Project Review: Drive Angry 2011: Blue-Ray-3D Animated Menus

 Here is a final frame from the HD animation for the FBI Badge and leather case.

 Because the Drive Angry badge spins we do see the back so this is a full 360 degree model.

 Here is the Polygon view with mesh smooth ON to see the basic form of the model.

 A "Virtual" necklace worn by Billy Burke as Jonah King in Drive Angry used in the menus.

 Here is the low poly model of the necklace from Drive Angry.

 Here we see it with the mesh-smooth [subdivision added] applied to the above base mesh.

Project Review

Drive Angry 2011 PART I

Blue-Ray-3D Animated Menus

Client: via  Summit Home Entertainment via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director: Brian Larson.
Project Date: February 2011.

About one year ago I did my last job for The Cimarron Group, who were my full time employers for about six years from late 2003 to October 2009. As budgets dropped so did my contributions to Blue Ray Menus, but for Drive Angry, I got the call, and helped render out nearly 500 HD frames of animation for the menus for Brian Larson,with whom I have done a few projects posted here with in the past.

In this PART I posting, I have two main props from the film I recreated in 3D, and I also animated the assets to fly into camera and hit the virtual windshield, our TV screen, as you make your choices in the menu.

In the film there is a Devil Worshiping Cult Leader who is the nemesis of Nick Cage in the film, and I built out his necklace from the film, all Sub-D, as well as the badge for the "Accountant" who is chasing him down from Hell with an FBI badge that magically appears, with his coin toss[ I did that too look for a PART II soon]. William Fichtner does an outstanding job as 'The Accountant', IMO.

Cheers, THOM

Personal Project: Kitchen Rendering Design Tests 2008

 Here is the quad view top-sown shot with a bit of fish-eye on the lens to show the thin little space I designed out for this test.

 The same quad[ polygon view] view looking from the camera.

 My night lighting shot had blue lights outside that bledd the tone into the room with the warm glow from the counter top toaster-oven.

 My late afternoon shot had medium lighting

 My brightest noon shot with lots of orange bounce light added into the shot.

Personal Project:

Kitchen Rendering Design Tests 2008

While I was in-house at The Cimarron Group back in 2008, I had some down time , and I used this to practice my 3D skills to be a better artist, and I often took any opportunity given to me, to learn more in 3D and to practice, practice, practice!

I was doing Architectural tests at that point, as I had plenty of 3D logos to show off, so I wanted to fill in the Architectural Pre-Viz section of my work for Cimarron, with some additions to help sell this part of our company skills offered, so I designed a kitchen scene to test out a few things.

I used appliances that I had built out for the Poseidon re-make's website virtual tour, and I grabbed those assets to fill in the design. I went for a cross design mix, between a clean European Modern look, with an Asian flair in the color texture and details. 

I designed, built and added in the sink bamboo mat, and matching trashcan, some Sushi blocks and chop-sticks, as well as a Sumi painting on the wall, all lit with the round lantern type of lights mimicking the paper lanterns, though done up in a nice ribbed glass. 

I used this time, to test speed in the GI engine I was using[ Final Render of course!], and I did night, mid-day, and an afternoon sun version of the space to see what the minimum settings that could be used, and still get an acceptable output would take on this 'generic' set. 

A HUGE part of the design process in advertising is rendertime. Those lacking experience forget to factor this in, and you could end up with a three day render for a project due by days end, so tests like these help me more accurately get a time frame for my clients, which is usually the first thing asked is how long will it take[ or how much $$$].

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: 21: Blue-Ray and DVD Menus-3D Animation + Illustrations

 A frame from the final HD Animation I did for the Blue-Ray DVD menus for Art Director Hesham Morsy at The Cimarron Group back in 08'

 Here is a 'Hero' shot of the Virtual Blackjack table I built for the project

 A Player POV[ Point of View] shot for a menu. I was ready to animate cards etc.

 The overhead move down to the table felt is seen here in the opening frame of a proposed Style Frame.

 A Dealer POV shot for the Blackjack game done for the presentation for, 21 the film back in 2008.

 Here is a shot if the blackjack table built fast and dirty with only the padded rail done in quads.

Project Review

21

Blue-Ray DVD Menus

Client: via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director: Hesham Morsy.
Project Date: April 2008.

Back in the fall of 2008, I was still in-house at The Cimarron group, and got to work with Hesham Morsy, on the Blue-Ray DVD menus with him as I did on, "So I Married an Axe Murderer" the prior year. I have worked on a a couple dozen projects with the AE[ After Effects] team on Home Entertainment over the years, always a pleasure.

For this project, I provided two parts; First a 3D animation sequence in HD of flying poker chips, cards, and Playing Card Icons of Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, and Spades, and Second a Blackjack table interface for the menu itself.

I built out a fast and quick model of the Blackjack table game, as the budget was smaller, as they had been each year so 3D got squeezed out of production over time, but it was sure FUN while it lasted. I reused some stools from the Felini's Model I built for the owner of Cimarron, and the chip was a reuse as well, but the piece was scrapped, though the 3D animation transition I did, was rendered and put in the final.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: NEXT (2007): 3D Motion Graphics Design PART I

 Frame One of the final Finished Title treatment for the film NEXT from back in 2007.

 The final animation I provided to Tom Kositchotitana in Motion Graphics had 3D motion blur used on the 3K frames.

 An animated Gimbal move with the type letters rotating into the final position.

 Almost seated and final in about 1 second total for the move.

 The last frame with all seated and a slight flare near the 'X', in Next.

 Here we see a simple 3D heavy beveled type object in a mesh-view, but look closely, as I convert these simple items to an editable polygon , and then put a little bevel on all edges to catch mini highlights on a small face edge as a third read. This adds a lot to a simple object like this, as the lights will naturally animate on these little slivers well.

Project Review

NEXT (2007)

3D Motion Graphics Design  PART I

Client: Revolution Studios via The Cimarron Group.
Art Direction: Geoff Calnan, Tom Kositchotitana, and myself
Project Date: January 2007


Today I have posted up my first in a series on the 3D Animation Motion Graphics work I did for this film[ among others]. I primarily do print work, with well over 1000 3D logos done this last decade for Theatrical clients, but I have also finished to film nearly 85 final Motion Graphics pieces, like what is seen above and is in the final trailers as well.

I always work with an After Effects artist on Motion Graphics work, as I am a 3D Animator/3D Designer to them, and I provide the raw frames for their composite.

 I have worked with Tom K. for almost every Motion Graphics piece I have done[ 95%], and we always get this type of work finished on time and under budget whenever we have done the 'T-N-T**' production.[**Tom and Thom]

For today, this first part in this new series, we see a simple metal 3D logo with a heavy extrusion gimbaling into frame for a Title seat. I added the double edges on all sharp outer parts to get that little highlight running around the edges as well, something I often do to simple stuff like this.

It is FUN to create and deliver this stuff!

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Launch City PART VIII[ 8th]-The Target Jukebox Design 1999.

Here is the original final shot for Launch CD-zine Issue #40 from 1999 @ 640 x 480 the size limit at the time fro shockwave to run smoothly.

I did a quick open and re-render at a higher rez to show some details[missing a few maps though after 14 years...]

Here is the main screen shot in geometry showing the model details I added in.

The set was a two wall configuration and I built a little conduit with the parked gum pushed up in the crack.

Here is a shot of the full to the floor jukebox as geometry for Launch.com

 Launch City Part VIII

The Target Jukebox design for Issue #40

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

In this 8th post on LAUNCH city, I am posting work done on a jukebox built out for a Target sponsored space with a fully animated 3D jukebox.

This was one of my very first projects I worked on when I joined the three man team as Art Director in 1999. I love to model in 3D, and that seems to be something that many people do not like. 

 

To me the fun part is the build itself. I love the process of construction. This may be due to the fact that I am an avid woodworker, copper smith, and I love to sculpt and create, so naturally I would love virtual building too.

 

I made the model close to, but not exact to a famous iconic Juke box from the 50's for the project, and I passed it over to Cayce Justus and he skillfully rigged it up and animated the arm and curtains inside for me.

As a point in 3D history this is the project where I made a material editor breakthrough in 3DSmax with Chrome and Glass and applied it here in the default scan-line rendered. 

 

Remember this was 14 years back, pre GI and all the good render tools we know see as commonplace were not out yet, so lots of ambient lights to simulate bounce etc.

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.

Project Review: Star Trek:The Original Series: Motion Graphics for DVD sets 2004

 Frame 001 of the DVD case from Season 2 for Star Trek that I built and animated in 3D for the Home Entertainment release back in 2004.

 Frame 45 into the animation as it turns slow to camera...

 Near the end it flips in 10 frame fast to reveal the embossed badge in the back of the case[ Boolean!]

 Frame 001 from Season three for the DVD set release from Paramount Home Entertainment back in 04'

 This one was a slow roll[ gimbal] so it had 320 frames to the animation.

 Here is the model itself front and back in an ambient shader.

 Here is a quad model view of the box I built for the MGFX move, a screen grab from 3DSmax.

Project Review

Star Trek:The Original Series Seasons 2, and 3

Motion Graphics for DVD sets

Client: Paramount Home Entertainment via The Cimarron Group.
Art Direction: Myself and the whole team.
Project Date: October 2004.

I did an occasional Home Entertainment job while at The Cimarron Group, usually as pick-up work, so for this project, Paramount designed these new molded plastic cases and wanted to do a camera move on them so I built them using the nPower Power Solids modeler to get the complex case built fast enough to use in the animation moved that I rendered for the job. I did season two, and three, in blue and red corresponding to the colors for the uniforms from the original TV show.

The delivery was 450 frames at DV rez and I alpha channeled all files so the Motion Graphics team could drop my 3D into he piece for finishing simple enough. 

