PERSONAL CG PROJECTS
This page contains personal projects and collaborations that may not be in my showreel.
The work below starts at most recent (top) to oldest (bottom).
Each project has a work breakdown description and gallery, of which each image contains further information on the shot(s) and video links where applicable.
"CLOSE SHAVE"
SHORT FILM COLLABORATION 2020
DIRECTED BY MAHMUT AKAY
Role: CG Lead
Tasks: Look Development, Lighting & Rendering.
My role as CG Lead included Iiasing with the director (Mahmut Akay) to breakdown the work required for the 'claws' sequence in his short film "Close Shave" and to establish what other artists we would need in order to complete the project.
I supervised the work of several other artists which included assigning tasks, trouble shooting FX simulations & body tracking methods (e.g animated blend constraints ect..) and creating custom render passes for compositing.
My primary tasks included: Look development, lighting and rendering. Working with just the plate and blade models I created a rudimentary reflection/ shadowing environment for the CG using a combination of projection shaders and CG cards with cleaned plate stills to most plausibly reflect the environment. The blades shader was layered with 3-4 inputs including animated blood drips which drive masks and displacement. The blood splats were simulated by another artist of which I then shaded and rendered.
Stills and the final sequence I worked on can be seen below (Password claws).
CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT
The final short film can be seen here: vimeo.com/464313240
Software: Maya (Arnold), Houdini Photoshop and Nuke
Tasks: Look Development (including animated textures/shaders), Lighting & Rendering. The sequence is viewable in the link below. Password: claws
Tasks: Look Development (including animated textures/shaders), Lighting & Rendering. The sequence is viewable in the link below. Password: claws
Tasks: Look Development (including animated textures/shaders), Lighting & Rendering. The sequence is viewable in the link below. Password: claws
Close Shave - Claws Sequence 4K (Password: claws)
CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT
DWARF LORD
ONE MONTH EVENING PERSONAL PROJECT: 2020
Tasks: Texturing, Look Development, Groom, Axe modelling and Lighting.
This project was primarily for me to push my nodal texturing (mari), look development, groom & rendering work to create a character render to a similar level as those seen in cinematic game trailers (realism with fantasy). I kept a time limit to complete this within a month whilst working weekday evenings with rendering being completed any evenings after that time period.
The base character model was purchased online (except for the axe) so I could focus on texturing, groom and look development.
The greyscale/base model pictured below did require modelling fixes/tweaks, re-uving and some rigging.
The axe model was created quickly as a live demonstration infront of students at NFTS over a 1.5 day period of time to get it as close to the reference in the time limit.
Higher resolution stills can be found here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/nYQWEO
Axe Turntables can be seen here (password: axe): https://vimeo.com/451421399
Software: Maya (Arnold + Xgen + Ncloth), Mari, Substance Painter, Photoshop and Nuke
Tasks: All Elements except for base character modelling. Software: Maya (Arnold + Xgen + Ncloth), Mari, Substance Painter, Photoshop & Nuke. Higher Res stills can be found in the link below.
Tasks: All Elements except for base character modelling. Software: Maya (Arnold + Xgen + Ncloth), Mari, Substance Painter, Photoshop & Nuke. Higher Res stills can be found in the link below.
Tasks: All Elements of asset. The goal was to closely recreate the reference for a CG cinematic model version as a live demonstration for NFTS students across 1.5 days. If more time was available the blade texture & shader would need adjusting to be closer to the reference. Software: Maya & Substance Painter. Turntables of the axe can been seen below. Password: axe
Tasks: All Elements except for base character modelling. Software: Maya (Arnold + Xgen + Ncloth), Mari, Substance Painter, Photoshop & Nuke. Higher Res stills can be found in the link below.
TURNTABLE
BIG DADDY
CG PERSONAL PROJECT: 2019
Tasks: All Elements
The turntable below is a personal project based on an early concept of a "Big Daddy" enemy from the video game "Bioshock" 2007. The reference concept can be found online in the games art PDF titled "Breaking The Mold", page 37.
My goal was to create a CG cinematic style version of the model.
Higher resolution stills can be found here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/2xox5J
Software: Maya (Arnold) & Xgen, Substance Painter, Zbrush, Photoshop and Nuke.
Tasks: All Elements High Resolution stills can be found in the link below. Software: Maya (Arnold), Substance Painter & Nuke.
Tasks: All Elements Description: Greyscale and final model. High Resolution stills can be found in the link below. Software: Maya (Arnold), Substance Painter & Nuke.
Tasks: All Elements Description: Greyscale and final model. High Resolution stills can be found in the link below. Software: Maya (Arnold), Substance Painter & Nuke.
Tasks: All Elements Description: Greyscale and final model. High Resolution stills can be found in the link below. Software: Maya (Arnold), Substance Painter & Nuke.
TURNTABLE
ROLLS ROYCE PHANTOM
PERSONAL PROJECT: 2013
Tasks: All Elements
This was a training project I completed whilst starting as a runner in post production. The aim was to create an asset and embed it with an atmospheric environment. I created a vintage Rolls Royce and decided to give it an abandoned feel, placing it into a field to create a slight story to the asset. The trees, clouds and lights are all complete in nuke (2.5d).
Software: Maya (PRman + Paint Effects), Photoshop, Mari, Mudbox & Nuke
Tasks: All Elements Animation is viewable in link below. Software: Maya (PRman), Mudbox, Mari, Photoshop & Nuke
Tasks: All Elements Animation is viewable in link below. Software: Maya (PRman), Mudbox, Mari, Photoshop & Nuke
SENTRY
PERSONAL PROJECT: 2012 - 2013
Tasks: All VFX, Editing & Directing.
Sentry is a surreal WW2 short film I created whilst studying my final year of Visual Effects at The University of Hertfordshire. This was primarily created as a showcase of my VFX abilities at the time so any additional crew & contributors were production based with all the VFX being completed by myself.
The short won the 'Jury Special Mention' award at the Hertfordshire Film & Animation Epose in 2013 with panelists from renowned VFX companies such as MPC.
Software: Maya (Mental Ray), SynthEyes, Photoshop & Nuke.
Tasks: All VFX, Editing & Directing. The explosion was a mixture of Ncloth caches of rubble/leaves with different 2d elements timed and overlaid in nuke. Software: Maya (Mental Ray + Ncloth), Synthise, Photoshop, Mudbox & Nuke. The short is viewable in the link below.
Tasks: All VFX, Editing & Directing. The matte painting was completed in photoshop and the CG lancaster bombers were created in maya with texturing completed in photoshop. Software: Maya (Mental Ray + Ncloth), Synthise, Photoshop, Mudbox & Nuke. The short is viewable in the link below.