Carlos Gonzalez de Cosio Alvarez: VFX portfolio

Runaway Project WIP

Category: 3D | Software: Blender | Role: All aspects | Year: 2026

Fast-paced chase scene. Written, produced, directed, and executed.

Work in progress. A fast-paced chase scene that I'm writing, directing and making on my own, from the first storyboard to the final shot.

Storyboards

Before anything else, I storyboarded the whole scene so I'd have something to follow as I went along. Each board has notes on what's happening, what the camera is doing, and the dialogue.

The script

Right after the storyboards, I wrote the script. It follows Parel, the pilot of a beat-up ship called the Asterisk, as two enemy ships chase him through the Malek System.

It's still a work in progress. There are a couple of spots I've marked as needing more elaboration.

Script excerpt (work-in-progress draft) (PDF)

Planet skybox tool

I wanted the planet in the background to be at a realistic size without having to re-render it as a skybox every time I changed something. So I built a tool in Blender using the Ray Portal BSDF that projects a small planet into the skybox at full scale. Because it's live, it can change in real time. (and it really gives you a sense of megalophobia)

The tricky part was keeping the projector from showing itself. The small version of the planet sits outside of the skybox, so I had to work out the math so that it was adaptive with the skybox size and the ray length gutoff for the ray portal bsdf so that the projector isn't visible from inside the projector.

Procedural planet

With the tool working, I swapped the test model for a planet I made with procedural shaders. i like to imagine this planet is rich in iron compounds which is what gives it that reddish hue. The atmosphere is a Fresnel shader that gets occluded depending on whether it's in shadow, so it only glows on the side facing the sun.

Because I love being detailed with things that don't matter, I also added a slider to approach the planet. I got so close that I reached the floating-point precision limit of the noise texture, and you could see it pixelate. There isn't much I can do about that, so I might swap in a different planet model as the shots get closer.

Atmosphere without volumetrics

Volumes are very heavy on the machine, especially when you're dealing with something the size of a planet. So I cheated it visually: a slightly larger, inverted copy of the planet mesh with an inverse Fresnel effect on it. It gives a realistic-looking atmosphere without any volumetrics.

Designing the Asterisk

Once I started modeling the ships, the challenge was making shape language that conveys each character's stance in the scene. The script also put some very specific restrictions on the Asterisk:

It needs two engines.

Its turret has to sit on a hinge on the same axis as the engines, so that when the ship starts spinning and the turret points 90 degrees out, it lines up with that axis for a very specific shot I want.

It can only have one gun turret, so I went for an asymmetrical design.

The first design I made, Asterisk-B, is honestly the cooler, more compelling one. But Asterisk-A is the one that sticks to the rules, so that's the one I went with.

The enemy ships

For the first enemy ship, I wanted it to feel streamlined, like these guys are serious, they know what they're doing, and they mean business. That's the opposite of the Asterisk, which is a lot more janky and rugged.

This design became the base I built on for the second ship.

Two ships, one team

Enemy 2 had to clearly look like it's from the same team as Enemy 1 while having its own personality. Enemy 1 is made for pursuit, and Enemy 2 is made for long-distance aggression, attacking with its turrets from a distance.

Smooth or jagged?

I kept iterating on the Asterisk. I took screenshots of the model and drew over them to see what worked, then made a smooth version and one with more jagged lines.

I asked some friends which one they preferred, and they went with the jagged one. That makes sense: Star Wars designs were shaped by what could be kitbashed, which limited the shapes they could use. So I went with the jagged one.

Building up the body

Looking at other designs in the Star Wars universe, I noticed that ships like the Millennium Falcon have a platform that is just extruded straight up from the round base. I tried to imitate that with the middle structure, and with the shape of the cockpit as well.

Now that the cockpit is in, I've started playing with its scale to properly convey how big (or rather, how small) this ship really is.

Paneling and greebles

While adding detail, I looked at how panels end and the greebling begins on a Star Wars ship like the Millennium Falcon. There's no exact indentation; the panel just ends. On the right is my rough first pass at it.

What's next

Right now I'm saving the Asterisk and the enemy ships as assets, so that when I edit an original, every scene that uses it updates automatically the next time I open it.

For the shots with explosions, I plan to use Houdini to teach myself pyro.

Some shots face the pilot inside the cockpit, so the project will also include live-action shots. That will be the very last thing I do, once everything else is finished.

Track Project 01

Category: Compositing | Software: Blender, Syntheyes, Nuke

3D track with interesting background elements

Video: https://youtu.be/q18Zt3ZE2RY

Vortex Project

Category: FX | Software: Blender

All aspects; Volumetrics using blender

Video: https://youtu.be/HaJ8_wwAnkE

Gizmo Galore

Category: Compositing | Software: Blender, After Effects, Premiere

This is a Blog following my efforts to bring my biggest visual effects project to fruition

Video: https://youtu.be/8PPKKhkvF7A

9/8/2025 - Hitting the ground running

Animatic 85% complete. Currently figuring out ways to go about the visuals in live action.

9/15/2025 - Landing on my feet

Started making a shot list, but the breakdown for how the shots will be taken has proven to be challenging. Regardless, I'll continue working to develop a solution as I look for a cast.

9/16/2025 - Script revision

Before I lock in the script, I would like to revise it to avoid any unnecessary repetition and improve the pacing as I see fit.

9/17/2025 - Research...

In the days leading up to my test shoot, to try out different ways to pull off the ambitious nature of my film, I will be researching different methods I could use to incorporate more than one instance of the same character in a scene. So far I'm considering three options: one is a green screen stand-in, two is a deepfake face replacement, and three is a virtual mocap photogrammetry stand-in.

9/19/2025 - Test shoot

I went to the green screen stage with some friends and shot some test footage to test the different methods I could use to create a digital double. One for a 3D double, one for a deepfaked double, and one for a green screen double.

9/20-21/2025 - Testing phase...

The easiest method by far has proven to be the green screen double, which is almost exclusively compositing work.

The deepfake method has proven to be troublesome, as there aren't a lot of resources for achieving the effect I am searching for easily, but fortunately after a few hours of both research and trial and error I managed to get a successful proof of concept. I will continue working on the development of the 3D double.

9/26/2025 - Cast and crew outreach

I took advantage of SCAD's "FilmX" mixer for film students to look for cast and crew. I got a few people who seemed interested, so I will be writing back to them whenever I'm able.

9/29/2025 - Small bump on the road

Turns out that to apply to the SCAD casting office you need to know what days you plan to shoot, so next up on the list of things to do is to map out when and how I will shoot for this project.

10/2/2025 - Script fix

Taking some of my previous critiques into consideration, I have tweaked my script to streamline it more and avoid repetition.

10/4/2025 - Animatic update

With the script now fixed, I have to update both the audio timeline and the animatic to make them match the new continuity of the script.

10/4/2025 - Panel timing mockup

With the ambitious scope of this project and the amount of green screen work it'll need, I came up with a way to time each green screen shoot such that they can match up correctly with each other. To do this I made a screen with flashing panels, each corresponding to a different "instance" of the green-screened character. That way the actors will know exactly when to say their lines without overlapping each other.

10/18/2025 - Casting office update

The casting office finally wrote back to me, notifying me that they will organize the casting team to reach out to me in a few days.

10/21/2025 - 3D blockout

I have started blocking out the scene background in 3D, since I will be doing 99 percent of this project digitally except for the actors.

10/23/2025 - 3D prop development #1

On top of blocking out the digital set, I have begun modeling some of the background props that will be in place whilst I wait for the casting office to write back to me.

10/25/2025 - Casting progress!

I got word back from the casting office to set up a proper meeting to talk over potential candidates to act for this project. On top of that, I reached out to someone who personally knows a lot of actors who might be able to help me out.

3D prop development #2

I've continued making progress with more high quality props to add to the background of the set.

11/9/2025 - 3D blockout #2

I started adding some of the 3D stuff to the animatic.

11/17/2025 - First contact.

With the help of my school's casting office I got in touch with my first actor.

11/25/2025 - Actors assemble!

Again, with the help of my school's casting office I got in touch with the rest of my actors and made a group chat to coordinate with them. Despite them all being student actors, I feel like each of them does a good job at visually encompassing the core of the characters they will play.

12/23/2025 - Prop development #1

Using the power of creativity, I bought a wrist-mounted phone holder meant for runners with the intent of using just the wrist band and attachment point.

12/23/2025 - Prop development #2

I created a sketch of the design that it could have, inspired by some reference.

