Graphic Design
3D Production
Pac-Man
Poster Series
Disciplines
Information
A conceptual graphic design and 3D production project exploring the visual recontextualisation of Namco’s iconic Pac-Man character. This poster series stems from a highly experimental look-development workflow, utilising a singular, minimalist 3D asset as a foundation for extensive lighting, material, and rendering explorations.
The production pipeline focused on manipulating compositional layouts, camera optics, and post-rendering effects to transform a familiar retro gaming silhouette into an abstract design piece. By treating the character geometry as a versatile testing canvas, the project highlights how shifting lens properties, camera positions, and digital post-processing layers can dramatically alter the mood, scale, and form of a simple geometric model.
Experimental Look-Development
The core technical objective of this project involved engineering material node networks and adjusting their physical response to various studio lighting setups. Rather than relying on traditional character textures, the Pac-Man asset was mapped with bespoke procedural shaders mimicking high-gloss, micro-scratched polymers. These material nodes were specifically configured to interact dynamically with targeted, high-contrast light sources, accentuating the clean contours and negative spaces of the iconic mouth-cutout design.
Compositional staging played a crucial role in evolving the asset into a cohesive poster collection. Visual iterations spanned from intimate, macro camera angles focusing on hard-surface specular highlights to complex, high-density pattern arrays that challenge the viewer’s perception of the original shape. Each layout was finalised with custom post-render lens treatments and typographic systems, bridging the gap between digital 3D production and physical print design aesthetics.