Tearing Toronto's Flatiron Curtain Mural
VFX Breakdown
Really excited to share this VFX project I've been pouring my time into for the last two months! I've always loved the interplay of muralism, street art, animation, and VFX. I was inspired by Derek Michael Besant's amazing mural on Toronto's Flatiron Building and wanted to explore the idea of bringing its painted curtain to life.
I was thinking about the contrast between the permanence of murals and the more fleeting nature of digital art, especially in today's world. This project was a way for me to explore that contrast through animation.
Technically, here's what went into it:
- Filming: Sony a7sIII (FE 1.8-35mm lens, DJI RS 3 gimbal, S-Log3 S-Gamut3, ACES workflow). HDRI capture: Same camera, 12mm lens (14 angles, 9 bracketed exposures).
- 3D: Houdini (Vellum for the curtain, Substance Painter for textures, Karma for rendering), Labs Tree tools for the tree, and particle simulations for dust/debris.
- Compositing: Nuke (including digital matte painting).
Check out the video! I'd love to hear your thoughts.
