3D motion specialists Studio Taktil in Stockholm take a break from their client work (Microsoft, IKEA, Samsung, Volvo, etc.) to explore their inner pyromaniac in this experimental CG short film called Sulfur.

Elias Klingén and Gustav Larsson, 3D artists/co-founders at Studio Taktil: “Sulfur began with a simple idea: to create a realistic match. It quickly evolved into something more ambitious as we delved into heat dynamics, melting effects, and rigid body simulations.
 

“The process was humbling; achieving 100% photorealistic fire proved more difficult than expected.”

 
“The biggest challenge was working with fire on such a small physical scale. After extensive experimentation, we developed a method that delivered good results with Houdini’s pyro tools. We also explored viscosity and various other forces to achieve the most compelling flame effects. The process was humbling; achieving 100% photorealistic fire proved more difficult than expected.

“For post-production, we aimed to create a cinematic aesthetic by combining real film grain with a variety of LUTs, achieving what we feel is the perfect balance between analog and digital. Sound design was handled by the team at Zelig Sound, who perfectly captured the balance between chaos and calmness that we envisioned.”
 
 

 
Production: Studio Taktil
3D artist/co-founder: Elias Klingén, Gustav Larsson

Sound design: Zelig Sound

Toolkit: Houdini, Redshift