Designing Sci-Fi Props

Time: TBA
Class date Lifetime Access
Class length: 6hrs Narrative Video
Instructor: Chiu Cheng Chiu aka Chiu Chiu
Location: ONLINE
Course type: PRERECORDED SESSIONS
STRUCTURE
TEACHER
COURSE DESCRIPTION
STUDENT GALLERY

The aim of the tutorial  is to create an original vehicle design and put it in situation in a detailed keyframe useful in film production.
You will not only learn how to create dynamic and original compositions but also how to utilize 2D and 3D effectively to achieve the desired effect without losing an artistic and painterly touch.

Ronan LE FUR aka DOFRESH  is a concept artist currently based in Rennes, France. He has been working in the entertainment industry for over 20 years.
Along the years, he has been involved in many productions, from small indie projects to massive blockbuster movies like Love Death+ Robots, Jurassic World Rebirth and many more.
He has a soft spot for sci-fi and cinematic compositions.

Course Structure

  • CHAPTER I

    Function Dictates Shapes

  • CHAPTER II

    Shapes & Colors


  • CHAPTER III

    This is for real now!


  • CHAPTER 1 "Function dictates shapes"
    Function drives design : the aspect of your vehicle must somehow express its function (in human-made technology, things are made on purpose, there is little place for randomness).
    Real life exemples : bomber vs fighter / freight vs racing / luxury vs mundane, etc

    Let's now chose a subject for our vehicle : civilian, military, delivery, medical, exploration, transportation, racing + air/sea/land/space
    We will gather a few references (not that much) and start working (both with 2d sketches and/or 3d kitbash models) on our design. The idea is to find appealing and "logical" shapes, shapes which convey a feeling in accordance with the function of our vehicle. It is also important at this stage to explore and test things. It is perfectly fine to make radical changes.

    CHAPTER 2 "shapes and colors"
    Refining the design : spending a bit more time on the shapes and details (we will not go in a super detailed 3d model, but it is definitely not a low def/low poly anymore) , making sure it looks fine in (mostly) every angle.
    Materials and colors : color scheme / camouflage / decals /markings. All of this matters to help selling your design. The aspect of the machine tells a story.
    Start thinking about the vehicle in situation.

    CHAPTER 3 "this is for real now"
    We will use camera framing, ligthing and composition to make a nice keyframe of our vehicle. It is about make it look nice, in its everyday use.
    Then, we will use the high def raw 3d render and render elements to composite them in a 2d software. We will fix things, add details, push the image until its final steps.
    This is also a good opportunity to try new things, each step of the process should be an opportunity to try things (the whole process of this tutorial is not linear, you have the right to change your mind, make mistakes, find new approaches).

    • The unique opportunity to learn, follow and extract the knowledge from veteran instructor which took years to realize. Students get a serious head-start because of this.

    • Walkthrough Video process with both visual and audio narrative.

    • Lifetime access to the class.

    • Mastering designing vehicles and putting them into your very own scene while building a high level keyframe from ground up.

    • Development of several high industry standard portfolio pieces.

    • Advanced 2D/3D techniques.

    • Dedication and passion for concept design and illustration

    • Equipment – Class is pre recorded so you can access it at any time wherever you are at the time.

    • Required Software include Photoshop or some other 2D graphics program 3D software (preferably Blender)

    • Motivation and discipline to fulfill homework and share it with the world!

    • Ability to understand classes run in English.