boys in the band
For this concept, Rob fired up Modo and ZBrush, whacked on the trad jazz records, and got into a speakeasy frame of mind…
“I’ve singled out this band shot to talk about as I have happy memories of the process involved. It was made for Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them and was part of the scene set in the Blind Pig speakeasy. It’s made entirely in ZBrush and Modo.
The idea of the jazz band came from visual effects artist Christian Manz during a conversation during preproduction. I bashed out a couple of drawings in Photoshop, then moved into ZBrush to flesh out members of the band. The stage furniture and instruments were modelled and textured in Modo.
Anyone who has taken up 3D software as a tool knows that 2D sketches will only get you so far before you feel like you’re either treading water or chasing your tail. Working in 3D helps me understand whatever I’m trying to create, and I find jumping into Modo or ZBrush irresistible at a very early stage. Looking around for a 3D asset is far more useful than staring at a sketch.
This image is also of interest because the band differs in some ways from the one that made it into the film. The band eventually evolved into being three male goblins and a human double bassist backing a female goblin singer, but at this stage it was four male goblins. It shows a point in time during the preproduction process.”