How I Create Cinematic CG Environments | FULL BREAKDOWN

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Let's breakdown my lateset #cinematic photoreal #3D #render together. To start, we'll talk about sparking your idea, and i'll show you how I came up with mine. Remember to use reference imagery! It's so important! Second, we'll build out the foreground and lighting to immediately get a vibe going, then populate it with Quixel Megascans assets.
From there, we'll take it to the next level and add story elements to our render. It's easy to skip this step when you're starting your 3D journey, so definitely keep story in mind as you progress. Then we'll bring our animation to life where i'll show you all my animation tricks. The goal is to do nothing by hand, and work effeciently.
And finally, i'll show you how I bring all our render elements together in After Effets. This is the stage where the render TRULY comes to life. And finally, for the very end, i've added some sound design and looped the render for you to enjoy.
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CHAPTERS
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00:00 Intro
00:27 Sparking Your Idea
01:19 Foreground & Lighting
03:23 The Ocean
04:14 Z-Depth Fog
04:38 Adding Story
06:52 Animation
09:59 Compositing in After Effects
12:19 Final Render
RESOURCES
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@quixeltools Megascans: quixel.com/megascans
@TheDizzyViper Puddle Maps: gumroad.com/thedizzyviper
Forester: www.3dquakers.com/
Hot4D Ocean Generator: www.valkaari.com/?product=hot4d
@Greyscalegorilla Signal: greyscalegorilla.com/product/...
TOOLS I LOVE:
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Camera: amzn.to/3ihzNg8
Lens: amzn.to/3cBB6TJ
360 Camera: amzn.to/3w1PKLn
Studio Lights: www.aputure.com/
Desktop Mic: amzn.to/37JmQoN
LAV Mic: amzn.to/3vg9wlh
Monitor Lamp: amzn.to/37JfyBI
How I Learned Cinema 4D: greyscalegorilla.com/join-plu...
MY RIG:
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CPU: Intel Core i7-6700k CPU @ 4.00GHz
GPU: NVIDIA Quadro RTX a6000
RAM: 64GBs // (4) RipJaw Series V sticks
Display: (2) 1080p 60Hz ASUS VP278H
pcpartpicker.com/list/9GRMjp
This video was sponsored by NordVPN

[@pwnisher]

Go to NordVPN.com/pwnisher​ or use code PWNISHER to get a 2-year plan plus 1 additional month with a huge discount.

[@thepuzzler317]

Hey hey love the video your render of the ocean reminds me of the moar from little nightmares

[@konehmes3063]

Yaa

[@pwnisher]

@@Sharkey2021 I'm glad you liked it!!

[@marsminion705]

1 month later. Clint makes it a NFT and sells it for charity. Too bad he left Corridor Digital.

[@2moose4u]

Out of the millions of time I've seen ads for VPN's I only just bought it for the first time now, I wanna support you as much as I can :)

[@AlexHeskett]

This video has chillness levels that I cannot explain.

[@Kholanee]

The music plays a big role in this effect

[@egretfx]

i know right> it's like some Icelandic documentary or something..so well done!

[@gavinfielo4904]

The way he talk calmly

[@Kholanee]

@@gavinfielo4904 the video itself is calm and does not have to a lot of things for you to look at yet it remains interesting

[@Kholanee]

@@joshwoloszyn 🤣🤣🤣 the video was so relaxing that I forgot about that bit

[@ignaciotricio4508]

Literally 15 seconds in and i'm already relaxed...

[@pwnisher]

YES!

[@SirWrender]

Excellent video Clint!! I’m so happy you left in the burp hahaha Also, yeah those windy puddles were one of the first details I noticed and was like “Whaaaaaaa howww???” But of course, it wasn’t some complicated fluid simulation, just some After Effects trickery!! I love that so much. Little details like that and the film grain, along with your intentional subtlety really elevates this from a cool shot to a work of art. Bravo!

[@pwnisher]

Wren you're the best man! I love the heartfelt comment =] Yeah the burp just made me lol I had to leave it.

