On May 3, Ntropic Creative Director and Founder Nate Robinson and artist Marco Brambilla showed a different side of Autodesk Flame and Autodesk Maya with “Creation,” the conclusion to Brambilla’s 3D video collage “[Megaplex]” trilogy. With a total of 1500 visual elements from iconic films, the duo tested the technological boundaries to create the extraordinary 3D visual effects for “Creation.” The stunning exhibit filled the pews of the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral.

As described by the artist, “Creation” takes the viewer on a spiraling trajectory that begins with a big bang and continues through embryonic inception, idyllic Eden-like bliss and decadences, and culminates in annihilation – only then to re-invent itself. Throughout the video, several images form a hyper-realistic landscape of clouds, meadows and burning cityscapes, against which the cycle of the human endeavor unfolds.

“‘Creation’ is a fitting finale to Marco’s trilogy; it’s a masterwork that tells an engaging story through a collage of artfully curated visual moments,” said Robinson. “We pushed the technology to the limit to create an immersive 3D art experience and applied some of the same techniques and tools that we use on commercial and music video projects to help realize Marco’s vision.”

The Ntropic team leaned on the stereoscopic toolset in Autodesk Flame. To create a cohesive narrative from 1500 video clips, Ntropic custom designed a digital rotoscoping (an animation technique where artists trace over footage to then use in live-action and animated films) pipeline with Flame at the core. The team also relied extensively on Maya to create a high volume of 3D elements that appear throughout the film.

“Creation” is the third in a trilogy of 3D videos that started with “Civilization (Megaplex)” 2008 and “Evolution (Megaplex),” 2010.