We've Moved!!!

We recently completed our web site redesign, and that included migrating our blog into the same design. Come check it out at www.jscottsmith.com

Remember to update your bookmarks, RSS feeds, etc. too!

Scott

Sneak Preview of Indigo Bluffs Animation

First camera move is rendered, so I thought I'd share. It's essentially the same scene as posted a couple days ago, but with a few improvements. (Of course I would render the whole blame thing before I notice the cameraman whacks his head on a couple of pesky pine branches! We'll fix that next week...)

Who in the world is J. Scott Smith?

I have all kinds of stuff posted here, and I'm trying my best to keep this current. So, if you're looking for sample work, this is a good place to start.

However, if you're looking for a little more info than what you see here, check out my profile at LinkedIn. You can reach it here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jscottsmith.

I have it set to fully public, so you should be able to see just about everything in my profile - work experience, recommendations, etc. Additionally, I am an open-networker, so if you have a LinkedIn account, send me an invite and I'll accept it!

If you want more, you can even friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. (See appropriate buttons below.)

Largest single rendering to date

Currently working on wrapping up a video for the development "Indigo Bluffs", a "distinctive RV retreat" in Northern Michigan. Some weeks ago the client asked us to stage a single lot and render it so it could be used as a backdrop for their traveling trade show booth. Upon speaking with the display manufacturer, we found that they required an image that would print 10' x 12' at 300dpi. Gulp! We had never rendered an image that large, so this was a test for us. It came out very well however, and I'm told it has generated quite a bit of buzz at the shows. It seems they had to spend quite some time explaining that this was a rendered concept of what a site could be, and not a photo of a site they could purchase!

I have included the frame we rendered, as well as a photo of the booth at a show. Nice work guys!

Do your clients read plans?

Well, do they? I'll bet that most don't. But they can tell by looking whether they like a house or not. That is why it is crucial that you include a quality rendering in your house plan package.







Whether you are a large-scale builder with dozens of models available, or an architect trying to convey your vision to a discriminating homeowner, a rendering from us may be all that you need to tip the scales in your favor.

If you need one rendering or hundreds of them, give me a call to talk about how we can translate your plans into a sale.

Virtual Tour of Great Room

New QTVR just completed. Click and drag below to explore. (Sorry 64bit users. Still no love from Apple for us.)

Click and drag mouse to look around

Requires Quicktime. Click here to download free.

2008 Demo Reel

Looks like it has been quite a while since I posted anything here. I need to catch up! For now, enjoy our 2008 Demo Reel, which we just completed.

Click play below to watch it as posted on YouTube. If you have a decent broadband connection, you can click here to stream from our server for a larger, better quality video.
(You may have to wait a moment before it starts.)

Do we do pools? Sure we do pools!

Looking to add a pool to your house? Maybe you're working on a resort or even a public recreation area. Nothing is as dramatic in selling your concept as a photoreal rendering. Water is dynamic. You can't communicate the full experience of a pool without physically accurate reflections and refraction. Give us a call so we can help show your pool design in its best light!

New pool for Tamarack Lodge

We have been helping Tamarack Lodge to visualize their Northern Michigan resort since early 2005 when it was just a dream.


With the first building now complete and operating since 2006, we were again called upon to create a rendering of the indoor pool planned for building #2.

If you haven't been there, Tamarack Lodge is well worth the visit. A very classy place!

Home Improvement Options

To our regular customers, it's obvious what we can do for a project. However when people we know ask us what we do for a living, it can sometimes be difficult to explain. Once people actually see examples of what we've done for others, they usually can see the implications immediately. And whenever we run into someone who has recently completed a project, they know all too well the time and money spent that could have been avoided just by seeing it ahead of time. Hopefully this slideshow will give you some ideas of ways we can help you.

Church Setup Video

Video showing conversion of church gym into worship space.





You can see it a little bigger at YouTube. Click on "Watch in High Quality". It seems to play a little better that way.


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LEED certified building in Birmingham

JSSVD created several renderings for a proposed building in Birmingham, MI to help them evaluate colors and materials. Their website for 735 Forest is now live.

More info excerpted from Metromode:

Birmingham's new Triangle District plan calls for building taller, denser and more mixed-use buildings. The idea is to create a vibrant, urban district that complements its downtown across Woodward.

Meet the first development to fit all three criteria: 735 Forest.

The 35,000 square foot mixed-use structure is best broken down by floor. The first is set aside for the Forest Avenue Bistro, a 65-seat restaurant. The second story is dedicated as office space for the Birmingham-based developer and tenants who are currently negotiating their leases. The third floor will become 11 rental lofts, averaging 1,100 square feet each.

The cherry on top is that the building is going for LEED certification.

The building replaces three old single-family homes that had been converted to businesses. The developer razed them to make room for the project. The streets surrounding the new building will also be redeveloped in a downtown style that emphasizes walkability and openness.

735 Forest Avenue is one block east of Woodward Avenue, next to the new AAA building, in the middle of the city's Triangle District.

Interactive Product Renderings

Sometimes it's nice to let your customers experience your products from their own home. Until the holodeck is released to the public, this is the closest you can come. These are relatively quick and simple to create, whether for existing products or for things you are still dreaming up! I have posted two we have created as samples. Give me a call so we can put your products online, in 3D!

For some past examples, click here.

Big Changes at South Church

Last week I was contacted by South Church of Lansing. They are expanding their services and need additional space, so the decision had been made to convert the gymnasium into a temporary worship facility. This necessitated a remodel that was almost entirely mobile. They had a church meeting scheduled for yesterday evening to present the plans to the membership and vote on the budget increase to cover the equipment. JSSVD was called upon to create visualizations to assist in this presentation.
Those images follow:

Bookstore interior

Just finished a sample image of the interior of a bookstore. The layout and fixtures were based on designs by Design Identity for one of their projects. We made some adjustments and populated the shelves with books and CDs to make a photoreal presentation. Let me know what you think!

Other render styles

In the business, we usually call these non-photoreal, or "NPR". They could be a traditional media style replicating a hand sketch or a painting, or they could be very basic 3D images without reflections or even textures. Sometimes they are requested as a matter of preference - and sometimes because of the lower cost and turnaround time. And sometimes they just work better than a full photo-realistic rendering due to their simple presentation and high contrast.




Whatever the look and whatever the need, NPR renderings still make up a fair amount of our work. Because of the lower time requirements, we can sneak these in between other jobs pretty easily. But because they are not as glamorous as our photoreal renderings, they usually do not get the same attention. So I decided to use today's blog post to highlight these images. If you want more information or more examples on any of our NPR styles, give me a call!

New render slaves!

Meet Kevin, Angela, and Ryan. They just finished their first full week of rendering!

With Intel quad-core processors, they join Dwight and Andy as the fastest render boxes in the office.

JSSVD project revisited

Got a call from a client going before the city with a revision to a project we did last year. Rather than 6 houses, they wanted a version showing only 5. Also, he asked us to create a 2-story option to present. Given the work already created previously, this was pretty easy to turn around.

Traverse City's coming YMCA!

At JSSVD, we've been working with the YMCA and CWS Architects to help them visualize the new YMCA. They have considered a couple of sites and a variety of design options. We have been involved since 2006. Here is a sampling of the work we have done for them.

COMPARE: Ugly Kitchen

Ok, so the Ugly Kitchen was completed and revealed last week. Very cool!

Click here to see the 'before' pic and the JSSVD rendering.

Here is a photo of the real kitchen by Dave Speckman.