Over six months, motion design artists Gryun Kim, Woosung Kang, and Taehoon Park collaborated to create the sci-fi short film WAI-000. The project's dual purpose was to produce a high-quality film and to inspire and educate Korean motion design students. The team leveraged Cinema 4D and OctaneRender, to achieve their ambitious goals.

Gryun and Taehoon began their journey with Cinema 4D as students and hobbyists before transitioning into professional roles. Woosung joined them later, bringing his expertise from The Mill. Their mutual passion for sci-fi films like Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell fueled their creative process, ultimately leading to the development of WAI-000.

The film’s development began with individual style frames, gradually weaving them into a cohesive story. Woosung suggested creating an AI robot’s journey of self-discovery, blending their visual styles into a narrative. Surprisingly, the entire project was executed within Cinema 4D and OctaneRender, avoiding more complex software like Houdini.

The use of OctaneRender was pivotal. It provided the fast feedback needed to refine their designs and achieve a cinematic quality. Taehoon highlighted Octane's superior IPR feedback, displacement maps, and realistic camera lens blur.

"For me, choosing a renderer is like changing a camera lens... Octane gives the most realistic and cinematic look," noted Woosung.

Gryun emphasized the efficiency of Octane Render by saying, "When I have a lot of time, I never want to do my personal projects, but when I’m busy and have a very small space [of time] I try to make my own things." The ability to render quickly was essential in keeping the project on track.

Beyond creating a short film, the project was designed as a teaching tool. The team collaborated with Coloso to set a firm deadline, ensuring a structured timeline. Initially planning for 30 lessons, the project expanded to over 100, covering advanced techniques in cinematic animation using OctaneRender.

The use of OctaneRender in WAI-000 allowed the team to produce a visually stunning and educationally valuable short film within a constrained timeframe. This case study underscores the efficiency and creative potential unlocked by these tools, setting a new standard for motion design projects.