One of the most important steps to creating a visual effects sequence like ours is creating a simple previsualization video. This video should include representations of all the required 3D assets, and should be well timed out. It's important to make this to get a firm idea of how the sequence will play out, and some might even consider this to be the first iteration of the project.
So, I took it upon myself to create the Beware the Obelisk previs in Maya.
https://vimeo.com/765574753
This video is a lot like the 2D animatic I created the week prior. The timing is roughly the same, only showing the actual actions of our actor let me get it more accurately.
My previs includes:
Animated human character
Obelisk model
Shaded flag and flagpole model
Xgen grass
Beach HDRI
3 cameras
The character, Remy, was one I downloaded from Mixamo. His animations are from the same place. Like I mentioned, there isn't too much action from this actor, only reaching out to touch the Obelisk and turning around.
Making the Obelisk model was a straightforward process. I always enjoy modeling because it's a relaxing task, like putting together a jigsaw puzzle or knitting a sweater. I started with a cube, then added a division close to the top, and shrunk the top vertices.
Using a reference image I found online (pictured right), I PolyCut and sculpted until I got close enough to the correct shape. I wanted an obelisk on a fancy pedestal, as opposed to a uniform stone hunk in the sand. This is to give the feeling that the obelisk belongs to an ancient and sophisticated civilization.
The flag was the next part to be modeled. I used the same modeling technique for the flag as I did with the obelisk, closely following a good reference.
The rune on the flag was a quick illustration I did in photoshop. It's loosely based off of the Oblivion logo from the Elder Scrolls series of video games. I used a splatter brush to make it seem aged, or at least hand painted. Then I brought that into a different psd containing a UV snapshot of the flag model.
The beach HDR was straightforward. At this point, I knew we were going to film at Tybee, so I went to PolyHaven and downloaded the gloomiest overcast HDR of a beach I could find. If memory serves, this is from a coast in Iceland.
Sukhmeet, one of my team members, is a hair and cloth dynamics specialist. It's an interesting specialty that doesn't outright apply to either of the two prompts, but we easily brainstormed applications of that skillset for either. One of these ideas was flowing grass. Grass on the beach, what??? Well, that's just the air of supernatural we were aiming for with Beware the Obelisk.
The easiest way for me to create grass in Maya is using a tool called Xgen. It's typically used for hair, but the base tools are enough for me to create grass sufficient enough for the previsualization video.
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