Join Factory Fifteen as Senior Creative Art Director

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JOB POST

Join Factory Fifteen as Senior Creative/Art Director

Factory Fifteen, an acclaimed London-based CGI studio led by Bafta award-winning directors, specializes in visualization, 3D design/animation, and immersive industries. 

Reading time: 3 min 21 sec

Introduction

Factory Fifteen, an acclaimed London-based CGI studio led by Bafta award-winning directors, specializes in visualization, 3D design/animation, and immersive industries. They are seeking a Senior Creative / Art Director to join their expanding team and contribute to their portfolio of award-winning projects. Are you passionate about pushing the boundaries of art and technology and want to work with a dynamic and talented team? In that case, this is an excellent opportunity to join an industry leader.

The position is full-time, hybrid on-site & remote working.

Join the Award-Winning Team at Factory Fifteen as Senior Creative/Art Director

Table of Contents

Your role at the Factory

At the heart of this role is your ability to communicate ideas with clarity and confidence to both clients and artists. Your solid technical and presentational skills will be essential to :

  1. Develop new visual, cinematic, and narrative approaches toward some of our industry’s most prominent architectural films.
  2. Bring unique conceptual approaches to branded content.
  3. Lead design and worldbuilding strategies on longer format film projects.
  4. Meeting with clients to discuss their requirements and vision, pitching concepts utilizing innovative presentations.
  5. Lead internal and contracted artist teams to deliver on your vision, on budget, and on time. 
  6. Occasionally direct 3rd party film crews on green screen and location shoot. 
  7. Work alongside the production and creative teams to build the ‘scope of work’ and fee proposal documents related to creative strategies. 
  8. Find new and novel ways of integrating emerging technologies into projects.
Join the Award-Winning Team at Factory Fifteen as Senior Creative/Art Director

Your experiance

Although Factory Fifteen operates in multiple industries, all our work is spatially oriented. Therefore, candidates must demonstrate a solid understanding of 3D space and cinematic composition. We expect you to have experience working in production and a keen interest in continuing to be part of the production environment. However, you will approach the role with a lighter touch, as your focus will be on leading and guiding the creative process rather than being directly involved in the day-to-day production work.

Join the Award-Winning Team at Factory Fifteen as Senior Creative/Art Director

Required :

  1. 5+ Years experience within a creative studio. 
  2. Have an eye for composition, cinematography, and storytelling.
  3. Skilled within 3ds max/adobe suite / compositing tools. 
  4. Excellent presentation skills using InDesign / Google Docs.
  5. Demonstrate good editing skills.
  6. Strong design skills, ability to draw and sketch in your way.
  7. A degree in architecture, design, or other creative fields.
Join the Award-Winning Team at Factory Fifteen as Senior Creative/Art Director

Desired :

  1. Concept design / matte painting skills.
  2. Nuke compositing skills.
  3. Unreal / Real-Time experience.
Join the Award-Winning Team at Factory Fifteen as Senior Creative/Art Director

Eligibility :

  1. You are eligible to work in the UK. (Visas will be considered for the right applicant), and you speak fluent English.
Join the Award-Winning Team at Factory Fifteen as Senior Creative/Art Director

Salary & Benefits

At Factory Fifteen, we recognize that attracting and retaining the best talent requires more than just exciting projects and a great team environment. We believe in offering our employees competitive compensation packages that reflect their skills and experience, as well as a range of benefits to support their overall well-being. In this section, we outline the salary and benefits that you can expect when you join our team as a Senior Creative/Art Director.

Join the Award-Winning Team at Factory Fifteen as Senior Creative/Art Director
  1. £45,000.00 – £60,000.00 depending on experience. 
  2. Bonuses + extras on top. 
  3. Generous holiday allowance based on seniority and length of service.
  4. Workplace pension scheme.
  5. Medical Insurance.
  6. Life Insurance.
  7. Flexible working.
  8. Weekly Training.
  9. Monthly socials.
  10. Yearly Holidays.
  11. Cyclescheme.
  12. Paid training opportunities.

