Summer Update - Upcoming Trailer and Tutorials

You know me... anytime I get silent for a while, it means I'm working on something big. And yes, that is the case this summer too.

Specifically, I am working on a 2-minute trailer featuring the new stylized look of Heroes of Bronze. You are fairly familiar with NPR (non-photorealistic rendering) by now; if not, just scroll back a few posts and discover it for yourself, along with my reasons for switching.

Behind the scenes of my stylized shots

After a few months of testing this style, I think I finally got the hang of it, and currently, I'm finishing several quite complicated shots for the teaser—shots I wouldn't be able to make if I were sticking to the realistic style of rendering. They would simply be too difficult to make look good.

Sea battles, burning cities, huge ancient armies... all that, plus characters finally talking and showing emotions!

What I learned

In the past several months, I have learned a lot about animation, stylization, painting, camera projections, and more.

Thanks to the iClone package and its AccuLips function, I also have the option to make lipsync and then adjust it to my stylized characters. Using the money from this Patreon, I have already hired several voice actors, an I am now animating characters based on their performances.

This possibility to add acting and lipsync to my shots was the last part of the puzzle I really wanted to learn—and thanks to the NPR style, I can finally do it!

If you want to watch my tutorials detailing my journey into the new style, you can find them at my Patreon.

What I plan

I'd like to unveil the trailer at this year's BCON, screening it there at the Lightning Talks.

I really believe that with this style, a longer-format story is possible to make. So, with the trailer in my pocket, I will finally start talking to people with money and try to pitch a pilot to producers.

It will be something new, difficult, and kinda scary for me... but hey, at this point, I just cannot imagine not being able to tell the story of Heroes of Bronze. I've been dreaming about it for almost seven years now and it's time to push that effort to another level.

Talk to you soon, friends. Fingers crossed.

Chairé!

Martin

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Heroes of Bronze in 2025

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Hey everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well! As 2025 approaches, I’m feeling a mix of excitement and determination about what’s ahead. It’s been a long journey getting to this point, and I wanted to share some of the plans I’m working on with you.

Finally Releasing My New Blender Course

It’s been two years in the making, but my Master Cinematic Storytelling in Blender course is finally coming out soon! This has been a real labour of love, and I’ve poured so much into it—everything I’ve learned about creating cinematic 3D art. I can’t wait to share it with you.

More Heroes of Bronze!

  1. I’m planning to publish two more short stories that dive deeper into the Heroes of Bronze world. These stories mean a lot to me, and I’m also starting to prep for a printed edition. Imagine holding the world of Heroes of Bronze in your hands!

  2. On the animation side, I’ll be starting to work on a brand-new short film for Heroes of Bronze. Getting back into animated storytelling feels like coming home.

  3. I’m also planning to build a dedicated team to help with future projects. It’s time to bring more people on board to make these ideas even better…

Some Ideas I’m Considering…

I’ve got a few more things in mind that I’m playing around with:

  • A Heroes of Bronze YouTube Channel: This would focus on educational and narrative videos about ancient Greece. It’s something I think could be really fun and valuable.

  • Non-Photorealistic Rendering (NPR): I’ve been thinking about experimenting with this style for storytelling. It’s different from the photorealistic approach I’ve been using, but it could open up some great creative opportunities.

  • A Heroes of Bronze Comic Book: How cool would it be to see Heroes of Bronze in comic form? I’m considering hiring an artist to help bring this idea to life.

Staying Grounded

With all these plans and ideas, the biggest challenge is staying focused and not overloading myself. I’ve spent a lot of time building the world of Heroes of Bronze, and I’m so excited to get back into creating animated art and stories again in 2025.

What Do You Think?

I’d love to know which of these projects excites you the most. Your thoughts and support mean the world to me, and I’m always grateful for your feedback.

Here’s to a creative and inspiring 2025. Thank you for being part of this journey…

Chairé!
Martin

Heroes of Bronze & the future of the project

Heroes of Bronze & the future of the project

Hello friends!

after the release of the shortfilm, I finally enjoyed some rest. Also, I had some time to think about the future of the project. Already, I can tell you it will be an interesting year for Heroes of Bronze.

