growth
Timecode: 00:00-01:26
So much consideration went into my first shot, and I knew I wanted to start the reel off with a tree growth simulation. Since nature is one of the biggest inspirations behind my work, it felt like a perfect way to ground the reel and set the tone.
Software: speedtree, world creator, cinema 4d, octane, After Effects
wrecked
Timecode: 01:26-04:25
Using Embergen, I wanted to see how I could create an eye-popping simulation done in real time. This allowed me to iterate multiple versions until I created a result I was happy with—doing so in a much shorter amount of time than it would have taken using traditional fire simulation software.
Software: embergen, cinema 4d, octane, After Effects
things get complicated
Timecode: 04:25-07:25
Utilizing the Machina-Infinitum Vectron formula pack, I wanted to create infinite fractal design that felt ever-evolving. I've always been fascinated by fractals and their recursive nature, along with the idea that when you truly stop and observe nature, you can find them in the world around us.
Software: cinema 4d, octane, After Effects
attlas sinner complicated music video
Timecode: 07:25-10:23
To help deep electronic artist Attlas launch his debut album on mau5trap (the record label owned by Deadmau5), we created a 6-minute music video. A surreal journey through a sonic and visual landscape, the video was art directed by me—and produced in less than a month. This shot was one of my favorites from the video, where the viewer dives inside a fractal kaleidoscope made of high dispersion glass.
Software: cinema 4d, octane, After Effects
gone searching
Timecode: 10:23-14:09
The Subaru WRX is one of my favorite cars, and it inspired me to create this shot that conveys a large sense of scale and realism. It tears through Colorado's mountain highways in search of its next destination.
Software: cinema 4d, world creator, octane, After Effects
nike apple watch
Timecode: 14:09-16:22
This is a spec spot I created for the Nike Edition Apple Watch. I wanted to imagine what it would be like if Nike released a higher-end Apple Watch that still featured their iconic band, but I sought to elevate it to a new level. In one shot, I wanted to display multiple aspects of the watch itself, which was done by creating a mirror to reflect the backside of the watch's design, and placing a monitor on the back wall showcasing the Nike branding, too.
Software: cinema 4d, octane, After Effects
Flow
Timecode: 16:22-19:19
This shot was inspired by an art installation at Burning Man called 'Fire in Balance'. It featured a totally immersive liquid fire effect you could walk underneath and look inside of. I wanted to take innately familiar movement, and create something that gave it a whole new life and form.
Software: embergen, cinema 4d, octane, After Effects
Attlas Hotel music video
Timecode: 19:19-22:08
After releasing the music video for 'Sinner Complicated', Attlas approached me to create a video for the second single from his debut album, Lavender God. Since the first video took viewers on a journey of sheer scale, with this one, we wanted to highlight beauty on a microscopic level. The full six-minute music video consisted of simulations of millions of microscopic particles, creating larger forms and letting you focus on the beauty found within their movement.
Software: x-particles, cincema 4d, octane, After Effects
Mountain Dew Spark
Timecode: 22:08-26:04
While working at Motive, my team was tasked with creating a 15-second ad for the limited-edition release of Mountain Dew Spark that was only available at Speedway Gas Stations. The label artwork that was created for the bottle featured a cartoon race car, but we decided to breathe new life into it, building and animating a 3D car that retained its cell shading from the original illustration. By utilizing Octane toon shaders and After Effects compositing tricks, I created additional strokes based on our normal maps. This let us recreate the label artwork, maintaining that flat, 2D look, and allowing us to fully animate the car racing around a track between flavor notes. I was responsible for animation and compositing.
Software: cinema 4d, octane toon render, after effects
evolving
Timecode: 26:04-28:01
Utilizing the Machina-Infinitum Vectron formula pack, I wanted to create a fractal inspired by mushroom and fungi—something I've always found visually fascinating. Each of them are unique, almost other-worldly organisms, and fractals felt like a perfect way to help shape the structure of them. Using Octane Vectron I was able to quickly change parameters to find a mushroom fractal.
Software: cinema 4d, octane, After Effects
Attlas Night Air Was Cool music video
Timecode: 28:01-29:14
After our first two projects together, Attlas and I wanted to find a way to create an immersive visualizer for his first self-published track "Night Air Was Cool." He asked me to not only create the video, but also create the album art, which was inspired by the cold night air, our shared love for plants, and some photos of the Canadian landscape that he'd sent me. After creating the base 3D render in C4D, I used Fragment Flow to live mix effects on top of the loop—all done in real time mapped to sound.
Software: cinema 4d. octane, fragment flow, After Effects
Raspberry Trip Hard Seltzer
Timecode: 29:14-32:13
This is a spec spot created for a seltzer line. I was approached by a small seltzer company to design label artwork for their latest product. It's release has been put on hold due to Coronavirus, but I decided to create my own label to explore can designs and add flavor notes to the key visuals.
Software: cinema 4d, illustrator, photoshop, octane, After Effects
Lost Lands
Timecode: 32:13-34:14
Inspired by classic RPG video games, I wanted to create an over-stylized landscape in 3D. Utilizing Octane Toon I was able to create a look that was incredibly fast to render.
