In Chladni, sound shapes a unique world. Timothy Motion utilized Marvelous Designer’s fast fabric simulations and creative tools to bring this vision to life.

Interview with Timothy Motion | Chladni | Art Director

We'd like to get to know you better, can you tell us a little about yourself?

Timothy:

the head of Timothy Motion and producer of CHLADNI, established the Timothy Motion in Taipei in 2013. Comprised of a passionate group of young individuals, Timothy Motion is a creative team known for its diverse and magnificent style of work. Each creation delivers an astonishing visual feast, garnering numerous awards both domestically and internationally. Have spearheaded several major projects in Taiwan, including multiple Golden Bell Awards, the World University Games, League of Legends (LOL), and ASUS events. Timothy Motion is recognized as a comprehensive visual production company.

Xite: Concept Designer / Art Director。

Specialized in 3D visual arts, abstract concept visualization, character design, and creating atmospheres for scenes and world-building. Often interprets religious art through digital art. Has been involved in various music video productions and executed visual projects for renowned brands. Notable visual projects include contributions to the Golden Melody Awards, Golden Bell Awards ceremony animations, participation in MV productions for various Korean artists and Kpop groups, promotional videos for SM Entertainment in Korea, OZI album production, MVs for Sunset Rollercoaster and Bisiugroup, and animation design for the League of Legends Spirit Blossom Festival. In addition to commercial projects, has engaged in conceptual art creation, with personal works earning nominations in multiple international film festivals and winning the 2018 Red Dot Design Award.

Tell us about the project - Chladni

In a world called Chladni, everything is governed by sound frequencies. All things are influenced by the patterns of audio vibrations, developing diverse ecosystems, cultures, and religions. Chladni functions like a living organism, with the pulsating rhythms of audio impacting the flow of energy in this world, creating a unique ecological system. The atmosphere, bodies of water, and mountains are all influenced and incorporate the behavior of audio waves.

Deceased life forms sprout lichen flowers (fungi) with audio wave patterns, decomposing and returning to nature, as no life can resist the influence. Most animals develop organs with audio wave patterns, and the Chladni people are naturally attuned to the flow of audio. This innate quality led the Chladni to invent devices that can concrete audio for communication after significant technological advancements. This allowed the naturally audio-sensitive population to communicate more efficiently and master technology derived from audio.

Communication using audio masks requires special locks to seal off the five Senses besides hearing, enabling users to concentrate on perceiving audio. This method is highly efficient, and conveyed information becomes more data-driven. Over several generations, the ability to express emotions by using facial features disappeared, leading to increased alienation among individuals. Those in distress cannot cry, and all emotions cannot be expressed directly, making mutual understanding more challenging. Conflict persists among individuals unable to express emotions, and the community gradually descends into fragmentation.

With the emotions lacking, people can not build strong relationships, neither or true love, and gradually, even marriage ceremonies are canceled.

somewhere in Chladni, there is a tribe of sound waves. Zaid and Cali are rare true loves in the tribe, but Cali's unexpected death prevents the two from being united. So Zaid requests the elders to grant him a wedding ring and not stop him from entering the fire purification at the funeral ceremony. He hopes to fulfill the commitment to marry Cali under the witness of the gods, even though this ceremony has been forgotten.

Zaid becomes the executor of this funeral ceremony, bringing Cali through the river full of corpses to the city of furnaces where bodies can be purified. Looking at the ring box in his hand, Zaid is determined to pass through the flames to reach the temple of Cladni. In the end, under the witness of the gods, Zaid uses the special ring to complete the wedding ceremony. Whether it is his persistence in love that touches the gods or his strong longing, the genetic lock binding the Chladni people is opened. He successfully opens his eyes and regains the ability to express emotions.

Why did you decide to use Marvelous Designer? How did it help you serve art direction?

Marvelous Designer allows for quick simulation of various fabric effects without retopology model, compensating for the manpower shortage issue of the rigging. Additionally, it enables rapid modification of clothing patterns in coordination with concept artists, saving a significant amount of time and cost.

Can you give us a quick overview of the different tools used in your pipeline?

We also use Marmoset Toolbag4/Maya/SubstancePainter/Photoshop in clothing production.

What are some of the other features of Marvelous Designer that you used to make this film and how are you using them?

Special thanks to the UV feature built into Marvelous Designer, which helps with subsequent texture painting in Substance Painter.

Are there any tips and tricks with Marvelous Designer that you can share with the community?

When exporting models with animations from other 3D software, remember not to have keyframes on joints regarding position information.

Could you describe your overall experience of the use of the Marvelous Designer?

The experience is smooth and stable, allowing for quick clothing creation even without prior knowledge of fashion design. There are also abundant online tutorials and resources available.

by Timothy Motion
Behance