Holiday Shorts

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Short animations initially created for profile videos on Facebook using Autodesk Maya for 3D, Adobe Photoshop for image editing, Foundry Mari for texturing, Adobe After Effects for compositing/effects/color grading, with filming/photos taken on a Canon 5D Mark IV and MPEG Streamclip/HandBrake used for compression of final output. Facebook restrictions limited to a maximum time of 7 seconds, and looping for playback was planned for seamless viewing on the platform. Facebook removed profile videos at the end of 2021, so the looping and timeframe guidelines are not needed; however, short animations are still an objective.

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Christmas 2024

Christmas 2024 Santa present delivery animated video. Animated in Autodesk Maya, rendered in Pixar's Renderman. Tonga the Fox model/rig, sleigh, present sack, presents, sleigh bells, garland and sleigh filigree accent were borrowed. Tonga's texture was built in Foundry Mari. Santa sign texture was built in Adobe Photoshop. Sleigh reigns, snow, chimney and roof were built in Autodesk Maya. Night sky background and chimney brick texture were built with Adobe AI in Adobe Photoshop. Green screen (Keylight), color correction, snowfall, background effects and compositing were carried out in Adobe After Effects. Clouds were made with Trapcode Particular. DaVinci Resolve was used for final composition and output.

Halloween 2024

Did some experimenting with using transparency on Tonga to achieve this effect of Tonga's head being lifted off. Animated in Autodesk Maya, rendered in Pixar's Renderman. Tonga the Fox model/rig was borrowed. Frankenstein-inspired texture was built in Foundry Mari.

Christmas 2023

This ended up being Casey's last video, highlighting some fun activities of the holiday season. Animated in Autodesk Maya, rendered in Pixar's Renderman. Cooking pots, rolling pin and snow field were built in Autodesk Maya. Tonga the Fox model/rig, kitchen, wreaths, hanging decoration, stockings, snowman decoration, counter tree decoration, Christmas tree, presents, tree ornaments, star, pillows, camera, tripod, floor and wall textures were borrowed. Tree and photo backdrop were built with Adobe AI in Adobe Photoshop. Green screen (Keylight), color correction, snowfall and compositing were carried out in Adobe After Effects. DaVinci Resolve was used for final composition and output.

Halloween 2023

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown inspired Halloween 2023 animated video. Animated in Autodesk Maya, rendered in Pixar's Renderman. Tonga the Fox, pumpkin models+textures, plant/leaves models+textures and calendar image were borrowed. Wall texture was made in Adobe Photoshop, dizzy swirl and night sky backdrops were built in Adobe After Effects, and Great Pumpkin image was a sketch made with sharpies on a post-it note then photographed to make the texture. Green screen (Keylight), color correction and compositing were carried out in Adobe After Effects.

Christmas 2022

Christmas 2022 animated video. Animated in Autodesk Maya, rendered in Arnold. Tonga the Fox and HDRI maps (for image-based lighting) were borrowed. Soundtrack and snow background landscape images are from Adobe Stock. All other assets were built in Autodesk Maya and textured in Foundry Mari (except the window frost, created in Adobe Photoshop). Green screen (Keylight), color correction, particle effects (Trapcode Particular), snowfall, compositing, camera stabilization, and camera tracking (AE3DExport) were completed in Adobe After Effects. Final edit and transitions were done in DaVinci Resolve.

Halloween 2022

Ghostbusters-inspired Halloween 2022 animated video. Animated in Autodesk Maya, rendered in Arnold. Tonga the Fox, brick texture, roof texture and city background were borrowed. Stay Puft hat and roof were built in Maya. Stay Puft hat texture was made in Foundry Mari. Green screen (Keylight), marshmallow explosion (Trapcode Particular), proton beam (Saber), color correction and compositing were completed in Adobe After Effects.

Christmas 2021

Christmas 2021 animated video. Animated in Autodesk Maya, rendered in Renderman. Tonga the Fox was borrowed. Doghouse, decorations, and Christmas tree were built in Maya. Tonga texture was made in Foundry Mari, doghouse, tree baseboards, ground snow, and background sky textures created in Adobe Photoshop. Green screen (Keylight), color correction, snow and compositing was carried out in Adobe After Effects. Style inspired by Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts.

*Facebook removed profile videos, so I opted not to build a loop into this one

Halloween 2021

Halloween 2021 animated video. Animated in Autodesk Maya, rendered in Renderman. Tonga the Fox (model/rig), pumpkin (model + texture), chairs (model), door (model), floor boards (model+texture), machete (model+metal texture) were borrowed. Siding, candy, candy bowl and hockey mask made in Maya. Tonga and mask texture built in Foundry Mari, machete blood, door and siding texture built in Adobe Photoshop. Green screen (Keylight), color correction, fog, and rain built in After Effects.

New Years 2020 - 21

New Years 2020 animated video. Animated in Autodesk Maya, rendered with Pixar's Renderman. Tonga the Fox, UFO, grass (3D), grass (image/background), sky (background), were borrowed. Stonehenge stones, Easter Island heads, 2020 text were made in Maya, green screen was used for keying, and After Effects was used to create tractor beam effect as well as compositing/color grading.

Christmas 2020

Christmas 2020 animated video. Animated in Autodesk Maya, rendered in Pixar's Renderman. Tonga the Fox, couch/pillows/blanket, window (wall), window (camera overlay), wall trim, tree, ornaments, stockings, fireplace, mantle decorations, Santa hat and lamp/table were borrowed. Tree lights were made in Maya, blue screen was used for keying, Trapcode Particular for Santa hat smoke effect, Photoshop for window frost texture and After Effects for compositing/color grading.

Halloween 2020

Halloween 2020 animated video. Animated in Autodesk Maya, rendered in Arnold. Tonga the Fox, pumpkin models, spiral hill, Jack Skellington, castle walls/decor, skeleton horse, and forest background were borrowed. Green screen (to remove door opening), transition effect, fire, and fog were built in After Effects

New Years 2019-20

New Year's 2019-2020 animated video. Animated in Autodesk Maya, rendered in Arnold. Tonga the Fox, 2020 glasses were borrowed and custom eye chart was made through an eye chart generator