Project Overview

“Short and Sweet” is a stylized 3D animation project created by Ian Robinson (@IRSculpts) and Daniel Hashimoto (@ActionMovieDad). The piece pays homage to classic stop-motion holiday films, translating the look of felt puppets and hand-animated motion into a fully digital workflow.

The project was completed in under two weeks using Maxon ZBrush, Cinema 4D, Redshift, and After Effects, demonstrating how these tools function together in a production-ready pipeline for character animation.

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Creative Direction and Intent

The goal was not realism but physical believability.

The artists drew inspiration from vintage stop-motion productions known for:

• Felt and fiber textures
• Visible imperfections
• Slightly uneven, hand-crafted motion

Rather than recreating stop motion literally, the team focused on capturing its visual language, scale, surface quality, and timing inside a modern 3D environment.

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Character Sculpting and Retopology in ZBrush

Ian Robinson handled the character design and sculpting phase using Maxon ZBrush.

The yeti character was:

• Sculpted rapidly with a clear design target
• Refined through a single feedback pass
• Retopologized directly inside ZBrush

Completing retopology at the sculpting stage allowed the model to move downstream as an animation-ready asset, reducing handoff friction and avoiding rework later in the pipeline.

This approach highlights how ZBrush is commonly used in professional character workflows not just for high-resolution sculpting but also for production preparation.

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Asset Handoff to Cinema 4D via GoZ

The finished model was transferred from ZBrush to Cinema 4D using GoZ.

This direct connection preserved:

• Scale
• Geometry integrity
• Surface detail

With the asset arriving cleanly in Cinema 4D, Daniel Hashimoto was able to begin rigging, material testing, and look development immediately.

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Look Development: Felt and Fur in Redshift

Achieving a convincing stop-motion look relied heavily on material and surface treatment.

Inside Cinema 4D and Redshift, the character’s appearance was built using a layered approach:

Felt-Like Base Surface

• Real-world felt references
• Pattern stamping across the body
• Redshift displacement to introduce irregular, handmade variation

Fur and Fiber Detail

Two systems were combined:

• Displaced geometry for depth and shadow
• Hair simulation for visible fibers and texture breakup

Hair counts were intentionally kept low:

• ~30,000 hairs for the body
• ~20,000 hairs for the head and arms

This decision reflected the imagined physical scale of a real stop-motion puppet and kept rendering efficient.

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Facial Rig and Expression Design

The facial rig was designed to be simple and functional.

Rather than complex controls, the setup used:

• A small set of blend shapes
• Expression-focused deformations
• A custom “cartoon smile” that replaces detailed teeth with a stylized grin

This supported clear storytelling while keeping animation fast and manageable.

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Animation Approach and Timing

Animation was fully hand-keyed in Cinema 4D.

To guide motion:

• Live-action reference was filmed and retimed
• Reference footage was used directly in-scene for accuracy

The animation was rendered at 24 fps, then selectively posterized to 12–18 fps to mimic stop-motion timing. Motion blur was intentionally avoided to preserve the crisp, physical feel of the movement.

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Environment, Compositing, and Final Output

The environment was designed to support the character without distraction:

• Stylized cloud forms built from procedural shapes
• Modular tree elements with matching felt textures
• Final compositing in After Effects using layered color correction and light wrapping

Subtle film grain and vintage color treatment were applied to complete the stop-motion aesthetic.

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Production Takeaways

This project demonstrates how experienced artists use Maxon tools in real production scenarios:

• ZBrush supports fast, animation-ready character creation
• Cinema 4D enables efficient rigging, animation, and layout
• Redshift provides the control needed for stylized material realism
• Tight tool integration reduces pipeline overhead

“Short and Sweet” is a clear example of how stylized character animation can be executed quickly without compromising craftsmanship.

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Explore the Tools Used in This Project

If you’re creating character-driven 3D work or exploring stylized animation pipelines, the tools used in this project ZBrush, Cinema 4D, and Redshift are designed to work together from sculpt to final render.

Explore Maxon tools and see how they can support your next 3D project.