ONEIRIC SHINTO ARCHIPELAGO
夢のような神道諸島
Individual project
December 5th, 2021
Animación 3D
The brief we were given for this project was "to create a landscape you would like to visit or be in" on Blender 3D.
The greatest challenge for this project was how little time I had to make it. Since Blender 3D is a geometry-based 3d animation program, I had to carefully craft every individual shape. Every column, every roof tile, and every step on the stairs had to be created, organized and placed by me in an environment also made by me. We had only two weeks to do it, and every second counted.
My solution to this problem was mostly to work in a disciplined way, spending at least 6 hours daily to finish it. Nevertheless, the more I built, the faster and more efficient I became at modeling and placing, so it was all for the best.
When I was thinking about the prompt, I recalled that our teacher once told us to base every project on a feeling or an emotion, so we would know what direction we had to go amidst the creative process. I decided to go for "peace", since I have always considered it a pleasant state of being, and as the prompt indicated, it was a state I would also "like to be in".
So I gave it some thought and I said to myself "where would I want to be right now?". My answer was the beach. I also thought "what place would I like to visit?". The answer was Japan.
So, in my mind, I began mixing these two concepts, and I came up with a little archipelago, to which I wanted to add some cherry blossom trees and shintō temples. Of course, I had to put some bridges, some stairs, and a tori door for the entrance of the archipelago for it to look the part. Additionally, I added the final touch: a buddhist temple bell. This little structure would help join all of the other four structures, and it would help anybody identify that it was a temple they were looking at. All these things would create an atmosphere that would put me at peace of I ever stepped foot in it.
Thinking about this was certainly easier than making it come to life, since individually creating, molding and placing every single geometrical mesh was a lot of hard work. Making and rendering realistic water was excruciating, to say the least, but it certainly added a really nice touch to the final results.
This project, apart from being a really nice way to hone my skills in 3d modeling programs, was a way for me to express and visualize my dreams. It was done with plenty of passion, respect, and dedication, which earned me congratulations from this class' professor.
I would also like to dedicate this project to my Japanese teachers, who have taught me a lot about Japan, and it truly made me an avid fan of its traditions, culture, and natural beauty.
Let us hope this is the first project of many that I create out of sheer respect and admiration towards a country and its inhabitants.
Today, Japan. Tomorrow, the world.
