Reviving the Legend of the Men in Black in 3ds Max 🛸
Recent UFO sighting reports in the United States have included an unsettling additional element: witnesses claim to have been visited by individuals dressed entirely in black who asked them to remain silent. These cases revive the legendary figure of the "men in black" that dates back to the 1950s. 3ds Max offers the perfect environment to digitally recreate these scenes, combining environmental modeling, atmospheric lighting, and character animation to capture the essence of the mystery and tension surrounding these encounters.
Building the Nighttime Scene
The scene begins with a base plane as a road, using an asphalt material with high roughness and slight specular reflections to simulate nighttime moisture. Low-poly buildings are distributed in the background using instances for optimization, while simplified trees with opacity maps add vegetation without overloading the scene. The key is to maintain recognizable shapes but not too detailed, allowing the lighting to be the protagonist. 🚗
Dramatic Lighting and Atmospheric Effects
A lighting system is set up with Arnold Lights that includes:
- Spotlights from the sky simulating UFO light beams
- Area Lights dim in distant building windows
- Light Fog volumetric to create visible light beams
- Omni Lights with fast decay for road lanterns
The color temperature is kept cool (bluish) for ambient lights and green-amber for UFO lights, creating a surreal contrast.
In mystery scenes, light does not illuminate; it whispers. And sometimes, what it whispers is unsettling.
Modeling and Animation of the Men in Black
The figures are modeled with thin silhouettes and angular clothing that emulates vintage suits. Using CAT Rig or Biped, subtle animations are created: rigid walking, warning gestures, slow nods. The key is in economical and mechanical movements that reinforce their unsettling nature. Black suit materials with slight reflection simulate wool or gabardine fabric under artificial light.
Particle System for UFO Effects
For the flying object, a particle system is generated that emits from a flat geometry (disc) using Particle Flow. The particles are configured with:
- Emissive Material green or amber with animated intensity
- Trails that leave luminous streaks
- Space Warps like Vortex for circular movement
- Render Instance to optimize the count
This creates the effect of an active UFO without complex geometry.
Composition and Cinematic Angles
The camera is positioned at a low angle looking up toward the UFO, with the men in black in silhouette against the sky lights. Reduced depth of field is used to slightly blur the background and keep the focus on the interaction between figures and witness (implied). Over-the-shoulder or diagonal shots intensify the feeling of discomfort and surveillance.
Rendering and Post-Production
It is rendered with Arnold to handle volumetric lights and advanced materials. In post-production within 3ds Max or with external software, the following are adjusted:
- Contrast to accentuate silhouettes
- Vignette to direct attention
- Chroma slight toward blues/greens
- Grain subtle to emulate nighttime photography
These final touches seal the atmosphere of paranoia and mystery.
While witnesses fear encounters with figures dressed in black, we fear encounters with black pixels that appear in renders after hours of calculation. In the end, our most terrifying men in black are the render artifacts that refuse to disappear. 😅