Contact the Factory directly

Think you are the one (or know someone who is) – please applay directly at – jobs@factoryfifteen.com

Final Comments

Factory Fifteen is a London-based CGI studio known for pushing the boundaries of art and technology. Their innovative approach was recognized when they won the “The Vinyard” challenge in 2016 with a fantastic “LA GERIA” entry demonstrating their ability to test and adopt new technologies in their daily workflow. They were among the first to use Epic Games Unreal Engine in ArchViz and have since continued to be at the forefront of innovation in the industry. This Senior Creative/Art Director role is a dream opportunity for anyone with the required skills to work alongside a dynamic and talented team at the cutting edge of visual effects and immersive industries. I recommend giving it a go and wish you the best of luck with your application.

Polytown Media LTD

© All Rights Reserved 2022

01_La Casa Nell'erba_INTRODUCTION of the La Casa Nell'erba

Making of La Casa Nell’erba

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MAKING OF by Descover Studio

The Making of La Casa Nell'erba, a Modern House with a Natural Twist

Discover the secrets behind creating a stunning architectural visualization project in this in-depth article by Descover Studio. Learn about the gathering and use of reference imagery, the process of 3D world-building, the creation of textures and materials, the importance of lighting methods, and the post-production workflow used to achieve a photorealistic result

Reading time: 6 min 54 sec

You’ll also get a glimpse into the tools and techniques used by the team to bring this project to life, as well as some valuable tips and best practices for your projects.

Enjoy!

Introduction

La Casa Nell’erba, a contemporary residence by Descover Studio, embodies a design philosophy that celebrates the natural landscape. The house harmoniously integrates with the environment while showcasing its unique and captivating natural features.

The studio’s approach prioritizes the relationship between the dwelling and the landscape, creating a seamless bond. The construction of the house utilizes simple yet striking materials, including concrete, corten steel, stone, and glass.

Descover Studio employed several design strategies to maximize the site’s potential, such as orienting the bedroom wing to the southwest to capture the morning light and optimize the landscape views. Additionally, the house boasts sliding glass doors that effortlessly connect the living spaces to the natural surroundings, inviting a sense of calm and serenity indoors.

The design also incorporates multiple hidden courtyards that offer intimate glimpses of the lush vegetation and encourage exploration and wonder. The garden, located by a grand heritage pine tree, provides a peaceful retreat and a visual delight for residents and visitors alike.

01_La Casa Nell'erba_INTRODUCTION of the La Casa Nell'erba

Table of Contents

Gathering References

Gathering and working with references is essential to any creative design work, including architectural visualization. In the case of La Casa Nell’erba, our team conducted extensive research and used many studies to gather visual references before finding the inspiration for the project. We looked for buildings surrounded by beautiful gardens filled with local trees, bushes, and flowers, allowing people to connect with nature and enjoy it continuously.

Gathering various visuals when using reference imagery in creative work is essential to create a comprehensive and diverse reference library. This library should include images of the design concept and inspiration from other sources such as art, nature, and architecture. The more varied and diverse the references, the more creative and unique the final design.

It’s also essential to critically analyze the reference imagery to identify the elements that make them compelling. By doing so, designers can incorporate these elements into their designs while maintaining their unique style and vision.

Additionally, it’s crucial to communicate effectively with the team and clients about the reference imagery used as the basis for the work. This allows for a shared understanding of the design concept and can help streamline decision-making.

Finally, it’s important to remember that reference imagery should be used to inspire and inform the creative process, not to copy or replicate. A well-researched and diverse reference library can provide a solid foundation for a unique and inspired design that seamlessly blends into its surroundings, as seen in the case of La Casa Nell’erba.

3d World-Building

3D world-building is an essential process in architectural visualization that involves modeling the building and the surrounding environment to create a realistic and immersive experience for viewers. We use Autodesk 3ds Max, which allows for precise modeling and manipulation of elements within the scene.