[@allthingsnerdy5474]

VFX Artist React to pwnisher

[@fireballsensei9287]

@@allthingsnerdy5474 Yes please!

[@halfbee7886]

Is that one wheel animation already finished? I'd like to see it, coz you both worked on it, right?

[@MattColbo]

I know absolutely nothing about creating 3D environments, but damn man what a pleasant surprise clicking on this and hearing you talk about somewhere I've been a dozen times over the years. I'm from the west coast of NL where it is much less foggy, and going to St. John's for baseball tournaments as a kid was always a hilarious roll of the dice. One of my favourite all-time memories is from when I was 14, and our team was travelling to the east coast for the end-of-summer provincial tournament on our team bus called the Blue Baron (our team name was the Barons), which was a small handicap school bus painted blue and driven by our coach. In the first inning of our first game, a kid in centerfield almost got knocked out by a fly ball that he couldn't see through the rain and fog, and it was the only inning of baseball we ended up playing the entire weekend. On Saturday, when we were still hopeful that we'd be able to play again, our coach piled us into the bus and drove us all out to Cape Spear, where he told us about the history of the place and how we were the current easternmost baseball team in North America, lol. He then retrieved a bat and a brand new baseball from the back of the bus, got us all out into the hurricane-like winds and as an offering to the "baseball Gods", in hopes they would help bring better weather, he hit the ball over the cliff and into the North Atlantic. We were parked in the exact parking lot that you made your scene from, I remember us seeing who could stand on those wooden posts the longest before being blown over by the wind. What a cool Tuesday morning flashback this has been. Thanks for that, my friend.

[@wrightexe1]

It's crazy how life seems to be chock full of beautiful coincidences.

[@tylerkillspoon]

Fantastic anecdote, I love all the details! Thanks for sharing 👍

[@megaflopstudios1369]

honestly just surprised that this didnt end in a your mom joke

[@NathanCarterVids]

I have no intention of ever using C4d, but found myself getting lulled in by your soothing tone and ended up watching the whole thing. Great work Clint!

[@pwnisher]

Hahah hey that's great! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@rickd5693]

Blender ftw

[@tmrtyn]

Come for the CG stay for the ASMR

[@Wolta]

Still a bunch of cool little tips for your program of choice, the workflow will definitely help me when working in Blender :D

[@alfavideo2051]

@@tmrtyn underated comment xd

[@thevfxwizard7758]

I love tutorials that focus on the artistic process, instead of the technical details. This was very entertaining and informative! Keep it up!

[@pwnisher]

I'll definitely need to make more of them then.

[@pva5142]

@@pwnisher You need to, thank you.

[@donutdude246YT]

@@pwnisher please!

[@robrobusa]

@@pwnisherYes, please do! Although - is there a reason you didn't do one entire scene in C4D? Was the AE workflow a necessity?

[@AndreyLebrov]

The story about the story is beautiful. How I missed this

[@michaelmatiash5400]

И тут Андрей, Привет из Украины !) Твой сабскрайбер))

[@NiallWoods347]

youtube needs more content like this

[@thedebapriyakar]

I'm not gonna lie, I cried after watching this. Clint's soothing voice combined with the photorealistic renders -- this just hit me in the heart.

[@pwnisher]

Deba!! :D

[@thedebapriyakar]

@@pwnisher OMG you remember 😭♥️

[@anthonyrosa7189]

Showing levels of mastership that couldn't be seen in Corridor. A Truly beautiful Environment Clint. You are an inspiration!

[@gamerscraft78]

I was so sad that you left corridor, but seeing you at your absolute peak in your channel, makes me happy, and as a plus you still appear on corridor, absolute legend.

[@pwnisher]

Many MANY thanks my friend!

[@jjjohnson7578]

I don’t do any 3D anything. But I watched this from start to finish, so relaxed. Totally drawn in by the final render.

[@user-dj9iu2et3r]

Dude this is so inspiring. I feel like I’m too old to start learning VFX/CG work while I’m in my 30s and currently learning programming. Creating literal worlds is definitely something that inspires me, though.

