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.

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.

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

Here’s a look back at some of my earlier projects.

Step by Step to a 3D Character

DFB Football Opener & Closer for ZDF

I developed the football opener and closer for Germany’s public broadcaster, ZDF, creating a visually stunning introduction for their national football games. The project involved designing realistic 3D models of legendary football players.

“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.