Props! Because characters need stuff.
Our prop building process starts with sketching out a general idea of what the item should look like and figuring out how many versions we need. If it's ever close enough to the camera to need high-detail textures and a high-polygon mesh (the actual geometry of the object) then we'll need to make a high-rez version. If it won't ever be too close the camera, we can get away with a medium-resolution version of it and call it a day. This actually occurs in live-action productions as well: If your character is wielding their super-cool sword in a long shot, the props department will have a sword that is more durable but less detailed. If they're holding the sword in a close-up shot, props will have what's referred to as the "hero" version of the sword: the most detailed and meticulously designed build they can manage (which will, due to its delicate details, probably fall the hell apart if it actually strikes anything).
The same goes for what we're doing, only MUCH EASIER. Build a prop with as much geometry as you can manage, then apply the highest-resolution textures and materials you can to it. There's your "hero" prop. Need a medium-resolution version for long shots? Take the same prop, drop the number of polygons and make a low-rez version of your textures. Done! Now you've got two props that are fundamentally identical, only built for their specific purposes. And you're not wasting 1s and 0s on a 4k version of something that's only in the background of a shot.
The best booze vessels a frog-lizard creature could want!
This is our basic "creature's jug". Since it will be drinking from several of them over the course of the short, we'll be painting different versions, but using this base version as the starting canvas, so to speak.
This model's mesh was built by my super-talented brother Nick, and I handled the texture and materials:
What time is it?
Have giant rats? You'll need a good hammer to take care of those. Unfortunately, drunken amphibians aren't the best iron smiths. But you go with what you got, right?
Again, this one is Nick on the mesh build and me on materials and camera:
We use a great software suite to work on our final materials after a model has been completely built. Before it gets to the materials/texturing phase, a placeholder texture is put on to give a general idea of what the final product might look like. Luckily, my brother is damned good at making sure his placeholder textures are as close to "final" as possible (and in a few cases, I think we can just use the placeholder and be done with it!). The following props are still works-in-progress and have placeholder textures on them, but I think they still look great. These are all my brother's work:
Box for your archery equipment and hammers and such
And it’s already rigged to open and close!
Version 1 of the creature's scythian recurve bow
Nick made a second version [not pictured] just 'cause he could. So we've got bow options!
“Proof of concept” rope
There are going to be so many ropes, twine, strings and all sorts of tethering in this short. Here's the base test of a heavy nautical rope for mast-to-mast lantern hanging. It's going to have it's own dedicated physics system too, so all the swinging can be physically accurate.
So those are some props for the show so far. Many, many more to do as well as a fully animated human, a bipedal creature and a few rats ‘of unusual size’.
More to come!