Drone Day

“Drone Day” : Dive into the Heart of Creating a Captivating Visual Artwork

Creation Process

Odyssey of a Virtual Drone: Exploring the Art of 3D Animation

A Race Against Time for an Immersive Journey

Despite a tight schedule, the creation of this 3D video proceeded at a rapid pace. The idea materialized through a precise storyboard, then the creation process kicked off, driven by the approaching deadline.

To optimize creation time, some elements were purchased from 3D banks. However, these elements required meticulous retouching to integrate perfectly into the video’s universe.

A Hologram Bouquet for a Futuristic Video : Technical and Aesthetic Challenge Met

Rather than presenting a real flower bouquet as initially planned, the video ultimately adopted a lily of the valley bouquet in hologram form. This choice was driven by two major reasons:

• Technical constraints : Using a physical bouquet would have created complications in terms of animation.
• A futuristic aesthetic : The hologram allowed for exploring a more innovative dimension in line with the video’s universe.

4K EXR Renders for Optimal Quality

To bring this new vision to life, 4K renders in uncompressed “EXR” format were created. This format, although heavy in terms of storage, offers the advantage of preserving all animation passes in a single file.

Three distinct animations were created :

• “Video without bouquet”
• “Video with hologram bouquet”
• “Video with regenerated bouquet”

The Result : A Captivating and Futuristic Video

This creative approach allowed overcoming technical challenges while infusing the video with an original and futuristic aesthetic. The hologram bouquet, regenerated by the drone, fits perfectly into this innovative universe and contributes to the video’s success.

3D Rendering : Racing Against Time and Hardware Limitations

The Challenge of Time and Computing Power

In the field of 3D animation, rendering is a crucial step. It involves the computer calculation of images that make up the final video. This step requires significant computing power to generate the various images needed for compositing.

Limited Computing Power, Tight Deadlines

Faced with tight deadlines and limitations of my PC, despite its performance, another solution was necessary for rendering the images.

Outsourcing Rendering : A Strategic Choice

Using a remote rendering infrastructure, called Renderfarm, was the best option. These platforms pool the computing power of numerous machines, allowing for fast and efficient rendering.

No Collaborative Renderfarm Accessible

Unfortunately, the option of a collaborative Renderfarm like Sheep-it was not feasible. Indeed, this solution requires having accumulated credits or being well-ranked on the platform, which was not my case as I had never used their services before.

SheepIt : Stunning Renders in Record Time

Resorting to a Paid Renderfarm

Faced with these constraints, I had to turn to a paid rendering solution offered by a professional Renderfarm. This choice allowed us to meet deadlines despite the technical limitations encountered.

Cost of Paid Renderfarms: An Expense Not to Be Overlooked

It’s important to note that the cost of paid Renderfarms can be quite high. It is therefore crucial to optimize your renders beforehand and to provide a sufficient credit margin to avoid interruption of the process due to lack of funds.

Compositing

Compositing: The Art of Enhancing Your Video

Compositing, the Ultimate Step in Video Creation

Compositing is the final stage of video production, where all elements, filmed, animated, special effects and sound, converge to create the final image. This is where the magic happens and your video comes to life.

For this project, two software programs were used:

• Nuke X (The Foundry) : The undisputed leader in high-end compositing in the film industry.
• After Effects (Adobe) : An essential software for its speed and flexibility in adding effects.

Nuke X : Power and Memory Management

Nuke X proved to be the ideal choice for the initial compositing of different passes and motion blur, a resource-intensive element. Its ability to efficiently manage the caching of compositions allowed us to overcome constraints related to file size and playback fluidity.

After Effects : Speed and Effects

After Effects, on the other hand, was preferred for adding effects that were faster to work with than on Nuke. It’s thanks to this software that the hologram effect could come to life.

The Challenges of File Size

The project included EXR images weighing 232 MB each, for a total of 241 images per sequence (at 24 frames per second). This represented a considerable volume of data, namely 55.9 GB per sequence, for a total of 167.7 GB for the 3 sequences to be superimposed.

To ensure smooth video playback, the compositing software had to be able to read images at a speed of 16.3 GB per second. A challenging task that Nuke was able to meet thanks to its optimized memory management.

(the weight of the complete project is 216 GB)

Adaptation to Video Formats

The final step of compositing involved adapting the video to different formats:Story and TikTok (1080 x 1920 px) and YouTube in 16:9 (1920×1080 px).

Audio Mixing

Audio Mixing : Bringing the Soundtrack to Life

Sound, a Key Element of Immersion

Audio mixing plays a crucial role in video production, breathing life and emotions into the image. For this project, the software Adobe Audition was used to assemble and refine the sound elements.

Meticulously Selected Sounds

The audio elements come from a high-quality sound bank, carefully selected to match the universe and atmosphere of the video. These sounds were then acquired through dedicated audio platforms.

Meticulous Work for Perfect Symbiosis

Each sound has been meticulously cut, modified and remixed in Adobe Audition to integrate perfectly with the video animation. Various effects have been applied to enrich the soundtrack and create an immersive experience.

Stereo mixing with spatialization

The final mix was done in stereo, with a spatialization effect for better distribution of sounds in the auditory space. To fully enjoy the richness and nuances of the soundtrack, viewing with headphones is highly recommended.

A Journey into the Heart of 3D Creation : Cold Sweats and Unexpected Victories

Beyond the impeccable rendering, creating a 3D video is an adventure fraught with obstacles. Far from the glitter of the finished product, it’s a marathon where rigor and patience are your best allies. For this project, we passionately took on this challenge, not without a few moments of panic facing Blender’s caprices !

Because yes, 3D software has a bit of a “Gremlins” side. Unexpected crashes, enigmatic error messages… so many traps that line the path of the 3D director. But instead of discouraging us, these obstacles only strengthen our determination. Each bug conquered is a hard-won victory, each challenge overcome brings us a little closer to the finish line.

This is where the magic (and sometimes the madness) of 3D work lies. It’s a fierce battle that requires unwavering perseverance and ingenuity. And what intense satisfaction to finally see our vision come to life on screen, after hours of relentless labor !

So, the next time you watch a 3D video, spare a thought for the passionate people behind it. These pixel warriors don’t hesitate to grapple with bugs and technical challenges to bring the most fantastic concepts to life.

Feel free to ask us questions about the behind-the-scenes of this extraordinary journey !