Componente Studio Digital Design and New Media Studio

The Mind

Date: September 2023

About the Project

The Mind is a captivating audiovisual journey that delves into the abstract, infinite universes within the human mind. This project reveals the complexities of inner duality through a meticulous blend of artistic vision and technical expertise. By merging digital world design with procedural material creation, we crafted an immersive aesthetic experience unlike any other.

At its core, The Mind is a procedural asset and material library, built using a range of cutting-edge software tools. Our goal is to bring these assets to life in a short animation that transports viewers through otherworldly landscapes, beyond the boundaries of reality. This ambitious project was conceived and developed by Ethan Nava and Lorenza Heredia, who together conceptualized, designed digital assets, created materials, built entire worlds, and managed everything from sound design to storyboarding and the final animation montage.

We utilized a powerful suite of software, including Houdini, Blender, Unreal Engine, Ableton Live, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Photoshop. The collaboration between two artists with distinct backgrounds allowed us to combine our skills, defining a procedural workflow that drove the project's creative process.

The Story and Narrative

The concept for The Mind grew from our desire to transform what we thought existed only in our imaginations into a tangible, visual experience. By designing our own assets and materials, we developed a narrative set in multiple small worlds, each with its own unique environment and character. Through intentional camera movements and rich sound design, we immersed the audience in these surreal landscapes.

Sound Design

For the sound design, we collaborated with the immensely talented musician and producer Patricio Pous, who composed and brought the animation’s music to life. His work became the thread connecting each scene, giving the animation continuity and emotional resonance. We also recorded our own foley to create atmospheres that enhanced the objects’ personalities, further immersing the viewer in each world.

Concept Art and WorldBuilding

The asset creation process began with concept sketches that laid the foundation for how each element would look and function. From these sketches, we created digital assets, which formed the backbone of the animation’s narrative. The aim of the animation was to showcase the versatility and scalability of these assets, achieved through procedural workflows that allowed for efficient design and flexibility.

The Mind Asset Library

Our asset and material library is divided into two main sections: assets and materials.

The assets, created using Houdini VFX, consist of eight unique types: Leonos, Perlos, Keras, Donaz, Lazuli, Fungi, Tubis, and Islands. Each asset features programmable sliders and parameters, allowing us to modify and shape their appearance, resulting in endless variations. Since these digital assets are procedural, the possibilities are virtually limitless, enabling us to generate numerous distinctive iterations.

The materials, on the other hand, were developed using Blender’s Cycles and Unreal Engine, with the aid of geometry nodes that allowed us to procedurally create and customize each material. We built thirty unique materials, divided into three categories: abstract, fresnel, and glass. These materials add depth and texture to our worlds, each carefully crafted to complement the assets and bring the animation's surreal landscapes to life.

Digital Design and New Media