TACOx Announcement

About

This video was created to announce the Innovation Department to the rest of the company. I was originally inspired to create a 12 frame/second claymation style. However, I decided to switch to 24 FPS to make the video feel more filmic.

All 3D assets were custom made for this video. While the video originally had stock music, I was fortunate enough to get another employee, Jonathan Fuller, to create custom music which added another level of depth and emotion.

Programs

Blender
Substance Designer
Substance Painter
Illustrator
Photoshop
After Effects
Premiere
Audition
ZBrush

3D Model: Clay Bee

Production Info

FPS Comparison: 12 vs 24

I had originally planned to produce the video at 12 frames per second, to mimic the traditional claymation styles of the past. However, after running some tests, I decided to change to 24 FPS for a more filmic look that provided me with more granularity and freedom with my animation style.

Storyboard / Final Product Comparison

Storyboarding for my 3D projects is crucial to ensuring key shots are hit and the story flows at a good pace. Often times, I find inspiration for a great shot after 3D assets have already been developed and the animation is in production, leading to occasional changes. Knowing when to make changes or when to keep strictly to the storyboard is an important skill.

Liquid and Smoke Simulations

Multiple simulations were created to bring this video to life. Liquid simulations to simulate the pouring honey and the a smoke simulation to create the small blast in the lab.

The importance of emotion

I wanted audiences to feel for the bee, so adding as much wonder and emotion as possible was important. The bees eyes are large and reflective, to give the audience the impression of the overwhelming emotion the bee is experiencing.

Shape Keys

Shape keys were used to animate the mushroom.

Millions of polygons

In order to create a whimsical forest, I used geometry nodes to place the massive flowers and mushrooms, along with the smaller grass, mushroom, and rock assets. However, to ensure the shots felt as balanced as possible, some larger flowers and mushrooms were placed in key areas manually.

The Dolly Zoom

I added a dolly zoom to shift the perspective when the bee is feeling overwhelmed and scared.