Software: cineam 4d, speedtree, x-particles, octane toon, after effects
attlas hotel music video
Timecode: 34:14-35:29
After releasing the music video for 'Sinner Complicated', Attlas approached me to create a video for the second single from his debut album, Lavender God. Since the first video took viewers on a journey of sheer scale, with this one, we wanted to highlight beauty on a microscopic level. The full six-minute music video consisted of simulations of millions of microscopic particles, creating larger forms and letting you focus on the beauty found within their movement.
Software: x-particles, cincema 4d, octane, After Effects
Moab, UT
Timecode: 35:29-37:24
In college, I took a course in GIS, which recently spurred the idea to see if I could take satellite height data, and line it up with historical maps created by USGS to make a hybrid map. Utilizing a GIS software, I was able to align the two, creating both color and height data to be used in octane as displacement.
Software: cinema 4d, qgis, octane, After Effects
Tron Nissan GTR
Timecode: 37:24-39:00
Inspired by one of my favorite movies, Tron, I wanted to create a concept vehicle based on the Nissan GTR. The idea was to push boundaries while keeping the car within the realm of reality, adding subtle hints of lights that could push it into the world of Tron.
Software: cinema 4d, octane, After Effects
twist
Timecode: 39:00-40:13
This shot explored the creation of creating spline dynamics, and making a variety of different cable textures through several sets of textures. I was able to apply them all to the same base spline simulation to convey totally unique feelings.
Software: cinema 4d, octane, After Effects
Shroomy the Mushroom King
Timecode: 40:13-42:08
Character rigging is something that I have very little experience setting up, and I knew I wanted to challenge myself to create a cartoon character. I was shocked by how simple it was to rig the character using Eyedesyn's Bendy Arm tool, which even allowed me to rig up multiple arms off of one rig.
Software: cinema 4d, eyedesyn bendy arms rig, octane, After effEcts
first one
Timecode: 42:08-43:11
With Substance Painters latest update, they added the ability to paint seamlessly across multiple UV tiles, and I knew I wanted to test the feature out by adding large tattoos on a character that would have been much more difficult before its release. Being able to paint directly onto the mesh and not worry about which UV tile I was working on allowed me to quickly achieve the design I had concepted.
Software: cineam 4d, Daz3d, Substance Painter, x-particles, octane, After Effects
recharge Coffee
Timecode: 43:11-44:20
For this shot, I had the idea to create a dynamic simulation with a large number of dynamic objects, then combine that with a particle sim containing several million particles centered around one product. All of the dynamics between the cup and beans were done with built-in Cinema 4D dynamics, and after that simulation was complete, I added one in with the dust that was activated by the cup's collision with the table.
Software: cinema 4d, x-particles, octane, After Effects
Lost One
Timecode: 44:20-46:10
Over this last year, one of my main focuses has been creating 3D nature renders. This was driven heavily by the inspiration for creating the Attlas live show we've been working on, and this piece was created as a concept for one of its clips.
Software: cinema 4d, speedtree, octane, After effEcts
Pokémon Sword and Shield Starters
Timecode: 46:10-49:09
One of my favorite video game series has always been Pokémon. And when the Nintendo Switch came out, I couldn't wait to see a full 3D version of the game. Shortly after its release, I was inspired to create a version of a few of them, but with their cartoon styles living in a hyper-real world.
Software: cinema 4d, speedtree, octane, After Effects
Procedural Systems
Timecode: 49:09-50:25
This series was heavily inspired by the beautiful work of Zachary Darren from Man vs. Machine. After taking his course on creating procedural systems inside of Cinema 4D, I wanted to create some cloth objects that were instead built with effectors. Each object can easily be swapped with another mesh, and the animations will transfer.
Software: cinema 4d, octane, After Effects
transform
Timecode: 50:25-52:08
With the introduction of the fields system inside of Cinema 4D, you're able to create amazing growth simulations using fields and vertex maps. This shot shows how a prism can be transformed into a solid object.
Software: cinema 4d, octane, After Effects
Infinite Improbabilty Drive
Timecode: 52:08-53:14
I wanted to create a piece that was inspired by The Hitchhickers Guide the the Galaxy, so I decided to create a piece based on The Infinite Improbability Drive, which the author Douglas Adams describes as "a wonderful new method of crossing interstellar distances in a few seconds; without all that tedious mucking about in hyperspace. As the Improbability Drive reaches infinite improbability, it passes through every conceivable point in every conceivable universe almost simultaneously. In other words, you're never sure where you'll end up or even what species you'll be when you get there. It's therefore important to dress accordingly."
Software: cinema 4d, octane, After Effects
Procedural Systems
Timecode: 53:14-55:06
This series was heavily inspired by the beautiful work of Zachary Darren from Man vs. Machine. After taking his course on creating procedural systems inside of Cinema 4D, I wanted to create some cloth objects that were instead built with effectors. Each object can easily be swapped with another mesh, and the animations will transfer.
Software: cinema 4d, octane, After Effects
cyclo 2020
Timecode: 53:14-55:06
For the closing of the reel, I wanted to create a wide variety of the type of work I love to make—from simulations, to VJ clips, to product renders—all branded with my logo. Because one of my favorite things about working in 3D is being able to work on a wide variety of different types of content.
Software: cinema 4d, xparticles, embergen, realflow, octane, after effects, Speedtree