In the fiercely competitive realm of 3D artistry, where innovation and meticulous attention to detail define success, SHED has emerged as a beacon of creativity and collaboration. Their recent triumph at the Creativepool Annual Awards, clinching GOLD for their groundbreaking work in the 3D Companies category, is a testament to their unwavering commitment to excellence.

This interview delves into the inspiration, challenges, and collaborative spirit behind their award-winning work with the help of CG Supervisor Simon-Pierre Légaré, offering a glimpse into what makes SHED a true trailblazer in the 3D industry.

What inspired your award-winning project, and how did you approach it differently from past work?

Our clients already had a clear idea of where they wanted to go with their project when they contacted us. The message they wanted to share was crystal clear and everybody in the team felt right away inspired and emotionally connected to the concept.

As 3D artists, we’re used to giving all kinds of art direction to a project. For this one, we had to make no compromise on the amount of details and realism to ensure the message credibility.

How does winning a Creativepool Annual Award impact your career or your company?

It’s sometimes hard to seize how much an award impacts us but It’s definitely rewarding to get recognition from industry peers. In a way it validates all the hard work we’ve put into the project.

What role did collaboration play in your award-winning project?

Collaboration was key throughout the entire process. 3d is a huge world to understand for people who aren’t used to it and from the beginning we knew it would be quite something to be able to stay flexible throughout the entire process. The trust our clients have put into our team made a huge difference for us and it allowed us to elevate the quality as well as being able to carry the message in the most efficient way.

The Creativepool Awards often introduce new categories to stay relevant. How do you feel your work fits into or redefines emerging categories in the industry and do you have any ideas for categories we could potentially add next year?

Organizing an awards program and finding the right balance in categories must be a tough job—too many categories can feel like just as much of a challenge as too few! For a 3D animation company like ours, we’d definitely love to see more dedicated spaces to showcase our work. Adding separate categories for 3D Animation, 2D Animation, and Motion Design would be great, letting each area shine on its own.

What advice would you give to creatives aspiring to win a Creativepool Annual Award next year?

Surround yourself with talented and passionate people. Make it easy and intuitive for the artists to be able to unleash their creativity without any technical limitations.

What were some of the key challenges you faced during the creation of your award-winning project, and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge on this project was that we had to render highly detailed 3d models in large resolutions while keeping the review process flexible. Digital sculptures like this would traditionally be sculpted as a single piece, similar to carving from a single tree trunk. However, to maintain flexibility and avoid working in a destructive way, we locked the camera and structured the composition early in the process.

From there we developed a workflow that allowed us to project a bunch of characters and props and quickly generate a mesh out of it. We were also generating some procedural wood carving displacement maps that were adding fine details to the model. This approach allowed us to make changes anytime during the project without disrupting the entire process.

What unique tools or technologies did you use in the development of your award-winning entry?

To create this kind of digital sculpture, we chose to work with ZBrush—perhaps a classic choice, but still the most suitable tool for this type of project. For rendering, we relied on Redshift, which performed beautifully.

We also used some in-house tools to break down the image into multiple tiles. Given the resolution of our final image and the high detail of the modeling, this approach was essential; otherwise, rendering it would not have been feasible.

What role do you think awards like the Annual play in motivating creativity and innovation within the industry?

It reminds us that creativity is at the center of it all.

What are your top tips for aspiring creative professionals?

Don’t stay alone in your basement. Creative projects have many facets, and people from all horizons are essential.

When you’re surrounded by highly creative individuals and can overcome the technical barriers that hold them back from reaching their full potential, anything is possible.

How do you stay inspired and continue producing innovative work in such a competitive industry?

I think the most important thing is to stay curious and be able to give yourself the right to try. Failure is sometimes part of the process and we should not be afraid to try and test out new things. That’s what makes you grow and potentially brings you to new ideas and opportunities.

What do you think sets apart truly exceptional creatives apart?

Being able to self-reflect and create room for others to shine. Some people can do it all on their own but when it comes to high-end 3D projects, being able to understand the importance of recognizing each team member’s strengths is key.

From there, you can build a foundation of trust that empowers everyone to contribute their best.

What has been the reaction from your team or colleagues to winning the Creativepool Annual Award?

From the very start, we saw the project's potential, and this award fills us with pride. It motivates us to carry out even more ambitious projects in the future.

What does the Creativepool community mean to you, and how has being part of it influenced your work?

The Creativepool community offers us international visibility, showcasing our readiness to serve the most prestigious and demanding clients and agencies. Being part of it underscores our commitment to excellence and motivates us to push our creative boundaries.

For more on the Creativepool Annual, check out our 2024 winners HERE.