Building Bliss - Work in Progress #1 (Patreon)

NOTE: This post contains GIFs! They may take a bit to load, so if you don't see anything just wait!

This is the first WIP post of Building Bliss, the winner of February's idea poll! These posts are aimed to give you insight into my workflow and show you my creative process. Below is a segmented list with images and GIFs of everything I accomplished this week.

Shot 1 Preview

I was able to render the first shot's current WIP with my render rig, so here it is! There's a few things I need to correct. You can see the full resolution version in the attachments below.

Motion Capture

Recently I've acquired some motion capture data and compatible character rigs for smaller crowds. These are higher poly models that are suitable for ground level shots when the camera needs to get close to the action, like what you see below.

 The diverse amount of motion allows me to create more alive feeling crowds.

Physics Simulation

Impact is super important when you're creating animations of titanic gods and goddesses, and that's especially true when at ground level. A single step (or sit) can uproot entire city blocks and toss smaller objects into the air miles away. Making the initial impact visceral even though you can't even see it is the goal.

Lighting 

The lighting for this first shot is relatively simple. I'm just using a MASSIVE plane that sweeps across the environment to block out the sunlight. This reduces the only light hitting the scene to bounce (or indirect) lighting.

 That's all for this WIP! So far progress is going fast and smooth. I'll be streaming more work on the animation next weekend!