by Nick Cortes | Aug 2, 2015 | WIP
With the recent release of Element 3D V2.2 from VideoCopilot.net, I’ve been busy trying to absorb and learn all the new features. My colleagues and I were really hoping for better light control and volumetric light, but we didn’t get it. Oh well, maybe we will in V3.0. In the meantime, I’m definitely enjoying the Group Symmetry functions and Matte Alpha the most. These 2 functions alone have given me much greater freedom to construct many objects quickly, and apply custom diffuse maps with alpha channels. The results speak for themselves when I’m trying to make lightning or streaks of “electricity” or “plasma”. The scene I’ve started to make here is a text or logo revel within a sci-fi setting. The camera can come down the hallway through z-space and will eventually settle on a giant machine that will “electrify” a central space to reveal the text or logo. I’ll post those images very soon…. ...
by Nick Cortes | Jul 7, 2015 | Inspiration
Farewell NYC did a beautiful job with the signage for Miss Lily’s Caribbean cafe’ in the heart of New York City. Each sign was painstakingly designed, laid out, and hand-painted by skilled artists. This piece is especially close to my heart because I made my entrance into the world of graphic arts through sign production. My first job out of college was in a sign shop in Rochester, NY. I was working in a large shop owned by an experienced old-time sign maker called Chuck DiSalvo. Chuck cut his teeth on signs back when each one had to be hand-drawn and hand-painted like the ones below. I, on the other hand, belonged to the newer era of designers who could make and output everything with computers and plotters. I always admired Chuck’s skill with layout and paint. His visual style informed many of the design choices I made during my time working with him. To this day, I always tell young fresh-out-of-school designers, that they can learn a lot by working in a sign shop. The work you see below is proof that even the lowly sign can be a work of art. See all the work on Behance here ...
by Nick Cortes | May 31, 2015 | Inspiration
Even though it’s a couple years old, I found this great video game trailer by Platige Image in Poland. I wanted to share because the visuals are incredible, and the Behance post takes us through the making of the animation in great detail. After watching it a couple times, it reminds me of Blade Runner in many ways, or even the Judge Dredd movies. They did a superb job creating a futuristic city and news broadcast presence. I also love how they slow down a key plot moment to almost a frozen moment in time, slow enough for us to see bullets streaming through the air. The realism of the characters is also fantastic. They actually physically scanned a woman in this clothing and pose for the shot. You can see all of that in the process shots (see below) Great job by this studio! You can see the full animation on Vimeo HERE See all the artwork HERE ...
