This is the final week, and we have entered the intense rendering phase. I created a poster for our project and throughout this process, I’ve been assisting JIXUAN with the overall lighting control. Additionally, I supplemented all the necessary textures for the transformation parts.
At the same time, I completed my showreel and included these elements in it for display.
This week, I completed the texturing of the doctor’s clothing, applying textures to the previously finished model.
I completed the texturing of the mech.
George provided some feedback to my teammates regarding texture issues. I adjusted the textures of the mech to make it look more like a villain, and also added some details related to combat.
This week, I completed the texturing of the giant monster, adding many terrifying details.
Additionally, I supplemented the final phase of the transformation from the doctor to the monster, focusing on the back transformation.
As the deadline approaches, I realized we might not be able to complete all the content we originally planned. To ensure the successful submission of the final film, we decided to adjust the pace of the entire story — cutting out a large portion of the dialogue from the first half. We will start directly from the climax of the story, focusing on showcasing our content. We sacrificed some of the narrative to ensure the completion of the final product.
For the mech model, I completed a portion of it (which is a fairly complex model). Since the mech’s feet appear in multiple shots in the story, the design of its feet was my primary focus. I added numerous hydraulic rods to showcase the weight and mechanical aspect of the mech. I also included many common linkages to downplay its high-tech appearance.
This was also my first time dealing with such a large-scale mechanical structure model, and I had to ensure its movability and adherence to real-world logic. I added a plethora of devices to meet the mobility requirements of the mech. I have now passed this mech model to JIAWEI, who will be responsible for implementing the subsequent linkage mechanisms.
This week, we have a presentation, so we wanted to render a segment for display. For this purpose, we captured some shots of the little monster and animations of the soldiers. Due to the time constraints, we didn’t have the opportunity to render the best effects, and there were many imperfections and bugs in the footage. However, as a demonstration of our work during this period, the effect was still quite good.
The monster model is nearing its final completion. I added a pair of torn pants to the monster, representing the doctor’s transformation from human to monster. As a result, his regular jeans are stretched and ripped into tattered shorts as he changes form.
Regarding the model of the foot transformation, since the change in the monster’s feet is not as drastic as in the arms, I added some tumors and pimples on the enlarged feet to enhance the biological aspect of the monster’s transformation. Like the arms, this transformation also occurs in three stages, from the basic human feet of the doctor at Level_0 to the monster’s feet at Level_1. However, unlike the arms, I added different pimples and swellings at the same leve
This week, we focused on the design phase of the monster and mech battle, which is the most crucial part of our entire piece. I edited the basic battle scenes, choosing fight sequences from Pacific Rim 1 and the battle between Iron Man and Hulk as references.
At the same time, I completed the connection of various parts of the monster’s body, refined the texture effects of the arms, and also sculpted the palms.
This week, I completed the basic sculpting of the monster model, merging elements from my two design sketches. At this stage, I was only carving out the basic overall shape.
I’m currently not quite satisfied with its silhouette,So, the next day, I finished the head.
On the third day, I finally modified the silhouette of the character. I adjusted his arms to be even larger, increasing the tension and presence of the character. With a pair of huge arms and a terrifying face, I hope to make this character a memorable part of our short film. I referred to the muscle structure of many bodybuilders, ensuring that, visually, even though his form doesn’t conform to that of a normal human, it still remains logically coherent.
I exaggerated certain muscle groups to give a more powerful appearance.
Additionally, I changed the pose to an A-POSE, which was more helpful in shaping the model.
In terms of the mech’s design, my initial idea was to equip it with a melee weapon. However, after considering everyone’s suggestions, I decided to give it a hand cannon. The weapon is deployed by retracting the palm, revealing a cannon mechanism in the wrist area. This will be the mech’s most important weapon.
This week, JIAWEI and I made initial progress on the arm transformation. I created all the transformation models in ZBrush, and then transferred all the models to JIAWEI, who will adjust the rhythm and produce a better animation effect. Since this was our first attempt at such a transformation, the models we created for the first time ultimately couldn’t be used, LOL.
