Personal R&D / Houdini vehicle simulation study
A long-form CG chase scene built around a John Wick-inspired Mustang, desert references, dust simulation, and a self-composited driver reveal.
Study Paper
This project started in 2023 as a self-directed lab: an old Mustang tearing through an American desert road at speed, photographed from a drone-like camera that pushes closer and closer until the driver is revealed.
The goal is not just a finished frame. It is to master vehicle behavior, dust trails, lighting, and believable CG integration, then composite a greenscreen performance of myself into the final shot.
01 / Reference Pull
The reference pull focuses on how the car sits on the road, how the dust trails separate from the rear wheels, and how wide camera spacing still keeps the vehicle readable.
That research becomes the base language for everything after it: concept frames, screen tests, and the simulation notes that follow.
02 / Screen Tests
03 / Flipbook Progress
Every archived flipbook is kept in order by date, so the page reads like a progress timeline instead of only showing the best-looking tests.
The first archived flipbook is about establishing movement language and getting the base rig into motion.
A same-day follow-up pass, continuing the early rig behavior tests before the January iteration push.
The first January pass starts pushing the movement beyond the initial base setup.
A fast iteration focused on comparing the feel of the vehicle motion against the previous pass.
Another same-day pass, building up a clearer record of what changes in the rig from test to test.
This longer pass keeps testing how the car carries weight through the move.
The archive moves into cleanup and comparison, checking whether the car feels more controlled.
A short diagnostic export, useful for catching behavior quickly without committing to a longer render.
This pass sits right before the clearly named friction-problem test, showing the issue becoming visible.
This pass isolates a handling issue directly in the filename, turning the flipbook into a record of problem-solving.
A follow-up export after the friction issue, checking whether the motion starts to behave more naturally.
This pass continues tightening the vehicle behavior before the braking and drifting study.
By this point the study is no longer just about forward motion; it is about believable weight shifts and aggressive handling.
A continuation pass after the braking/drifting study, keeping the motion archive moving forward.
The final long pass before the latest archived quick test, showing the rig close to the end of this study phase.
The archived sequence closes with a lighter quick pass, useful as a marker for where the rig had reached before the next stage.
04 / Planned Final Shot
The idea is to begin with speed and scale, then close the distance until the camera reveals the driver. That driver will be a greenscreen performance of myself, composited back into the shot.
The project is still open because the real finish depends on the hard parts: desert environment build, dust behavior, camera confidence, driver integration, and enough realism to surprise people.
In Progress
Built to learn Houdini deeply, push realism, and keep the final shot worth finishing.
