[TUTORIAL] Creating an Episode-like background (PS tutorial)

This post will probably answer some of my most commonly asked questions: "How do you create your backgrounds? Can you teach me?" and "How do you make your backgrounds look so Episode like?"

It's a question that I often find very difficult to answer because I can't teach creativity. I either have a vision in my head or browse through the internet for inspiration. However, I can show you what tools on Photoshop I use to edit backgrounds and offer a glimpse into my thinking process.

In this post, you will find a step-by-step tutorial filled with screenshots and brief explanations on what I did to achieve the final result below. I must warn you and mention that I tend to work all over the place whenever I'm editing, so it may become a little difficult to follow along.

This tutorial is probably best suited for those who have a basic understanding and some prior experience with Photoshop. The tutorial begins to pick up speed around step 25 to avoid repetitive instruction. You can refer to this old post I published in 2017 if you need a refresher and to gain an understanding of some of the tools' function.

Please note that you can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Things you will need:

• Several Episode backgrounds from the art catalog.
• Photoshop (I'm using Photoshop CC 2018 here, but any version should be fine.)
• Your own idea.

1.

I've chosen to edit the INT. WINSHIP ENTRY - DAY background because I wanted to create a more modern look.

First, I unlocked the background by clicking on the lock symbol. This enables you to directly edit the contents of the background layer and rearrange the order of the layers later.

2.

The first area I wanted to edit was the window. I used the polygonal lasso tool with the "add to selection" option (located at the top of the navigation bar). The polygonal lasso tool is my personal favorite because it allows you to draw outlines based on straight-sided shapes.

If you cannot find the polygonal lasso tool, you can click the little arrow below and it should display a list of lasso tool options.

I find it easier to trace one area at a time because it prevents me from messing up and starting over.

3.

After tracing the entire window area, press "delete" on your keyboard to erase the original window.

4.

Next, I decided to look for a nice window from the Episode art catalog. I'm a fan of the large windows from the INT. THEATER LOBBY - DAY background. Here, the rectangle marquee tool is used to select the area that I'm interested in using as a window.

5.

After tracing around the area of interest, paste it onto the background document.

6.

Next, I used the rectangle marquee and polygonal lasso tools to delete the pre-existing background on the window.

7.

At this point, I decided I wanted the windows to be wide. So I created a copy of this layer and shifted the new layer to the right to create two window frames.

8.

When you're satisfied with how it looks, highlight both layers > right click > merge layers.

9.

At this point, I changed my mind and decided that I didn't want multiple window panels. To fix this, I selected the middle area by using the rectangle marquee tool and erased it.

10.

I wanted two large window frames, so I duplicated this window frame layer to achieve that look.

11.

Then I selected both window layers and merged them after I've positioned it to my liking.

12.

Next, I moved the window to a corner. I also like to keep the window layer on top of the background for now so I can see what I am doing. This will help you adjust for angles in the following step.

13.

Go to edit > transform > skew. This transformation tool will allow you to angle items accordingly.

14. 

Click on the squares located in the corner and drag them out. Try to follow the guideline of the window cutout for a neat look.

15.

After you've adjust the angle of your window, move the window frame layer below the background. Because the window frame layer is now on the bottom, it no longer intersects with the couch.

16.

After the window frame is installed, I decided to change the color of the wall. I used the polygonal lasso tool again and manually outlined all areas of the wall. This step can be quite time consuming depending on the complexity of the background. (Might have taken me about 15-20 minutes due to the decor on the right.) Make sure the background layer is highlighted.

17.

Click on the circle at the bottom of the layers menu (circled in red in this screenshot) and select "hue/saturation". Alternatively, you can also go to image > adjustments > hue/saturation. Adjust the hue to your own liking. If you want to make the color a bit more muted, lower the saturation.

18.

I wanted to make the walls a little bit darker. To re-select everything, drag your cursor over the layer mask thumbnail and press "ctrl" on your keyboard.

19.

Click on the circle located at the bottom of the layers menu again and choose "brightness/contrast". You can also find this option under image > adjustments.

20.

The next area of the original background that I wanted to replace were the paintings. Search through the catalog until you find something that you like. Here, I have decided that I wanted the left guitar from the INT. FLIPPED AGENTS OFFICE OL - DAY background. Again, use the rectangle marquee or polygonal lasso tool to trace this item.

