Visual effect artist brings Jenga tower to life in mind-boggling video - and reveals exactly how he did it
  • last year
A talented young artist has brought a static Jenga tower to life as a drunken, staggering mess in a mind-boggling VFX video. Self-taught Kei Kanamori, 20, used a range of VFX processes to create the hypnotic video, which shows a Jenga tower staggering after 'one too many' blocks were placed on the top. Kei gave the tower ‘legs’, which trip over and stumble constantly as the swaying object tries to maintain balance, before eventually standing still and returning to normal. He created the unique project after becoming inspired by a motion-capturing class he attended at school. Kei began his visual effects (VFX) journey four years ago when he downloaded free software called 'Blender' that allowed him to create his own 3D images. Since then he has improved his skills using more advanced 3D computer animation and film software, such as Maya and Nuke. He shared the breakdown of how he made the project by first using motion capture to create the realistic movement of the Jenga block. Kei then rigged his own body shape onto the Jenga tower before using motion editing to map out, and finalise, how it will move. He then used simulation, animation and environment modeling software, to create the background and adjusted the lighting, to make it look perfectly real. The entire video is completely made of computer-generated imagery (CGI) - meaning that the Jenga tower, the background objects - and even the hand - are entirely digital.
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