Interview with Sora Shin

I decided to create a helicopter after seeing a 3D helicopter video, and I chose to model the Comanche helicopter. The overall workflow was Modeling > Texturing > Lighting > Rendering > Compositing.

Since I had to consider the helicopter’s movement and flight path within the video, it was difficult to find footage that matched the helicopter. For the opening background, I couldn’t find suitable footage, so I used an HDRI as the background instead.

After compositing in Nuke, I used plugins in After Effects for color correction. I also created the heat distortion effect around the helicopter’s exhaust in After Effects.

I think it is important to clearly decide which part of the project you want to focus on and plan your work accordingly. If you choose your area of focus from the beginning, you can highlight it later when presenting your portfolio. I didn’t decide on a specific area at the beginning, so that is something I regret. I also think preparing plenty of reference materials before starting the work can help reduce the overall production time. If you listen carefully to your instructors, you can achieve results that are even better than what you initially imagined.

While working on a portfolio, there are many times when you get stuck or feel mentally exhausted. However, I hope you don’t give up and keep going by thinking about your future self. If you run into something you don’t know, ask your friends, classmates, or instructors and learn as you go. Finding solutions this way can save a lot of time. I also think it is important to keep working consistently, even if it is only a little at a time.

This was a place that helped me make a new beginning and where I was able to meet many great people. It was also a place where I realized how much I still had to learn. Seeing everyone working so hard gave me a lot of motivation, and while attending the workshop, I realized that there were many truly talented people around me.

When I first came here, it felt like the end was nowhere in sight, but somehow, I finally made it to the end. I’m really proud that I was able to complete my portfolio. When I first started, I kept thinking, “I want to finish and move on as quickly as possible,” but now that I’m actually getting ready to leave, I feel nervous and a little scared.

I’m truly grateful to all my friends, classmates, and instructors who helped me whenever things got difficult.