Nice thing is they change the packaging every few years so the work is always there cycling through.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Robots 2004 Motion Graphics-3D Animated Cards.

 A card where the "g" in Missing, falls off, and bounces into camera with turning gears etc...

 In the Adventure card in a billboard scene, the type flickers on in Neon.

 We ended up with a cool rocket that flew into scene to show "Adventure" for Robots back in 2004.

 A Title Logo using the font supplied by the studio at the time.

 A reference Card for Ice Age to help promote the Studio behind the project.[ Not used]

A spinning gear flips fast around to reveal this "ACTION" 3D Neon sign I made for the film Graphics for Robots.

Project Review: Robots 2005

Motion Graphics 3D Animated Cards.

Client: Twentieth Century FOX film Corp. via The Cimarron Group.
Art Direction; Erik Counter.
Project Date:Summer 2004

I had a fun opportunity to develop the looks in 3D for these Motion Graphics Cards for the Animated Film Robots, from Blue Sky Studios back in 2004.

I was working with Erik Counter on the Herbie Project so he also, wanted to use my 3D skills for this piece with some fun little viginettes of old neon signs, and things for the Motion Graphics look to present to the client.

I had a great tiume on the project due to the professional nature of Mr. Counter, he was always great to work with, as he himself uses 3D quite a bit, and was easy to create with someone with the knowledge to back up any crit. 

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Lost Skull[ IV] PART II: DC-3

 The DC-3 I built for some Motion Graphics pitches done at The Cimarron Group in 2008.

 A side shot showing the modeled panels, rivets, metal warps, and gaps[ no texture mapped fakes]

  A shot showing the engine pod detailing on the DC-3 from Indy 4.

 A Grey scale render showing the surfaces smoothed near the nose.

  A Grey scale render showing the underside of the plane, seen in bank shots.

  A Grey scale overhead render of the plane I made for Indiana Jones 4.

  A Grey scale render Showing the wing details with a back-light catching metal buckling on the wing skin etc.

 A Quad view of the model with sub-division OFF.

 Indian Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
PART II: DC-3 Model

Client: Paramount Pictures
Art Director[s]: Calvin Sumler, Joseph Stamper, and Chris A. Hawkins
Date: Spring 2007

This is second post for Indiana Jones four, The Kingdom of the Lost Skull, showing the work I did for the advertising key art, and especially for Motion Graphics work.

Today, we look closer to the DC-3 plane I built for trailers we pitched for Indy. We went with the red line animated on a map look from the films interstitials, but updated it to the plane POV done in full 3D. The animator Ehren Addis, a pilot himself, rigged and finished the work out for them.

The MGFX team bought a model online but it lacked the details, and the level of finish needed to sell the idea, so I was tasked at re-doing the entire outer skin of the plane. 

You can view PART I here.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review:DVD Menu Design for The Cimarron Group Home Entertainment Reel 2008

 The first concept 3D design I did was this large single monitor CRT design, here it is rendered in ambient material with a dirt pass to exaggerate the cracks and design elements.

 Here is the textured color pass on the above first draft scene. A bunch of the 3D models they sell on TurboSquid are found in here[ Mic,Generator, etc.]

Here I clumped a bunch of various monitors together that would animate to create this menu. All types of video screens are found here.

Here is the above scene with a few monitors removed for the Blue RAY Menu.

 The final design, though not used was rendered at a full 1080p HD size for the final menus and intro aniamtions.

Project Review

DVD Menu Design for The Cimarron Group

Home Entertainment Division Reel 2008

Client: The Home Entertainment Division of The Cimarron Group.
Creative and Art Direction: George Anderson, and Brian Larson.
Project Date: June 2007- March 2008

While in-house as a 'One Man Army', running my little 3D department, I did a few projects for them, so they tasked me with the DVD Menus for the yearly reels we would send out to solicit business, and to highlight the accomplishments of the various teams.

I had in the past done quite a few DVD menu assets, animated and stills, for the Home Entertainment department, and an occasional 3D logo, so they had me design out theis menu screen with a Stempunk flair to it with a set of animated video monitors, and old TV's that would show off the companys work.

The project dragged out over they next year, and the assets as far as I know were never used, but as all design work is subject to the cutting room floor, that in no way discounts the great learning curve, and quite frankly the FUN I have doing the work.

I love steampunk, I did a lot of Jules Verne inspired designs since I was a kid as I grew up with Disney s 20,000 leagues Under the Sea, and that was the hot item growing up in the 70's for what is now called, "steampunk". Old TV's and all the hardware is fun to assemble along with the cast iron Victorian era-eaque' frames and wheels.

I learned early on, NOT to care if it finishes, enjoy the process the creation you made, as I know that the decision process in almost NEVER based on a good idea or art execution, but the temperment of the cilent that particular hour of the day, or even minute by minute[ just wait a minute they will change their mind again!].

Advertising is all about the clients EGO's, so for the young designers with wild eyes out there it is a wake up call, as to what they say in Design School, and as with all of life, some can deal with this sad truth, and some not.


Cheers, THOM