This project started as a revision of an older piece, but eventually developed into its own, more cinematic direction. While the earlier version, Curiosity Fluid Exploration, focused more strongly on the simulation itself, this version became much more about mood, material, music and camera movement.
I wanted to challenge myself by creating a stylized abalone-inspired material and by paying more attention to the camera work, which was something I had been wanting to improve. The material went through a few different approaches. I first tried building the base color procedurally, but the results always felt slightly off, so I eventually decided to paint it in Substance Painter instead. That gave me much more control over the color variation and helped the final look feel closer to what I had in mind.
Music also became an important part of the final presentation, because it added a lot of atmosphere and helped support the slower, more cinematic feeling of the piece. Huge thanks to Emilia Kuba Kern, who created the beautiful music used in this project.
Previz done in Houdini and After Effects
