Splashy Project, Welcome Diversion How an energy drink promo gave a Ukrainian CG artist a momentary respite from war.
Ukrainian motion designer/CG artist Valentin Prokopenko began his third project with Archalyk—a Turkmenistan beverage company—in late winter 2022. The agency representing the brand discovered his work on Instagram and reached out to him to create a CG spot for their water product.
This time, the project focused on their BARK energy drink and Prokopenko had less than a month to turn the commercial around, a deadline that collided with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As his country plunged into chaos, Prokopenko found the job, and the creative path from idea to completion, a comforting distraction.
We talked with Prokopenko about how he used Cinema 4D and Redshift for the project and what it was like to try to get work done during wartime.
How did you manage to do this project while under so much stress?
Prokopenko: I had told them I could do this project really fast, and then the war started so it was pretty difficult to work. Truthfully, I really don’t remember everything clearly. It was very stressful. The only thing I remember was that I could never be calm. I was constantly worried that something would happen to me or that a rocket would hit my home.
How did you get started making videos and motion graphics?
Prokopenko: I started with a camera and was shooting weddings. I wanted to start learning and trying different programs to get better, and that’s how I got into After Effects and then Cinema 4D. I discovered motion design in 2019 and started watching free tutorials online.
Eventually, I got a job at a studio and worked for about a year before going freelance because I really enjoy that independence because it allowed me to experiment. I discovered Marvelous Designer and then Houdini. There are a lot of different programs out there, and I like to try them and use what I want. I also use Redshift for rendering and that’s helped me a lot.
Did you have full creative control on the Bark Energy Drink promo?
Prokopenko: Yes. They just wanted a video that was very interesting. So I prepared a storyboard with references and they loved it so I got to work. I found the music, and then I would send them pieces step by step. That’s how each of the videos I’ve done for them were put together.
Walk me through your process on a project like BARK.
Prokopenko: My plan for every project is to create a draft variant of every scene, just focusing on camera animation. With each scene I put together a montage and see how everything fits. Then in Cinema 4D, I create each scene with more details by adding assets, materials, lighting and everything else.
I go back to my references for lighting if there is something I like. And I always analyze the ways other studios light scenes and then try to create my own versions by just opening Cinema 4D and putting lights in different positions until I find what I like.
BARK was a unique situation. I had to work faster, so I would finalize one shot and then start on the next. Since I finished quickly, I realized I had time to try a Houdini simulation for the splash when the ice goes down into the cup. It was the first time I used Houdini in a commercial and it worked well.
How is it going with work these days?
Prokopenko: Fortunately, it’s not a problem to find new clients. Every time I seem to be free, clients find me. They reach out through Instagram or Behance. I am spending more time experimenting and learning new things. I tried out Unreal Engine 5, but I still spend most of my time in Cinema 4D and I render with Redshift most of the time.
Right now, I’m working on one big NFT collection and I’m also part of team that’s working on a commercial for a world-famous company. I can’t say more about that now, but I’ll be able to show those projects on my Instagram very soon.