01_La Casa Nell'erba_3D_MODELING

 

In addition to modeling the building, 3D world-building requires incorporating various landscape elements, such as trees, grass, and other vegetation. To achieve this, designers often use models from external sources such as Maxtree, Globe Plants, or Turbosquid, with minimal corrections to their materials to fit seamlessly into the scene.

In this rendering, the Descover Studio team utilized tree models from Maxtree Bundle #25, grass models from Maxtree Bundle #20, #27, #33, #45, and #60, and vegetation models from Globe Plants Bundle #12 and #26. By utilizing these pre-made models, architectural visualization artists can save time and focus on the more critical aspects of the design process.
One of the essential elements of the La Casa Nell’erba rendering was the large pine tree in the middle of the courtyard, which serves as the scene’s focal point. This tree model was sourced from Turbosquid and integrated into the scene seamlessly. The grass models used in the scene were also sourced from Turbosquid and were modified to create a realistic mowed effect, adding to the overall visual appeal of the scene.
06_La Casa Nell'erba_VEGETATION _AND_SCATTERING

To create a more realistic and natural environment, the team at Descover Studio utilized iToo Software’s Forest Pack plugin. This plugin allows visualization artists to populate the scene with many objects, such as trees, rocks, and other vegetation, to create a dense and immersive environment.

07_La Casa Nell'erba_VEGETATION _AND_SCATTERING

Forest Pack offers advanced settings that allow precise control over each object’s placement, scale, and orientation, allowing designers to create unique and dynamic environments.

Texturing & Materials Creation

Textures and materials are crucial elements in creating realistic architectural visualizations. To achieve high levels of realism, it is essential to carefully select and combine different textures and materials to create a cohesive and believable environment.
01_La Casa Nell'erba_TEXTURING_AND_MATERIALS

In the case of La Casa Nell’erba, the team at Descover Studio used a combination of different textures and masks to create the final result. This process involves analyzing reference images to find the most suitable textures and materials, then combining them to mimic real-world surfaces.

02_La Casa Nell'erba_TEXTURING_AND_MATERIALS

The team also paid attention to the materials used in the scene, focusing on concrete and corten steel. Concrete is popular in modern architecture due to its durability, strength, and versatility. In the rendering of La Casa Nell’erba, the concrete was treated with a texture that added depth and variation to the surface. 

Corten steel, on the other hand, is a material that has gained popularity due to its natural-looking, weathered appearance. In the rendering, the corten steel was used in a way that complemented the surrounding landscape and created a harmonious relationship between the building and its environment.

03_La Casa Nell'erba_TEXTURING_AND_MATERIALS

Lighting

Lighting plays a fundamental role in creating a realistic effect in architectural visualization, and finding the proper lighting is crucial to the project’s success. In the case of La Casa Nell’erba, Descover Studio utilized the Corona Sun and Corona Sky lighting system to bring out the best of the surrounding landscape and emphasize the area’s natural beauty.
01_La Casa Nell'erba_ LIGHTING
The studio also used regular Corona Light to illuminate the interior of the building, ensuring that every corner was well-lit and highlighting the design features of the space. The choice of lighting method is essential, and careful consideration is needed to ensure that the desired effect is achieved. The result is a harmonious blend of light and shadow that creates an immersive and compelling visualization.

Rendering

The 3D rendering process for the La Casa Nell’erba project involved utilizing the Corona Renderer software to achieve realistic results. While the team didn’t use many specific settings, they were able to make minor adjustments in the Corona VFB to get the best results for the raw render.
01_La Casa Nell'erba_ RENDERING
This was key in saving time during post-production in third-party programs in the future. Additionally, the team used the basic LUT Kim_Amland_Photographic_01 on their renders, which was often applied to them. Using these tools and techniques, Descover Studio created stunning and lifelike visualizations of La Casa Nell’erba that truly showcase the beauty of the design and its surroundings.

