Project Review: Monsters vs. Aliens Part VI-Main Title City Build

Early in the move at the end of the hill in the city we are into the street scene I made for the Title for MvA.

In using the 24 unique buildings I made each one asymmetrical so I cut mirror and turn them to achieve a bit more variety.

As we've moved into the set we are at the first intersection which afforded me a bit of width in the design for these very brief "blips or beat" in the seamless old town wall of structures. 

At frame six we are almost another block in as we cut the move from one full second to 1/3rd, so we fly by this stuff.

By frame 8 we are out of the Old Town Tunnel and to the open facade row by the part

As we move closer to the seat position we see the full city coming into view.

The final seat just before the Logo drops into frame.

An overhead Birds-Eye view of what I made for the move. I only build what is seen, a trick I leaned in Set-Design work and miniatures early on, just out of Art Center.

The base blocking model shows off the total number of structures needed to fill int he shots: 140 small Old Town Buildings, and 22 larger structures on the flanks.

Project Review
Monsters vs. Aliens.
Part VI.
Main Title City Build

Clients Dreamworks via The Cimarron Group.  
Creative Director: Steven Viola.
Art Direction: Myself
Project Date: Fall 2007.

This is PART VI covering my 3D Design work I did for the Theatrical Advertising done on Dreamworks 3D animated feature, Monsters vs. Aliens from back in the Late Fall of 2008, and today I have more details on the city backdrop I made for the Theatrical Title as seen in my reel linked to the RIGHT.

I was called in to assist the Motion Graphics department in building out about six blocks of a stylized city that was similar to the screen cap reference we had at the time for the film Monsters vs' Aliens.

I used the pre-made sets of vintage buildings I was already selling for the company on Turbo-squid, the largest online 3D stock model house, and I then created 24 unique designs for structures that would populate te edges of the the main street we travel down in the camera move.

It needs to be noted that I was competing against another company that was attempting to get the finish on the trailer as well and they had a team of almost a dozen I had to go against. As a 3D Designer, I modeled and designed simultaneously and this alone allowed us to design and build so much faster, that in just 12 Hours, I had the city finished completed on a weekend when it was given to me to do.

I first built out a blocking model with the building proportions and placement done with simple boxes. I also put taller background buildings off the the sides and checked the perspective parallax as the camera moved thru this little city.

Once the move and timing was all set, I began a assembly line build-out for the two dozen unique buildings I designed and built for the city. I also then created all the various little items on the street from  the store outdoor signs, to fire hydrants, to newspaper vending sets, and awning and power poles.

I was given a good budget and my portion came in at less than one fifth the projected cost[ NOT projected by me the 3D Design Department head BTW].

You can view the MGFX city I built in just over a day for the trailers in PART I here,
You can view the full 3D logos here for PART II.
You can view Part III with more 3D Logos here.
You can view PART IV here with added button logos.
You can view PART V here covering the color adjustments for Stereoscopic 3D-SS.

You can also see the final 3D Animation of the Title at the front of my MGFX reel work in the right column link.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: 3D Illustration and 3D Logos for Alexander[2004] PART I

This is the final finished 3D Logo I built for the Posters for Alexander in 2004.

The first Poster that my 3D Illustrated Logo was finished for.

The Second Poster that used the Logo.

One of the first batch of 3D logos that were given to my by Art Director Calvin Sumler to recreate in a 3D font.

Another 3D logo from Art Director Calvin Sumler I then recreated in a 3D font in stone.

A metal version of the logo done for Art Director Calvin Sumler.

I love this font that Art Director Calvin Sumler gave to me to add dimensionality to.

A Bronze-Gold metal hand made logo.

A nice concrete material was put to use on this font for Art Director Calvin Sumler for presentation.

Though not a finalist, this thin font was very interesting to build out and has a very unique feel with the hand designed letters from Art Director Calvin Sumler.

Always asked to do the "BEN HUR" iconic large logo for big pictures like this.

This Icon was used for a few ideas including a teaser poster with no type just an icon with a ghosted image of Colin Farrell.

I did a few versions of the snake wrapping the letter A and this one was my favorite.

A built out a 3D Icon that was based on architectural details found during the time of Alexander and made it into an icon for the posters. This version was a verdigris copper and brass eagle that was aged and distressed.

Project Review
3D Illustration and 3D Logos for
ALEXANDER[2004]
PART I

Client:Warner Brothers Pictures via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director: Calvin Sumler.
Project Date: Winter 2004-Spring 2004

Early on when I had just started the new 3D Department over at The Cimarron Group in late 2003, I was put on the Alexander project in the Poster Department for the Theatrical release.

I started in the usual way with just some extruded logos, but I proposed to spend a bit more time to get the hand modeled Single point bevel type. I had finished the TROY logo over at BLT just before I came over to Cimarron, so I used that logo as an example and they said to go ahead.

Single point bevels are a hand modeled typeface done so they chisel to a sharp edge in the center of the type with no noticeable flat spot, apart from ones needed in the font design. My first try at this technique was time consuming at 15 to 30 minutes per letter back at BLT, but while on Alexander I tried some of the quad modeling techniques I had developed while building the Lotus Elise and the start of Herbie, the 1963 VW bug for the new Lohan film. I was able to cut the time down to less than 5 minutes per letter which made the budget a lot more feasible for the Advertising fast turnaround needed. So from this project on, I was asked when needed to recreate this look again.

I also build a variety of props and Icons including the two snakes eating each other into a circle, as well as the eagle banner icon that they used behind a few logos a in the presentation. All in all this was a very enjoyable project to work on, and I got the finish for the logo on the poster as well with the talented Art Director Calvin Sumler.

Look for a PART II in the future.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Poseidon 2006 Web.

HALLWAY

NIGHT CLUB

GALLEY[ Kitchen]

BALLROOM

ATRIUM

BALLAST TANK

Poseidon Remake Website

Client: WB Online via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director: Eric Person
Project Date: Summer 2006

A very small budget where I needed to create each of the six enviornments from the film in under 2 days each. I had to build them accurate to the film, texture, pre-light, and set up and render the aniamtions all in under 16 Hrs per area. With the assistance of Dean Fowler the animations were accomplished and the site is still up today after 3 years.

With a compressed budget and timeline I always suggest to stylize the renders as "photo real" is the top shelf of CG, and more costly to create, so we went with a stylized look, and the client was happy.

Cheers, THOM

Link is in Post Title or you can paste in the text:

http://wwws.warnerbros.co.uk/poseidon/?lid=UK