Fox Renderfarm, a leading render farm known for its fast and secure cloud rendering solutions, is beyond excited to reveal the highly anticipated results of our FGT3D The Ruins Challenge, which ran from May 22nd to July 20th. This competition saw many inspiring and visually stunning entries, making selection a tough task. A big round of applause to everyone who participated, and congratulations to our winners!
The winners of FGT3D The Ruins Challenge include a multitude of promising talents, with three top winners chosen by our juries from both professional and student categories.
Our generous sponsors have outdone themselves by providing splendid prizes! We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our sponsors – Atelier, Avica Remote Desktop Software, C4Dzone, CGboost, Evermotion, InstaLOD, InstaMAT, Maxon, Raysync, Rizom-Lab, Simulator, Smouse, TopoGun, iCube R&D Group – for their generous contributions.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has participated! We look forward to seeing more impressive 3D creations in our upcoming 3D contest. Join us on our Discord community and stay updated with our latest announcements!
FGT3D The Ruins Challenge Winners Announcement
Professional Category
1st Place: "Anuket" by Dylan Donaldson
Anuket © Dylan Donaldson
Caption: A vast, ancient aqueduct has broken, flowing water into the desert and forming an oasis. Settlers have built a city around this new lifeline. We follow travellers as they arrive at this sanctuary.
Software Used: Blender, Houdini, Liquigen, Gaea, After Effects, Photoshop
Models: Quixel, Bigmediumsmall, Botaniq
Plugins: Geo-Scatter, Red Giant Looks, Neat Video Denoiser
What Our Jury Says:
Frank WANG Yefeng: This work masterfully illustrates the theme of the competition, "The Ruins." In this panoramic rendering, the juxtaposition of senses of culture and nature, destruction and birth, sublimity and subtlety, unfolds across an expansive timespace. The richness of detail in the composition is remarkable, perhaps embodying the essence of life’s existence—a testament to human’s enduring legacy and transformation across generations.
Samuel Winter: The sense of scale here is grandiose, and the detail is fantastic. It also conveys the dryness and the heat of the environment very well.
Tom Grimes: Fantastic composition with the character on the right leading us into the image. Lovely sense of scale, you get a true impression of the weight and mass of the old aqueduct and a great contrast between that and the newer smaller buildings nestled against the ruin. The fall of dust, haze, lighting, and high level of detail in all the textures and models then round out why this was a winner for me.
2nd Place: "The Fermi Paradox Unsolved" by Philip Hofmänner
The Fermi Paradox Unsolved © Philip Hofmänner
Caption: The idea behind the project is that an interstellar space mission discovered numerous ruined alien civilizations on most planets in the habitable zone. However, they were all deserted, and most were millions of years old. The reason why they were all deserted remains a mystery.
Software Used: Cinema 4D, Octane
What Our Jury Says:
Tom Grimes: I wish there was less grain in the image, but everything else about it are points in its favor. I love the haze and the lighting plus the clouds of dust; the composition with the spaceship pointing us into the image and most of all that tiny red figure looking out over these huge ruins; the sense of scale that really comes across; the odd floating rocks which really get you thinking about the story around this image; and the way the light catches only on the rightmost edge of the crumbled dome. Great stuff!
Frank WANG Yefeng: I appreciate the use of scale in this composition, where the tiny character in the foreground highlights the vastness of the landscape. The floating objects in the distance subtly reinforce the work’s title, presenting a Fermi paradoxical world once inhabited by an imagined extraterrestrial civilization.
3rd Place: "Days Gone" by Mohammad Beigi
Days Gone © Mohammad Beigi
Caption: In the aftermath of a devastating zombie virus outbreak, "Days Gone" depicts a desolate world. Crumbling buildings and abandoned vehicles litter the barren landscape. A lone SWAT officer, battle-worn and determined, stands amidst the ruins, seeking survivors and hope. Nature begins to reclaim the urban decay, with overgrown vegetation pushing through the cracks. This scene captures the raw essence of survival and the relentless human spirit in a world turned upside down.
