REAPER
"Reaper" is a high-speed, sci-fi racing vehicle inspired by the brutal elegance of Akira-style motorcycles and near-future industrial design. This project explores aggressive silhouette language, low-slung proportions, and heavy use of graphic paneling to emphasize speed, control, and raw attitude.
From concept to final render, the Reaper was built to feel like it belongs in a gritty, high-tech world - equal parts outlaw racer and experimental prototype. All design, modeling, texturing, and animation were completed solo using Maya, Substance Painter, and Redshift.
Software Used : Maya, Substance Painter, Redshift
Credits
Design, Modeling, Texturing, Rendering, & Animation: Jeffrey Bounthavong
CINEMATIC ANIMATION
This sequence brings the Reaper to life with dynamic movement and crisp detail shots. It highlights the vehicle’s aggressive silhouette, low stance, and sculpted form as it moves through a stylized world. Close-ups reveal surface wear, panel lines, exposed mechanics, and decals. Animated in Maya and rendered in Redshift, the piece blends motion, mood, and material for a visceral sense of speed and identity.
HERO SHOTS // FINAL RENDERS
These final renders highlight the Reaper in its full cinematic form. Using Redshift, lighting and composition were fine-tuned to emphasize form breaks, reflective materials, and surface grime. Graphic decals and subtle wear give the vehicle a lived-in history, while extreme angles and closeups push its aggressive identity to the forefront.
MODELING IN MAYA
A glimpse into the Maya workspace during Reaper’s construction phase. This viewport capture shows the iterative process of refining curves, building clean hard-surface components, and balancing visual complexity with aerodynamic function. From wheel wells to rear fins, every line was shaped to imply motion even at rest.
WIREFRAME
The wireframe view reveals the mesh construction of the Reaper, built with clean edge flow and strategic poly distribution. Particular care was taken to maintain sharp bevels along the body panels and clean transitions around the canopy and turbine intake forms. The model is structured for efficient rendering and animation without compromising on detail.
UV MAPS
UVs were unwrapped with an emphasis on clarity and texture consistency across high-exposure surfaces like the hood, side panels, and rear exhaust. Each material pass was authored in Substance Painter, utilizing Base Color, Roughness, Normal, and Metalness maps to layer in dirt, decals, and specular breakup.
ANIMATING IN REDSHIFT / AFTEREFFECTS
This screenshot shows the Reaper animated and rendered in Redshift, then composited in After Effects. The animation focuses on bringing the vehicle to life with subtle camera work, engine revs, and motion cues. Lighting rigs and environment reflections were dialed in to add energy and realism to the Reaper’s presentation— - elling it as more than a design object, but a character in its own right.