I was responsible for developing the initial look of the ice cracking effect, starting with a technical demo to demonstrate the proposed approach to the client.

Once the look was approved, I took over the look development and shading of the ice, working with procedural shaders inside Houdini. The assets were then exported in .ass format and integrated into the rendering pipeline, allowing the different elements to work seamlessly together with Arnold.

Alongside the ice work, I also developed additional FX elements such as debris, particles, and bubbles to enhance the underwater shots and add another layer of realism to the environment.

It was a great opportunity to combine procedural look development with FX work while exploring a technically demanding underwater setup.