Behind the Magic: Nine to Five Aircraft Art Production

This impressive piece was created as part of an art production project by the Magic Media team. We crafted 3D art for the unique shooter, Nine to Five, which pits three groups of three against each other in all-out, intense multiplayer action.

The unique design of this particular aircraft was inspired by real-life designs but with Magic Media’s spin on it. This art production was a real test of the team’s skills. While using real-life aircraft at the beginning of the project was undeniably valuable, it was pivotal for us to mold it into something truly unique for our client.

Design Inspiration

The initial inspiration for this art production was real-life tiltrotor aircraft. These aircraft are unique in that they can fly vertically and horizontally at high speeds, combining aspects of airplanes’ and helicopters’ functionality. This helped us form the initial basis of our design thanks to existing reference images of real-life tiltrotor aircraft.

We did, however, make some significant changes to the overall design for this art production compared to the existing aircraft. The Magic Media team’s aircraft for Nine to Five is sleeker to suggest it has a higher capacity for attaining fast speeds, which is suitable for Nine to Five’s genre.

3D Art Production Tools

To refine the existing version of the tiltrotor aircraft for this art production, the team employed a range of tools to put the Magic Media stamp on it. The base model was crafted using 3ds Max, an industry standard within gaming. Despite Nine to Five’s backdrop being that of militaristic corporations running society in a far-flung future, we opted to go against the obvious direction of a military aesthetic and went in a different direction.

We had the idea of texturing and coloring the aircraft as if it was a delivery service for military personnel. Using striking black and yellow colors, choice of font, and naming, we juxtaposed the modern delivery service with something far more sinister and deadly. This texture was created using Adobe Photoshop and applied to the model using ZBrush.

Delivering the Final Work

When we submitted the final version of this art production, the client couldn’t have been happier with our work. We’re always open and receptive to client feedback, but on this occasion, the client was completely satisfied with the aircraft and we received no requests for changes.

Submitting flawless work that the client was satisfied with on the first attempt isn’t a common occurrence, but we can attribute the success of this art production to the Magic Media team’s 3D game art expertize and experience. From day one of this art production, we sought to understand the client’s needs as quickly as possible, and this is reflected in our final work.

At Magic Media we are veterans of the gaming, tech and entertainment industries, offering comprehensive services including game development, VFX, animation and full art services! Our main goal is to provide a one-stop solution for any project. We love nothing more than collaborating with creative minds, so drop us a line and let’s talk!

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