"ARCHE" Offers A Surreal, CGI Take On The Creation Myth

- "ARCHE" is your first full CGI video, but have you worked with CGI or computer graphics in the past? What prior projects have you completed? As far as 2D is concerned, I’m fairly well-versed. I’ve done a number of...

by Zach Sokol

May 14, 2014, 6:50pm

ARCHE, a CGI short directed by Gian Mazcour, proves that what you studied in college doesn't effect where you end up working, though it may certainly influence you along the way. The animated video is Mazcour's first 3D video, and was partially inspired by the classic and medieval literature he studied in university. ARCHE may be his first full CGI work, but its sharpness and visually prowess suggests otherwise.

The minute-long video follows a Big Bang-like explosion that yields dynamic forms that shape into a soaring raven, which then breaks apart into thousands of colorful birds. "I've always had a keen interest in creation myths, origin stories, and the pre-modern world," Mazcour told The Creators Project. His interpretation of evolution is a surreal tour de force that even rivals the Noah creation scene, at a fraction of the budget.

Mazcour has plenty of experience in 2D, including commercial and fashion projects, but CGI is a new venture for the artist. "You play God in 3D," he said. "But within the laws of physics. A little structure is always helpful. Be that as it may, I dislike pixels because they are finite. Why make computer programs that live by the same dreary rules of the human condition?"

To complete ARCHE, he used a whole swath of modeling technology, including Houdini, 3DS Max, Nuke, Baselight, AfterEffects, and more with the help of a technical director, compositor, and editor. Though he personally had no formal background in design, the team helped bring his vision to life. "It hasn’t been without its challenges," Mazcour explained. "Learning anything late leaves one with lacunae, like the student who mouths words as he reads in silence."

The artists added the note that "Art should be magic; a game; a clever deceit; not a lesson." Though ARCHE by no means follows traditional creation mythology, it certainly does inspire a sense of magical wonder. Watch the clip above, and see some stills from the pre-production stages below: