Looking for Experienced Blender Artists

I am seeking a number of talented freelance Blender artists to work on semi-regular projects.  I have some exciting work coming up for TV commercials and other projects and would like to be able to reach out to artists to contribute as needed. I am looking for:

Modelers (Primarily hard surface but may be some organic)
Texture Artists (Create and apply complex textures, UV mapping etc.)
Animators (Object and character rigging and animation)
Lighting Artists (experience creating photo real lighting environments, HDR lighting etc.)

If you have solid expertise and samples in these areas please send your bio/resume and links to your reel(s) with shot breakdown to:

info [at] lightboxfx [.com]

Efficient workflow and mastery of the Blender tool-set is important due to aggressive timelines that many of these projects have.

Thank you!

-Scott Hill

Aurum Design and Jimmy John's

I had the pleasure of putting together a quick logo tag animation for Jimmy John's Subs under the direction of Aurum Design that was used for three short tv tags.

The logo was created animated and rendered with Blender 3d in 1080 HD resolution.  See my work and the magic of Aurum Design's comp and edit on the Demo Reel page.

Millwaukee Animation Group Is Running Strong

The new student & professional group Milwaukee Animation Group held a very successful inaugural meeting last month and is having their first official meeting on May 20th, 6:30 pm in the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design 4th floor media theater.

Guest speakers will talk about getting hired in Milwaukee, interviewing and demo reel presentation. Speakers are Ken Kornacki, partner/owner at Aurum Design and Jerry Reidel, partner/owner of Independent Edit. Two nationally known and highly awarded Milwaukee companies.

Founded and organized by Brad Krause of Radiance Media, the group is focused on providing mentoring, resources and leadership to students and aspiring animators and motion graphics artists as well as raising the profile of local Milwaukee and Wisconsin professional animation capabilities.

6 month membership in the group is $25 for professionals, $12.50 for students or $5 at the door for any single event.

I am pleased to be a member of the board of directors for the group and look forward to ongoing participation with them.

Visual Effects and Animation Focus Areas

3D Animation
Creating life and motion from pixels in 3D space. From fierce creatures to dancing dinner plates and photo-realistic buildings you wouldn't know aren't real, 3D Animation has impacted how we display and view products services and our movie and television entertainment.

Broadcast Packages
Networks have "ID" segments, glass logo spins with water effects spiraling off etc. Television shows have intro sequences, news programs have intro, closing and commercial break animations and motion graphics sequences. These are all examples of Broadcast Packages. Almost every skill and technology can be applied in creating these.

Product Visualization
Manufacturors spend a great deal of time and money making a new product and they want to see what it will look like before the first one is made. Product Visualization allows them to see a finished product with labels, details and often simulating functionality without committing to manufacturing. This gives them the opportunity to do market studies for packaging, test design and make changes more cost effectively.

Character Animation
The lamppost bends to follow a woman walking down the street. A monster creeps from behind a tree. A bingo ball begins singing and dancing. "Character" can be given to any object by animating large motions and the most detailed motions like a twitch at the corner of the mouth in order to convey personality and motion associated with "life".

Using 3D animation software and artistic skill an animator will create a skeleton like structure and give it the range of motion, flexibility and articulation of the real thing. Then using keyframes, motion capture and a strong sense of motion, the animator will move limbs, hair and objects painstakingly to create fluid motion.

2D Animation
2D Animation is comprised of good old hand drawn cel animation (done most often digitally via Flash or dedicated animation paint applications these days). But also comprises a hybrid use of 3D animation and compositing tools to create "Motion Graphics" and other unique animation styles.

Rotoscoping
Pulling something out of a shot, or tracing elements of a shot, isolating an area of a shot for color or other treatment. These are all areas where rotoscoping can be plied. Rotoscoping is used in the production of nearly every movie and tv commercial you see.

Green/Blue Screen Extraction
Removing a specific color from a shot the place the remaining elements into a new shot with other elements. Sounds relatively easy but if you want it done correctly, it takes some serious skill.

Compositing


Motion tracking


Camera Tracking


Match Moving


Color Correction


Element/Rig Removal

Image Gallery

Jimmy John's Sub Shop Animated logo Tag.
Courtesy of Aurum Design

Medical Animation - Artistic Rendering of blood cells and drug interaction.






Walgreens Penny Promotion 3D animated Television Commercial






Motion Tracking, 2D Animation and
Composite – Television Commercial

Parrot Head Animated and Composited – Wisconsin Lottery Television Commercial

Thickness of Delerium Visual Enhancement, Color Correction and Element Removal - Feature Film

Jensen Audio 3D Animated Speaker Product - Television Commercial

3D Animated ESPN Latin Futbol Weekly - Television Show Open

Creature of Darkness – Feature Film Character Animation

Milwaukee Tool - New Product Simulation Showing Stress In Use vs. Competitor Product. 3D

Animation, Editing, Physics Simulation of Breakage - Industrial Sales Video

3D Track, 3D Animation and Compositing of a Magazine Cover Replacement – Television Commercial

2D Logo Animation and Compositing – Television Commercial

Miller Beer Can Label Change - Visualization using 3D Animation

Green Screen Extraction and Compositing Studio Shot

Poster Content Element Removal with Rotoscoping and Motion Tracking – Feature Film The Thickness of Delerium





Creature of Darkness – Feature Film Character Animation

ESPN Virtual Set 3D - Animation Television Program

D Animation and Rotoscoping -Manpower International Television Commercial

3D Animated Character With Lip Sync For Casino - Television Commercial

 
 

Creature of Darkness - Feature Film 3D Character Animation

3D Animated Planet Surface and Moon – Educational Video

Chicago Bulls - Arena Jumbotron 3D Animation

3D Animated Logo – Corporate Client

Digital Set Extension of Live Video Plate

Contact LightboxFX

I am always interested in hearing from other digital artists, productions and producers.

I can be contacted by e-mail at: info [AT] lightboxfx [DOT] com

LightboxFX Demo Reel

This page shows some of my 3D Animation, 2D Animation, Compositing, Rotoscoping and other Visual Effects work over the years.

Jimmy John's Sub Shop Tags.  Logo "coin" created, animated and rendered in Blender 3D. Concept, 2D text and sandwich animation and final comp by Aurum Design.

Reel:

Drug company wanted a clean, ethereal blood cell animation: 2010