Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Project Review: Key Art 3D Illustration for WAR of the WORLDS PART III- Blood-Moss Logos.

An early version of the Blood-Moss 3D War of the Worlds Logo had cross-scratches used to create the displacement as well as the sub-surface glow on the lowers.

 For this version I added a very hot top-light and added some glo-FX to the top to add a level of heat to the look of the final type treatment.

 This version has some rotational blur added as this was a style frame for a AV pitch as well, and we discussed that the logo was buzzing and vibrating a bit so we wanted a  look at that effect.

We called this version the 'Meat look', as it felt like raw steak a bit to the team.
 
We dialed in this look with a wrapped feel to the vines, so I created a custom map that was used for displacement, bump, illumination and specular. This was the first render.

 For the second pass on this final look for War of the Worlds, I did the materiel in a red glass with internal caustics inside the font.

 Here I removed the 3D displacement and went smooth with the self illumination still active on the map.

 The final version I tapered the font top and bottom to a sharp point[ FFD]. This was the final look delivered in this style.
 
The base quad model I built with displacement ON.


With one level of Turbo-smooth[ Sub-D] added to smooth it out for the final renders.
 
  A close up detail showing the wrapping the displacement gave to the geometry.


This is a shot of the custom Displacement map I made for the final blood Moss 3D logo.


Project Review
Key Art 3D Illustration for
WAR of the WORLDS
PART III- Blood-Moss Logos.

Client: Paramount Pictures via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director: Calvin Sumler.
Project Date Fall 2004

Today I am posting PART III, covering the 3D Design work I did for the Theatrical advertising pitches back in 2004 for the Spielberg remake of War of the Worlds, and today I am covering a pass I did on a blood moss 3D logo.

The blood moss seen in the film was a direction that we were asked to explore, and I was provided a great hand built font from Art Director Calvin Sumler to address this and I created a series of looks that would still be legible, but would have an alien feel to them.

I had done the standard big block San-Serif Font choices for various versions up front[ that is what finished], but they gave us room to explore early on in 3D so off I went with these displaced bloody font looks.

I did about 100 logos during the process before we finished. The one sheet contains the 'BIG LOGO" and the 3D iron look for the world ,and these are my 3D contributions that went to the final, or finish for the Movie Poster.

You can view an overview posting in PART I here.
You can view PART II: The blood Moss 3D Illustrations for Print and AV here.
Cheers, THOM

Monday, December 29, 2014

3D Stock Model Build Review: Vintage Deco Microphone: Built for online sales 2005.

  The Old Deco-styled Radio Microphone I built as a stock Model for online sales back in 05' while at The Cimarron Group in Hollywood CA.
 
 The Polygon render shows the basic construction with a subdivision casting for the main Mic head.

 A 3/4 overhead view looking down on the virtual 3D Deco Mic.
 
 The Polygon render of the above view with subdivision[ Sub-D] OFF.
 
 A Side view 3D render of the Deco Microphone.
 
 The Ambient Geometry render of this Deco Old Time Radio Mic.

 A Back view of the Virtual Radio Mic Model sold online.

 The Geometry render of this back view shows the build.

 A Front View Worms Eye angle looking up on the Mic.

 The Geometry render shows the modeling of the parts.

 Exploded out we see all the parts made for this Microphone.

 A close up on the Lower pivot area with hardware.


3D Stock Model Build Review
Vintage Deco Microphone: Built for online sales 2005.

Client: The Cimarron Group for Stock 3D Model Sales.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date: May 2005.

Back in '05 I was still in-house at The Cimarron Group as the 3D Design Director providing 3D illustrations, as well as animations for the various divisions advertising needs, and I regularly built out highly detailed 3D Models for sale online in my spare time, and today I am reviewing a 3D model I made of iconic Old Deco styled Radio Mic.

I enjoy building vintage objects to go with the vintage architecture I make, and a nice Deco Microphone is something I had always wanted to make, so off I went. I had built out a very early mic here, but wanted this style as well.

I built the main metal top casting as a subdivision surface and built the rest of the parts as polygonal objects for time purposes, and proceeded to finish with a few renders for reference.

This model is still online for sale by my past employer The Cimarron Group, though they are no longer in business, and can be purchased in the 3DS-max native format here, or exported as a 3DS file for other apps here.

I will continue showcasing many of the stock 3D models I have built in future posts.


Cheers, THOM

Friday, December 19, 2014

Project Review Key Art 3D Illustration for WAR of the WORLDS PART II- The Blood Moss

 The early versions I did were entirely procedural textures used flat, as well as some going ahead and displacing the geometry.

 The Simbiont Max Plug-In allowed me to use these custom DarkTree's shaders that I made.

 Another procedural blood vein texture sheet for the War of the Worlds Red Moss.
The last 2D textured version I did before going full 3D.
 
 The first full 3D Displaced version I made was solid, and I modified a photo of some Kale to get the web look I wanted for these blood moss veins.

I them sliced the displaced textures objects, and did a multiplane with foreground and background plates. This one I did a DOF[ Depth of Field] effect, however it was too long a render to animate.
This is the final 'hero' Image we presented as the backplate for the AV cards for the teaser.
 
This polygon view shows the displaced two plates in the final.
 
This overview screen capture shows the set up with the back plate curved and set back to get a good multi-plane effect in our type moves.


