Cinema 4D as a Design Tool (2)
In the second Cinema 4D Process and Production Workshop we were introduced to more software techniques and more ways in which Cinema 4D can be a beneficial tool when creating excellent design work. This session was aimed to add us to dynamics & particle systems purposed for randomised design. The idea was also that it is very random and throughout we were given the opportunity to pick and choose different elements which meant that although the workshop was a step by step guide, the overall outcome was different for every person.
We started by looking at inspiration. GMUK is a very creative designer and animator who has established himself as one of the top visual design directors in the world. His game-changing techniques us lighting and real studies to craft bold imagery in both the live action and interactive world. It is for this use of crafting and exploring materials and their purpose which is what makes his work profoundly relevant to the piece I created in this second Cinema 4D workshop.
We also looked at the design studio Tomato. Tomato creates and delivers cross-platform, multi-media art and design projects: both commercial and research-based, for national and international clients. Their work which deals heavily with the similar type that we created today, also looks at the impact of materials and the use of surface and deformers in their work. Although, not heavily related to the use of motion graphic, their work for Levi's Shorts Campaign was really inspiring to me not just for my work in process and production but for my studio work for when looking at advertising campaign and creative direction upon a project. Their use of also layering shapes, textures and line and producing an overall brilliant aesthetic to their piece, however, does relate to the work created in today's workshop.
We then started to compose our first composition within the software. We learnt a lot of things during this workshop creating 3 individual animated videos and a series of rendered images. We discovered about the hierarchical structure and the way in which using modifiers can play a vital role in how the composition looks. We created materials and looked at particle systems and how they can be altered to fit within a shape or desired look. We included reflectors, although highly complicated, we managed to make the balls in our sequence look more effective. We looked at Fresnel and how it can help when trying to convey how the light hits an object. We then compared materials to particles and how changing and altering these can affect the look. In part 2 of the workshop, we then went on to look at Phong and how that develops the smoothness of the object. We also worked on a flat plane under a displacer object. In Part 3 of the lesson, we then generated polygon shapes, used type in MoFont and put these through an emitter. The experience also taught me a lot about rendering, render settings and making sure our work is of the best quality through the use of settings in the software.
I am going to put the three videos created into one sequence to really demonstrate the breadth of work and information we covered in this workshop. If I were to improve anything, it would be experiment further with different things I can try.
Here are two final animations that I created as a final finished product:
Tube Cinema 4D from Joe Mitchell on Vimeo.