Regarding the arm transformation, my design involves three stages of change. The human arm is at Level 0. It then transforms progressively to Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3.
Level_0 is the most basic form, representing the doctor’s arm in its normal state.
Level_1 shows slight muscular growth following an injection.
Level_2 resembles the state of a bodybuilder.
Level_3 is the final stage of transformation, where the arm becomes deformed and swollen due to the effects of the serum.
These morphing models are all made in Zbrush while I can pass them into MAYA.
My initial design concept was a giant monster. My first inspiration came from the Tank zombie character in Left 4 Dead, but I didn’t want it to look too much like a zombie.
After all, our setting involves a biological weapon, so I wanted to reduce the zombie elements and enhance the biological feel. Additionally, after receiving feedback from our team members and considering the time cost, I realized I should aim to create a symmetrical character. Therefore, I decided to give this character two huge arms. Its body would stand 3-4 meters tall, even taller than the Hulk.
Consequently, I drew two versions of sketches as the basis for my design.
According to my original storyline, Dr. Parvis has just completed his epic battle with Mr. K and is now leaving the research institute in a very weakened state. His body still shows residual traces of his transformation. At this point, he is distinctly different from a normal human, with his skin bearing traces of both human and monster. His clothes are tattered and made up of scraps he gathered from deceased soldiers (wrapped around his body).
In this part of the story, Dr. Parvis will be running wildly through the desert, so I designed a cloak for him to shield against the desert winds and sands. This particular look was also inspired by Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal in Iron Man 1.
This week, I spent a lot of time tweaking various versions of the MetaHuman assistant’s face, while also further planning tasks for our team. I continue to be responsible for the character modeling and design, and I have distributed the animation tasks among everyone. Each team member will handle a certain portion of the animation work. JIAWEI and I are tasked with creating the transformation sequence of the doctor, morphing from human to monster. We previously conducted a simple test using blendshapes in Maya, which proved that this approach is feasible. Therefore, we will be tackling this module later on.
In a scene from the story where the doctor leaves his home, I envisioned the image of a man wearing a jacket. So, I designed a jacket for the young doctor, paired with more form-fitting pants
This time, using Marvelous Designer to create the clothing was much faster, but simulating the texture of the leather jacket proved more challenging than I had anticipated. Additionally, some small components, like zippers, still had to be created separately in Maya.
For the design of the little monster, Gavin shared some of his ideas. He wanted a grotesque, flesh-like appearance, with the monster being very ferocious. I took his design sketches and further refined them.
Firstly, I elongated its body to make the shape more slender and added a long tail. Since the monster’s size is close to that of an adult human, and considering its role as the doctor’s pet in the story, I leaned towards an ape-like form for its overall style. This aligns more closely with the requirements of the story. However, for the little monster module, I only provided some design ideas and suggestions. The final decision on production still rests with Gavin.
This week, I completed the clothing model for the doctor character. The body model uses MetaHuman’s model, so I didn’t need to create that. For the clothing, I used Marvelous Designer, which was a new software for me. It took me some time to get familiar with it, but I believe it was worth it. I think it will save me more time in subsequent productions.
After completing the basic model in Marvelous Designer, I still split the UVs in Maya. Then, I added a series of accessories like shoes, glasses, and a belt.
Finally, I imported the model into ZBrush for fine-tuning the details.
Regarding the female assistant character, I have put a lot of thought into her design. My direction is to make her sexy and seductive. I referred to various fashion elements and women’s clothing designs, attempting to incorporate unique sexy elements into laboratory attire. I took inspiration from the costume style of Alice in Resident Evil. Since she is a laboratory staff member, I might not be able to make significant adjustments in her clothing style. Therefore, I added many small belts to enrich her look. Additionally, I gave her particularly bright red hair, which plays a crucial role in the plot twist at the end of the story.
The previous version of the design was very monotonous and uninteresting.