I've also heard that this is why a lot of filmmakers used to take around similar looking sphere things when shooting on location. Unsurprisingly, having a physical reference object helps CGI artists ensure that their elements look present in the world - with accurate lighting and reflections.
I think nowadays you can use a 360 degree camera to get a similar effect (I've seen this video which also talks a bit more about HDRI), but the principles are still the same. And even in the background of that video you can still see that they have a chrome sphere, probably for a similar purpose.
I've also heard that this is why a lot of filmmakers used to take around similar looking sphere things when shooting on location. Unsurprisingly, having a physical reference object helps CGI artists ensure that their elements look present in the world - with accurate lighting and reflections.
I think nowadays you can use a 360 degree camera to get a similar effect (I've seen this video which also talks a bit more about HDRI), but the principles are still the same. And even in the background of that video you can still see that they have a chrome sphere, probably for a similar purpose.