12/25/2025 - Prop development #3

Unfortunately at the time I didn't have access to any 3D software I was familiar with, so my brother helped with making it using Fusion 360.

12/26-30/2025 - Prop development #4

Some time was needed to properly prototype the model and make sure that the design had proper visual and "functional" flow to it with the use of a 3D printer.

1/1-2/2026 - Prop development #5

After prototyping with the 3D printer, I finally reached a design I was comfortable with, so I got straight to work with painting it.

1/5/2026 - Stage booking

It is important that I do as many things as I can in advance, so that in the future I can thank my past self for doing the heavy lifting while under the pressure of production. So I booked this stage for February 13 and 14.

1/8-9/2026 - Rehearsal 1

I got together with my actors to review the script and help them get a better idea of how to portray the characters best, but also for me to really be able to see what they bring into the picture.

1/10-11/2026 - Shoot plan development

As I continue to approach the shoot dates, I am trying to make the shoot plan as detailed as possible for my future self. On set I won't have the liberty of having much time to think about how to shoot something, so my future self is trusting me to be able to lay all the groundwork for him.

In addition to that, I have been emailing the SCAD production office in search of a script supervisor who has enough experience to be able to keep track of all of these things.

1/13/2026 - Good news, bad news

The good news is that someone reached out to me with interest in being script supervisor for my project; better yet, they seem to have experience in the VFX field, and they may very well be the perfect fit for this project.

The bad news is that I have not gotten any confirmation to indicate that I successfully booked the green screen stage. I am taking every step I can think of to properly tackle this. I will hope for the best and prepare for the worst by looking for alternatives and how I could shoot it if the original plan falls through.

1/15/2026 - FilmX Mixer

With the help of a SCAD event aimed at film people finding each other, I made a poster and went to tell people about my project, to try and fish for any potential crew members who would be interested in it. I managed to get a good amount of potential DP contacts. I will promptly be reaching out to them. Additionally, I got in touch with a producer friend of mine who was ecstatic to join from the get-go.

1/16/2026 - Stage secured

The green screen stage has been secured. Now I need to really focus on finding the crew members. At the moment, I only need a script supervisor, DP, a few grips, and a 1st AC.

1/25/2026 - Crew search trouble

I have been employing a method that I have appropriately referred to as "carpet bombing" the SCAD production office list of students to try and get anyone who might be interested in this project. It seems I underestimated how busy people would actually be (and maybe how many of them would check their email too). I've been using a spreadsheet to keep track of all the people I've contacted so far.

1/26/2026 - Crew search breakthrough

Finally, I have started to get word back from people who are interested and enthusiastic about it. I got in contact with a DP who is very intrigued by the idea.

With the production group chat now made, it was only a matter of time before I found the few crew remaining.

1/28/2026 - sLIGHT reservation

Since my gaffer unfortunately can't reserve lighting equipment from the Savannah Film Studios, I coordinated with her to reserve the equipment she needs from the Monty cage.

1/30/2026 - Video tracking research

Since my project will be very VFX heavy, I want to make sure I know everything I need to know about video tracking, and the best way to do that was by doing it myself.

2/2/2026 - Video tracking conclusion

From my experimentation, I have concluded what my preparation will be for this project. I ordered some green gaff tape to add tracking markers to the green screen. That way the video will have the parallax that enables it to track.

2/3/2026 - Storage acquisition

It has somehow escaped my mind that I don't have any means of holding the footage after recording, so I PROMPTLY ordered a 2TB portable SSD to enable me to access the files from anywhere I bring it.

2/4-8/2026 - Looking for a table

In the days leading up to my shoot, I need to find a table for the actors to use so I can later incorporate them into the CG environment. I have been looking into different Facebook Marketplace posts and Goodwill tables that might work.

2/9-10/2026 - Found a table

I decided to try going to the SCAD prop shop to look for a table I can use, so I went on Monday to both of them and decided on the right one to pick up on Tuesday, due to the narrow time window in which it is open.

2/11/2026 - Refining shoot plan

Today I am refining my shoot plan to make sure everything makes sense and there can be as little wasted time as possible during the shoot.

2/13-14/2026 - Shoot day!

Things went mostly to plan. There weren't many surprises that couldn't have already been accounted for.

2/15-23/2026 - Rough draft progress

I noticed that some of the shots I took were made in a way that would complicate my life later on, but fortunately Premiere Pro just came out with a tool that will help me get a rough look of the final effect for the draft showcase.