“The Memory” shortfilm is still going strong, with over 600 000 views and hundreds of comments. I am so glad that audience all over the world is enjoying the video! I’ll mention it again - SHARING and COMMENTING is the best way you can help the short film to spread. So thank you again for your help! 🤗 All the feedback just made me more eager to continue this project with more stories set in the Greco-Persian war period.

Heroes of Bronze shortfilm is coming in 14 days!

Heroes of Bronze shortfilm is coming in 14 days!

It has been a loong process to get to this stage. From the initial ideation and concepting, to creating assets and 3D pipeline, and finally animating, rendering and editing the shots - it took me about 4 years from start to finish. These past few months I’ve been able to work on it almost full-time, finally bringing the 6-minute short to a stage where I feel (somewhat) confident presenting it to the world.

Summer News! Entering the final stages

Summer News! Entering the final stages

Hello friends, long time no post, I know…

Though, as you may have surmised from my activity at Instagram, I have entered the final stages of postproduction for Heroes of Bronze. Everything from compositing to music and SFX is being done right now. I am preparing for the final stretch of the creation of this shortfilm project. And let me tell you, I’m growing more excited and anxious everyday 😁

There are too many updates to mention them all since I last posted a news entry. It is safe to say though that I’ve advanced A LOT over the months. Over 70 percent of the shots are now rendered and every day, I am progressing further and further towards the final result. A lot of tweaking and improvement is still needed, but I am on it, one shot at a time.

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Christmas News! Rendering final shots + new tutorials and breakdowns

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Christmas News! Rendering final shots + new tutorials and breakdowns

Hey there everybody, Martin here,

back with the latest news from the world of Heroes of Bronze. I am pleased to say that - besides the regular 3D grind - I’ve been able to make progress in some other, vital parts of the project. First music tests, which I will hopefully be able to reveal in the near future, are being made by my composer Richard Albert and I’ve been able to record some first voiceovers with the actress I’ve picked for the short film. More info in the following months.

Anyway, by far the biggest part of the current process is rendering and animating characters, compositing and generally putting everything together. And while this is the very final stage of video creation, I don’t dare give you any specific release date just yet. I want to make this really great, and if need be, I will take some extra time for polishing.

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November News! New video, tutorials and story pages...

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November News! New video, tutorials and story pages...

Hey there friends, Martin here,

many of you are probably wondering when is the Heroes of Bronze shortfilm finally going to come out. Well, the thing is, while the basic idea for the film remains the same, its actual look has changed quite dramatically recently. The reason for that is the fact that some time ago I’ve finally received my Rokoko motion capture suit and after a few months of tinkering, I learned how to use it to create shots… well, like this:

October News! Illustrated Storybook and Historical Reconstructions

October News! Illustrated Storybook and Historical Reconstructions

Hey there friends, Martin here.

I’ve been very busy with moving to a new flat, adjusting my computer setup, and a lot of other changes in my life. However, I found some time for Heroes. Let’s start with the biggest render. Architectural reconstructions are an important part of the project and only now I feel confident enough with Blender to really dive deep into this topic. And since I am planning to briefly show the Winter capital of Darius the Great, the magnificent city of Susa, I wanted to model it.

October News! Teaser #2 is coming, finished new tutorial series and more...

Hey there friends!

The Heroes of Bronze project is proceeding slower than I expected, mainly due to several new upcoming projects, some of which I will be releasing before the end of the year. Yep, there will be a new CGBoost course, so that is taking up most of my time now.

Still, every day for at least a bit, I am able to push new shots for HoB, so the new teaser is definitely coming, only later than expect :-)

In the meantime, I have finished up this series of tutorials focusing on Hair & Beard creation in Blender. Watch the whole playlist here:

Also, I made this piece just for fun, to test the Mixer Brush in Photoshop, painting over 3D render to make it look painterly :-) It is a a moment set around the events of Battle of Cunaxa (401 BC) from the March of Ten Thousand .

The idea behind it was: the phalanx just ran a good distance, trying to get from the reach of Persian arrows. After retaining order, they are forming up behind their commander who took the lead, encountering one of the group of Immortals in the process.I figured there would be chaos going on at that moment,before they formed a line again, giving space for an almost duel-like moment to ensue.

Much more info coming next month!

Chairé!

Martin