Project Review: Mazda 2-3D Illustration 2009- PART I

 The little Mazda Racer posed with a Flag for the Print Ads for the Launch of the Mazda 2 back in 2010.

 Each render had a layer with a color picker matte[ Smart 3D ] to use to grab individual areas on the image by the Art Director.

 A relaxed pose done for a print ad for the Mazda 2 ad campaign.

 An early pose with the simple reflection we originally used in the face shield.

 Here is a shot of the Mazda Racer winning First Place with Trophy in hand.

Project Review

Mazda 2 3D Illustrations for Print Advertising.

PART I

Client Mazda USA via Rhythm and Hues.
Art Director: Marta Knudsen, and Nick Pugh.
Project Date: Dec 2009- Summer 2010.

This is my first post covering the 3D character Illustration work I did for the Mazda 2 launch done by Rhythm and Hues studios. I have a soft spot for Rhythm and Hues, since my first job after graduation from Art Center was produced by R-n-H, and as it would happen, it too was a Mazda job as this one was.

I was contracted to help with the print advertising work that was to accompany the CGI done in house for the TV spots.

I helped to establish a system of production with my off site studio, and was able to cut the production time for each pose[ about a dozen separate projects], to just over a day of work from a few days each. I recommended that the animators rig the model in a way as that each part was a separate skin so I could re-texture them quickly in my program, since we were on different platforms we did not have a pass over type of file. They use Light wave for TV spots and I am a 3DS max user, so I got FBX exports, and used them for my 3D Illustrations. It cut my cost, but helped my good client meet their need.

All were rendered at about 9000 pixels tall with a 10 passes of render elements, so the shadows, highlights, diffuse, ambient, etc. were all separated on a layer so the key Art Director, Marta Knudsen could easily adjust.

I also provided a matte color picker as these 'SMART 3D" assets make implementation a snap for the in-house Art Directors as all masking is simplified greatly.

Cheers, THOM