2/24/2026 - Rough draft done!

After a little rush to get a rough draft out to show the class, I managed to make it within the time frame. Although this didn't necessarily help much, since I made it on the program that would be the quickest to meet the deadline, and that means I'll have to redo the entire thing for a final submission.

2/25/2026 - 3/15/2026 - Progress...

I have been putting 100% of my available time into working on this project, and some issues stand out that will definitely complicate getting the final product done in a timely manner.

For example, I used body doubles for some scenes with the intention of replacing their heads by compositing them in later, but unfortunately there appear to be some matchup issues that make things harder for me. Additionally, and worst of all, After Effects has been running fairly slowly, sometimes a little too slow to work with, and I have been trying to speed up the process so I can get an early edit to lock and send it to the sound people to work on.

I believe that once I get to the 3D side of the workload, it'll run much smoother, since I am much more familiar with that side.

3/20-23/2026 - Break over

Spring break has ended, so I am getting back to work on the compositing. Some of the issues I mentioned before are getting a little trickier to solve than I anticipated, which means that they will take me longer to solve. On top of that, I caught some illness on the bus back to Savannah, so I might not be able to work as diligently as I'd like.

Unreal engine Project

Category: Virtual production | Software: Unreal Engine

Shot matching and set design + sound design

Video: https://vimeo.com/1118740086?fl=pl&fe=sh

Virtual Production Hero Asset

Category: Virtual production

A blog following the steps I took in creating a main hero asset for a virtual production set

9/11/2025 - Meeting 1

First meeting with assigned team. Provided helpful advice to the writers' team by suggesting a story using flashbacks to tell what happened.

Additionally, tasked them with letting the tech/UE team know if there's a lock on any particular story elements that can be used to provide some more detailed examples for the production team.

9/12/2025 - Meeting with production

Brainstormed ideas for how to seamlessly merge real-life elements with virtual elements. The writers' team needs to settle on a concrete idea before I can really get working on it.

9/15/2025 - Look development

Created a basic look demo for what we might be going for in the digital scene of the project. It took me around 15 minutes.

9/16/2025 - Look development x2

Worked on modeling different ways that the XR stage set could be built, using real-world measurements to ensure everything is to scale, though the rest of the team seems to be indecisive on the matter.

9/18/2025 - Sketching design #1

I have been tasked with producing a model of a retro-futuristic art deco train, so I have begun the sketching phase to develop a look that will be both unique and innovative in design.

9/20/2025 - 3D modeling #1

I've started to take the principles I developed in my sketches and model them in 3D. I also placed a model of a person to scale so I can keep the design consistent when it comes to doors, windows, and walkways.

9/25/2025 - 3D modeling #2

Once again, I am continuing to work on the model. It has proven challenging to keep the geometry acceptable so that it'll look good on the volume and with the shaders on.

10/1/2025 - 3D modeling #3

Continuing with the model, the main train portion is more or less complete, making sure to fix any issues with the geometry along the way. Some early shaded versions were produced by another member of the team, Imaz.

10/2/2025 - Sketching design #2

Now that the main cart of the train is complete, I've begun sketching different concepts for the passenger cart of the train, trying to stay within the design that I've already established with the model I have so far.

10/3/2025 - 3D modeling cart #1

Again, maintaining the core elements of the train, I've begun work on the model of the passenger cart itself. I've decided to add a step stairway to it since the wheels end above the platform, just for consistency and realism's sake.

10/10/2025 - Finishing touches

After a bit of work during this Saturday's workday, I finished the model of the passenger cart and sent it off to Imaz so he could texture it.

10/14/2025 - Photogrammetry

After today's class I went out to the production design studio so I could get on with scanning the different complex props that we might need to add digitally on the Unreal Engine set.

10/15-19/2025 - Standby

In anticipation for the prod design team to finish the rest of the props so I can swoop in and photoscan them.

10/20/2025 - More photogrammetry

I came in early in the morning to the production design shop to scan some of the fake piles of rubble they had built, so they can be added digitally to make the transition from digital to virtual more seamless.

10/24/2025 - Shoot day 1

It is the first day of the shoot, and I took on the role of being script supervisor for the production. I've had previous experience with script supervision, so I am confident that I was an essential asset to the machine that was the production team.