[@alsheditor]

Hey man, I am in my 20s and I'm also working a 9-5 while learning programming, Cinema 4d and Unreal Engine. Word of advice: Go for it and 2-3 years, you will be glad you did. As long as we still draw breath, then it's never too late to try something new.

[@elliotbayless4786]

It’s never too late man, hence why I’m commenting a year later to tell you so! Keep going for you dreams man!

[@AM-jx3zf]

These things are what I wanna learn... Like it's cool to model objects, but how does it all come together

[@pwnisher]

yeeeeeeeeeeees

[@saran9736]

That's what we call as composition and lighting, that's what make the render look real and at the same time bad, even when the render consists of low quality model the lighting and composition is what sells it off, so it is better to practice composition and lighting, take your time, wish you best of luck👍

[@izuix5629]

photography is a really good way to practice that

[@kylecrumbaker328]

exactlyyyy

[@saran9736]

@@izuix5629 I agree

[@alejosonnenberg]

This was honestly so beautiful. Clint, your choice to move on from Corridor, be it a sad one for the fans; was the correct one. You’ll go far xoxo

[@pwnisher]

I'm very excited for the future!

[@vitopapuan]

There's always something I always forgot in every renders/art I made is the story part. I think it gives more value and depth to the art. Such a great video, Clint!

[@DistilledGuava]

This video has a "Don't worry" feel from start to finish. What a nice way to make a tutorial - Thanks Clint!

[@abhinandkurup4788]

demn i fought with my parents to let me stay up all night just to wait and watch fyour video. am so satisfied, you are a freaking inspiration and my role model. thank you so much

[@pwnisher]

Hahah oh shoot! Well tell them you learned a thing or two maybe and they'll be like ... "it was worth it."

[@wycliffe_ndiba]

This is a really blissful edit. It's made me wiser, Maestro

[@adamtubak]

This combined so many things that I already knew and used for a long time but puts them in a way that still my jaw is dropping!! Thank you for this!!

[@ayushghosh3912]

Dude your calm voice took me exactly to the place you so artistically made and I felt so unbelievably cozy🥺

[@BuckyStudios]

This is a next level professional tutorial. Loving how it's not just technical tips, but you've included a personal in-depth look into your inspiration, and really appreciate the fact you talk about the immense importance of visual storytelling. Great work, man! I could watch these all day.

[@StijnOrlans]

Damn Clint, I've been doing 3d for 5 years and this is probably the nicest breakdown video I've ever seen. Looking forward to see more!

[@louis-charlesdufresne522]

man this is an amazing tut...the fact you walked us through your creative process at the beginning and the shot that sparked the whole thing: pure gold! Thanks for sharing these.

[@axelkozsar1284]

clint I`ve always loved 3d, but I always had a huge struggle begining my journey, you guys at corridor inspired me in many ways through the years and now you`re the one helping me move on with new 3d techniques. Thanks a lot!

[@Ridu172]

This isn't a breakdown of a piece of art, this itself is a piece of art.

[@oscarlowe1872]

Yo this is sick. Love what you did in the telling a story part. So well made

[@rotk]

God Clint, this one really hit me. I love watching your live streams, but sometimes I don't have the time to dedicate to watching them. It sucks. When I saw this one was just 13mins long I was really curious about what you were able to fit into it. You dropped some damn good knowledge bombs here. 1: the 35mm photos are beautiful. 2: the way you went about explaining your process was perfect and I can easily use information with my own work. 3: when you added that light to the oil rig was just, ugh. That set off the whole scene. Really REALLY well done breakdown. I can't wait for more, dude.

[@cloudlandsoul6365]

the scene is mesmerizing & brings peace. started learning cinema 4d from scratch since a month or so & these type of videos motivate me more to learn. your narration is on point. you've earned a follower.

[@owenturnbull2671]

This is reaching such good levels of chill... I feel so relaxed after watching this

[@ZorroBlancoMX]

I loved it brother! I just started my 3D career and this video is a huge push to keep going and not give up. Thanks for the content!

That was beautiful. Not just the render itself but also the tutorial, the music, the pace, everything. Great work!

