In the world of visual effects, the name on every lips is Notch – the newest game-changer in real-time VFX. And who better to showcase its power than Defasten, the motion graphics maestro himself, who recently knocked our socks off with a stunning sci-fi music video. He’s now spilling the beans on how he pulled it off. Brace yourself for a journey into the realm of the nodegraph
Notch has quickly earned its stripes as a top-tier tool for motion design. It’s like the Swiss Army knife of visual effects, whether you’re rocking it solo or pairing it with fan-favorites like TouchDesigner or Unreal. With its node-based workflow, you’re basically plugging and playing your way to modular creations that are greater than the sum of their parts. It’s like creating a symphony for the eyes, using your GPU, and a whole lot of mathematical magic.
Before we dive into the nuts and bolts, let’s take a quick look at the video itself. Born from the analog sounds of the Moog Matriarch and enhanced by digital effects from Ableton Live 11, the video premiered recently in the Berlin-London magazine, Inverted Audio.
The brains behind this apocalyptic sci-fi marvel is DEFASTEN (aka Patrick Defasten). He’s turned the pandemic into inspiration, crafting a metaphorical journey that resonates with the emotional undertones of our current times. The graphics and mood of the video sync perfectly with the music, creating a harmonious audio-visual treat. And the secret ingredient? Notch.
Navigating through the video, you’ll discover a blend of 3D objects, lighting effects, particle systems, and that elusive glow – all whipped up in real-time, without any rendering. Talk about a game-changer! The trick to handling all this complexity lies in managing the elements hierarchically, and then layering in cinematic and lighting techniques for that emotional punch.
Time to unlock the mysteries of the Nodegraph. This is where the magic happens – the scene structure is visually organized into four quadrants, with the root at the center. It’s got everything – the corridor, the body, the lights – all set up for dynamic, dramatic lighting in real time.
In the quest for 3D objects, Sketchfab and Mixamo come in handy. They’re like your local thrift stores for 3D and AR assets and human figures/animations. Notch then imports these objects along with PBR materials, ensuring they’re rendered consistently and authentically. Each model gets its own layer for easy modification and preview.
Inside Notch, math modifiers are the puppet masters, making objects look like they’re in freefall. Dynamic textures add a glitch effect, while dynamic volumetric lighting sets the mood. Particle Trails and wide-angle Camera Angles add extra cinematic flair, creating a spectacular visual experience.
Defasten didn’t just leave us drooling over his creation, he generously shared his original Notch project file and asset links. So, buckle up and dive into the world of Notch, because this is just the beginning.
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