Cineversity

JET, Speed modeling (release date Feb 25th) – is a production-based series providing ideas and procedurals to create the background and middle ground for a complete cityscape. Based on the ‘Pershing Square’ scene in JET and using its set design as a base, it shares methods to quickly model detailed facades and also demonstrates use of the powerful CINEMA 4D MoGraph toolset to create 4,000 different objects – in less than a day.

http://www.cineversity.com/vidplaytut/speed-modeling_city_part_01

This is a short series with a lot of practical tips from my movie short production JET, Junior Extra Terrestrial. The elements/objects that I discuss here have, with no exception, found their way into the movie short. The printed copies are “35mm Technicolor Cinemascope”, “HDcam”, etc. The result worked even on very large screens for this movie. Including the training, eight awards were given to me and JET was as well finalist or twice even winer in “his” category. This includes: winner in “his’ category during an international film festival which had 3.400 movie shorts submissions!

I discuss here two ways of creating models for 3D environment. The idea is to have one time a lot of details with the least amount of effort. Illustrator and Photoshop present here some 2D support as the main preparation tools, which makes this pipeline a great way for team work, e.g., in small “shops”, where you have a mixed team of artists available. So, nearly everyone can help.
The other discussion leads to a complete background city, with uncounted different buildings, based on a small set of textures and cubes. MoGraph is her the key player. The idea is based on the city that has grown over the years. A little bit here and an extension there. Based on MoGraph’s ability to structure and being random at the same time, even each facade can have a different color tint.
This Auto-Collage method and the more detailed speed modeling procedurals leads in a short time to an incredible populated “Digital Matte Painting”, which allows wide camera moves and delivers lots of parallax. If you focus as well as on “Cinematography” and “Integration 101”, combined with all the information that I share in “JET—Making Of”, you should have gotten already a nice production knowledge, and on the way to your own movie!
Well, you might find in the first two already a third option to get some far away building… Just some thoughts and ideas to get things done. Pick what you like. :o)

All of that might take a moment to sink in, but if you build up on these methods, you can get very detailed city-scapes, which won’t be used anywhere else. Nothing is pre-produced or used already, it will be your very own set. Light, Camera, Action! Let your creativity flow and make unique cityscapes in a short and breathtaking time.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Enjoy

Sassi

Press text:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/2/prweb10389851.htm

The Trailer to the movie is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtBHyYaOQ9I

Congrats, Dr. Sassi on all the awards and for putting together such great training.  Can’t wait to check it out.  This is one I’ve been waiting for and excited about for a very long time. Thanks so much for all you do. 
Best,
Biagio

Thanks a lot Biagio,

Very nice of you. I mentioned the awards here, as this was my initial proof that the “stuff” I present here has worked for a film savvy audience. (Sorry if that showed as bragging ;o)

Here is the link to that little series. I hope it supports your work and leads as well to new ideas.

http://www.cineversity.com/vidplaytut/speed-modeling_city_part_01

As with everything I did in all the JET series, this is one way to do it, not the only one way. I believe in the value of knowing many ways, to decide for each situation in the “best” way. The more “one” has in his/her toolbox, the more easily one can pick of course.

Have a great Day

Sassi

This series is literally blowing my mind.  The trick with the selection tags is such a time saver…I cringe to think of the hours I’ve wasted doing stuff like that manually!  Needing to fake cityscapes comes up so often in the workI do, I have no doubt I’ll be referring to this series again and again.

I need to go back to my “real” work now, but so far this series is a total winner!

Hey Biagio,

Thank you! Sounds great. :o)

The first production of skyscrapers was from an music video that a friend from the Netherlands did in 2005. I even provided the Empire State Building with 55K windows, not using this procedural. Procedurals like that happen when I have time to play ;o) Film-making is my sand box, I’m in heaven then.

Anyway, if you go through the series you might find some more options to create this kind of “Set-Supply”. Every big city has tons of textures to provide as well.

I notice some little grammar errors now. Having had only technical English during all my educations, my conversational English steps up each year a little bit better. But easy and easily stand already out for me in this series. Sorry about this. I know that every professional artist is used to work with all kinds of English “language-derivations”, and as one studio owner told me, it is a good training for starters to get used to the internationality of the teams. Anyway, I hope it doesn’t bother too much. Thanks for all the patiences with it.

All the best

Sassi