Project Review: How to Lose a guy in 10 Days: 3D Illustrations for Key Art 2002

 Here is the front only shot of the Chrysler Building I built for BLT for How to Lose a Guy in 10 days back in 2002 a decade ago now.

 A Front view of the model with out textures showing that I modeled in the details.

 When I turn the camera you see the sides lack any details at all, this was done as we had a time constraint for the project, and I can always add it in form the other parts at a later time, and this is the main advantage to 3D , that is it can grow beyond the basic first delivery without any loss of product.

 Here you see the 3D rendered Illustration for the Parking Meter, as well as the comp provided to me for lighting and angle.

 The Parking Meter was eventually prepped for online sales, here it is a bit closer up.

 Here is the Painted into the Corner Comp I did for How to lose a guy in 10 days.

Project Review

How to Lose a guy in 10 Days

3D Illustrations for Key Art 2002

Client: Paramount Pictures via BLT and Associates.
Art Direction: Jeff Barnett and Ronnie Blumenburg.
Project Date: Fall 2002.

I always got a variety of requests while in-house at BLT, to build out a prop for a movie poster to use, and sometimes the prop was a small hand held item, like a gun or something small, and othertimes I needed to build out entire citys, so for the Paramount property, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, I eneded up building out The Chrysler Building for a shot.

Now this is the first time I built the model in 3D so it was my practice so to speak. I built out just the front facade as we had no time to build the full 3D all sided model, so I focused on the view we would see in the Key Art for the posters. 

You can view my 2nd full 360 model here, or buy it here from my prior employer.

Taking the same gag with the two main charcters leaning on it, I did the Parking Meter next. I used the comp as my Global Illumination lighting model, so the prop dropped right in the comp cleanly.

I also did a "I'm painted into this corner" type of gag for a third idea, but that one was scrapped early on.

All in all, a very fun project to do a variety of fast 3D illustrations in a quick turn around is creatively a great challenge as a 3D Designer.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Rutger Hauer Traveling Gym 1992.

 Here is a 8 x 10 photo of the final artwork 22 x 17 blue-line on velum.

(Note that in the lower right corner they covered my signature on the artwork)

Project Review

Rutger Hauer Traveling Gym 1992.

Client: Rutger Hauer via Charles T. Cohen and Associates.
Art Direction: Charles T Cohen.
Project Date: January 1992.

This was my second job out of Art Center back in 1991, and I got the work by the connection to my first job, at Design Setters on the Mazda MX-6 Project for Rhythm and Hues.

I delivered what was tasked, a single sketch as posted, but the story behind it is what has shaped my carear for 20 years now. I was asked to sketch out a 18 wheeler with a gym in back so Arnold Schwarzenegger, or any other 'Action Star' could take it with them to the set, and I did. 

A major partner in the venture was actor Rutger Hauer, and it was the only time in my carear I was a bit star struck to meet him, since I am a SUPERFAN of bladerunner, and I did not expect to walk into him at the project meeting back then.

This is the ONLY job I have ever bid a full delivry price on, or a flat rate. I estimated 6 Hrs, [4 to sketch it at 22 x 17 and 2 for changes]. Well, I learned the hard way early on with a new client, that you never know how many changes they will want to make, and the job ended up taking me near 30 hours for 6 hours of pay. A tough lesson, thankfully only needed this one time to learn from.

Consequentlay I realized that art is always an open ended contract since I cannot guess when a client will finally stop changing the art, so I have charged hourly since then and only been stiffed by one client[ in 2010 no less!]. I also have never missed any deadline, as I will not agree from the front end if it is unreasonable,and some clients do not quite get that this benefits them, that I will not even take it if I know it cannot be done.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Dreamcatcher PART II: Virtual Dreamcatcher 3D Model Details

 Here is the final design for the Virtual Dreamcatcher I did a decade ago at BLT.

 I built the feather out as a 3D object with all "hairs' and individual tips.

 A full shot of the model showing most was modeled not a texture exercise.

 All wood was twisted triple rounds so I had a grove running the length of all sticks.

 All the little "bits and pieces' were scattered on the main model for close-up detailed shots int he AV work.

 The original FAX'ed copy of the design from the film done by Mark 'Crash' McCreery.

Dreamcatcher 2002
PART II

Virtual Dreamcatcher 3D Model Details

Client: Castle Rock Entertainment via BLT and Associates.
Art Director(s): Alon Amir, Alen Petkovic
Project Date: Christmas 2001

In this second post on the 3D dreamcatcher model I built for BLT back a decade ago now, I have some close up shots showing the details that went into the 3D virtual Model, that was used in the international Motion Graphics Trailers.


I made the mesh very detailed, as we had a duplicate actual hero prop from the film there, so I tried to achieve a look that was consistant.

I also had the rough sketch done by Mark 'Crash' McCreery that was FAX'ed, YES FAXED[ remember those!] to us to build off of, so I built right over the sketch in 3DSmax.


This was one of the first high detailed models a that I attempted to build out for print, and it did take a while to render out I remember, as it approached a million faces, and this was back with Max 4.0, whew!


You can view PART I as well.

Cheers, THOM

5th semester project - preview

yaris/avensis

Project Review: Entourage Key Art 3D Illustrations 2005.

 Here is the final 3D Illustration I did for the Entourage Rolls Royce Limo. The gang was comped inside.

 A Quad view showing the model geometry itself for this illustration.

 I built out a velvet rope for a waiting line shot outside an LA Club for a photo shoot as seen here.

 Here is a detailed view of the Rope divided up close.

 A simple magazine to comp in with a bit of a rolled side.

 The quad view showing the stacked page geometry etc.

This is a High End Hotel Key Card Entry with a blank Door Hanger to apply various tag lines to.

Project Review

Entourage: Key Art 3D Illustrations 2005.

Client: HBO via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director(s): Calvin Sumler and Joseph Stamper.
Project Date January 2005.

The Print Design department tasked me with a few 3D Illustrations to help them with the pitch packages for the new series Entourage so I built them out.

I had up to 2 days[ 16 Hrs build+texture+render] to work on about six comp ideas and what I have here are the main ones I worked on. The Rolls Royce trunk-view was a fun job as I had just done the Herbie 1963 VW for the film, do I was familiar with quad modeling a car to tackle just the trunk area.

I also did a velvet rope for a photographic overlay element so I reflected the photo sky into the chrome, and brass, to make it match the daytime comp.

I also built out a magazine that was to be head over the face of the main character so I built a quick virtual one here.

I finally did a door hanger comp where some TBD[ To Be Determined]2D artwork would be swapped out on the High End Hotel door-hanger, so I created this quick little mini scene with the door, and electronic key card entry system.

A fun project with a variety of props needed to be built textured and rendered out all in a day or so is always a challenge, an a whole lot of fun to do.


Cheers, THOM

 some colours...