Project Review Launch City Part XI[Eleven] Launch City Redesign: The Vibe[vibreaker] Music Room

 The First round design was a conglomeration with Retro parts mixed in with vintage Iron Victorian frames holding PC's and digital equipment.

 Here is an ambient render from the Launch City redesign with the camera pulled back to reveal the Tech Tree sitting in the center of this Gothic Attic.

 Each workstation had various apparatus that was needed including payment, music, storage, volume etc that flanked the screen.

 A close up shot of the little details that make up a single piece in the scene. I have block off plates in the switch panels to mix it up a bit and make it feel  more built from what was at hand, rather than full custom.

 The final revised version was a whole lot more Gothic for the room, with a very simple iMac-ish single bubble design PC sitting on an old Gothic Table.

 The ambient render shows the basic parts built out for this scene for Launch.com

 This Close-up shows workstations in the background area of the final Vibreaker virtual set.

 Project Review
Launch City Part XI[Eleven]

Launch City Redesign: 
The Vibe [Vibreaker ] Music Room
 

Client: Launch Media Inc.
Art Director: Myself
Project Date: 1999

This is my 11th posting on the redesign work I did back in Y2K on LAUNCH city for Launch.com, and we look toady at the Vibe, or what became the VibeBreaker Gothic Cathedral center stage in the city.

Launch was known for it's at the time revolutionary Music portal to play internet radio that learns and plays what you like based on your selections, so they wanted a location in Launch City where they could introduce the player App within the CD ROM-zine, so we picked this location.

Originally  went full Gothic as I was hired from for my Theme Park Experience and they wanted to fully "Theme" every location virtually in the city, and the Gothic Cathedral was a perfect location for this. I built out an interior set of the upper room and outfitted it with a steam-punk PC music compute tower in the center of the room. For the screen close up I utilized Old School and New tech with toggle switch panels for the 60's CD ROM players from the 90's etc.

As time went on, they simplified the interface to be 100% on screen so all PC parts were scrubbed from the room, and it was a bit bland, so I embellished the Gothic details out to a much higher level  for the final, with more trim in the windows and frames, as well as adding in Gothic furnishings to hold the modern tube screen interface we would zoom into.

I have many posts covering the various locations that we sold off as virtual real estate to advertisers, with all the links below to my prior postings.

Cheers, THOM

To view PART I on Launch City you can go here.

To view PART II -The Hang PART II, go here.

To view PART III for the Train Station "Twitch" look here.

To view PART-IV- The Dockside Diner, then look here.

To view PART V- Intel sponsored Pentium 4 spaces, you can click here.

To view PART VI [ the sub!] go here. 

To view PART VII-The Vault, go here.

To view PART VIII-Target-Jukebox Twitch, go here. 

To view PART IX-The main City build, go here.

To view PART X-The Streamliner Train Car, you can go here.

Project Review DESPICABLE ME 2010 3D Logo Design Explorations PART III

A nice soft font that I tapered and bent once I built it out. A small bit of curve goes a long way on a 'toon' font. 

A Single Point Bevel type treatment with a aqua green reflective foil material . We went warm for the shadows and glow off the back in a complementarity color.

This was fun, a procedural organic texture on a warped and hand bend and turned toon font. 

I likes the Idea of the 'e" in Me having a mathematics feel to it as the main character is a  scientist and they wanted to play on that theme a bit in the logo as well.

A double line logo with a devil cut into the the 'e'. Up-lit for the lower line, and top lit for the upper line of text, all colored with gradient textures applied.

Project Review
DESPICABLE ME 2010
3D Logo Design Explorations
PART III

Client: Illumination Entertainment via The Cimarron Group.
Art Directors: Rob Russell, Calvin Sumler, Chris A. Hawkins, Joseph Stamper, and Adrienne Burk.
Project Date Spring 2009.
This is my third post covering the work I did on Despicable Me back in 2009 for the first film. I helped create a series of almost three dozen 3D Logo looks I helped develop for our final presentation to the studio. Today in the third posting I have put up a series of more of he happier designs that were less sinister.

"Toon" logos require not just a good font picked by the Creative or Art Directors, but in execution in the 3D world, you must add more softness, and a slight bit of randomness in the 3D build itself, which means a straight bevel or extrude will not suffice, but hand modeling in needed. A slight curve, or bend on the end of a sharp shape does wonders to "toon" it up.

