3D artists are highly skilled digital builders, combining creativity with their software of choice to build anything, from robots to entire cityscapes. World building, however, is an entirely different discipline – one that exists at the intersection of artistry, storytelling and technicality. 3D World has gathered experts in production design across film, television and video games to lift the lid on the art of building worlds.
BELIEVABLE IMMERSION
“World building in VFX means that we are creating an environment that looks and feels naturalistic to our viewers,” explains Paul DeOliveira, a VFX supervisor at Spin VFX. DeOliveira and the team at Spin have been behind VFX for The Expanse since its first season in 2015. He adds: “The audience needs to identify with the concept, and believe in the photorealism of the world.”
Part of DeOliveira and his team’s role on The Expanse is to help create a lived-in world. “The devil is in the details to completely immerse the viewer in the story,” he continues. “From the way we create new and old sections that establish a gritty look and feel, to the subtle details of a city block or an entire planetary landscape, we engage the audience as they move seamlessly between practical sets and CG environments without being distracted.”
The cinematics team at Creative Assembly are responsible for much of the world building in the studio’s Total War: Warhammer series, which takes place in a fictional universe steeped in lore and mythology. Lead cinematic artist Carl Allen tells 3D World: “It’s important to understand the characters we’re depicting: Where did they come from? What are they trying to achieve? Do they share a common theme?”
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super Founders Edition
On the surface, the GeForce RTX 4080 Super is barely any different from the vanilla GeForce RTX 4080 that was launched in 2022.
MCU VFX moments
Pros choose their favourite CG shots from the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Nosing around on Fallout
We sniff out the story of how FutureWorks brought The Ghoul to life with the creation of his iconic noseless face
DISCOVER RED GIANT GEO'S HANDY TOOLS
Heather Sterland introduces one of the newest additions to Maxon's suite of Red Giant VFX plugins with an atmospheric lunar creation
BUILD AND ANIMATE A FUN-FILLED ROBOT
Expand your horizons with Julio Benavides, who reveals his workflow for creating a charming hard-surface character
DESIGN STRIKING SCULPTS AT SPEED
Learn how to build 3D characters that balance visual quality and efficient workflow with pro advice from Oh Holy Mary
CREATE A CANYON ENVIRONMENT
Build a stunning desert setting with an expert walkthrough from Romain Eboli, who uses high-quality Quixel assets
TURN A 2D CONCEPT INTO AN INCREDIBLE 3D-PRINTED FIGURE
Concept artist Emily Chapman shares her process for sculpting, printing and painting an outstanding model to put on display
Goodbye SAIGON
Trevor Hogg gets held captive by multiple versions of Robert Downey Jr.while uncovering the visual effects of HBO's spy series The Sympathizer
IMPRESSIONISTIC REALISM
Trevor Hogg learns how the artisan aesthetic came to be for The Wild Robot