Work in Progress - Hypnotia: Project and Case Study

RnD and Colour Explorations

Rigging Process and Flower Dynamics

Water Drops Puzzle Matte

Role: Director & CG Artist

Tools: C4D, Redshift

Hypnotia is a speculative project in which I set out to develop the concept and create a short mood film for a fragrance. The goal was to present a realistic product that resonates with a high-end audience, using emotion-driven storytelling. The idea was born from a fascination with how scent influences human emotion. Fragrances have the power to bypass rational thought and trigger visceral responses, attracting or repelling instinctively, sometimes without explanation.

At the core of Hypnotia lies a fictional key ingredient: an alluring yet toxic bloom known as Orchidae Hypnoxia. Discovered in the deep expanse of the Zyphora Desert, this rare flower is famed for its dangerously captivating aroma, inducing vivid hallucinations and, in some cases, temporary blindness. IV Labs has perfected a method to neutralize the flower’s toxic properties, distilling only its essence into a wearable fragrance.

A bright burst of blood orange opens into a smoky, spiced floral heart, before settling into a warm, earthy blend of amber for an animalic finish.

Treatment

The visual approach for Hypnotia aimed to reflect the fragrance's dual nature - seductive yet dangerous - through surreal, cinematographic and sensory-driven imagery. Using heavy blur, depth of field, and flowing petal-like frames, the visuals evoke a dreamlike, hypnotic atmosphere. Elements float in abstract space, with transitions enhanced by light leaks and distortions to mimic a psychedelic experience.

Animation further explores this mood: green plant tendrils wrap the perfume bottle with intention, mimicking a snake-like movement, hinting at beauty, danger and transformation; the camera drifts with a loose, dreamy cadence.

RnD

I began the process by exploring several possible visual directions. Through R&D and iterative experimentation, I developed a series of rough styleframes that helped define the project’s final look and informed the storyboard.

A number of color tests were made before arriving at the final palette. The dominant use of red was a deliberate choice, not only for its visual impact but also for its subconscious and cultural associations. In many cultures, red is linked to danger, desire, and toxicity.

Technical Approach & Challenges

Throughout production, a key priority was maintaining creative control without compromising render performance. Several technical hurdles had to be addressed to balance visual quality, flexibility in post, and efficiency.

Water Droplets & Screen FX
To simulate water droplets on the virtual lens while keeping preview and render times manageable, I developed a custom solution using a cloner with drops on a plane.

I rendered a pass of the flower shot without the drops first, and in a new file placed it on a plane as an animated sequence. Still and sliding drops were placed on it, and animated by cloning on a spline to define their path.

The droplets were then rendered with a puzzle matte pass, giving full control in compositing. This method allowed for art-directed droplet placement and interaction, while keeping geometry and simulation overhead minimal.

TBC