Archive notice: This article was originally published on March 12, 2015. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
For five or six years, a file corpse in the form of a house model had been sitting on my hard drive, originally created for a commercial project that unfortunately came to nothing after all. But I was always looking for a reason not to let it languish. In the end, an idea did come to me.
Containers and Co.
This scene contains numerous objects that are what first bring it to life. Whether the figures inside the kebab shop, the scaffolding on the façade, or things such as site containers or rubbish bins, the level of detail in the meshes varies depending on their distance from the camera. Some elements, such as the pigeons, can even be purely texture-based on an alpha map. Baking the textures can make the scene easier to survey and handle.
Bulky waste
This part can be regarded as an example of the many objects that had to be created. Here I was able to apply classic poly-modelling techniques and C4D’s new sculpting. For details such as the appliances, I paid attention to a sensible polycount as usual. For objects such as the old mattresses, normal maps based on low-poly meshes offer a way to obtain highly detailed objects.
Set creation
On the way to an arrangement of the individual elements that suited me, I tried out a large number of camera positions. At a certain point, a position was found, after which I repeatedly took on one part or another, piece by piece, to optimise it further and add more detail so that it would look its best in relation to the camera position. Some objects were also thrown out of the pool again to be replaced with new ones. Others that had not previously been planned were also created, such as the shop’s interior.
Scene
In the end, everything found its place. Although I actually built more than can be seen in the final image section, this set is certainly still good for one motif or another. To maintain an overview of the various materials, Cinema’s ability to form material groups provides valuable service.
Final
Cinema 4D’s Advanced Render was used for the final rendering. I chose the physical mode for the correct representation of depth of field. For the lighting setup, I used GI in combination with a key light that simulates the sun and several effect and fill lights. For the post work, I used Photoshop to further refine contrasts and colour moods.
You can still submit your work until October 30, so why not take part this year – again or for the first time. You can find all further information about the animago AWARD & CONFERENCE here: www.animago.com
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