This is a 3D animation based off the events recorded in Matthew 28:

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

I set out to capture the fear, awe, and sheer magnitude of this supernatural event—seen through the eyes of a Roman soldier—at the very moment history was about to be forever changed. When things seem hopeless, stagnant or dead, this is a reminder that the breakthrough is coming. It was a lot of fun recording all the mocap in my Rokoko Smartsuit pro II and refining all the animations in iclone 8. This project also allowed me to push my simulation skills further. I used Houdini to simulate the destruction of the stone steps, Embergen to create the shockwave and dust effects, and X-Particles to bring the glowing embers trailing from the angel’s wings to life.