Post Production

Post-production is an essential process that can significantly affect the final output of any 3D project. In the case of the La Casa Nell’erba project, the team adjusted the color correction in Photoshop and its Camera Raw Filter to achieve the desired effect. Even though they tried to get as close as possible to the outcome at the rendering stage, they still had to finalize the desired result with the help of adjusting the color gamma and the reflection and inserting some elements such as fire and sun glare.

The post-production process is highly dependent on the purpose of the project and the artist’s approach to delivering optimal and efficient solutions to the task at hand. For instance, the path to post-production may vary for projects intended for marketing and advertisement purposes and those meant for academic or research purposes. In some cases, 2D elements in post-production may be auxiliary, while in others, they may be central to the entire process.

In the La Casa Nell’erba project, the team used 3D as the backbone and 2D elements in post-production as an auxiliary. The process involved adjustments to the color gamma and reflection and adding elements such as fire and sun glare to achieve the desired effect. The team’s approach to post-production was highly effective, and the final product was a realistic and aesthetically pleasing representation of their initial vision. A video demonstrating the progression from the RAW render to the final product showcases the effectiveness of their approach.

Final Comments

In this article, we explored the process of creating a photorealistic architectural visualization of La Casa Nell’erba. We started with gathering and working with references, followed by the 3D world-building process, texture and material creation, lighting methods, and 3D rendering process. Finally, we discussed the post-production process and how it can enhance the final result.

Using Autodesk 3ds Max software, we combined models from various sources, such as Maxtree and Globe Plants, to create a detailed 3D model of the building and its surroundings. We paid particular attention to textures and materials, combining them with masks to achieve a realistic effect.

Lighting played a crucial role in achieving photorealism, and we used Corona Sun and Corona Sky to illuminate the scene. For interior lighting, we used regular Corona Light. We also used basic LUT Kim_Amland_Photographic_01 to apply to our renders.

Post-production was a necessary step to achieve the final result, which we accomplished by adjusting color correction in Photoshop and adding elements such as fire and sun glare. We combined 3D and 2D elements to finalize the desired effect.

Despite the tight deadline, we are proud to have created a spectacular and photorealistic image using simple tools. We hope this article provided valuable information and insights into creating photorealistic architectural visualizations.

Happy to answer any questions or comments, so please feel free to ask; we will happily answer them in the comments section. 

Thank you for dedicating the time to read our article!

Polytown Media LTD

© All Rights Reserved 2022

Somewhere in the Alps

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CASE STUDY by Visequence

Somewhere in
the Alps

Showcasing a commissioned project by Studio Visequence for Moser Wohnbau & Immobilien in Lans, Austria. The project aims to create a unique blend of comfortable living spaces and nature, highlighted by attention to detail and modern architectural elements and natural influences. The final product is a one-of-a-kind residential development captured in detailed 3D renderings created with industry tools such as 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Forest Pack, and Photoshop. In this article, we look at the creative process and the tools used to bring this project to life.

Reading time: 2 min 14 sec

Introduction

This project aims to create a truly unique residential experience, one that seamlessly blends comfortable, private living spaces with an open and tranquil atmosphere. Our goal was to highlight the close relationship between architecture and the natural environment while also showcasing the luxury townhouses from the perspective of the residents who will call them home.

Attention to detail was of paramount importance throughout the design process. We carefully selected materials that accurately reflect future development and paid particular attention to the landscape design, which plays a crucial role in the overall aesthetic. Each townhouse features its own private terrace and garden, further emphasizing the connection to nature.

The exterior and interior design of the townhouses are a harmonious blend of modern architectural elements and the influence of the surrounding natural environment. Warm, natural materials and generous use of greenery further enhance this connection. We made sure to include all important details in the renderings so that the final product truly captures the essence of this one-of-a-kind residential development.

Table of Contents

Tools Used

The main tools used in creating the project were 3ds Max (both for 3D modeling and setting up the scene), Corona Renderer for lighting, Forest Pack for scattering elements, and Photoshop for post-production. With 3ds Max, we could create highly detailed models, while Corona Renderer allowed us to simulate lighting and shadows realistically.

