Creation process:

3D MODELING

Testing custom rig controls and shaders

Storyboard...

Animating shot by shot...

The final tvc breakdown:

3D Character Modeling

This was an animation project for an open tittle sequence. I was responsible for 3d modeling and lookdev.

I modeled the characters by studying first different photo references, then using various modeling techniques in Zbrush, ( no symmetry ).

Creation Process

Modeling

I started modeling after observing many chimpanzee references. I did'nt want to be 100% accurate on his face. I looked for some childish features of the little chimpanzee. Starting from simple shapes while keeping good polygon topology since from the begining, is very important in the long and complex path of creating digital characters.

Painting textures and details

Texturing process was done by observing the nature and trying to mimic the natural color and feel of the little chimpanzee. Focusing on bright colors to keep his face bright and cheerful. Older chimpanzee tend to become very dark and scary in the face.

Rig setup and Animation

The rigging phase was quick, mainly focused on the face area. It required simle but yet still complex setup, to get the right performance.

Ready for the animation phase.

The animation process was the funniest part.

Rendering and Compositing

Finalizing the project required me to do many small task that a normal studio can do in a more automatic and robust way, like organizing many files, assets and render elements. Multi layerd compositing is even more complex to manage but it gives the satisfaction to have control on every aspect of the final output.

Final Image

Although it was a very quick project and a bit complex for only one person, it was a very good oportunity to become a better character artist trying to marry reality with fantasy.