Bill O’ Neil’s “Big Ten” questions…

[Steve Roberts]

https://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0HNN/is_3_21/ai_n16124168

[April Henderson]

Thanks for that little bit of info. One of the most confusing things for me is the way he made apparently beveled edges on the stage. Does photoshop a lot you to create 3d objects? And does AFX allow you to import them?

[Ron Lindeboom]

You can learn a lot more about the actual set-up and design by reading Bill O’Neil’s companion (part two) article that he did for Creative COW Magazine’s “Commercials” issue, on page 18.

Click the magazine link in the orange bar above and you will find the magazine PDfs there.

Best regards,

Ron Lindeboom
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronlindeboom
Publisher, Creative COW Magazine
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Now in the COW Magazine: Commercials. A look at the history, strategy, techniques and production workflows of successful commercials. All brought to you by some of the COW’s brightest members. Accept no substitutes!

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[Bill Oneil]

There were no 3D plug-ins used in creating this world. The beveled stage is a flat layer as with everything else in the scene. As I have mentioned in a few tutorials here, that shadowing is what makes it look real. I created most of the stage shadows and small details in Photoshop for each set piece.

The video screen appears concave because it is broken into 4 layers and arranged as such.
An athletic camera movement forgives many of these fake 3D set pieces.

Bill O’Neil
https://chicagospots.com

[Darby Edelen]

Is there a link to an online version of this spot? I’m not sure I’ve seen it.

Darby Edelen
Designer
Left Coast Digital
Santa Cruz, CA

[April Henderson]

Wow..what an honor to hear from you Bill.
The Big Ten Vid is inspiring to me every time I see it.

If all of those stage layers of yours are 2D, it’s incredible how well they fit together.

The 2d parts that you created in Photoshop, did you reassemble them in AFX into 3d objects, the way a person could take 6 layers and make a cube in AFX.

I can’t get over the realism of those 2d beveled edges.
How about the stage surface? It looks awesome and unbelievably real!!

Basically I’m trying to do something kind of similar for a really excellent band that needs a marketing boost. I’m having quite a time with it.

Thanks for all the advice. I’ve read through articles. In my case, I think seeing would be believing!!

Cheers!!

April

[Bill Oneil]

April [April Henderson] “did you reassemble them in AFX into 3d objects, the way a person could take 6 layers and make a cube in AFX.”

Exactly. I sized the set pieces in Photoshop so that they would assemble easily in the 3D world.

[April Henderson] “How about the stage surface? It looks awesome and unbelievably real!!”

The stage is just a texture that I shadowed, tiled, beveled and added the Big Ten logo. The logo actually flashes letter by letter. The stage has 2 tiers and a rail toward the rear. The more details the better in creating the illusion.

The stage lights pointing up are simply colored gradients in the shape of a cone that I placed along the perimeter of the stage. I flashed them on and off using opacity keyframes.

You can find the spot on my website or here on the Big Ten tutorial page.

Thanks for the nice words. I’m always happy to share tricks with everyone!

Bill O’Neil
https://chicagospots.com

[Ron Lindeboom]

Hi Darby,

The movie is linked right at the top of the article here at the COW…

https://library.creativecow.net/articles/oneil_bill/3d_world.php

There is a “preview” link with a couple of film cans that you will see that you can click on to see the movie in its finished form.

It is a great piece and Mr. O’Neil is my hero and I wanna be just like him when I finally grow up.

Best regards,

Ron Lindeboom
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronlindeboom
Publisher, Creative COW Magazine
Join the COW’s LinkedIn Group

Now in the COW Magazine: Commercials. A look at the history, strategy, techniques and production workflows of successful commercials. All brought to you by some of the COW’s brightest members. Accept no substitutes!

Would you like to be in Creative COW Magazine with your story or contribution? Contact me.

Do you have your complimentary subscription to Creative COW Magazine yet?

[April Henderson]

Allright, next questions:

(am slowing building a a very mediocre stage…basically just square boxes…hahah)

I see a need to learn a lot more about photoshop. In fact, I don’t even have it.

Does photoshop allow you to import 3d objects with curves? Like parts of the stage look so curved. Are they really curved 3d objects or just an illusion of that?
(The boxes I put together seem to leak through the cracks!!)

Lastly, can anyone direct me to a cool looking stage surface texture? Sorry am such a novice. Anything downloadable?

Happy Spring!!

[Bill Oneil]

[April Henderson] “parts of the stage look so curved. Are they really curved 3d objects or just an illusion of that?”

That’s the hitch with AE 3D. There are no curved surfaces. It’s all simulated from flat art. The cracks between the layers is typical. You have to be really precise in aligning layers. It helps to have a dark background and to create surfaces that are darker at the edges.

I’m sure there are plenty of sites tha offer textures but if you learn how to work with Photoshop, you will be able to create them yourself especially with the aid of your own photos.

Bill O’Neil
https://chicagospots.com