Project Review
Key Art 3D Illustration for
WAR of the WORLDS
PART II- The Blood Moss

Client: Paramount Pictures via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director(s): Chad Robertson, Calvin Sumler.
Project Date Fall 2004

Going back to revisit one of my first assignments over at The Cimarron Group, on the Spielberg remake of War of the Worlds back in 2004.

Great subject matter for a big logo exploration, but today I focus on some 3D Illustration I did of the Blood Moss from the film. I was giving a single unit shot [ a long shot] of the outdoor set[ Tim Robbins Home in the film], so I could get a rough idea of the moss, so I created some sheets of the texture for print as well a a background for some AV concepts for the trailers.

The lower images were animated with some lights inside and behind the various moss veins to have moving highlights in the back plate concept.

They went silver on black, simple, but a fun exploration none the less.

I did about 100 logos during the process before we finished. On the one sheet the logo and the world are my 3D contributions that went to the final, or finish for the Movie Poster.

You can view an overview posting in PART I here.
Cheers, THOM

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Project Review: The Flash 2014-3D Logo Exploration-PART II

 This "The Flash' 3D Logo was done with a mini-bevel in ruby glass, with a neon lip line, and the bolt is a stack of seven glowing objects stacked thru the glass letters.

 This version of the 3D Logo is a revers deep extruded face on a red metal with caustic turned on to get the reflection lighting inside the deep face.

 A matte red material on a heavy bevel, with the deep extrusion, a bit shallower than above, with caustics off for a more simple face detail.

This Flash 3D Logo has a bright polished metal edge with a warm reflection and a red center.
[ deep extrusion ].

 A Glass type version with a brushed stainless face inside inside the heavy bevel on the ruby glass.

This version has a rounded deep bevel with the face pulled back a bit to get a lip on the beveled edge. More matte materials here again with some self-illumination added to increase the brightness.

I flattened back the above logo and added motion blur behind it. I added caustics back to get the various bright spots on the face.

 A knife-edge bevel with the bottom tapered down as it touches the gloss black stage floor. Matte materials here to simplify the look.

 Here is the 3D Logo with a glass lightning bolt to reveal the type thru it, as well as another knife- edge design with an anodized aluminum material applied.

Project Review
The Flash 2014
3D Logo Exploration-PART II

Client: The CW via Leroy and Rose.
Creative Direction: Melchior Lamy.
Project Date: April 2014.

I've been doing work for Leroy and Rose for a bit, so when they called me to do some fast 3D logos for a Superhero property, The Flash, I was on board for a quick one day turn around project. I've done 1000's of 3D logos and many for superhero films, so I was more than ready to go on this, so today I have the second half of the work I did for this property.

Once again, the Flash was redeveloped for TV and the 2D logo design was locked from the client side, so I basically did dimensional versions in 3D.

I was given one day on this gig, so I hustled to create 19 designs in the time frame we were limited to. As will all 2D Logos, there are endless ways to make them 3D, from simple extrusions, bevels and fully modeling the text and bending and curving it.

I did as much as I could in the short one day, and was pleased with the results rendered and delivered.
You can review PART I here.



Cheers, THOM

Monday, December 15, 2014

Project Review Six Feet Under 3D Illustration for Key Art-Autopsy Table PART II

The main 'hero' shot provided was this front profile shot of the table. The AD's added a body to some of the comps on top as well[ do not have those].

 The main shot as a ploy render.

 A Tilted up camera above the 3D Autopsy Table Top from the HBO series, Six Feet Under advertising.

 A Polygon elevated view showing my 3D build.[Pre-Quads]
 
 A closer view of the complete set of Autopsy Tools used.

 A Poly view of the Autopsy Tools I build out.

 A closer shot on the feet end of the table with the faucets.

 Close up on the NURM's built out handles[ n-Power]
 
 Close up on the Poly view of the handles[ n-Power]

 An overhead top down birds eye view of the Autopsy Table build.

 An elevated slightly view from the Head side of the table.

 The Polygon view of the end of the Autopsy Table model.

 A close up view on the tool-set with a bit of Depth of Field added.

 The tool-set view in ambient render here.

 A full exploded view of the build highlighting some of the basic components in the 3D build.

 A closer view of the various Autopsy tools including the bone saw, rib separator and a variety of scalpels and hemostats.


Project Review
Six Feet Under
3D Illustration for Key Art
Autopsy Table

PART II

Client: HBO via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director(s): Chad Robertson, Calvin Sumler, Joseph Stamper.
Project Date: . Spring 2004

I worked on the advertising Key Art for the HBO series, Six Feet under, for the last two seasons before it went off the air.

It spanned even a job switch as I did some work at BLT and associates first, then when I moved to The Cimarron Group the project jumped over to us , so I continued work.

Today in PART II, I am covering the build out of an Autopsy Table for the various Ideas I illustrated in 3D for the Art Director team.

I built out the table as well as a full set of tools for close ups, and did a set of renders that were presented for various campaign solutions.

The 3D Virtual model was then re-purposed and is for sale online as a stock 3D model in the full set as well as just the tools. Both sets available in 3DS, and MAX formats still. A fun gig!

You can view PART I here to see an overview of the various 3D Images I created from scratch.

Cheers, THOM