Pre-Production

Concept & Scripting:

For the VidaBiomedical RheumaGen project, we kicked things off by developing a 3D animation concept that balanced scientific accuracy with an engaging, clear visual story. VidaBiomedical came to us with a goal: explain RheumaGen, their breakthrough gene-editing therapy targeting rheumatoid arthritis at the cellular level, in a way that’s both credible and compelling. That directive shaped our concept—a visual journey shifting between macro-level patient shots and microscopic close-ups of cellular processes, DNA, and immune system responses.

Early on, we broke the animation into distinct scenes. These ranged from a stylized depiction of a patient hooked up to an apheresis machine to highly detailed microscopic environments showcasing stem cells, T cells, and DNA interactions. Each shot had to be clear and conceptually strong while staying true to biological realism—critical for a scientific audience. We also spent time working out smooth transitions, such as zooming in from a clinical setting to a molecular scene within a single continuous shot.

While storyboarding isn’t typically part of our standard workflow, we created a rough internal board for this project. It helped us map out the shot flow and nail down the essential elements in each scene. This laid the groundwork for pacing and visual flow before jumping into the rapid prototype phase.

Storyboarding & Rapid Prototyping:

With a rough storyboard in place, we moved into rapid prototyping. During this phase, we created rough animation previews with placeholder assets, scratch voiceover, and basic camera moves to fine-tune timing and shot composition. Because the RheumaGen narrative spanned both human-scale and microscopic perspectives, RP was key to figuring out how to move seamlessly between those worlds.

We blocked out key scenes like the DNA strand with simplified geometry and shaders. For the macro shots—such as the patient seated in the apheresis chair—we focused on camera angles and movement, rather than details like materials and lighting. Cellular scenes, such as stem cell mobilization in bone marrow, were treated the same way. This phase was critical for locking in the sequence and getting client approval before committing to the time and cost of full production rendering.

One example of how RP shaped the final product: we initially showed one hand affected by rheumatoid arthritis but shifted to two hands in frame. The change made the visual impact clearer and better communicated the disease’s effects—something the client emphasized during feedback.

The feedback during RP was heavily focused on scientific precision. The client, for example, clarified that we needed to highlight a single nucleotide in the gene-editing sequence, not the entire gene. They also corrected our initial concept that stem cells migrated to joints; in fact, edited macrophages and dendritic cells fill that role. These details shaped our narrative flow and visual storytelling as we moved forward.

Production (Full Production / FP)

Design & Animation:

Once RP was locked, we transitioned to full production. We took a step-by-step approach, first delivering single-frame, high-resolution renders for client approval before going into full animation. This gave the VidaBiomedical team a chance to verify scientific accuracy and visual fidelity up front, before we committed to time-intensive final renders.

We deepened our research on the biology featured in each scene. For example, we examined electron microscope imagery to better understand bone marrow at a cellular level. That research informed our modeling and texturing, particularly in scenes featuring erythrocytes, white blood cells, and platelets within the marrow.

We used Cinema 4D for modeling, animation, and layout, and Redshift for rendering—chosen for its speed and photorealism. For organic assets like stem cells and T cells, we created complex displacement maps layered with procedural noise to achieve realistic cellular textures. Subsurface scattering was key for organic realism, giving erythrocytes and stem cells that translucent, soft quality you’d see in microscopy.

The DNA strand scene was built using Cinema 4D’s MoGraph tools, constructing the double helix from clusters of small spheres. This let us zero in on the specific nucleotide undergoing modification without losing the overall form and clarity of the structure.

For the bone marrow reservoir scene, we combined modeling with displacement textures to replicate cancellous bone’s porous structure. Each scene had custom lighting setups, with careful control over contrast and depth to focus the viewer’s attention where it mattered—like stem cells entering the bone reservoir.

For the patient scenes, we rigged the character to allow realistic control of hand and finger positions. Clinical accuracy was a focus, including details like the patient squeezing a stress ball in the arm with the IV. We also made sure IV lines, clamps, and medical devices were placed correctly—down to feedback on clamp placement from the client.

Style Choices and Why They Were Made:

We went with a clean, conceptual 3D style to make complex biomedical processes both accessible and visually appealing. The strategic placement of lighting, shallow depth of field, and atmospheric particles created immersive microscopic scenes without overwhelming the viewer. Subtle lens effects, including chromatic aberration and edge distortion, simulated the feel of viewing through a microscope, reinforcing authenticity.

Expanded Technical Details:

Each scene brought unique technical challenges. For example, cartilage bone structures required layered displacement and bump maps, driven by multiple noise functions, to create organic irregularities. We used procedural shaders and custom Fresnel effects to replicate the wet, semi-translucent look of biological tissue.

Redshift’s lighting setups used area lights and HDRIs, with fine-tuned adjustments to enhance volumetric effects and shadows. We planned compositing around multipass renders—diffuse, specular, subsurface scattering, depth passes—so we’d have maximum flexibility in post.

Unique Animation Techniques:

We visualized gene-editing with animated procedural noise displacements applied to T cell surfaces, creating a distinct visual language for biological transformation. Subsurface scattering settings on cells were dynamically adjusted during these sequences to reflect physiological changes in real time.

Collaboration & Revisions:

Client collaboration was consistent and highly focused. Feedback zeroed in on scientific accuracy—like nucleotide labeling and cell function—while internally, we iterated heavily on lighting and shaders to strike the right balance between scientific realism and visual clarity.

Challenges & How We Solved Them:

One major challenge was depicting cellular and molecular structures with limited scientific references. We solved this by synthesizing data from SME interviews, medical imagery, and scientific literature. Optimizing complex scenes for rendering was another hurdle. We used polygon reduction, proxy geometry during animation, and Redshift’s out-of-core memory management to keep things running smoothly without sacrificing quality.

Post-Production & Delivery

Final Compositing & Color Grading:

We brought all the rendered frames into After Effects for compositing and polish. Color grading combined LUTs with manual tweaks to align with VidaBiomedical’s brand look. In microscopic scenes, we added subtle lens flares and edge distortion to enhance realism. Volumetric particles gave the microscopic environments depth and a sense of scale.

Final Edits & Optimization:

We also pulled stills from the final animation for use on the RheumaGen website. These frames captured key moments from the video—clear, impactful visuals that reinforced the innovation behind RheumaGen’s gene-editing tech.

The final video delivered on its mission: clear, compelling communication of RheumaGen’s groundbreaking science, blending accuracy and visual storytelling to support VidaBiomedical’s mission and credibility.

Transcript:

RheumaGen is a breakthrough gene-editing technology with the potential to halt rheumatoid arthritis.

Here’s how it works.

The patient receives a shot that mobilizes stem cells in the bone marrow out into the bloodstream. 

The patient is then connected to an apheresis machine by two arm veins - one to draw blood and separate the stem cells from the other blood components, and one to return the remaining blood to the patient.   

The collected bone marrow is then sent to the lab, where doctors change a single DNA marker of the HLA gene, also known as “the immune gene.” 

This effectively disarms the trigger that is activating T cells that cause rheumatoid arthritis.

Stem cells are then created based on the altered DNA sequence. 

The patient undergoes a bone marrow transplant to integrate their own modified stem cells into their body.

The patient’s T cells receive new instructions from the bone marrow and go quiet - no longer activated against the patient’s joints. 

Thus, inflammation in the joint lining decreases and bone loss halts. 

In short, RA is stopped in its tracks.