Week 6 - The Third and The Seventh

If you call yourself a vfx artist and you haven't seen the Third and the Seventh...

Well... You should have. This is an exquisitely created and rendered film. Beautifully abstract and beautifully artful.

The Third and The Seventh

The film is digital. That is to say that it was rendered, and is not simply photography.

It could be called a form of visual masturbation. A way of saying, 'Hi, look at me. I'm amazing. Bow in awe.' And I have certainly accused people of doing exactly this. But in the case of this film, it is clear that the artist, Alex Roman, has a powerful understanding of the design principles underpinning his virtual construction, and an incredibly deep understanding of Art. From colour, to depth of field, space, framing, mood, atmosphere, balance and meaning. And I say meaning tentatively because one is not completely sure how much intended meaning there is in the film, and how much of a straight form and design work that is it.

The film is clearly a showcase of talent, and that talent is prodigious. This is something that can make even experienced CGI artists stare in awe and wonder and learn from. It is a film that can be analysed, broken down and examined in minute detail and it will hold up.

In some ways, this film is the very foundation of what design CGI is. Without the trappings and burdens of other areas, this is a pure art and design work. Immensely beautiful, and unmatched. Principles are not just applied, they are deeply understood. They are not used gratuitously to cover up ineptitude, bu they have been studied, understood, and used with great care.

I gush on about it, I fear, but the truth is, the only argument that can be mustered against a film like this is that it's entirely focused on iconic visual production. But that argument pales in the face of a reality that is inspirational and incredibly nuanced.  As the artist says:

"A FULL-CG animated piece that tries to illustrate architecture art across a photographic point of view where main subjects are already-built spaces. Sometimes in an abstract way. Sometimes surreal."

The compositing breakdown can be found here: Compositing breakdown