[@paolosavino22]

This artwork and your work is really inspiring Clint! Also you're so chill you make my heart warm, I feel i can take a break to my fast pace life watching your videos. I will try to implement your suggestions in my work too. Is always a pleasure, thank you

[@bestjammer]

I dream of making things like this but I have no clue where to even begin. This is a work of art that is truly beautiful in every way.

[@phil.connah]

These 8-15 minutes videos are so much more accessible and rewarding as a viewer than the hour stream videos. I'm sure they are a lot more work, but a lot more approachable and hopefully will grow your audiences. Awesome stuff Clint!

[@pwnisher]

It make people just don't have time for those long videos. Very understanding. It's just hard to do on my own. I can only do so much. But I'll keep these videos comin man =]

[@nomticholas]

Love this! You've clearly come a long way in the narratives that you put in your videos. Amazing voiceover and super insightful tutorial. Keep it up!

[@AdiusOmega]

Amazing video, this is the kind of content I need in my life. The final result feels so much more alive with the context and insight you provide. It's not just a piece of CG art anymore it's kind of a story.

[@OlegC3D]

This was so beautifully explained, keep these 15 min breakdowns coming whenever you can!!!

[@pwnisher]

It's my plan for every piece of art I do from here on out!

[@gabrielgavazzi]

Ok that shot actually looks really good

[@pwnisher]

🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@Kholanee]

Sir...saying it looks good Is an understatement

[@scarabrae]

This is really nice, Clint. You've certainly got a lovely way of encouraging, explaining, getting our creative juices going and it's a drop dead gorgeous shot as well.

[@anikumkum]

Just the aesthetic of the scene is so creatively inspiring and the interpretations to what the story could be are infinite. This was honestly super fun to watch.

[@longjohn7992]

The way u talk man Ur the Bob Ross of c4D

[@micky6038]

Hahahahaha true :)

[@briost123]

Clint this video TRULY inspired me to create in the strongest way I've felt in a while, just amazing work, keep it up! The ripples in the puddles were the chefs kiss in this render! Can you please go over how you come up with the sound design?

[@pwnisher]

YES YES YES!

[@briost123]

@@pwnisher Amazing! Can't wait

[@pwnisher]

For sound design, i just add what I see, and try to tell a story and set a tone. Every little piece could be a sound design element. Wind Waves Rain spritz on the car Open door chime Radio left on Idling engine Then just add one piece at a time

[@JhamEntertainment]

I only use Blender but your tutorials have already led to serious improvements in my work. Thanks Clint!

[@TheJayLeHol]

Your content is the perfect blend between educational and meditative, absolutely love your work Clint.

[@7dollarburrito]

I was down bad trying to render some personal work on my off day, couldn’t get it to work and felt so defeated. This video is the push I needed to take it to the finish line.

[@bidonga]

Amazing scene. Gives me vibes of “dear Esther”.

[@kilansshetty5079]

The scene totally justified your journey of inspiration, and in the end it all came together! And that narrative was so immersive. I almost want to learn this whole process to create all the images in my brain! Great stuff! keep them coming.

[@RasmodeusQ]

For a long time, I've wanted to bring my story ideas into short, or even long films, but learning 3d with ADHD has been a struggle, most of my favorite scenes I did in a single day, but alas my latest project I finally got past my mental block of "I don't wanna touch it because I might ruin it like the others I've made" and I just had some fun even though the outcome was way different than the starting idea. I'm proud because I made/did something I enjoy, and that is always better than nothing at all, every time I've felt like just moving on and giving up on 3d "for now" and proceed to not touch any software for it for months, I slowly make my way back to your videos, and it brings back the spark for me. So thanks for all the work and time you put into these.

[@VIPINFX]

i find this soothing for sleep more than a tutorial

[@QuinnFilmsBTS]

I was waiting all morning for a new pwnisher video. Your videos are the best!

[@pwnisher]

Hahha rock on!!

[@lucaslslopes]

Clint, you've created something awesome here. I usually don't have much trouble with the technical details, it's the artistic process that I'm still trying to find my footing. This was extremely helpful for me.