We went with the bright and  happy candy feel as seen in the softer shapes and brighter colors. Also these were all rendered in a bright white environment to overshoot the light effects and get a bit of blowout in the renders. The environment brightness and light direction[ dramatic and heavy angled, or soft focused and centered ]sets the tone. It fights the font shape, or works with it, as this is where you dial in each look in 3D in the mood of the room you view it in. Think a Gallery viewing with a nice pin light in a darkened room, vs' seeing the same thing just sitting in a store.

You can view PART I here with a huge posting of logos.
You can view PART II with more darker logos here.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review Launch City Part X[Ten] Launch City Redesign: Retro Streamliner Train Design

Here is the final screen render from 2000 that I designed and built out in 3D directly that showcases the streamliner styled polished metal train car.

An alternate shot with the Launch.com Streamlined Train moving out with a second line bringing up the rear.

A full city shot from Issue #44 with the simpler trains in the city elevated on up on the center and left side of the panorama.

A Polygon render showing the build out of the Train car at a 3/4 side view.

An elevated shot of the nose of this streamlined train car.

A 3/4 back view of the Train from Launch City [1999-2000]

A side view showing the 'submarine' windows as the VW 21-23 window folks call them up on top as mini personal skylights.

This shot shows the rolled belly pan typical on all early Silver Stream and Airstream trailers.

 Project Review
Launch City Part X[Ten]

Launch City Redesign: Retro 'Streamliner' Train Design

Client: Launch Media Inc.
Art Director: Myself
Project Date: 1999

This is my 10th posting on the redesign work I did back in Y2K on LAUNCH city for Launch.com, and for today we look a bit in depth at the elevated trains that ran thru the virtual city.

Originally I did a very low poly simple train car that is seen int he center and right side of the city panoramic, and once we were done with all the sold virtual real estate spaces, we started to address the connections outside each location, and so I enhanced the design of the train car anticipating added space to sell off.

I built this quickly as I had about 3-4 Hrs total to do it, and this was prior to me learning 'SDS'=[Sub Division Surface] modeling, so this is an old school higher poly modeling style I did for fast deadlines.

As a Transportation Design Grad from ACCD[ FA 91'], I love old streamlined style, so this was a dream little design job for me to build out. I also am a huge Vintage Airstream fan so I had the shape language in my brain to get on it fast for this one day project space build out.

I have many posts covering the various locations that we sold off as virtual real estate to advertisers, with all the links below to my prior postings.

Cheers, THOM

To view PART I on Launch City you can go here.

To view PART II go here.

To view PART III for the Train Station "Twitch" look here.

To view PART-IV look here.

To view PART V- you can click here.

To view PART VI [ the sub!] go here. 

To view PART VII-The Vault, go here.

To view PART VIII-Target-Jukebox Twitch, go here. 

To view PART IX-The main City build, go here.

Project Review: Despicable Me: 3D Logo Design Explorations PART II

This was a fun little alternate on a version I had already prepped, so I added in these soft rounded joints thru out the font to simulate sheet metal sections for the first film Despicable Me.

 

I used the Car-Paint Shader with some large metal-flake on this version. NOTE: The reason the "M' in me is pushed over a bit, is one of the minion characters was to be added in later leaning on the type.

 

 I did a few meal plate versions, this one too had the "M" being pushed over by the character to added latter on.

A big metal heavy bevel version with the Lightining in the type.
 

A "Heavy Metal" type of look with a large single point beveled Gothic-ish font in aged pewter.

A Red glass version of the logo with the Lightning theme in a few characters in the name for Despicable Me.

Project Review
DESPICABLE ME 2010
3D Logo Design Explorations
PART II

Client: Illumination Entertainment via The Cimarron Group.
Art Directors: Rob Russell, Calvin Sumler, Chris A. Hawkins, Joseph Stamper, and Adrienne Burk.
Project Date Spring 2009.

Today I have posted some additional 3D Logo looks I developed for our presentation for the first film Despicable Me back in 2009 while I was still the in-house 3D Design Director at The Cimarron Group. And today we look at some more "Darker" versions.

We went with the bright and  happy candy feel for most, but we also went a bit darker and sinister as the film is a dark comedy even though it is for kids. Presented on black, with heavy dramatic lighting, and rich reds, back glows, and various metals.

