Workflows & Recipes
Creative recipes for common shadow looks using Cucolori.
Here are some starting points for popular shadow looks. Every value is a suggestion - tweak to taste.
Afternoon Through the Trees
Warm, dappled sunlight filtering through a tree canopy. The classic cucoloris look.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Look | Leaf Dapple (or start from scratch below) |
| Gobo | Tree 03 or Tree 07 |
| Gobo Scale | 1.0 - 1.5 |
| Gobo Blur | 50 - 70% |
| Gobo Density | 60 - 80% |
| Speed | 0.08 - 0.15 |
| Light Angle | 35 - 55 |
| Sway Amount | 15 - 25% |
| Blend Mode | Linear Burn |
| Highlight Warmth | 20 - 30% |
| Blend | 80% |
Key: The sway is what sells it. Leaves don't sit still. A small amount of Sway with low Speed creates the lazy drift of branches in a light breeze. Highlight Warmth adds the golden-hour color temperature shift at shadow edges.
Film Noir Blinds
Hard, angular venetian blind shadows with strong perspective convergence.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Look | Venetian Blind (or start from scratch) |
| Frame Enable | On |
| Frame Type | Blinds |
| Slat Count | 6 - 10 |
| Slat Width | 40 - 60% |
| Frame Perspective | 0.5 - 0.8 |
| Frame Blur | 5 - 15% |
| Gobo Enable | Off |
| Intensity | 80 - 90% |
| Blend Mode | Linear Burn |
| Shadow Color | Deep navy (R:0, G:0, B:30) |
| Light Angle | 60 - 90 |
Key: Perspective is what separates this from a flat stripe overlay. The converging lines create depth and sell the illusion of a real window. Keep Blur low for hard, defined slat edges.
Window with Garden
Light streaming through a window, with tree foliage visible outside. Both layers working together.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Gobo Enable | On |
| Gobo | Tree 01 or Fern 01 |
| Gobo Scale | 1.2 |
| Gobo Blur | 60% |
| Gobo Density | 50 - 70% |
| Frame Enable | On |
| Frame Type | Window |
| Bar Count | 2 - 4 |
| Window Aspect | 1.5 - 2.0 |
| Frame Blur | 8% |
| Frame Perspective | 0.3 - 0.5 |
| Speed | 0.05 - 0.10 |
| Sway Amount | 10 - 20% |
| Intensity | 65 - 75% |
| Edge Falloff | 15% |
| Highlight Warmth | 15% |
Key: The two layers at different blur levels create depth. The window bars are sharp (close to the light), while the foliage is softer (farther away). This is what makes it read as a real window rather than a flat overlay.
Subtle Interior Texture
Barely-there shadow for adding visual interest to flat, evenly-lit interview setups.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Gobo | Tree 05 or Leaves 01 |
| Gobo Scale | 0.8 - 1.0 |
| Gobo Blur | 80 - 90% |
| Gobo Density | 40 - 50% |
| Frame Enable | Off |
| Speed | 0.03 - 0.05 |
| Intensity | 30 - 45% |
| Blend Mode | Soft Light |
| Blend | 60 - 70% |
Key: High Blur and low Intensity. You're not trying to create visible shadow shapes - just enough variation to break up flat lighting. Soft Light blend preserves the original exposure better than Linear Burn. Most viewers won't notice the effect, but they'll feel the difference.
Candle / Firelight Flicker
Unstable, flickering shadow that suggests a nearby flame or fire.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Look | Candle Flicker (or start from scratch) |
| Gobo | Tree 09 or Fern 02 |
| Gobo Scale | 2.0 - 3.0 |
| Gobo Blur | 30 - 40% |
| Speed | 0.3 - 0.5 |
| Sway Amount | 40 - 60% |
| Sway Frequency | 2.0 - 3.5 |
| Flicker | 30 - 50% |
| Intensity | 60 - 80% |
| Shadow Color | Warm orange (R:40, G:15, B:0) |
| Highlight Warmth | 30 - 40% |
Key: High Sway Frequency and Flicker together create the erratic, living quality of firelight. The warm Shadow Color and high Highlight Warmth push the entire image toward fire tones. Scale up the gobo so you're seeing large, dramatic shadow shapes moving fast.
Abstract Music Video
Dramatic, non-realistic shadow patterns for stylized content.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Frame Enable | On |
| Frame Type | Abstract |
| Frame Scale | 0.5 - 1.5 |
| Frame Density | 30 - 60% |
| Frame Blur | 20 - 40% |
| Frame Perspective | 0.6 - 1.0 |
| Gobo Enable | On |
| Gobo Scale | 2.5 - 4.0 |
| Gobo Blur | 10 - 20% |
| Speed | 0.4 - 0.8 |
| Intensity | 85 - 95% |
| Blend Mode | Hard Light or Color Burn |
| Focus Strength | 40 - 60% |
| Focus Size | 0.3 |
Key: Rules off. Push everything harder than you would for narrative work. High Speed, high Intensity, aggressive blend modes. Use Focus to keep your subject visible through the chaos. Keyframe Light Angle for sweeping shadow movement across the frame.