BWS Fluid Dynamics Tests from Banbury Walker Studio on Vimeo.

Here is a some background work we have been doing in the studio. This is probably only interesting if you are particularly fond of motor oil or are really fascinated by fluid dynamics.

We have been researching oil properties, such as viscosity, density, colour and refraction, for an upcoming film project. We tested various fluid dynamic plug ins such as the fluids and dynamics simulation tool, RealFlow. The research is ongoing and the project should be great.

Lighting States For Conference from Banbury Walker Studio on Vimeo.

We often model and animate lighting states for conferences, particularly when they have to be very specific and are being installed and controlled by different crews at different events. This recent example of a KPMG set shows the sort of simple animation that can be very useful on site to assist with consistency across a global event programme.

Terraforming from Banbury Walker Studio on Vimeo.

This shows how use of simple Google earth texture can create great animation of helicopter flight. We are using this technique more and more. It is really easy to do and gets great results.

We screen grab Google satellite images, apply our geometry over the top, add a sun to match the satellite photography’s shadows and render a huge image from directly overhead. In AfterEffects we simply pan across the rendered output, give the camera a slight vignette and fish-eye effect and you are away. You should try it.

Pimms Parallax Example from Banbury Walker Studio on Vimeo.

This is an example where we combine 3D animation and motion graphics. The parallax effect works really well and is great if you only have still photography to work with. There are plenty of tutorials online if you would like to have a go at it.

These are the entries from our first office competition where the main objective was to create a short film showing something being smashed. Continue reading

A quick typographic experiment in creating a more modern, simplified version of the traditional Drop Cap which still made reference to their historical origin in illuminated manuscripts. Continue reading

A bit of experimental display type I have been working on. Still a work in progress, and there are definitely a few characters I think need some tweaking and development after reviewing them as a suite. Continue reading

In the studio we have a lot of requests in the design department for detailed hand drawn visuals from our clients. Whilst it is often great to experiment with traditional media and get away from the computer screen, in cases where a high level of detail is required the process can often be time consuming. I decided to take a look into different methods of digitally replicating similar hand rendered effects using a photographic base to build up layers of shading and colour, without the use of the preset sketch filters available in Photoshop. Not only do these save a considerable amount of time and are perfect for producing quick visuals, but it also allows you to produce a realistic effects regardless of drawing ability. All you need is your starting photograph.
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The Wallpaper of the week is a render of McLaren F1 (1999)  made by Sam Banbury. This image is a part of the development work on a film we are making which will animate a test drive sequence. Check back regularly for our updates.

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