You can view PART I here with a huge posting of logos, and look for a few more posts in the weeks to come as well.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Disney Interactive- The Lost Family Tree: Visual Development 1999 PART I

 Interior of Tiggers Treehouse

A 3D Blocking Model is a basic representation of a 3D or 2D layout scene. Proportions, staging and design are what are locked in, as all detailing comes much later.

 A reverse angle shot shows that the details were not extended to the other side of the room as seen in the faux chair back on the left.

 A side view render on the bed side of the room with Tiggers drawing spring "bounce" stool in the foreground.

 A Birds-Eye extreme down shot to show the whole sic wall full interior set I blocked out for the Tigger tree house for the Development work from 1999.

 Here is an original render from back in 1999 of the exterior set with what I referred to blocking stage Two: This had more details mocked up like bricks and separate parts for the various boards and such.

Project Review

Disney Interactive- The Lost Family Tree

Visual Development 1999 PART I

Client: Walt Disney Interactive[ DI ]
Art Direction: Myself.
Project Date: Summer 1999.

I worked in-house at Walt Disney Interactive back from 1996 to 1998 as a 3D Art Director on their big product back then, a multi-disc CD-ROM game[ Nodes and Rails Old Time] called Virtual Magic Kingdom, and once I left DI, I moved across the street to WDI, [Walt Disney Imagineering] as a contractor Imagineer for a few years. However I had at that time a half day commitment from DI to freelance in the mornings, so I was called back to help out with a new game based on Pooh and The Hundred Acre woods called The Lost Family Tree.

I had worked in 2D TV Animation in an Art Director/ Conceptual Designer capacity in the past so I suggested that we block out the entire 100 acre woods locationsmatching each location to the original watercolor and ink backgrounds from the original film first. They all agreed so I was off in blocking out the game.

Each location had an interior and exterior set, and since I was matching 2D artwork the interiors were exagerated to make them bigger than the outside structures would allow so I made an exterior full 3D world, and all interiors were separate 3D sets, and we would transition in game play from the outside set to the interior ones for some continuity.

What you see today is the basic blocking for the main Tigger house with the interior shots and one original exterior rendering frame from 1999 rendered in 3DSmax version 1.

3D Blocking is similar to 2D blocking which I did for all my Phantom 2040 work, as it allows you to lock in the shots with minimal geometry, and once the basic proportions are done, each location can be handed off to a 3D team for final high-rez re-modeling efforts.

In this case DI played with the thought of using the 3D blocking to create 2D layouts grids so the look could be a watercolor original feel and not 3D, but in 1999 this was too costly and the game was shelved for good.

A super fun project as I got to rebuild the main sets from one of my favorite Disney films.

Look for added posts in this series in the future.

                                                                                                   Cheers, THOM

Project Review: My Babysitter's a Vampire: Disney Channel: Main Title 3D Build-Out and 3D Animation 2011

 A slammed 3D Title with 3D Motion Blur as rendered and set off to Motion Graphics Pro Tom Kositchotitana.

 A few more frames into the quick title slam rendered in HD.

 Around 1/3rd of a second in it has seated[ 6-9 frames for a typical slam]

 The seated logo before the fangs grow.

 Seven frames after the seating the "M" fangs have grown about 40% out.

 At Frame 24 they are done and completely extended back to the original size, as I made the model with them out and "squished' them down[ reversed the move].

 

 Here is a screen CAP showing the F.F.D.[ Free-Form-Deformation in 3DSmax ] modifier I animated to get the effect needed.

Project Review

My Babysitter's a Vampire: Disney Channel

Main Title 3D Build-Out and 3D Animation 2011

Client:The Disney Channel via White Spark Creative.
Art Director: Joseph Stamper.
Project Date: January- March 2011.

I had worked with Joseph Stamper when we were both in-house at The Cimarron Group for six years together from 2003 to 2006, and we worked on well over a hundred Movie Posters together, so when he moved over to White Spark Creative, he called me in 2011, as well as using fellow ex-Cimarronian' Motion GFX Guru Tom Kositchotitana to help them create and animate a 3D Logo for a new Disney Channel show called My Babysitters a Vampire.

