Our M1X team was faced with the challenge of creating a 3D character for KYIVSTAR's advertising project - Domi, a cute robot who would become the star of many of the company's commercials. This case study explores the process of creating the character "Domi" - from the initial concept to the final model.
The process started with a brainstorming session and the idea of creating a unique robot that was cute, friendly and had a unique character. We started looking for a shape, a style. Several concept artists created a series of concept art showing different variations of Domi's appearance.
However, after a series of discussions, the team decided that the desired result required not just an artist, but a 3D designer specialising solely in robots.
This stage involved many options and iterations before a concept was chosen that fully captured the spirit and personality of Domi's character.
It was only after much discussion and analysis of every detail that the team was able to find the "personality" that would make Domi not just a robot, but an unforgettable character with its own unique emotional background.
The first step was to create the base textures that defined Domi's overall style and appearance. The artists began the lookdev process by applying base colours, materials and textures to the model. They took into account the lighting and atmosphere of the project at the time, so that the character would look natural and match the overall style of the project.
Substance Painter allowed the team to quickly create and edit textures directly on the model, allowing them to quickly experiment with different options and find the optimal look for Domi.
Once the texturing process was complete, Domi's character had a unique look that reflected his character and personality, making him a unique and memorable character.
Once the modeling was complete, Domi's rigging was developed, an internal structure that allows the animators to control the character's movements and expressions. The rigging was designed with the animators in mind to provide quality control over the character's body.
The first thing we did was research to understand what kind of emotions we wanted the robot to express and what they should look like on the face screen. We studied the facial expressions and interfaces of other robots. We then created conceptual sketches of the emotions that would be displayed on the screen.
Once the concepts were approved, our designers began working on the graphic design of the emotions. This involved using programmes such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Basic emotions such as happiness, sadness, surprise, anger and others were developed.
Creating a robot that is expensive in terms of perception requires careful attention to detail at every stage of the work. A high-quality model, realistic textures, well-thought-out materials and competent lighting allowed us to achieve excellent results and made our robot really attractive.
It starts with careful scene planning and footage capture, where every frame is thought out to the smallest detail. The robot's animation stage is where its unique look and movements are born, which are then brought to life on screen.
Composition of layers, color and light matching, use of masks and alpha channels - all this helps to achieve harmony between the virtual and real worlds.
Post-processing adds the final touches, enhances realism with visual effects and ends with overall color correction. The final step is final proofing and rendering, where each frame goes through a rigorous evaluation to ensure that it matches the idea.
This creative process requires the interaction of many specialists, but the result is worth it - the viewers see on the screen what was once only an idea in the artists' heads. In this way, step by step, we realize the most daring and ambitious ideas, creating worlds where the boundaries between reality and fantasy are blurred.
The process of creating this character demonstrated the importance of creativity, technical skill, and teamwork to achieve high quality.