Interview with Kyusang Cho

THE METROPOLIS

The title of my portfolio is THE METROPOLIS.

Since I wanted to specialize in matte painting and compositing, I wanted to create a vision of futuristic cities that do not currently exist and showcase them through matte painting.

The overall production process was storyboarding → car modeling → previs → car UV mapping → car texturing. At the same time, I began working on the matte painting for the first scene.

After completing the matte painting for the first scene, I moved on to Maya projection and car rendering tests, including lighting and SIBL. I then brought together the matte painting image, Maya box modeling for projection, blue matte, car passes, and smoke created with Maya Fluid, and composited everything in NUKE. Finally, I added fog using video footage to create more depth and atmosphere in the foreground.

The remaining scenes were created using similar techniques. There were many more details and processes involved, but it would be difficult to explain every single step, so I have focused on the main stages of production.

While working on my portfolio, I realized that one of the most important things is to decide which area you want to specialize in and create a storyboard that reflects that direction. Since each department has different expectations for a portfolio, planning your storyboard and production process according to the area you want to pursue can help reduce unnecessary work and allow you to complete your portfolio more efficiently.

In my case, the first scene took the most time and effort to complete. It took the longest and went through the most revisions. However, once I finished the first scene, the rest of the scenes became much easier to work on. Rather than trying to make everything perfect from the beginning, I found that completing one scene first gave me a much better understanding of how to approach the rest of the portfolio.

I have never been very good at planning ahead, so the production process took longer than expected and was quite challenging at times. I would recommend making a detailed schedule from the beginning and managing your time carefully. If you run into difficulties, don't hesitate to actively ask your instructors for help. They won't bite! ^^

I also recommend making lots of friends during the workshop. Sharing information about your work and taking some time to chat with each other can actually help you stay motivated. If you work nonstop without taking a break, your progress may slow down, and you might feel like you're going to turn into a pile of ashes. Haha.

For me, SF Film School was a place that helped me stay focused and work consistently, especially since I was the type of person who absolutely hated working at home and rarely wanted to do it. It was also a place where I was able to meet many great people.

Looking back, I think I have more regrets than feelings of satisfaction. I have some regrets about the final result, and I also wish I had gotten to know more people. Most of all, it is sad knowing that I had to say goodbye to the instructors and the friends I worked with.ㅠㅠ

But now that I think about it, all those moments—getting frustrated while working, staying up all night, and even falling asleep at my desk—have become good memories.

I am truly grateful to everyone who helped me learn so much and meet so many wonderful people along the way.