[@daviddmotion]

Okay, that is awesome. Great storytelling, and the image is outstanding. Congratulations Clint!

[@TheDizzyViper]

Thanks so much for the Shoutout Clint! Im very happy to see you do such great artwork with my maps

[@pwnisher]

Dude always! PuddleMaps for LIFE! Glad you liked it

[@davekeyart7641]

This is my type of ASMR lets just say that. This was very relaxing and educational. Thanks Clint!

[@alexstevenscreativemedia]

Amazing video Clint! The music cues and sfx throughout really added to it.

[@thefinn0tube_]

This is fantastic Clint! Really shows how little things like pebbles and ripples make such a difference in the final piece. Looking forward to the next one

[@LordManhattan]

Pretty amazing how freaking good you are when you're given some actual time. While Corridor Crew is really good at what they do, they tend to "castrate" themselves very often due to time constraints, which doesn't produce the best result - even if it's funny. You, however, can take your time and actually reach peak performance. And it shows.

[@pwnisher]

Man that means so much! I LOVE putting alot of time and effort into projects, buecause they're just so much more rewarding in the end.

[@doohp]

This is really great! I find myself learning the most from tutorials where I can see the workflow of professionals, and this provides exactly that.

[@KillerTacos54]

You’re brilliant Clint. Your videos make me feel so calm

[@crow_music]

LETS GO CLINT

[@khanlakhno2757]

*Казалось бы, причём здесь Ока...*

[@yobi3d]

жрёт мало, запчасти дешевые - владелец просто роботяга, спешил на работу, попал в шторм...

[@user-bb1pn8eo6d]

Да ещё и на японских номерах

[@antonmorozov9939]

For you English speakers - the car in the scene is an "Oka" - a Russian ultra-subcompact or below-A-segment car, ironically manufactured by KamAZ - a famous manufacturer of heavy duty trucks, leading to jokes that Oka is just an infant of a KamAZ truck.

[@lacijunga]

So much work. That's why i appreciate every 3d artists work. I love the feeling i got from watching this video

[@spacerpunk]

Amazing stuff as always, would love to see more of this cinematic renders. Wish you the best man, you are awesome, keep going!

[@anatoly_usachev]

О, ОКА)

[@igorgonzo4242]

Искал коммент

[@user-ut7im9ot4f]

как Ока?

[@anatoly_usachev]

@@user-ut7im9ot4f да нормас вроде

[@user-ut7im9ot4f]

@@anatoly_usachev пракильный ответ: ку ку ку)) ну анекдот такой))

[@anatoly_usachev]

@@user-ut7im9ot4f Ахах

[@TheArtistJ777]

The story is the guy left his driver's license on the oil rig, so he had to take a boat to go get it, but now he just realized that he left his door open and headlights on and his battery is going to go dead. So now he's torn. I knew exactly what you were going for Clint. That's a very deep story. Lol

[@DaveysRoom]

You're killing it Clint. I love the feel and format of this video.

[@adamteeee]

This video is awesome! I'm loving the Chilled out vibes, so much learning and there's a real satisfying result for everyone with that awesome render. Nice work man 👏🏻

[@MrNothing12332]

Love from Kerala

[@WERDAS]

ребят, эта машина - наша ока?

[@damn_thats_art]

Скорее всего да)

[@WERDAS]

@Александр Бабынин понимаю

[@PhilipReber]

Dude, it has been so cool to watch you progress more and more! Wow!

[@AKVisuals]

Rainy and Foggy weather are my most favorite weather, just watching your video made me relaxed haha! Gonna try and replicate this scene once i get my pc. Excellent content Clint ! Big fan of you and the Corridor Crew !

[@svnsls521]

I love how he is jack shit at drawing, then procceeds to make a 3d scene better than anything of the likes of disney

[@cristianleciu6341]

I absolutely loved this video man! Its so inspiring, it just makes me want to work on my projects! Keep up the great work Clint! Its awesome youre doing your own thing on youtube

[@kalixsoul]

I'm astonished. You are one of the rare ones that know these programs so thoroughly you commend matter with your mind. Holy shit.

[@jankokot3537]

Okay im a blender user and i absolutely love the way you created the wind effect with this 3d noise and compositing. So clever.

[@lemonjuce]

I hardly ever comment but - wow - I never expected such storytelling in a VFX tutorial. Your precise inclusion of ambient SFX and suitable choice of soundtrack lifted this to new levels I haven't seen elsewhere. A joy to watch and learn from. Great burp too. Cheers

[@AcousticGuitarDude]

Breathtaking! So inspiring to see how artistically you approached certain things, I use Blender but the concept is the same. This shows that the program is just the tool, what you do with it really matters. Definitely inspired, keep going, and btw your voice is so soothing, really calming in a way.

[@Unknowable_Void]

this is nuts dude, you have really highlighted that you can do so much in after effects to drive the realism. learnt so much here. thank you

[@L1gh]

Super interesting format you did there ! Mixing 3D tips with a moody explanation makes it absorbing ! Sending all my energy to you from France

[@DJFuzzl]

The sound design of your tutorials are incredible. This is often overlook (in this case overheard) and you should be credited for not just the tutorial but also for the little nuances you set with your choice of music and sound effects. It’s a great audio/visual experience. Amazing!

[@ThreeLetterChop]

I love this. Great job with the voiceover and the storytelling throughout.

[@MrBmxerFTW]

these are the types of art videos I love watching, so soothing to watch.

[@rottytravis3491]

It's impressive that even after breaking the scene down step by step and piece by piece, it still looks photo real. Amazing job. And thanks for sharing it

[@BogGnarr]

This is your best video yet imo. Great job Clint.

[@SameRulesApply]

Man, I'm so happy you are making this amazing videos. They are so inspiring. This is art.

[@DaftBastard1]

im currently learning the 3D modelling pipeline on a games design course and i really wasnt sure on how to approach making cutscenes. They haven't mentioned anything on what that process is to us just yet but i imagine Cinema 4D will be involved and this video alone helped me explain my idea to my teacher for a potential final project. You're so good with the way you explain the process i feel like i could sit down and do this right now! Love the render too, you really captured that blustery cold feel

[@samsudinklensjuck3542]

dude, what u just did is super stunning cause the detail u explain in the video!

[@SSBM-Sandwich]

Thanks Clint had a very stressful day and this relaxed me a lot. Thanks

[@mrflyman123456789]

This is incredibly good! Great work Clint!

[@bluetonesblue]

REALLY nice breakdown! I've enjoyed many of your tutes and live-streams, but this is the best I've seen... so far. :D

[@AdarshChandruofficial]

oh my god this is the best video in 3d modelling i have ever watched. Such a great job man !!!!!

[@kylecrumbaker328]

I haven't came across much videos that show the entire breakdown of a project. I learned alot, thanks!

[@LiTTleGaBi21]

This was a joy to watch. The artistic and technical knowledge coming together perfectly. Also, Cape Spear looks beautiful. Your channel is a great source of inspiration since I’m just starting to learn C4D after not using it since high school 10 years ago. I want to be a motion designer but photorealistic renders a really interesting to me, especially the story aspect you can present. Looking forward to more dope renders and maybe tips and tricks videos? Cheers!

[@donkramer4246]

What a lovely video Clint! Great time, and love the ease in your voice and your direct style. Almost meditative. Can't wait to get my new PC so I can start doing this kinda stufg

[@daviakira2526]

amazing video clint, always learning so much with you

[@laserchick4977]

I’m fairly new to 3d and this video definitely helped me realize that not everything has to be made in incredibly high detail and manually making every single aspect one at a time

[@eliprenten7066]

I wasn't aware I could be so relaxed while learning. Actually more focused than ever, not just only relaxed. You really nailed this one!

[@MaxChe]

Just awesome video, Clint! And no less gorgeous work, congratulations, you've got a super realistic render!

[@3DWDatabase]

Amazing work Clint. Just an awesome attention to details that would only be missed if they were NOT there! That is a talent and skill that everyone needs to learn more about! So bravo for filling that need. Keep them coming!