Project Review:-Miracle on 34th Street- DVD Key Art: 2009

The final 3D render I did for Miracle on 34th Street DVD Key Art. I used Sub-Surface-Scattering for the snow piles.

Same shot as above with the show piles on top of the Virtual Macy's Parade float.

The Subdivided Ambient Wire frame render shows a simple build out.

The Base Poly Quad Mesh here shows the simple build I made.

A Fish-eye up shot of the Parade-float with the cables bending via the camera FX.

 The High Poly Sub-D render.

The Base Quad with subdivision removed.

A bit of a 3/4 Low angle with lens curve for the last 3D Logo render I did for the DVD for Miracle on 34th street.

The High Poly mesh also shows the reflection sphere in the shot that is hidden to the camera, but visible to the reflections on the slick float surface.

 Here is low poly wireframe of the 3D logo.

Project Review

Miracle on 34th Street
DVD/Blue-Ray Key Art: 2009

Client:Twentieth Century FOX Film Corp. via Menagerie Creative.
Creative Director: Cheryl Savala.
Project Date: November 2009.

Today I am posting a small 3D Logo gig I did a while back for some Key Art Home Entertainment DVD-Blue Ray covers for a Blue-Ray-DVD re-release of Miracle on 34th street for my client Menagerie Creative.

I was asked to create a Macys Parade styled, Giant inflatable float of the type for "34th". I did one clean version in 3D, and one with some piles of snow on the tops of a few key letters.

When I added in the minimal details, I created a woven surface texture to emulate a bit of the canvas fabric found on these massive balloons, and that is seen most clearly in the highlighted areas on the bright red float.

I rendered out a few straight shots as well as two fish-eye camera lens shots too. Some with, and without the snow. Sadly, the project did not continuem or see the light of day, though it was a fun gig to be apart of.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Penny Dreadful 2014-Key Art Finish of 3D Scorpion Necklace Design and Illustration.

Here is the final Key Art for Penny Dreadful using the 3D Scorpion Illustration I was hired to do.

 The test image I did.

The final 3D RAW delivery was a multi-pass render with a Matte for the shandow to be dropped into the Key Art Photography quickly by finisher Paho Marsh.

I did a transluscent Sub-Surface Scatter render of the Scorpions as they have many areas that posses this trait in the material as a pass. I rendered over the placeholder bust as the skin showed thru the Scorpion bodies.

 Here for the Dark black render I did not need the shadows or the bust so I rendered this out as the second pass.

The Matte Shadow provided the finisher with a drop on shadow for the photography to blend it seamlessly into the file.

 A Z-Depth pass on the second pass allowed for adjusting Hue, Saturation or blur based on distance quickly with this channel provided as well to the vendor.

This ambient Screen grab render shows the base model and scene as built, as well as the Image I was tasked with matching up to.

 The 3/4 shot show the full scene including the bust for placement and shadows as well as the lighting and simplicity of a scene with over 6000 separate parts all linked so I could post each Scorpion individually to match the location it rested upon.

 A side-by-side shot of the Base Scorpion model as the base Quad model on the Left, as well as subdivided on the right.

Project Review:

Penny Dreadful 2014-Key Art Finish

of 3D Scorpion Necklace Design and Illustration.

Client: Showtime via Leroy and Rose.
Creative Direction: Melchior Lamy.
Project Date: December 2013.

Back in December I was given an opportunity to help out with Showtimes new cable series Penny Dreadful on the Key Art for one of my clients Leroy and Rose. I was asked to assit in 3D with the creation of a Lace-Necklace made out of small black Scorpions as a Virtual Photo shoot.

I did a test image to show the look and proceeded to create two version of the necklace design.
I had built out a 3D Scorpion a decade ago for Scorpion King, not as a quad model, so sometime last year I rebuilt a new one all in subdivision for a potential Vodka client in Belgium that fell thru so I had it ready to go for this gig.

I developed the Sub-surface shader as the translucence found in scorpions would help blend this into the skin on the bust you would see thru in the thinner parts of the legs etc.

