Visual Effects
Robot VFX Breakdown
(2025)
This VFX breakdown shows how different elements and passes are added to the scene.
I used Blender's dynamic paint system to make the snow deform under the robot's feet, giving the illusion of it sinking into the snow.
A projection mapped texture on a ground plane was used so that light could be cast from the robot on to the snow.
A smoke simulation was used as a background element.
3D Robot in Live Action Footage
(2024)
Various techniques were used to integrate an animated 3D robot into live action footage, including; matching the lighting, masking out foreground objects and use of shadow catchers.
Dystopian Advertising World
(2024)
I used footage of myself on a green screen so that I could generate an alpha pass to bring a video of a real person into a Blender scene, and have the video contain transparency, allowing a realistic shadow of the person to be cast.
I used a particle simulation to generate emissive sparks on one of the billboards.
3D Animation Composite
(2024)
This video was made using a photo scan of a stuffed panda created using the app Polycam. Then I retopologized the scan to optimize the deformations for animation and reprojected the textures. I then rigged the animation ready panda model and used inverse kinematics to facilitate the animating process. Next I filmed a background plate of the hallway and tracked the camera using Blender. I then animated the panda model and used a 3D mask to mask out the doorframe, allowing the panda to hide behind it. Finally I used some compositing nodes to soften the shadows.
Sci-fi Building Composite
(2023)
First I shot a drone video of a building in downtown London, ON, then I modeled a Sci-fi building in Blender with the help of an online tutorial. Next I tracked the drone footage in Blender, then added a 3D mask over the real building allowing me to insert the Sci-fi building behind it.
The Mooster
(2023)
In Blender I tracked a drone shot of my elementary school, then added a 3D scan of a rubber chicken, that I had rigged and animated. Next I modeled a 3D mask over the building and finally I used Davinci Resolve to animate a shape in 2D for the laser beam.
City Flood
(2023)
A 3D scan taken of downtown London, ON using a drone, which was used as a 3D mask over a real drone picture of downtown London, ON to mask out the buildings. I added a plane with an ocean modifier to create realistic looking waves and added a foam texture.
Signage Composite
(2023)
The signage 3D model was created in Blender then tracked into drone footage of a London, ON office building.
3D Zombie Model Composite
(2023)
This 3D Zombie model from a free asset library was tracked into background footage of an abandoned factory in London, ON. The animation was achieved by using a free online motion capture library called Mixamo.
Translucent
(2021)
The translucent effect was created by using a clean plate video of just the doorway, and then without moving the camera, I filmed the video of me walking through the doorway. I overlayed both videos and changed the opacity of the video of me walking to 50%.
Corner Pin Planar Track
(2021)
In Davinci Resolve I used a Corner Pin Planar Track to pin the image of the singer Vitas to a real painting, so that it stays in place even with a moving camera.
Desk Fire Composite
(2021)
The fire element was filmed on a blue screen and then edited on an iPad app to key out the blue screen. Then it was overlayed onto a background picture. The reflection in the desk was created by duplicating the fire element and changing the opacity to 50%. It was then flipped upside down and masked a little to fit onto the corner of the desk.
Desk Fire Blue Screen Element
(2020)
This is the blue screen element that was used in the video above. It was made using a tissue box covered in blue tape and a blue poster board for the background. The fire was created using a mixture of cap-gun caps and crushed sparklers set on fire.
In-Camera Floating
(2020)
This is an in-camera technique of removing frames from the footage to create an illusion. I filmed myself jumping multiple times and then removed most of the frames to create the illusion of floating.
Self Animation
(2019)
To create this visual effect I used stop motion techniques to animate myself moving in a way that wouldn't be possible otherwise.
Jump Cut Trick Shots
(2019)
This video used jump cuts to create the illusion of doing impossible trick shots.
Practical Explosion
(2019)
This effect was created using a mattress pump and some crushed sparklers to make an explosion in the snow.