The Fermi Paradox & Alien Civilizations: Philip Hofmänner, 2nd Place in Ruins Challenge

A talented CGI generalist and filmmaker based in Zurich, Switzerland, Philip Hofmänner has made a name for himself through his stunning architectural visualizations and compelling advertisements. Recently, he garnered attention for his remarkable piece that explores the concept of deserted alien civilizations, inspired by the intriguing Fermi Paradox. In this exclusive interview with Fox Renderfarm, the industry’s top cloud rendering services provider and render farm, Philip shares his creative process, the challenges he faced while bringing his vision to life, and his thoughts on the future of CGI in an increasingly digital landscape. Join us as we delve into the mind of a visionary artist and discover the inspiration behind his award-winning work.

Fox Renderfarm: Hi Philip! We are honored to have you here! Please introduce yourself first to our readers. 

Philip: Thanks a lot for having me. I’m a CGI generalist and filmmaker, mostly working in architectural visualizations and ads, and I own a small CGI studio in Zurich, Switzerland. I originally studied animation at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. 

Fox Renderfarm: Congratulations on winning 2nd place in the FGT3D The Ruins Challenge professional category! Where did you hear about The Ruins Challenge and why did you decide to participate?

Philip: Thank you, I heard about it on Instagram, and the topic seemed interesting.

Fox Renderfarm: What inspired the idea of depicting deserted alien civilizations, and how did you envision the backstory for this piece?

Philip: It’s an idea for a sci-fi movie I’ve had for a long time, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to create a first concept. The idea came from reflecting on the Fermi Paradox and considering a possible reason for the apparent absence of aliens in our corner of the universe (though I know some believe they’re already here, I personally, along with most scientists, have my doubts). I imagined that many alien civilizations could have once existed on habitable planets, even within our galaxy, but none survived the “Great Filter”—a theory suggesting that most civilizations eventually destroy themselves through their own technology.

The Fermi Paradox Unsolved © Philip Hofmänner

Fox Renderfarm: The tiny red figure adds a sense of scale and intrigue. What was your thought process when incorporating this element into the composition?

Philip: The tiny figure (astronaut) was actually the last element I added. I wasn’t fully satisfied with the scale of the scene; I wanted it to feel even more massive, and the figure alongside the spaceship really helped create that effect. 

Fox Renderfarm: Can you share with us the creation process of your work? And how long did it take you? 

Philip: To be honest, I just had a rough idea in my head and started by modeling the landscape roughly, then kept adding more and more details. The concept evolved a lot, and at one point, I even included a huge crater, but because it didn’t really work, I removed it and kept the composition simpler.

Modeling © Philip Hofmänner

Fox Renderfarm: Can you share your experience working with Cinema 4D and Octane? How did these tools help you achieve the look of the image?

Philip: I’ve been using Cinema 4D and Octane for quite a while, mainly because I’m not very technical, and these tools are relatively straightforward compared to other 3D applications (like Maya, which I used in the past). What I like about Cinema 4D is its intuitive interface; it may not excel at any single thing (except maybe motion graphics), but it’s capable of doing everything well enough. Octane is a very fast GPU render engine, and I love its real-time live viewer that shows how the image is shaping up as you work. My favorite render engine, though, in terms of quality, is Corona, which I also use a lot. However, since it’s CPU-based, it’s much slower. My ideal would be a brute-force render engine with Corona’s quality but the speed of Octane or Redshift.  

Fox Renderfarm: What were some of the challenges you faced during the creation of this image, and how did you overcome them?

Philip: The biggest challenge was definitely achieving the massive scale of the alien megastructures. I wanted them to feel as colossal as possible, but I’m not sure I reached the exact vision I had in mind. The scene required a lot of detail to feel believable in terms of scale. In the end, one trick I used was adding many volumetric dust effects to mask some imperfections and areas lacking in detail.

Fox Renderfarm: What aspect of the creation process did you find the most rewarding, and why?

Philip: I always find it rewarding when, after struggling with an image, you finally start to see it coming together. There’s often this initial excitement when you start—like a blank canvas where anything is possible. But then, disillusionment can creep in, and you start doubting your skills. But if you persist, you can usually get close to a point where you’re almost happy with what you’ve achieved and that feels rewarding. 

Fox Renderfarm: Are there any artists or works that influenced your style or approach for this project? 

Philip: I follow a lot of artists on ArtStation, but one artist in particular who inspired me for this project was environment concept artist Pablo Dominguez. I also referenced random images on the internet without knowing who the artists were.

2025 Comfort © Pablo Dominguez

Fox Renderfarm: Have you tried or heard about Fox Renderfarm’s services before? What is your impression of our cloud rendering services?

Philip: I’ve been interested in trying your services for a while now but haven’t had a chance yet. Winning this prize is a great opportunity to finally test it out!

Fox Renderfarm: Are there any new themes or techniques you’re excited to explore in future 3D projects?

Philip: I’ve been wanting to learn Unreal Engine for quite a while but haven’t found the time yet. Game engines could very well be the future of CGI, especially given how much the render quality has improved over the years, and if it gets even closer to brute force render engines, I could see a huge shift in the industry. I’m also constantly thinking about AI and how to incorporate it into my workflow. Although I’d prefer a world without generative AI (as it threatens our job security as artists), I think it’s here to stay.

Philip’s Social Media:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philip_hofmaenner/
• Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/trixer