New Book: Modeling with SketchUp for Entertainment Design

Click the link above for book details, and to see lots of pretty pictures from some of the pages 🙂

Here’s the story: back in 2012 at SketchUp Basecamp, I met David Morong, a Hollywood production designer and art director (and SketchUp fan), who also teaches at the American Film Institute and San Diego State.

We tossed around the idea of collaborating on a book detailing his workflow for several of his projects for TV and film. During the intervening years we both worked on this when life stopped getting in the way (which is why it took so long).

This book uses step-by-step exercises that demonstrate some of David’s awesome projects. Geared toward film and stage design students and industry professionals, the chapters teach best practices and efficient design techniques, and progress into advanced workflows.

After getting started with exploring various types of set models, you’ll then create your own: a TV news set, a studio set, and a film location set. You’ll learn about finding and creating props and dressing, using textures and materials, camera tools, and theater design. Along the way you’ll get to know many SketchUp extensions that are essential to the entertainment design industry. You’ll use LayOut for storyboarding and construction documents, explore rendering options, and learn about how 3D printed SketchUp models are enhancing model presentation.

To see the scope of projects in the book, see the Contents PDF.

And because this book can be used as a textbook, if you’re an instructor in film, stage, theater, lightning, event planning, even interior design, email me (bonnie@3dvinci.net) and I’ll send you an evaluation PDF.

Here are a couple of pages, for your sampling pleasure. This is from the “sleazy motel” projects, showing the start-to-finish design for a set designed for HBO’s Big Love.

And this one is from our chapter on props and dressing, showing off a bit of LayOut work as well: