convention and colour space.
04Is this needed for every shot?
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Is this needed for every shot?
No. A long lens on a locked-off shot with no CG may need nothing at all. It matters most on wide lenses, on shots where CG or set extension has to sit in the plate, and anywhere a 3D camera solve is required. Part of the prep pass is deciding which shots genuinely need it rather than applying it everywhere by default.
Also called
Clients come to VFX Magic looking for this work under a lot of different names — lens distortion, undistort plate VFX, redistort pass, lens distortion correction for VFX, lens grid solve, barrel distortion removal, lens distortion workflow. If you are describing a problem rather than a technique, that is fine too: describe the shot and you will get an honest answer about whether it can be fixed.
Often needed with this
Send the shot.
Share reference footage or a shot description, the shot count and duration, your delivery spec and your deadline. Quotes typically come back within 24 hours. M. Jawad Zafar reviews every brief personally — no upfront fees, no obligation.