Software Used: Cinema 4D, Redshift, After Effects
What Our Jury Says:
Miho Aoki: A SWAT team member in an area that looks to have experienced a severe disaster and abandonment makes me wonder if people are still living there. Some details are puzzling, like the birch-like trees in a location that might be in California, but maybe it’s a post-apocalypse winter scenario. The bleak atmosphere and environment are well-executed.
Student Category
1st Place: "Every Empire Falls" by Haider Ali
Every Empire Falls © Haider Ali
Caption: Centuries after the war one of the few remaining humans sets out to explore the ancient cities. Stepping out of the dark tropical jungle into the ancient world, apparantly this place was once called "Los Angeles". Time has taken it's toll on these buildings and nature has reclaimed it's land, but who knows what secrets still lie within.
Software Used: Blender, Photoshop
What Our Jury Says:
Tom Grimes: Lots of nice detail here, including on our central astronaut character. Composition and lighting then draw our eye into the scene very naturally. You can hear the crunch of small stones and broken glass and the rustle of the plants as the character walks through these ruins.
Samuel Winter: Love this piece! The framing and composition are great, lots of crisp detail, and I really like how the lighting transitions from dark at the bottom to light at the top.
2nd Place: "Vibrant Echoes of the Past" by Nikhil Joson
Vibrant Echoes of the Past © Nikhil Joson
Caption: In a forgotten corner of the world, where time has worn down the walls and nature has reclaimed its dominion, stands a testament to resilience and beauty. The abandoned hall, once grand and filled with life, now lies in ruins. Vines creep through the cracks in the stone, and the air is thick with the scent of earth and decay.
Yet, amidst the shadows and the silence, there remains a vibrant spirit. A solitary statue, draped in the colors of a broken stained glass window, catching the rays of the setting sun. The light refracts through the fragments, casting a kaleidoscope of colors onto the worn floors and crumbling walls. This radiant display of color and light defies the desolation surrounding it, a reminder that beauty can persist even in the most unlikely places.
A lone wanderer, with a fire torch in hand, pauses to take in this unexpected scene. The flickering flame casts a warm glow, mingling with the cool, multicolored light from the windows. In this moment, the past and present converge, creating a poignant tableau of life amid decay.
This artwork, "Vibrant Echoes of the Past," captures the enduring essence of life and beauty, echoing through the corridors of time. It is a tribute to the indomitable spirit that persists, even when all else has fallen away.
Software Used: Blender, Photoshop; Blender addons: Photographer & Ivy Generator
What Our Jury Says:
Miho Aoki: This scene's interesting lighting caught my eye. The colorful light through the stained-glass window illuminates the statue, which appears to have just been discovered by an explorer. Although I think this image’s lighting and composition could be improved and made more drastic, it effectively conveys a sense of wonder and discovery.
Frank WANG Yefeng: A superb concept paired with equally strong execution. The composition intriguingly melds the past, present, and future, while the vibrant colors create a striking visual highlight, making this piece truly stand out in the group.
3rd Place: "Whisper of the Forgotten Ruins" by Mukitul Islam
Whisper of the Forgotten Ruins © Mukitul Islam
Caption: A broken statue stands silently in the shallow waters, a remnant of a forgotten civilization.
Software Used: Blender, Quixel Bridge, Adobe After Effects
What Our Jury Says:
Miho Aoki: I was attracted to the colors and tranquil atmosphere of the image. It looks very serene and quiet. The contrast between the ruin and the wilderness is striking. It makes me wonder how many millennia have passed since people left this place.
Samuel Winter: A lovely sweeping outdoor scene, plenty going on to catch the eye, and nice splashes of colour.
Let's take a moment to celebrate the winners and all the participants! Your exceptional talents never cease to astound us. As a leading cloud rendering service provider and render farm in the CG industry, Fox Renderfarm has consistently supported the CG community. We are thrilled to announce the continuation of our 3D competition next year and are eagerly awaiting your submissions!
For our new users, we offer a free $25 render coupon. Also, don't miss out on our special offer happening right now, where you can get a 100% bonus on your first recharge! Happy Rendering!