Forest Pack was essential for creating realistic environments, as it allowed us to scatter objects, trees, and vegetation with ease. Finally, Photoshop was used for editing and post-production, enabling us to fine-tune the final image.

Gathering References

In creating the visualizations for this project, we drew inspiration from reference photos we gathered showcasing the spectacular mountain panorama surrounding the site. The client desired a mix of commercial and cheerful images, as well as some more moody shots showcasing the atmosphere of the development at different times of the day and in different weather conditions.

Throughout the design process, we experimented with various options for materials, camera angles, and lighting, ultimately settling on a warm and sunny aesthetic for the majority of the views.

Camera and lighting tests (were not chosen):

We also utilized actual photos of the surrounding area to ensure that the images of the future buildings were as accurate to reality as possible, including aerial shots for a broader perspective.

Post Production

Post-production played a crucial role in the final outcome of the project. We found that it was beneficial to add elements such as foreground greenery and certain background elements in post-production, while other parts that looked good in 3D were best left as they were. This approach allowed us to achieve a balance of realism and aesthetic appeal while also being mindful of the time and resources required for each stage of the process.

Here’s a short GIF that represents an example of the stages of post-production:

Final Comments

The project is inspiring because it’s always enjoyable to work on something that looks good and makes you eager to see it come to life.

Visequence is a creative studio based in Gdansk (Poland) which specializes in delivering high-end visualization solutions to architects, designers, and real estate developers worldwide. We have an individual approach to every project, and our main goal is to show future architecture in the best possible way. We are always open to new cooperation and waiting for Your projects.

Polytown Media LTD

© All Rights Reserved 2022

Cause & Effect

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Industry Event

Cause & Effect

The ASAI American Society of Architectural Illustrators invites you to join a unique conversation harnessing the global village of visualizers, architects, developers, marketers, creatives, place makers, and artists who collaborate to depict our cities’ future. The conference takes place from 16 to 17 November 2022 at Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, London, UK.

Reading time: 1 min 29 sec
Image by Aleksander Novak-Zemplinkski - "bioLINIA" - AIP 34 Award of Excellence
"Decisions (Cause) our Society makes today, impact how our great cities look tomorrow (Effect). As population densities, the environment & technology change, our global village of presenters will explore their unique views on how the future of our cities might look in the not-too-distant future. Each one will approach the question through the prism of their role in visualizing and creating the world's future. "
Andrei Dolnikov ASAI President, Binyan Founder & CEO

Newfound Visions. Transforming Decisions

The conference takes place over one day, followed by an evening social event. Theme: “CAUSE & EFFECT” Newfound Visions. Transforming Decisions. The first-ever gathering of the global village of visualizers, architects, developers, marketers, creatives, place makers, and artists who collaborate to depict our cities’ future.

This year’s theme encourages presenters to explore their unique views of how the future of these cities might look in the not-too-distant future, either through a critical lens of what could occur if we make poor decisions now or by illustrating an optimistic view of how things could be if we make better choices in the present day.

Table of Contents

Venue

Village Underground, London, UK. 1 Day event – 15 speakers, 1 Panel, Evening Awards and Party. 

Book Your Ticket/s

The American Society of Architectural Illustrators, ASAI, is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing and recognizing architectural illustration’s art, science, and profession. Through communication, education, and advocacy, the Society strives to refine and emphasize the role of illustration in the practice and appreciation of architecture.

Learn more on the ASAI Website.

Get TWO Tickets for the price of ONE using the code TWOFER (the button URL should automatically add this code for you.)

Book Tickets

Polytown Media LTD

© All Rights Reserved 2022

Nordic Style Kitchen

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It was my first try with Fstorm and I was amazed at how this engine is fast and realistic. So after this experiment, I decided to move from Vray toward Fstorm after about 14 years.

Sky Yūgen Office Building

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Another Full-CG non-commercial project Sky Yūgen Office Building, located in Minato City, Tokyo.

Yūgen means a profound, mysterious sense of the beauty of the universe hidden within every object. Working with lighting and weather, we tried to depict this feeling in architecture and visualization.
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