10/27/2025 - Shoot day 2

Like the first shoot day, I was script supervisor all the way through to the end.

Tardis Sighting

Category: Compositing, 3D | Software: Blender

Used this project to teach myself CG incorporation using Blender.

Video: https://youtu.be/oOXuK5MetKw

Shader Development with Houdini

Category: 3D | Software: Houdini

Textured a scene with only procedural shaders using noise nodes and OSL code

Video: https://youtu.be/rdLsbbIk7c0

Star Wars Design analysis

Category: 3D

A blog following how I went about creating a spaceship design, following the design philosophy of Star Wars ships

How it started

My goal was to be able to make a spaceship design that followed the design philosophy of Star Wars. But beyond that, it was so I could see what I can learn from it too.

How were they made?

I researched how exactly the original designs that cemented the franchise were made. A lot of them were made using model kits from military planes and tanks, using a method called "kitbashing."

How I employed it

Although I don't have access to all of the model kits they may have used, I did have access to the internet. So I made some tests with some pictures.

What I learned

I took apart the pictures to try and assemble them differently. And although the results weren't bad, there was something missing about them. So I dug deeper.

Observation

I drew as many ships as I could remember on one screen, and I noticed that they all have a silhouette that is easy to recognize.

Research

It turns out that one of the things that gives Star Wars ships such an iconic and recognizable style isn't only their shape but also what went into making them.

Since they were mostly made with model parts, they couldn't be sleek and smooth due to the nature of kitbashing, so instead they leaned into it, giving their ships that rugged industrial look.

More research

As it turns out, a lot of the designs were more directly inspired by specific vehicles or concepts.

Conceptualization

Taking all of these things in mind, I set out to make some new designs, this time prioritizing a strong silhouette and a more industrial design.

Winning design

I ended up settling on this design, which I coined "Ring Ship."

Interestingly enough, it was inspired by a roll of electrical tape, and the thought that it could be split in half.

Additionally, I thought it would be fitting of the universe given how, in Star Wars, there is this company called the "Corellian Engineering Corporation," which was responsible for making ships like these.

Given the circular motif that the Corellian ships generally have, I thought it would be a nice place for mine to fit into.

Early model

Doing the blockout of this model was fairly easy, but something about it didn't feel quite right just yet.

Early model 2

I wasn't entirely satisfied with the design of the thruster. I liked the idea of having it cut through the ship, so I looked at similar thruster designs that worked. The Ghost has a multi-engine design where they change in scale.

Taking inspiration from The Ghost, I borrowed the concept of a more bold design as opposed to something less noticeable like the Millennium Falcon.

Additionally, I added those thicker areas around it, since a lot of these Corellian ships have those attributes to allow realistic-looking sizes for an interior. Then on top I added those octagonal "docking ports" you see on a lot of Star Wars ships.

Something that was bugging me was that somehow the scale didn't seem right. This ship looked like it was much smaller than it actually was.

This can be chalked up to many things, but I think the main culprit was the cockpit/window. It was the only thing that gives you a hint at what the human scale is. Another thing that gives you a better sense of scale is the detail along the ship.

Model 3

After a bit of fine tuning I added more details of reinforcement in the cockpit to really drive home that sense of scale. Additionally, I added an antenna and what's supposed to be a turret hatch to make the design in part more asymmetrical.

I also made the engines more detailed. I added a sort of fin to each of the smaller ones for a more recognizable silhouette.

I gave the engines more space in the back so they could be closer to the body of the ship, and made the back more irregular to give it that paneled feel that Star Wars ships have.

I am pretty satisfied with the way the body turned out. I like the distribution of weight across the ship and I think it is a solid base for going into texturing.

Blueprint-based 3D modeling of F4U Corsair

Category: 3D | Software: Maya

All aspects, fully modeled by me in Maya

Actor Replacement Project

Category: Compositing | Software: After Effects

Replaced a character from a popular movie with a new actor using After Effects

Video: https://youtu.be/mFBsERTE5vg

Procedural tree generator script

Category: 3D | Software: Maya

Fully coded by me without the use of AI, script is made to function in Maya

Video: https://youtu.be/vQL9by7BsgQ

Photogrammetry

Category: 3D

All aspects, professionally made.

Link: https://poly.cam/@RandoNautic

Storyboarding

Category: Other

Here are some of the storyboards I've made