Multidisciplinary 3D artist Carlos Terroso, breaks down his 3D Barber Shop Crime Scene.

Job: Film Noir Scene
Duration: 10 days
Software: Maya / Mudbox / Substance Painter / Arnold / Nuke

Pre-production

In this work, I worked with Marta Mollá to create a film noir scene that was accompanied by a script. The process began with extensive documentation based on different movie scenes. We started with references from film classics such as Touch of Evil, The Asphalt Jungle and The Maltese Falcon. It was important for us to create a scene with typical elements of film noir such as the femme fatale, disappearances, murders, detectives and love stories.

Aesthetically, we were inspired by more contemporary references such as Once Upon a Time in America, L.A. Confidential and Casino.

The next step in our project was to develop a film noir synopsis.

References

We used multiple references of old-looking barber shops. We found a picture of Greg Mimbs that was perfect as inspiration.

For lighting and textures, we chose three films as references: Once Upon a Time in America, Casino and Party Girl.

Layout

The composition of the photograph we had found was perfect. I blocked out a layout to establish the proportions and dimensions of the scene. 

Modelling

We had references for each element in our scene. When it was time to start modeling, we chose to divide the assets in the following way:

Marta – Barbershop chair, Ceiling lamp, Round table, Trash, Chair, Magazine rack, Umbrella stand, Dryer, Calendar, Bottle 1, Bottle 2, Box 1, Box 2, Scissors, Clothes rack, Telephone.

Carlos – Washbasin, Furniture and drawers, Walls and floor, Mirror and lights, Bench, Pictures, Awning, Hat, Jacket, Necklace, Razors, Signs on the door, Mop, Tickets, Photography.

Small details like the broken chair were later added in Mudbox and the mapping was done with UV layout and Maya.

Lighting

We used three-point lighting for this scene. The fill light and the key light were outside, and another fill light came from the inside. We chose to use warmer tones for the light coming from behind the door.

Texturing

I divided the scene into eight UDIMs and managed them in Substance Painter.

The photographs that are on the walls are all from a photographer named Weegee.

Composition

Finally, it was time for the final render. Although the image itself was almost finished, I rendered each of the lights with their AOVs (diffuse, specular, transmission and Zdepth). The composition in Nuke was simple: I corrected small details and added a glow to the exterior lights to give the image our desired look.

End Result

This breakdown was originally posted on Carlos Terroso's website, www.carlosterroso.com

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