Case Study

Digital Sculpture | Custom 3D Modelling
What better showcase than the brilliant Opening titles for the epic drama, Medici: Masters Of Florence.
Produced at the Emmy award-winning, creative powerhouse Huge Designs, it was an honour to sculpt the five actors for them to texture and incorporate in their animation.

The 3D Modelling Brief

To create stylised digital sculptures of each character: To imagine they were in part both classical sculpture and Roman coin. The animation starts close in on the sculptures and we should feel they are classical sculpture - then as the animation plays on, the sculptures are revealed as bas-relief on the surface of the coins.
It was important to capture character and maintain the styling.
www.chinchilla3d.com Hoffman coin concept
Hoffman concept art.

3D Modelling Preparation

We searched the internet for ancient and neoclassical sculpture styling reference and also images of each actor. Production also supplied many angles and shots from Medici filming which helped immensely.

The creative drive for us was that each sculpture had to look as much like the Medici character as it did the actor themselves, and crucially it had to look like an ancient sculptor had created it.

Sculpting

Finding the character

"As each sculpture is being developed, I'm searching for hints of the character. Often it is the smallest, infinitesimal changes and tweaks that bring the character to the fore."
                                                                 Greg Lawrence

Annabel Scholey
Contessina

Annabel has a really distinct face, and she was a really great challenge to sculpt. She was also the only character that needed the chest and shoulders to be sculpted. Production were keen to maintain a serious, tough look to reflect her character Contessina.
As with all the characters, the finished sculpture would be flattened to give the effect of bas relief such as on a coin. The finished 3D Model would be viewed from the side so there was no massive need to focus on asymmetry.

Dustin Hoffman
Giovanni

Dustin is instantly recognisable so it was key to understand his character and make sure it came through in the sculpture. Thankfully we had great reference from production. He plays Giovanni, a hard and powerful character and it was a joy to bring this out.

Richard Madden
Cosimo

Richard has a combination of rugged and quite fine features which made him an interesting challenge to sculpt. Along with Stuart, the styling of the beard was important. Keeping it a little unrefined to give the appearance of something hand-sculpted and not 'digital'. 

Stuart Martin
Lorenzo

Stuart was a sculpting favourite, with the classic good looks and strong profile. One challenge was to tame the hair in a rugged yet stylised fashion, and this was the only main element that was asymmetrical (aside from the brows, as we knew the key shot was a profile view.

The Final Opening Titles

Opening titles for the epic drama produced for RAI by Big Light Productions and Luxe Vide.
Produced at Huge Designs.
Music: Paolo Buonvino and Skin

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