
A Miniature 3D World
In some downtime I decided to make a mini city diorama in C4D. I have had quite a few requests and also seen a rise in the popularity of highly stylised isometric cities for various motion graphics pieces. I wanted my city to have a distinctly Japanese feel, so I gathered reference images of buildings from Japanese cities to begin my design and build process. You can see the process from photo to model below.
Reference to model



Animation Stage
I wanted to keep the turnaround time short but still inject the scene with life and movement in every shot. So I made a simple fountain in the corner of the park, as well as cars stopping at and crossing an intersection.
Other points I used to bring some interest are the textured roofs, the tactile look of the trees and bushes, and the fluffy VDB clouds floating overhead.
I tried other colour ways but I felt like the pink tones were warm and gave the right personality for the project.
The animation style is cute and naïve, which plays into the 'mini world' aesthetic developed at the design stage. The soft lighting and restricted palette give the overall look a refined feel, even if the modelling is reasonably simple.


A simple approach like this means a film can have a high-end looking 3D aesthetic without excessive turnaround times. It also provides a set of assets that can be re-used at multiple angles and in endless colour ways and lighting/studio set ups. More value for your budget!
Would you like a beautifully simply 3D diorama to explain your project or product?
to drop me a line with your ideas!