Once approved I proceeded to render the finals out in multiple passes with light and dark materials to paint thru, as well as a Matte shadow to drop right over the principal photography.

What a FUN concept to work on, and it finished.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Pathfinder[ 2007] Motion Graphics Main Title.

 Frame one of the Pathfinder Motion Graphics Title with a bit of blur that whip-pans out in 8 frames with a drift.

 The Pathfinder Logo seated fast in 8 frames[ typical].

 A slow drift around as the camera drops slowly down in frame.

 The final seated frame of the piece.

 I used a Boolean on the main object and all blood was subdivision[ off here]

 The final subdivided scene.

A shot of the whole sword I made in case with our sweep over around it we'd see more, so I built more.

Project Review

Pathfinder[ 2007]

Motion Graphics Titles.

Client: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation via The Cimarron Group.
Creative Direction: Greg Taylor.
Project Date: December 2006

I was asked to create a 3D Animated Motion Graphics Title treatment for the advertising for the film Pathfinder[ 2007] in the winter of 2006 for the Motion Graphics team at The Cimarron Group.

I was given the shots from the film and had to recreate an iconic sword used in the film that they wanted to have the title float over.

I built out the 3D Model, lit and textured it with some damage and cuts to the object, as well as getting to use some sub-surface scattering materials with the drops of blood on the blade.

I rendered out the 100 frame move in HD, and delivered it to the Dept. for the finals, a fun and quick one day project which is typical in how I work with exisiting Motion Graphics teams in that I deliver the RAW 3D renders, ready for them to composite into the After Effects project file one I am done.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: SALT: PART III-3D Logo Exploration 2008

 A 3D design based on vectors provided to me by Chris A. Hawkins for this Sub Surface Lit example with the Soviet themed Red wax material.

 This design uses three plates high for the triple edge highlight in brushed metal, and the face is a bit curved as well to get the nice highlight in the proper place.

 I did a deep extrusion here, but I like the thin decal look I did above as well, as an alternate.

 The hammer and sickle for the "A" was a great solve in my opinion from Chris for this design, with gold and red materials.

 A bright graphic version of the logo with the "star" used for the "A", this was a thin extrusion version. I added the neon around the star to be an animation element for AV-MGFX.

 A deep extrusion on the above vector using the procedural cement-metal material I designed in Dark Tree. Big bevels!

 A Single-Point-Beveled[SPB] font here with a warm to cool lighting on just the extremities. This was to be an animated face in from black idea for a living one sheet.

 A SPB built into a tube with some mild ribbed design elements put on the red glass material.

A round tube built font with tech shapes cut into the object all the way through with some internal metal accents as well.

SALT

3D Logo exploration

PART III

Client: Columbia Pictures via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director(s): Chris A. Hawkins.
Project Date: Winter 2008.

In my third posting here on my design blog, for the 3D design work that I did for the film, SALT in the winter of 2008 while still running the 3D Department at Cimarron. Today I focus on logos for one of the three main Art Directors I did work for in the Poster Design department there, Chris A. Hawkins.

With this added set of logo you can see that I had a very wide range to play in for the film. I also had a full day to do these so I could really finesse the details and the lighting. I have glass and metal, procedural-textures, lots of single point beveled text, that is fully hand modeled, and some Sub-Surface-Scattering in there too since I had the time[ long renders to get right!].

Total Logo count that I provided to them was, One-hundred fifty-five[ 155] designs, though they presented maybe five to the client at the end, I always love the process so I understand the drastic cuts needed. Young designers take note, that 5 out of 155 is the norm for a firm to cut down your delivery.

You can view PART I here.

You can view PART II here.

You can also view the KGB badge I made here.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: The Bleeding-3D Logo designs for Key Art and Motion Graphics Advertising 2008

 For this 3D Logo I designed for the film, The Bleeding, I did a curved front face with red painted extrusion with a bit of back lighting.

 We did the blood on red so it would be a second read[ squint and see].

 A bit of green tint in the metal along with a warmed up light rig made this angled shot fun to layout for the Key Art.

