![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/4f931a68-c6ae-48e4-b84c-c1e772991ac3_rw_3840.jpg?h=964a999a7d7727ad6542730afc299129)
I got so inspired by the release of the TMNT: Mutant Mayhem trailer last week I called up my friend Dan Crossan and said we HAD to do a tribute. It reminded me how they were a part of my life growing up so I decided to put my own spin on them. The trailer is one of those "Damn, I wish I'd worked on that" moments.
I took this opportunity to experiment more with an animated manga look and try a few more techniques. In particular the stepped animation look, which is that staccato in-betweeny look. Kind of a simple technique with a great result. Characters and environments are all built in 3D, FX are 2D and for the first time, I used MidJourney to create the sky. A useful little time saving technique there, even though it needed some hand drawn adjustments and I also had this weird guilt while I was using it.
Character model: Sketchfab
Art: Dan Crossan
Environments: Kitbash3D
Render engine: Arnold Toon shader
Mocap: Rokoko mocap
Software: Maxon C4D / Adobe After Effects
This is totally a non-commercial, personal project no affiliation with the actual TMNT unfortunately.
I took this opportunity to experiment more with an animated manga look and try a few more techniques. In particular the stepped animation look, which is that staccato in-betweeny look. Kind of a simple technique with a great result. Characters and environments are all built in 3D, FX are 2D and for the first time, I used MidJourney to create the sky. A useful little time saving technique there, even though it needed some hand drawn adjustments and I also had this weird guilt while I was using it.
Character model: Sketchfab
Art: Dan Crossan
Environments: Kitbash3D
Render engine: Arnold Toon shader
Mocap: Rokoko mocap
Software: Maxon C4D / Adobe After Effects
This is totally a non-commercial, personal project no affiliation with the actual TMNT unfortunately.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/28d10b2b-34e1-432a-bbd6-cd6c0cf71c1a_rw_3840.jpg?h=9c2456d85e1d0c201a479785eebbd517)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/4ab2f098-f3fe-4017-bdfc-1bd9cb59c33a_rw_3840.jpg?h=39d2fcda37adad01cb7927cc91a9c875)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/dfb40756-ca6f-47b1-afa5-b0294de1eee8_rw_3840.jpg?h=32114ad0e1c2d6b3821b3b2d044ab37d)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/c84987a8-f568-45de-8c88-fa73e344bb8f_rw_3840.jpg?h=2d04f084ba03f9422f8d3a646968674a)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/3eb28c42-721c-4c4d-9792-fdb0808c6735_rw_3840.jpg?h=96f75e27ee17f147e49efc0c7e44427d)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/a9966ac0-01b3-47bb-b2f3-ab6799b7d263_rw_3840.jpg?h=448e66a532154e5a656670aac9f31dce)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/e0cbd4a4-775b-4c33-8b88-0200be646d79_rw_3840.jpg?h=f1017ec75299db47a5051f64b7d7042b)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/3166c9ab-6d7a-48a5-ae39-b39319a13149_rw_3840.jpg?h=811230975352a0c6bf3b522bc0d5bb48)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/71de4e74-6580-435a-9c0f-338b97b8ab2d_rw_3840.jpg?h=d1b15f5f64a472d7b2dd5ce489c924ba)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/273ae928-827a-4cdd-aac3-f963380ce3cb_rw_3840.jpg?h=9701e6db6d3cd965736be8f5c23928c0)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/61b75059-82f5-47b7-88cb-ec4565ed5596_rw_3840.jpg?h=df1081946b82f07dcef2696f7b7dc932)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/8c4c06fd-f7c4-4d87-9c2d-6452e66bef95_rw_3840.jpg?h=9c69a53638da5be42563c2f0ce0404da)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/3d5e5274-ca76-4bea-ae5d-7ab3422dc496_rw_3840.jpg?h=a0ed3d478e01c894db82147007816c6f)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/4fdc43a6-e7bb-41c9-b195-b5aa774d34d5_rw_1920.jpg?h=05b309c9de1ce13299fb571224bf282e)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/00f0cd48-da6f-48f1-b247-a649b0810317_rw_1920.jpg?h=28b40a1ae55ec17e731acbf498b8aeeb)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/55fa1dce-20ef-48d2-9427-d4a6de7a20f7_rw_1920.jpg?h=617d796c7b665b71d2290be50fedd077)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/1c7c1e5e-ec6f-4484-be65-9a9b44e4fed5_rw_1920.jpg?h=f485ce5f3f026f86329d1de818952143)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/3bbff2f7-1c1d-46dd-9f3d-a4a7d9679480_rw_3840.jpg?h=c87923e8515f09d6e63903d23e7171e5)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/4a4b4a24-c783-4d6c-a149-44de245b624a_rw_3840.jpg?h=27e2f5efd2faf4a6f6bc667cb6f787d3)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/9e75fcdf-a349-4cd7-8450-77d6ae9c044c_rw_3840.jpg?h=4b56a74f2d24e504ed09121533b827e4)
Behind The Scenes
Below is an animatic which shows off the stepped animation technique more.
And below that is the insane cel shader I built to get that look on the green skin.
Below is an animatic which shows off the stepped animation technique more.
And below that is the insane cel shader I built to get that look on the green skin.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/ce42a0874119d447e2709aa26c2249c6/fcaf9bdd-2f01-4544-a006-87b419bb9cdb_rw_1920.jpg?h=7064caec730be9978b24a17d61c9092d)