The Experience of Flying High
ASUS ROG Series 2021 commercial
Speed, performance, creativity...these are the vaunted keystones of the 2021 ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) Series. They also reflect “the big ask” of artists at Tau films who worked on the ROG commercial, which features a falcon (one of the fastest animals on the planet) flying through a lush, full-CG environment, where the ASUS ROG laptops are equally at home.
We spoke to Karishma Mirashi, Tau Films Lookdev Artist, about her work on the ASUS ROG commercial.
What was your role in this ASUS ROG commercial?
I was responsible for the look development of the falcon in the commercial, and focused primarily on the grooming part of it, which included the fur and feathers. The look development was done in the Maya/Arnold workflow, and we used Yeti for the groom. Tech animation also played a big role here with the fur simulations.
What was one challenge that you had to overcome to make the falcon look like it belonged in the environment?
The challenge was to create a photoreal looking bird. From a lookdev standpoint we focused on the eyes and groom around it, since the falcon appears in several close-up shots. Also the shot where the falcon spreads its wings was tricky. Since we had a combination of geometry feathers with Yeti feathers, the transition needed more attention in order to make it look seamless.
The aim was to create different feather templates with reference to actual photographs. We worked on various render settings to arrive at the best resolution, while keeping an eye on the render times. As an artist, I personally love this challenge. It's a lot of work, but when I look at the ROG commercial, it feels like an accomplishment.
Was there a notable difference between the concept design of the piece versus the final renders?
When we got the concept designs for the ROG commercial, we collected more references to support the look, which we then presented for client approvals. These approvals gave us a clear idea as to workflows required to match the approved reference. We also created a collage, called "reference swatch", which we presented for client approvals, and matched the falcon’s look accordingly. In this way, we ensured that the final renders closely matched the concept design.
What was it like to deliver a project in the midst of COVID-19 lockdown?
The COVID situation has been challenging on many levels. Professionally, it meant that I didn’t have a team member sitting beside me to have a quick discussion. But I would like to mention that the management and pipeline team at Tau films made this process very convenient for us. Being miles apart, we were still well connected, thanks to the Tau Films remote pipeline network. All the artists on this ASUS ROG commercial put in a lot of hard work and time to deliver this project on schedule, while seeking their work/life balance during the COVID lockdown.
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About Tau Films, LLC (2021)
Tau Films is an international creative content and visual effects group formed by a diverse team of exceptional artists, technologists, and visionaries. We are known for creative solutions in an ever-changing landscape of story, media and content, and we service high-end feature film, theme park, commercial, television, special venue, and museum clients in the global marketplace.