VFX artist and photographer, Clinton Jones, recently issued what he claims is “the “Internet’s Largest CG Challenge,” and received an astounding 2,400 entries in return. The challenge? To emulate a brief scene Jones animated of a lone character struggling to forge on against a dystopian background. In the video below, we see 100 versions of the scene, each one showing a different world. Including a bunch of Star Wars ones.
The Verge picked up on the amalgamation of VFX art, which is the result of Jones’ Alternate Realities CG Challenge. Jones, who offers countless tutorials on his YouTube channel, pwnisher, allowed artists to work over the course of a single month. Although what they delivered looks like it could’ve taken a lot longer to make.
The video features the top 100 scenes Jones selected from the 2,400 entries. And each one does indeed summon its own alternate reality. Although considering Jones’ source material— a dreary Fallout 4-ish scene featuring a huge robot—most of the entries of a dark slant to them. Literally in many cases.
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The worlds, for example, include zombies with skull heads marching through a hellscape as they pull floating orbs (of doom?) behind them. There are also anthropomorphic otters who move in formation across what appears to be a civil war battlefield. And medieval warriors in a phalanx marching against an onslaught of arrows.
Each scene is seemingly more creative than the last, with ancient warriors, robot armies, and flaming ghosts all making an appearance. Along with a lot of characters who dwell in cyberpunk cities—which, incidentally, appear to grow more realistic by the day.
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There are lighter, more playful vignettes in the collection, however. Including anime children playing in a wheelbarrow full of hay next to a glittering ocean. As well as a little LEGO world featuring a couple attempting to flee a gigantic baby. A surprising number of Star Wars scenes also make an appearance; including ones involving stormtroopers, and probe droids.
Anyone who loved this bunch of VFX scenes will be happy to know Jones is coming out with a new challenge this month. And while the theme is currently unclear, we have no doubts it’ll be amazing. Especially if it involves 18 years of collective effort like this challenge did.
Feature image: pwnisher