21.

Paste the guitar into your background document. You'll notice that half of the guitar is missing. To correct this problem, you would only select around the front side of the guitar. Note that the edge of the frame is not traced because you would not see the left edge in this perspective.

22.

Hit "ctrl + J" on your keyboard to duplicate the selected area. Next, go to edit > transform > flip horizontal and then move the newly created layer around until it mirrors the original half. Merge the two layers together when you're done.

23.

I thought the guitar display would look best where the 3 smaller paintings were placed. The guitar was moved to the top left corner of the paintings in order to get an idea of the angles and proportions. Similarly to the window frame placement, you will need to apply skew again.

24.

Next, the other painting was replaced. I like this colorful painting from INT. JANIS DORM ROOM - NIGHT and used the rectangle marquee tool to select the area I'd like to use.

25.

I followed the same concept from the previous steps and applied the skew tool again.

26.

After I have completed the wall decorations, I wanted to work on the view. I pasted both EXT. PHILLY SKYLINE - DAY and EXT. PHILLY SKYLINE - NIGHT directly onto the background document and kept the original size. Make sure both day and night backgrounds are lined up and stacked right on top of each other!

27.

You should have both day and night layers highlighted. This is crucial to ensure both backgrounds will be the same exact size and at matching angles after adjustment.

Here, I reduced the size first so I can see what I'm doing. This step is not necessary and you can skip to the next step if you want. If you want to make the images smaller first, press "ctrl + T" on your keyboard or edit > free transform to reduce.

28.

You will need skew again to adjust for the angles. Both day and night layers should still be selected and use the window frame as a guideline.

29.

This is what it should look like if you followed steps 27 and 28 correctly.

30.

Afterwards, you can move those two layers underneath the window frame layer.

31.

Next, I wanted to change the color of the rug. You can use a variety of tools to select for the rug, such as polygonal lasso tool or the magic wand and quick selection tools for a faster selection. The rug was a little more difficult to trace around due to the small hairs along the edges, so try your best to be as neat as possible.

32.

Again, I changed the colors by adjusting the hue and ensuring the background layer is highlighted.

33.

Afterwards, I decided to change the color of the couch. This should be easier to select for since it is composed of straight lines.

To turn it into a dark grey/black color, I only adjusted for the brightness and contrast levels.

34.

At this point, I decided to install the glass for the windows. You can read this tutorial to see how I created a very simple transparent glass.

35.

This probably sounds very repetitive by now, but use skew and angle the glass accordingly. Then you can move the glass layer between the window frame and the day/night layers. Play around with the blend mode and opacity levels to your liking.

36.

Finally, we will create the night effect by making the entire background slightly darker. To achieve this, I usually adjust the curves first. You can refer to this post to gain a general understanding of the curves tool.

37.

And I tweak the levels until I am satisfied with the color.

38.

Night backgrounds produced by Episode almost always have a strong blue tint to it. To do this, go to solid colors.

39.

And pick a dark blue color. The navy blue hex code in this example is #0c103d.

40.

Adjust the blend mode and opacity. I'm personally not a fan of the heavy blue coloring that Episode uses, so I decided to go for something much more subtle. I also keep both the navy blue solid color and curves layers at the top so the effect applies to all of the layers below. At this step, you can save this as the night background.

41.

To save the day version, toggle off the night background, curves, and solid color layers. This is the final product and the editing tutorial concludes here. Be sure to save your work as a PSD file in case you want to go back and change something in the future!

I apologize if this post comes off as disorganized since I tend to jump around a lot. There is no "right" way or a particular order you need to work in to edit backgrounds. For example, I could've finished the entire window section first before moving onto the paintings. I also could've used the doors from the theater lobby background to serve as a wide window and to save time. The main points you should understand from this tutorial are:

• The tools utilized to manipulate images
• How to change colors and adjust for brightness or darkness

Don't be discouraged if your first edits aren't super neat. Practice makes perfect and you'll also learn more tricks on your own along the way!

Due to Episode's terms of use and agreement, these backgrounds will not be available for download and were edited for the purposes of this tutorial only. If you choose to recreate this background or edit any other background from the catalog, tag me on Instagram so I can see it!