Thunder War 2023 represents the pinnacle of internal talent at Thunder Cloud Studio, with the goal of creating a playground focused on 3D character modeling and stimulating their members’ self-training by the very different new model – Internal Talent Combat Model.
Thunder War 2023: Overall Introduction
Unlike traditional training, Thunder War 2023 utilises a unique “Internal Talent Combat Model” to create a stimulating environment that fosters self-driven learning. Its purpose is to develop top-tier talent by emphasizing not only technical expertise in 3D character modeling but also collaborative teamwork and efficient project management within a competitive, exciting atmosphere.
Thunder War 2023 Workflow
The goal of the competition is not only to enhance modeling characters skill sets but also to improve the team’s ability to work based strictly on professional workflows when producing assets for clients. Therefore, the competition’s process includes criteria and milestones that are closely aligned with production standards, as follows.
Compulsory fixed theme: Tokyo Neon
The key meaning of why the program only set a fixed theme is to train professionalism, participants must follow exactly one theme and strict criteria because Thunder Cloud Studio is a professional game art outsourcing company. This approach underscores the importance of adhering to customer briefs in a real-world context, aiming to exceed client expectations with passion and dedication by fulfilling all specified requirements instead of for criteria benchmark.
Limited Time: only 3 months
Perhaps the most challenging aspect is that teams must leverage their free-time to complete their projects within a fixed 3 months, all while managing their regular, demanding workloads at the company without compromising ongoing customer projects. That’s how strongly their passion is expressed!
The company’s motto, “Fire tests gold, adversity tests resilience,” highlights the belief that only through rigorous challenges can the highest quality outcomes be forged.
Multi-submission milestones based on production stages
When Thunder Cloud Studio works with a substantial workload in 3D character modeling, the company regularly divides it into 3 key milestones throughout the production journey: (1) Concept, (2) High-poly and (3) Final delivery, followed by the workflow of many client projects. Besides, during the production process, there are multiple detailed stages in order to make customers tightly control the final work.
Additionally, in each stage, each team not only gives the normally raw file/data, but also is required to present at its best and preview things like how we deliver for customers to keep track of the final production of that stage. So that see, Thunder Cloud Studio was thoughtful when designing a competition in order to foster the practical skills of personnel to improve production quality.
Milestone 1: Concept design
The first step is to create concept art, which serves as a blueprint for any 3D character modeling projects. However, stopping at the concept stage would only be the beginning. To fully grasp the extent of their success, we must venture into the subsequent phase.
Milestone 2: High-poly stage
The second stage represents a significant advancement towards fulfilling their initial promises, with the high-poly phase serving as tangible evidence of their progress towards product perfection. Remarkably, 5 teams are advancing to the next round, and not all can proceed to this stage with such success.
Milestone 3: Presentation stage
Undeniably, the dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work of the participants shine through, as demonstrated by the persistence of these 5 teams into the final round, where they have surpassed expectations with their achievements. Their results are extremely perfect from modeling character design that closely aligns with the initial concept to the technical execution.
Furthermore, their presentations are comprehensive, featuring not just a single viewpoint but also animations, a variety of backgrounds, numerous showcase videos, and captivating backstories for each team that enhance the distinctiveness and design of their characters.
Result and Reward
The final results of Thunder War 2023 showcase their teams’ outstanding dedication and enthusiasm. Working in their free time, they’ve revealed exceptional dedication, not allowing their project to disrupt their core commitments to their clients. Here are the top 5 best final outcomes.
The Champion – Team Tho Gat
Team Tho Gat Artworks: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/BX849A
Story behind: Set in the year 2222, Tho Gat Team recreates Tokyo – now it is overwhelmed with radiation and crime. Tokyo has become a haven and stronghold for notorious criminal organizations worldwide, a paradise for prostitution, illegal substances, and murder.
The 2nd place – Team Time of New Era
Team Time of New Era Artworks: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/BX849A
The 2nd place – Team Lil Baby Kid
Team Nil Baby Kid Artworks: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/zP3r0D
To show the best practice of 3D character modeling technique, Lil Baby Kid team revolves around Lian, who has been assigned by the Navy Headquarters to Lew City to infiltrate the notorious gang ‘Nil Baby Kid’ to investigate under the alias ‘An Nhiên.’ After three years of undercover work, realizing the time had come, Headquarters issued the order to eliminate the gang.
Let’s see Lian’s modeling character design through the team’s project.
The 3rd place – Team Hard Frog
Starting with 5 members, but only 3 made it through to the final stage, the Hard Frog team still successfully completed their project and won the third prize.
Team Hard Frog Artworks: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/elBL9G
The team creates a lonely girl in post-apocalyptic Japan. She embarks on a journey to travel across various regions, both to enjoy the scenery and to uncover mysteries. Even if the world ends, the dream of adventure keeps rolling on. See her modeling character design by the team below.
The 3rd place – Team Thunder Storm
Team ThunderStorm Artworks: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Kem8JB
The final results of Thunder War 2023 showcase their teams’ outstanding dedication and enthusiasm. Working in their free time, they’ve revealed exceptional dedication, not allowing their project to disrupt their core commitments to their clients. This speaks volumes about their ability to endure tremendous pressure as well as surpass all the company’s expectations. It is with this in mind that Thunder Cloud Studio proudly decides to maintain this arena for creativity and professional development in the future.
Final Finding
In this playground, Thunder Cloud Studio even set a harder bar criteria by not only each member must create their own teams from different departments, but also it’s compulsory to ensure a mix of skill levels from junior to senior within each group. Ultimately, the artists can enhance their 3D character modeling skills, as well as learn how to collaborate smoothly throughout the entire production process, from concept art, modeling to optimization stage. And that is what we are at Thunder Cloud Studio trying to do best.
The aim of this program is to foster holistic growth, encompassing professional, teamwork, and planning abilities, ultimately leading to a more effective and cohesive production process. Each team brought visions to life, pushing the boundaries of game art design and demonstrating the exceptional skills that make our community so special. The journey from initial concepts to final presentations was truly memorable and rewarding.
