A Snapshot into My Work
Defining pixels with purpose – CGI visuals by Patrick Schürfeld
Snowbot 21: Solo-Crafted Short Film
I created, designed, and animated the 3D short film “Snowbot 21” entirely on my own, blending fast-paced action with character-driven storytelling. More about the film can be found in my RebusFarm interview.
Technical Process
- Story Development: I created the story around a robot’s sleigh track adventure, focusing on clear turning points and a punchline to guide the narrative and keep it entertaining.
- Scene Creation: I started with a basic layout for the sleigh track in Cinema 4D, setting up the ground and camera positions to map out the robot’s journey and challenges.
- Landscape & Animation: I divided the track into scenes like “climb” and “ski jump,” building low-poly landscapes for orientation and used Cinema 4D’s Take System for efficient scene management. Animation and timing were key to bringing the robot’s adventure to life.
- Detailing & Texturing: For the environment, I used tools like Thinking Particles and Cinema 4D’s Volume Tool to craft mountains, trees, and snow effects. I designed the robot from scratch, ensuring its mechanical components moved realistically within its rig, despite its cartoonish style. Each part was UV-mapped, and I used Adobe Illustrator for the texture graphics. With Cinema 4D’s texture mapping and Substance Painter, I detailed the robot’s materials and gave them a polished look.
DFB Football Opener & Closer for ZDF
I led the development and implementation of the opener and closer for the DFB, as well as the complete TV packaging used by ZDF. The project involved designing realistic 3D models of legendary football players for the opener and closer. This also included designing match score graphics, transitions, lower thirds, lineup animations, and other on-air elements. The project was executed by my company, with a small team of three, while I personally worked on all elements and made all key design decisions. Additionally, I created a comprehensive style guide with animated examples to ensure consistency across all components and facilitate seamless integration into the live broadcast workflow using Vizrt systems.
A Galactic Journey with NAO
I created a 3D model of Softbank Robotics’ NAO robot, complete with rigging and animations, for the opening video of a research event. NAO starred in a high-res space-themed sequence, setting the tone for the event.
Pop-Art Loops
Explainer Film for TROBOLO
Animated characters guiding the viewer through TROBOLO’s products.
A snapshot from the film in 6 images. The elements are flexible for use in additional films or social media adaptations.
Step by Step to a 3D Character
Here’s a look back at some of my earlier projects.
“Thank You Video” for Maxon Founders
I created a short “Thank You” video on behalf of Maxon, expressing appreciation to the company’s founders for their vision and contributions to the world of 3D software.