A Visual Journey of Reflection and Resurgence
Introduction:
Welcome to my blog, where I invite you to explore the captivating process behind the creation of “Revival,” a VFX showreel that transports viewers to a world where the past guides us towards the future. Join me as I unravel the intricate steps taken to bring this mesmerizing project to life, using the powerful software, Houdini, Maya, Nuke etc. .
I made this test video to simulate Elsa’s movements.
I did a water simulation.
Unleashing the Power of Flip Simulation
To bring the stormy waters and the mesmerizing maelstrom to life, I employed Houdini’s powerful Flip simulation capabilities. By meticulously defining the boundaries and parameters of the water simulation, I unleashed a torrent of realistic waves and currents, capturing the chaotic beauty of a tempestuous water. The swirling maelstrom was sculpted using a combination of fluid dynamics and particle systems, carefully choreographed to evoke a sense of awe and wonder.
I modeled the stairs in Houdini. I used the ‘vdbfrompolygons’ node which makes a staircase from clouds.
I modeled 4 trees to make sure they were different and multiplied them for the forest.
I made the following shots based on my storyboard.
RENDERING
I use a separate camera for each shot. I rendered on the render farm using the Deadline node. Then I exported the frames to NUkE for merging and color correction etc., Since I barely got to the files, the terrible connection problem with the computers took over the entire period I also had to think about Plan B.
For sure, it will be impossible to render every scene under these conditions, and it will be necessary to use Premier Pro in addition to Nuke.
This solution is very annoying as I spent at least 2 months preparing the scenes and now I can’t render them due to connection problems.
I will try to place the video on the successfully rendered frames, with the help of Premier Pro, perhaps placing more emphasis on the character animations made in Maya. Much to my chagrin, this time perhaps at the expense of VFX.
At this point I would like to emphasize that it is not my fault, but in this academic term MIDA’s digital support with connecting to computers has completely failed.
The castle modeled in Sketchup and import into Maya to improve the geometry.
These are some images from scenes that are ready to render, but mostly I haven’t had access to computers or the order process has been interrupted.
Harnessing the Power of Nuke for Compositing
To unify the various elements and refine the visual aesthetics, I turned to Nuke, a powerful compositing software. By seamlessly blending the rendered passes, applying color grading, and adding atmospheric effects, I achieved a harmonious composition that accentuated the overall mood and narrative of each scene. Nuke’s extensive toolset allowed me to fine-tune the final visuals, ensuring a captivating and cohesive visual experience.
I set the depth before rendering and cut the alpha to depth in Nuke.
At the end, I made the blur with the node above.
Harnessing the Power of Nuke for Compositing
To unify the various elements and refine the visual aesthetics, I turned to Nuke, a powerful compositing software. By seamlessly blending the rendered passes, applying color grading, and adding atmospheric effects, I achieved a harmonious composition that accentuated the overall mood and narrative of each scene. Nuke’s extensive toolset allowed me to fine-tune the final visuals, ensuring a captivating and cohesive visual experience.
Critical Reflection
Now that we’ve come to the end of our last major projects, looking back on the development cycle, I can identify some areas that I enjoyed on my last project and some that I struggled with. On the positive side, in addition to Maya and Nuke, I also got an insight into fantastic software Unreal Engine. I like the materials and lighting looks great in that software. I enjoyed the landscape design opportunities the most, the opportunities provided by the library are not negligible either. It is a great challenge, sometimes it is difficult to find the right combination of using the most powerful software. For example, Houdini, Maya, Nuke and Unreal, to name just a few of those which charms I discovered during this course.
In its long history, Autodesk Maya is one of the most well-known 3D modeling software that allows us to create meshes, and the software can handle most graphical process models, animations and renderings. Until now I worked in SketchUp. I quickly realized that this is not a very suitable program, its geometry is not very good, it is not very compatible with other software, and it is not outstanding in terms of rendering.
One of the problems I face
Creating a Snow Storm Simulation
To simulate the intensity of a snowstorm, I employed Houdini’s particle systems and dynamics. By meticulously defining particle behavior, wind forces, and collision properties, I brought to life a flurry of swirling winds, engulfing the landscape in a mesmerizing dance of storm. The intricate interplay of particles and fluid dynamics captured the essence of a snowstorm, immersing viewers in its relentless energy and beauty.
Creating a Water Vortex
Modeling the Water Vortex was a real challenge for me. Therefore, I studied this question more deeply.
The process consists of several steps to achieve the desired result.
Since the ocean tank method was ineffective, I decided to simulate the water as a flat plane and then deform it as a vortex.
So, overall, I can say that what I planned was a success. To create a video of my own that, in addition to being a technically capable, also includes narrative and great deal of art. Of course, the road didn’t stop here. This course broadened my horizons and showed me the areas and possibilities that await exploitation.