Thursday, May 29, 2014

Project Review: United Artists 3D Logo Designs PART III

 A multi-plate design with warm to cool lighting and a dark reflective floor.


 This concept had a big U&A behind the studio name out in front with blur FX added in.


 For this alt on the above design I relocated the type top and bottom to sandwich the big Icon in the middle. I also extruded it at 10 fold to make it a big metal block for AV animations to have a big side surface for film clip projection onto 3D[ big in 07'].


 I did a few version using Chaplins cane and shadow, here, here, here, and here, always with a variety of fonts to see the final in.


 For this concept the type in in the corner with the lower "Artists" turned 90 degrees. The theory is a fun AV move with the text not typically flat. Same idea here.


 Did a few looks that played on the old 50's logo in the bar as seen in these warm lit multi plate metal version for United Artists.


 Amber glass and gold plates were used in this comp along with reflective and refractive caustics all over the holding device.


 A deep extrusion with a spin effect generated from the logo spin for this concept[ AV]


 I liked the music bars, and used them before. This 3D title design would be fun to animate.

Project Review
United Artists 3D Logo Designs
PART III

Client: United Artists via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director: Myself and others.
Project Date: Fall 2007.

This is my third posting for the 3D logo design work I helped out on when I was in-house at The Cimarron Group back in 2007 as a pitch to gain more business from an existing client we had there.

We would regularly take a stab at a new logo design for a client to try and gain more business, so with this project the owner had every design division, MGFX, DE, HE, Corp, and 3D all do some ideas for the big pitch to United Artists to develop a new look to the film company logo.

The exercise was a great design challenge, that allowed me to review the history and purpose of the studio, as well as take it into a direction for the future. I also was given room to pick fonts and create the look I felt would work.
Though we did not use these, or even present most of them , it certainly was something that I got to thrown my own skills at and was able to hone my skills and design chops.

Cheers, THOM


You can view PART I here
You can review PART II here.


Friday, May 23, 2014

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

Monday, May 19, 2014

Project Review: SALT 2008-3D Logo exploration PART IV

A Single-Point Beveled font[ hand-built] here with a crystal glass-like material applied for this SALT logo.

This has a rounded bevel outside in chrome with a bright red textured center or face to the letters that is pressed back into the type in the Z direction away from camera.

A heavy bevel for the heavy metal rusted look "Old Russia". The font top is heated up so the metal is glowing.

A multi-plate design with a red extrusion and a gold face with a mini-bevel. The Hammer and Sickle is used for the "A" in this one.

 A Dual plate with the top 'Red" object sliced horizontally to allow a smooth curve to the face via a FFD[ Free-Form-Deformation] modifier.

A concave Single Point Beveled font in dull chrome on a glossy floor with a reflection.

The Single Point Beveled font in Ruby Red Glass for S.A.L.T.

Another Crystal logo on a Single Point Beveled hand built font, this time all lower-case.

 The above model[ SPB] with a warm bronze feel like an old Soviet Military badge would have.

Project Review
SALT 2008
3D Logo exploration
PART IV

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

This is my fourth posting 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, and for today I have more 3D logos to explore as I did over 100 for the assignment.

There were three main Art Directors I did work for in the Poster Design department there, and today these are all from  Art Director, Chris A. Hawkins.

As SALT was a Russian Spy they wanted a liberal use of red in the designs. Steel and metals and blood rends were all good for the look as seen in my prior posts so I varied the application to the various vector files I was given.
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.

New designers take note, that 5 out of 155 is the norm for a firm to cut down your delivery to, so enjoy the process even if they never use it, your skills will grow and grow the more you do.

You can view PART I here.
You can view PART II here.
You can view PART III here.
You can also view the KGB badge I made here.

Cheers, THOM

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Project Review: Universal Studios Hollywood-Jurassic Park The Ride- 3D Illustration

 Here is the 3D RAW render as delivered to the Corporate Art Team for the Jurassic Park work.

The screen grab shows the mesh placement as well as the background image provided to match this with.
 
Here is the subdivided [ Sub-D] poly mesh scene as seen from the Camera view port.


 Here is the Low-Poly base 3D Models used for the final shot.

 
 A 3/4 view of the Jurassic Park ride vehicle I replicated in 3D.
NOTE: there are no seat bottoms or ropes on the other side as they were never to be seen.
 

 A 3/4 view of the gate model I made



This is a shot of the artwork in use at the park to this day.


Project Review
Universal Studios Hollywood

Jurassic Park The Ride 3D Illustration 


Client: Universal Studios Hollywood via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date: January 2004.

 I ran the small 3D Department at The Cimarron Group from October 2003 to 2009, and  I provided 3D services from Design, Modeling, Illustration and Animation to the many internal divisions within Cimarron.

We also had a traditional Advertising Division that retained Universal Studios Hollywood as a regular client since before I started there, and they put me to good use using my 3D skills on various projects.

I was asked to assist in that years drive for yearly passes using the Jurassic Park ride as the vehicle.

They had artwork from the client of the T-Rex that needed to have the gate and the ride boat added so they could fill it worth photography of the park guests inside the vehicle, so I proceeded to build virtual copies of the ride vehicle as well as the gate in 3D to add these as 3D Illustrations to the final artwork.

The final went to finish as is still used in some places in the park today a decade later.

Cheers, THOM

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Project Review: 3D Crown Design for 3D Printed replica for Fabrice Meuwissen Photographe Portrait Toulouse PART-I

In my first delivery I did the crown design in hammered and smooth. in order to do this hammered version I built it out as a quad model added subdivision, and displaced the model with the dents.


Here is the same 3D asset with the displacement removed so it is smooth.


A multi-view render with base dimensions for the prop.


I re-export the STL[ stereolighography] file back into my 3D software to ensure there are no surprises for my clients.


I saved out a small trim ring of the base of this crown 3D design for fitting.


 The final and revised design with notes showing the changes made.


The final STL file with hammered surface remaining.

The final 3D Printed crown faux finished and in use in this great shot provided by Fabrice Meuwissen.


 Another great shot provided by Fabrice Meuwissen showing the crown model used in his Photography.


A beautiful print provided by Fabrice Meuwissen



 A final shot of the 3D Printed crown in use by Fabrice Meuwissen

Project Review
3D Crown Design for 3D Printed replica
 for Fabrice Meuwissen Photographe Portrait Toulouse
PART I

Client:Project Review: Fabrice Meuwissen Photographe Portrait Toulouse
Creative Direction: Fabrice Meuwissen.
Project Date: March 2014.

Back in March I was contacted to help create custom props for Fabrice Meuwissen, a Professional Photographer out of France after he saw my work I did for the crowns models for Game of Thrones Season 2.

I was given reference images to get the style desired, and I was off to create a model that was to be printed in 3D.

As a trained Industrial Designer, my schooling prepared me to work in 3D Printing as I am trained in Dimensional Design, Ergonomics,and Manufacturing, so I can design something that will actually work in the real world.

I got base dimension and created a first pass model. Though it was well received, it was costly due to the intricate details especially around the rim that were hollow.

In the revision round, I filled them in as seen above. I also saved out a sizing ring to print a test to ensure it would fit the fashion model before spending the money on the full sized one.

3D Printing also allows the end client to scale at full size of 1 to 1, or 1. 1.1 etc., so bigger and smaller versions can be printed as well.

I will be doing a follow up post with a walk thru the build itself as a tutorial in the future.

Cheers, THOM