I spent several months learning Blender while only rendering stills or short loops. I decided to practice working on a larger project so I created a fake client project for myself. This is my biggest personal project done entirely in 3D.
I gave myself a week to complete everything and went through each stage of production: sketches, mood board, roughs, style frame, animatic, layout, and final animation. For the client I chose the We Might Be Drunk podcast. I had this idea sketched nearly a year ago but I lacked the 3D experience to even start. The idea kept popping up so I figured now would be the perfect time to conquer this challenge.
Ultimately, I am extremely happy with the results. It represents a culmination of dedicated self-learning, experienced and passionate community members that are always eager to help, and the desire to learn a software that I first picked up 15 years ago but had no idea what to do with it.
01 - Pre-production
Every project starts with pencil and paper. Drawing ideas brings them from abstract thoughts in my mind to a base design which can then be improved and refined. I originally wanted this idea to be on a locked camera so that's why I skipped the storyboard (which is always a key step). Once the idea was clear I used PureRef to collect references for lighting, shading, texturing, colour palettes, and design.
02 - PRODUCTION
I started with animatics to get a sense of timing, camera motion, and overall blocking. Once those components were clear I began to play with the camera and added characters to improve the empty space in the beginning. Throughout each pass you can see the camera work build into a drunk point-of-view, the lighting gets sharper and more contrasted, and the overall composition becomes tighter with the camera landing on a close up of the Hero glass.
03 - POST-PRODUCTION
I used After Effects to composite this project. Compositing is my favourite step that helps remove the digital look and gives the project a final finish. I used Eevee to quickly render dirt passes for the glasses, stools, and floor. A final colour grade, glow, and grain were applied to further blend all the elements.
Thanks for watching!