I had finished out over 80 trailer GFX with Tom K at Cimarron over the years, so we had a simple system worked out already with each other on a project of this nature, and this benefited the client as we can get it done very fast, a T-N-T production as we call it[Tom and Thom].

Joseph supplied the client approved 2D Style frame to me, so step one was to match the 2D look in a 3D world as close as I could. Once this was approved we began a few moves on the type and designed out a way to animate the fangs coming out of the base of the letter "M".

I rendered the raw 3D frames and handed them off to Tom K. for the 2D Motion Graphics work, as well as rendering him a few special passes for various parts of the model. I also provided all other 3D cards for the TV spots for the show as well. There was back and fourth until approved and what you see above are the final RAW frames delivered to MGFX.

The Logo was used in 2D Print, as well as MGFX applications for the series.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review Priest: 3D Cross Weapon Build-Out for Motion Graphics Trailers 2010

 The final Virtual Prop Model I re-created and rendered out for Priest[2011].

 The 3D Model was built 100% subdivision for my client uses Maya and I always provide assets that way so they have full use for close up's etc.

 An exploded view shows the various parts to this Cross weapon I made for the Trailers.

 The Mesh wireframe shot for the above shot as well shows my build below the textures.

 A closer view of the Cross blade where the mini side bladed pop out of.

 

 Here is a front and side render of the object.

Project Review

Priest: 3D Cross Weapon Build-Out

for Motion Graphics Trailers 2010

Client: Screen Gems via Greenhaus Graphics
Creative Direction: Helen Greene
Project Date: July 2010.

I regularly build out 3D assets for my Motion Graphics clients to use in their trailers, and I did a Cross Weapon from the film Priest for GreenhausGFX back in 2010 for them, so today a bit of behind the art on my build of the prop.

I was given a screen shot from the film, of the prop in question and as usual I do a bit of reverse engineering and rebuild a functioning 3D Virtual Prop so thy could animate this for a few Theatrical Motion Graphics pieces.

I build out the 3D Asset and export as both a FBX and OBJ so they can use it in their Maya pipeline. A fun project, and about 2 Hrs of work to deliver.

You can review my prior 3D Models I have done for GreenhausGFX here.

Cheers, THOM

3D Model Sales Part XXI Vintage Hanging Socket and Edison Lightbulb 3D Model

 

 The final Model rendered out that I sell online now at Turbosquid as 3D Stock.

 The base Light Socket rendered out on a polished surface.

 The 3D Model is sold online with a pull chain and a thumbscrew switch

 

  A Smoothed render showing off the 3D Model in a multi-view

  A base Polygon render showing inside the bulb.

  A smooth render of the same

  A close up of the threading details on the socket base lower lip.

  A smoothed render showing the area

  A base non-subdivided render showing lamp from below

  A smoothed render at this Worms Eye view.

  A close up render showing the cord connection up top

  A smoothed render of the socket top

  A full view render with cord without subdivision added

  A full render mesh-smoothed at two levels.

  An exploded parts view of all that was built in 3D

  A close up render showing the two ON/OFF meachanics

  A close up render showing the parts for the cord connection

 A close up render showing the parts inside the bulb.

3D Model Sales

Part XXI
Vintage Hanging Socket and Edison Lightbulb 3D Model

Any photo-real 3D render starts with a very accurate and detailed model built out in 3D, so I sell my 3D models I build online as stock 3D models, similar to stock Photography to be used by design and graphics professionals within the various industries online at Turbosquid, the leading stock 3D model house, and today in my PART XXI[21st], I am reviewing a Vintage Electrical item I have built in the past, but did a very high resolution version for sale online as a new 3D Model for sale.

This is a full 100% subdivision model that you can increase the level of detail with the subdivision modifier applied in your program of choice and this model also was built with real threads on the bolts , screws, and even the main housing itself with the mini threads down near the lamp base to add on various attachments that at the Turn of the century were common, as this fitting was seen in every home and business thru out the country. A very high resolution asset.

This would make a great addition to any vintage 3D scene or 3D animation as well as perfect for a steampunk project or illustration.

I export all my 3D assets to FBX and OBJ so my friends in Cinema 4D , Maya, and Soft-XSI can use these assets as well.

To view all my 3D models I sell, you can go here. If you want to see a couple of hundred of 3D models I built in the past that my prior employer still sells, you can go here too.

Cheers, THOM