In itself, this direction requires a greater threshold of entry. In 2D, the roles of artist and animator can be distinguished, and they often overlap within the same person. And there are more roles in 3D.
Generalists VS specialists
Generalists are those who know how to do everything a little bit at a time. They are especially valued when it is difficult to divide a task into separate steps and subtasks. Such multifunctional specialists are in demand in motion design, because every commercial is unique. And, if the big animation studios, experts can spend years simulating the whole forest, which, say, 100 trees, in the studios of motion design such large, long-playing tasks almost never happens.
At the same time, the roles can still be classified and divided. A model has to come from somewhere, get color, surface, textures, shading, start moving. And so there are already four specialties (modeler, shading artist, lasing artist, animator) within one head, the generalist, must be. That’s why many people are afraid of 3D, because four specialties are already difficult to learn
From the difficulties of mastering and the high requirements for specialists come the pluses of 3D:
Due to the fact that it’s difficult and not many people know how to do 3D – it’s valued and expensive.
The viewer willingly believes in 3D commercials. And despite the fact that the three-dimensional video is computer-generated – there is still the belief that it is real. And, from the point of view of advertising, there is more trust in it.
Now let’s move on to specific directions within 3D.
Stillife (brought to life static).
Stillife – these are still lifes or other compositions in which there are no people or characters. The simplest type of 3D clips and, compared to other types of 3D, a more artistic direction. For example, clips for Hadoro. Not as complex animation here – just moving objects. But the picture sells, and the success of the video does not depend on the complexity, but rather on the quality of execution.
Pros of the approach:
This is an affordable direction in terms of entry requirements and additional knowledge. For example, when illustrators come to the studio Effectno, we offer them to try their hand at it. And despite their fears, the illustrator is able to put together a beautiful composition. So, if you have a taste, why not try your hand at working with other materials and software?
The client buys a picture, and that’s what everyone is interested in in the first place. And it’s just about the picture, about the real thing, so it’s in demand in different areas: advertising, architectural renderings, content in social networks, posters, posters.
Now on the Internet there are a lot of ready-made models, rendering settings. And you can get a great picture, using ready-made pictures from stock and rendering with the help of studios with a light that is already set up, creating the right mood.
Trend 2021: in interfaces appear a lot of 3D, and for specialists UX and UI stillife – also demanded and available direction.
Many companies have long ago abandoned the services of photographers and switched to rendered models. For example, all the pictures in the catalog on the IKEA site are rendered. Curiously, the height from which the sun’s rays fall on the digital copy of the products, in the catalogs of different countries – different. This is done because the customer is used to seeing the space with this lighting, with this angle of incidence of sunlight. And he is more likely to believe a picture that matches what he sees in reality.
Cons:
From the first plus comes a disadvantage: the skill to use the program will not be enough to work with a stillife. In contrast to the more complex technical areas, which we will talk about next, here you need to have taste and understanding of the composition.
What is important to know and be able to: in this direction is important taste, the ability to make a visualization. In commercials, the rate goes on the composition, color, light, rendering and post-processing. This is where you can start and what can be enough to work.
Software: a simple set of programs – Cinema 4D and rendering Octane or Red Shift.
Personal 3D animation
Working with the character 3D animation consists of the following steps:
First, the character model is prepared.
Rager adds bone models and controllers that allow you to control the skeleton. A character is a complex complex organism that needs to be moved in a complex way. This is made possible just by the bone set-up.
The animator pulls all the bones and controllers, and the character begins to live.
Technical direction (particles, procedural sets)
A composite name for different specialties:
Procedural or technical sets – setting connections between objects. For example, mechanical setups of mechanisms (thanks to them when the car moves – it properly rotates the wheels).
Procedural objects, generative arts, which we have discussed in detail in the article on generative design, where using the predetermined rules and algorithms entire cities are created.