Project Osafune is a mixed media piece that combines photography, 3D modeling and Photoshop manipulation with a love for science fiction and old-school martial arts films.
The idea was to create a series of three images that homage a famous trope seen in many martial arts and classic samurai action films: The overly dramatic and unquestionably cool unsheathing of the main character's sword just as he's about to charge into battle. It's the quintessential climactic moment right before the action starts that puts the viewer on the edge of their seat and leaves them wanting more. If you're totally unfamiliar with this kind of scene, here's an excellent example from the 1967 film Zatoichi Challenged:
To put an interesting modern twist on the traditional samurai character, I created and rendered a 3D robotic arm that would conceal a hidden transforming blade inside. As heroes in these sort of movies always talk about how their sword is an extension of themselves, I thought it would be amusing to have the weapon become a literal part of the character's anatomy. Thus the robotic limb Osafune was born.
The idea was to create a series of three images that homage a famous trope seen in many martial arts and classic samurai action films: The overly dramatic and unquestionably cool unsheathing of the main character's sword just as he's about to charge into battle. It's the quintessential climactic moment right before the action starts that puts the viewer on the edge of their seat and leaves them wanting more. If you're totally unfamiliar with this kind of scene, here's an excellent example from the 1967 film Zatoichi Challenged:
To put an interesting modern twist on the traditional samurai character, I created and rendered a 3D robotic arm that would conceal a hidden transforming blade inside. As heroes in these sort of movies always talk about how their sword is an extension of themselves, I thought it would be amusing to have the weapon become a literal part of the character's anatomy. Thus the robotic limb Osafune was born.
When it came time to shoot the photos for the piece, I tried out several different stances and ways of revealing the sword. Because the blade is not obvious to the viewer initially unlike a normal sword would be, I had to come up with a way of 'unsheathing' it that would look dynamic despite not having an actual sheath. Instead, I decided to hide the arm under my jacket in the first shot, throwing it to the side as a substitute reveal that would take the place of a sheath. It's always important when playing with new ideas to make sure they don't leave out content that viewers expect from the genre. Finally, I put a square piece of cardboard up into my sleeve for the last two shots to add to the illusion that the arm was truly integrated into my body, and didn't just end at what the viewer can see. Leaving some things to the viewer's imagination is a great way of adding interest to otherwise flashy, but commonly used special effects and CG animations.