Integration: Wrapping Overlap

Overlap is a classic concept used to create depth as shown by  Briton Rivière in “Endymion”. Overlap gives depth information by showing that A is front of B, B is in front of C, etc.

However this concept can be taken further and depth information can be better shown using what I call wrapping overlap: A is both in front of and behind B.

This is shown in Briton Rivière’s “Aggravation”. All of the dogs are both in front and behind another dog, and the man is both obscuring and being occluded by the wall. Side notes, the dogs also form an arrow directing the eye to the man.

Wrapping overlap also applies to volumes.

By having the volume both in front and behind the rock structure in the bottom screen left, the wrapping overlap shows greater depth in the volume. But this must have some variation in to sell the the smoke as real, notice the variations in smoke opacity suggesting depth.

Wrapping overlap is shown as fog is both behind and in front of the suspension cables.

Another example found in Moana.

The shot below from The Dark Knight Rises features the same concept of wrapping overlap. Notice how there is smoke both in front and behind Batman and his screen left hand to split the smoke into another layer in depth. There is also a rounded, curved path of movement of smoke moving away from Batman’s chest/waist that strengthens the sense of depth by showing batman has 3D roundness.