Who You Gonna Call? - Group Thesis

Throughout our thesis project, we delved into the magical world of computer graphics to recreate an epic shot inspired by the movie Ghostbusters: Legacy. Our aim was to faithfully reproduce the scene where the legendary Ecto-1 drifts through Summerville’s streets, delivering a breathtaking visual experience.

REFERENCE

The first step of our journey was modeling. Dividing tasks among us, we dedicated ourselves to creating every detail of the Ecto-1 and the surrounding environment from scratch. Using Autodesk Maya, we worked diligently to capture every distinctive aspect of the cars and urban buildings.

ECTO-1

Modeling

UV

Once modeling was completed, it was time to breathe life into our models through texturing. With great attention to detail, we painted realistic textures to give all the assets an authentic and engaging look. Every scratch, every fade was meticulously crafted to ensure a final result that looked as realistic as possible.

Texturing

SHERIFF CAR

Modeling

UV

Texturing

ENVIRONMENT

Modeling

Texturing

RIGGING

To allow our Ecto-1 to move smoothly and realistically, we proceeded with rigging. This phase was crucial for animating the car convincingly during the drifting scene. With skill and precision, we created a complex rig structure that allowed the Ecto-1 to adapt to various maneuvers and deformations during movement.

With all elements ready, it was time to animate our Ecto-1. Through meticulous keyframe animation work, we brought the car to life, drifting gracefully and powerfully through the streets of Summerville. Every movement was studied and perfected to create a dynamic and engaging experience for the viewer.

LIGHTING

The right lighting is essential for creating the desired atmosphere and highlighting every detail of our scene. Through lighting, we played with lights and shadows to accentuate the action and give depth to the surrounding environment. With patience and creativity, we adjusted every single light source to achieve the perfect visual effect.

GROOMING

An essential aspect for our characters was the grooming of their hair using Xgen. With this powerful tool, we meticulously crafted the hairstyles of each character to match their personality and style. Through careful manipulation of guides and modifiers, we achieved natural-looking hair.

SMOKE SIMULATOIN

A crucial element in bringing our scene to life was the simulation of smoke generated by the car's tire screeching during drifting. To faithfully replicate this effect, we utilized Chaos Phoenix, a software specialized in fluid and particle simulation. Through meticulous parameter calibration and force animation, we achieved a realistic and dynamic smoke effect that seamlessly integrated with the action of the Ecto-1. Every detail, from turbulence to dissipation, was studied and perfected to give our scene an added touch of authenticity and spectacle.

Here you can see various try we did until we reached the result we wanted.

COMPOSITING

The last phase of the thesis production was the compositing of the final shot. Thanks to the many tools of Adobe After Effects we were able to post produce the frames we rendered to gain a look akin to that of the reference. To achieve this final result we used some effects like film grain, lens flare, lens distortion and cromatic aberration.

In conclusion, our journey through the production process of a computer-generated shot inspired by Ghostbusters Legacy was an incredible and rewarding experience. Thanks to our dedication and collective effort, we were able to create a work that we hope will excite and amaze you!