First Render Test - This was just a quick test to check the materials (especially emissive ones), stars, and the engines. The movement of the camera is choppy and erratic but it gets the job done.
I added a particle system of asteroids, I didn't notice it until after exporting the assembled frames in Premiere but you can see where the asteroids' rotation stops and they freeze in their original locations. Oops. This render uses a new light setup.
This is the same as the render above, but it was accidentally exported from premiere at 12fps so it looks a bit choppier. I do like the length of the shots in this though so it will stay!
I initially started work on a car for this assignment but, on Saturday, I realized that I wanted to put more time and effort into that model than I can right now. So, I made the decision to step back from it for the time-being until I can give it the attention it deserves. The inspiration for this piece comes from Top Gear. After watching May and Hammond strap a Reliant Robin to a rocket, I decided to try out a stylized rocket ship. I drew up a quick sketch and got to work. Two days later, I present: The Rocket.
This rocket is made up of multiple meshes; the main body (which I've dubbed "the egg"), bubble window, auxiliary engines, couplers, and the flames. The background was using a particle simulation for the asteroids and a 4D noise texture for the star shader.
I composited the final render with my go-to compositing setup - 35mm film grain + scratches, glare, lens distortion, chromatic aberration, etc. I rendered a handful of short clips, none of which are good enough but all will have to do.
As far as bigger projects go, I would say that this did inspire something in me. I could easily see myself revisiting this scene and fleshing out the interior, adding a character, and animating a short sequence. I actually drew up a short storyboard while the final render was going so I have something to go off of.
Materials that I didn't make come from BlenderKit and SouthernShotty's Crafty Asset Pack.