Strangebox’s Phil Radford Crafts Complex Simulations via Bifrost

Aug 18, 2022


For more than a decade, VFX generalist and freelancer Phil Radford has collaborated with leading entertainment, commercial, and enterprise clients to create captivating title sequences, memorable 3D animations, and high-end effects. Learn how Maya and Bifrost are central to Radford’s workflow, including how he enhanced a recent Sapporo Beer spot with rippling zen garden sand patterns.


Watch - Phil Radford VFX Reel:

Please provide an overview of your work.


I am the director and sole creative at Strangebox, a one-man operation where I provide full-service animation and VFX for high-profile clientele, including BBC, Google, Top Gear, ITV, Channel 4, Volvo, and Virgin Atlantic, among others. My workload primarily consists of creating VFX for TV commercials, such as a recent spot I did for Boux Avenue. For this project, the client approached me with a brief for VFX and cleanup work for 22 shots, including removing chewing gum off the pavement, a dog in a shot, and graffiti from the background environment. I also replaced the front of a building in order to further enhance the spot. Because I work independently and am a one-stop-shop for creative work, I’ll often pull 16-to-19-hour days. I am a Maya machine, and using tools like Bifrost is critical to helping me create amazing artistry and deliver projects on time.


How did you get started in the industry?


While school was never my forte, I funded my own VFX education at Escape Studios in London, where I took an intensive Maya course and got my first break working as a 3D modeler for a computer game called ‘Tycoon City: New York,’ by Atari. I later secured contract work for BBC News, which led me to a full-time staff position working on BBC documentaries and title sequences. From there, I started taking on weekend freelance jobs, and after successfully completing work for Google, I decided to take the plunge and founded Strangebox. I’ve been freelancing ever since.


Tell us about your recent work for Sapporo Beer.


I was approached to create the VFX for “Finding Your Flow,” a 30-second spot for Sapporo Beer’s Pure brand offering. To align with Sapporo’s Japanese heritage, the concept was to create a zen garden that would rake patterns into the ground as the main character walked down the street. They’d already shot the footage, and I began playing around with particles in Bifrost to see how I could realize the client brief. I came up with the idea to have sand appear in the ground around the main character. The client ultimately liked my idea, and I got to work bringing it to life in Bifrost.


Watch - "Finding Your Flow" Sapporo Commercial (Director's Cut):

How long did the project take, and how many shots did you deliver?


I worked with a producer in the UK, and we had two weeks to deliver 12 shots, including the sand effects, compositing, and some tracking. We worked 17-to-18-hour days to get it done, but we completed it on time and the client loved it.


Can you discuss the sand VFX in greater detail?


The sand was driven by a particle system in Bifrost. I created shapes on the ground, which animated along a path and were emitting particles. These particles were also emitting material point method (MPM) sand, so I essentially had two simulations that I could play with at once. I created sand flying everywhere, and though it looked amazing, I got a little carried away and had to work with the client to scale it back a bit.


I’d previously worked on ‘Mkali’s Mission’ with Autodesk, where I used a lot of snow particles in Bifrost. Snow particles are slower than sand, but for this project, I was able to adjust some of the settings that I’d previously used to make it quicker. I worked shot for shot, and no one simulation was the end result. There were approximately five or six simulations in each shot that were composited together for the final look, and everyone was really happy with the end results.


What were the most challenging aspects about the project?


Simulations are difficult to art direct, and I received two sets of art direction from the agency and client. Two weeks is also not a lot of time to create 12 shots with heavy sand simulations. To deliver the shots in time, I was able to use clever shortcut techniques in Bifrost. The sand needed to look a certain way when it was not moving, so I created the static sand in Bifrost by using cache files. To do this, I’d create a simulation, save a particular cache file of where the simulation looked good, then move it around the scene. I did that quite a few times, rendered it off, then composited it in. Bifrost is really quick for that type of work, because it’s procedural and I can plug in lots of different bits of geometry and get things moving quickly.


Watch - Phil Radford Tech Reel:

What tool do you use for rendering?


I always use Arnold, because it plays so well with Bifrost.


Do you have any favorite Bifrost or Arnold features?


Bifrost’s flexible functionality allows for experimentation, which is invaluable as an artist in both commercial and crypto spaces. Being able to daisy chain different types of nodes together, hack together compounds, and explore new effects or looks allows me to create new and unique work.


Maya Viewport performance further allows me to see what I’m working on in Bifrost or Arnold in real-time. If I’m working on complex simulations, like the explosions that I created for ‘Mkali’s Mission,’ I can view my work at near-final render quality within the Viewport.


"Fear Of Fear" NFT by Phil Radford:

Can you discuss more about the work you do as an NFT artist?


I’m currently developing a dark art collection with around 4,000 pieces that feature different variations, such as tentacles or spider legs wrapped around a man. I’m a creator on SuperRare, an exclusive and curated NFT art platform where I sell my work. I got started in the crypto art space when I realized there was a huge, supportive community of digital artists and a dedicated collector base in the space, which changed how I viewed things. As a digital artist, I’d previously never been able to sell my creative work, as traditional galleries are only interested in physical art. Though it’s a mixed bag at how people view NFTs, its offered myself and other digital artists an opportunity to get paid for the work we create. Following delivery on the Sapporo Beer spot, I’d say 99% of my focus has been on crypto art.


Where do you find inspiration for your creative work?


I draw inspiration from my gritty past and the anxieties and different pressures that I’ve dealt with. Listening to music and experimenting in Maya and Bifrost is something I love to do, and it helps to define and express my artistic style. I’ve also always loved movies with heavy VFX and complex art, so none of my artwork is simple.


What advice would you offer new artists looking to get started in the field?


If you look at movies and see the types of work being created by large post facilities, know that that type of work is doable for a freelancer. You just need to have the passion and drive to do it. There’s also a fair amount of work available right now for freelancers, but you need to be a generalist who can model, animate, rig, complete effects work, composite, track, and deal with the client, producers, and directors. Know that it’s a difficult life being a creative, but if you’re motivated, are able to persevere, and can take criticism, there’s a major demand for a freelance skillset.


For more information, visit: https://www.strangebox.co.uk/

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