 A brighter version on Green with the blood drips using the wax material which is a Sub-Surface-Scattering material so the light comes thru the this spots like real blood.

 A very bright version of the 3D Logo over a metal wall.

 My fave! Red extrusion curved dark face with highlighted edge lit blood drops in the 3D design.

Project Review: The Bleeding

3D Logo Design Exploration

Key Art and MGFX Design

Client Anchor Bay Entertainment via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director(s): Calvin Sumler and Joseph Stamper.
Project Date: April 2008.

I am often given a quick one day or half day gig to do a logo in 3D. Some clients get the capabilities in 3D and give me some room to explore, and others just want a boiler plate metal extrusion in some sort of chrome.

For this project, they wanted to try a few things to a metal logo that was "blood" oriented, so I gave it a STAB!

The main idea was to have some subtle dripping blood coming off the lower edge of the logo. You will see in one comp we did the dripping blood on red so it was NOT a first read, but the motion of the drops is what would "catch your eye' to the action on the lower edge.

I also cut the extruded logo horizontally with about 100 slices so I could bend the face to a curve. Flat faced logos are not good in chrome, they are too flat for a nice reflection, so I add a bit of crown to the surface which forces the horizon to the high point in the design. This is an old car designer trick to fix a surface, just add crown!

All in all though it did not finish, a fun experiment in design. I especially like the one with the red extrusion in the metal with a bright face and drips.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Spongebob Squarepants Movie 2003: Key Art 3D Logos and 3D Illustrations PT-1

 

 Here is the Life Preserver Logo sunk  halfway into the water.

 
 

 My favorite sub-Surface Sponge bob Logo was this pass as the light leaks into the sponge material on the edges and this spots.

 

 Here is a stacked block "Ben Hur" angle on a huge feeling logo made from sponge.

 A Log with Sponge, and the base "Toon-Plastic" we used on the main Logo, with the same font stacked and moved around a bit.

 

 

 A sand castle block at the bottom of the Sea was a quick visualization they wanted to look at as seen above.

 Project Review

Spongebob Squarepants Movie 2003

Key Art 3D Logos and 3D Illustrations
PART I

Client: Nickelodeon via BLT and Associates.
Art Director: Dawn Baillie, and Coby Gewertz.
Project Date: Summer 2003.

I was still in house at BLT back in the summer of 2003 doing 3D design, Illustrations, and even a small bit of Motion graphics, but my main work was Key Art 3D Illustrations for the big team they boast there.

Spongebob came in, so first I rebuilt a 3D Life Preserver Logo to match what they has as a live action prop from the Television series. I like to start where they left off it gets me into the look and shape language of what they likes and thus approved in the past. From there we bounce out into new territory with new designs.

I had a lot of fun on this project, as Sub surface scattering had just come out for GI rendering, so I practiced a bit with the sponge material for a sponge logo look. We did some fun experimentations on the project and in PART II latter  this week I will show more of the 3D work I did to contribute to this project.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Banana Shpeel on Broadway 2010

The Tag line for Cirque Du Soleil hanging at an angle with clean letters.

Here is a straight on version against a wall of brick with an aged text all gunked up.

A slight fish eye view of the "Beacon Theater" in rusted Tin for the bottom of the posters.

A Single Line final Logo.

A Stacked more square mark of a Logo version was done as well.


Cirque Du Soleil's
Banana Shpeel

Client: Cirque Du Soleil via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director: Calvin Sumler, Chris A, Hawkins, and Joseph Stamper.
Project Date: March, 2010.

I did some quick 3D Logos for The Cimarron Group last year for the Broadway show from Cirque Du Soleil, called "Banana Shpeel". The logo itself was designed by another company, so we did our version for the comps presented.

I had some room to make the tag lines and the Beacon Theater sign in 3D too which was new to the projects look. I also used Sub Surface Scattering to get the glow right on the plexi-glass covers street signs that have a filament inside. I developed the look for City of Ember here.


A fun exercise, about one day of work plus some larger renders. Sadly the show flopped and closed 6 weeks in.

Cheers, THOM