#162 - Cut/daily Meets... 3D Motion Designer Robyn Haddow

Cut/daily Meets... aims to learn from post-production artists from all reaches of the industry and in this instalment Robyn Haddow, a 3D Motion Designer with a specialisation in Fantasy User Interfaces (FUI), who recently completed work on Marvel and Disney+'s Wandavision TV series, shares her wisdom on the creative process.

Wait, what are Fantasy User Interfaces, you ask?

Anytime you see someone in a film or a TV using a piece of technology with a display: TV screen, heads-up display, laptop, phone, table-top control room shenanigans etc. that interface needs to be designed and animated and kept true to the language and style of the show.

That's where someone with Robyn's expertise comes in.

You can see what this all looks like in Robyn's incredibly impressive reel.

As I don't often get the chance to interview FUI designers, I asked these two bonus questions for our edification:

How do you overcome the challenge of developing new ideas as a FUI designer?

I don't put too much pressure or stress on having the ‘right’ ideas. I think there are many ideas that can bring everything together.

It really comes down to the collaboration that happens with the client, creative director, and any other artists on your team that fuels and drives the creative solution.

The collaboration is essential; if something doesn't quite check all the boxes needed for the project at hand, then you can always come up with something else that may work better.

What tools do you rely on to take a project, such as WandaVision, from initial ideas to final deliverables?

I always start out with a very quick sketch, however crude, just to get down all of the initial ideas.

Then, I usually work with cross platform tools, such as Adobe Illustrator and Maxon’s Cinema 4D to generate assets and create the various elements needed.

Ultimately, everything funnels back into After Effects where I can bring all of the elements together, come up with effects, and also generate some procedural graphics for animation.

You can also see Robyn in action in this hour long presentation from NAB New York 2019, as she demonstrates some of her Cinema4D skills.