REEL
REEL
A director's reel spanning 3D art direction, motion design, and AI-native video production. The majority of the work here was directed by me end to end — concept through final frame — alongside contributions to campaigns for Vagaro, Instagram, and Apple, and freelance collaborations with production studios Scholar and Makemake (formerly a52).
A director's reel spanning 3D art direction, motion design, and AI-native video production. The majority of the work here was directed by me end to end — concept through final frame — alongside contributions to campaigns for Vagaro, Instagram, and Apple, and freelance collaborations with production studios Scholar and Makemake (formerly a52).
Year
2026
Category
DEMOREEL
REEL BREAKDOWN
REEL BREAKDOWN
Concept, tone, camera, light — the decisions that define art direction, backed by the craft to execute them. From production-grade modeling and texturing to photography-based lighting and animation rooted in visual storytelling, this reel is a record of both the calls made and the work built to carry them.
Concept, tone, camera, light — the decisions that define art direction, backed by the craft to execute them. From production-grade modeling and texturing to photography-based lighting and animation rooted in visual storytelling, this reel is a record of both the calls made and the work built to carry them.
REEL BREAKDOWN
Concept, tone, camera, light — the decisions that define art direction, backed by the craft to execute them. From production-grade modeling and texturing to photography-based lighting and animation rooted in visual storytelling, this reel is a record of both the calls made and the work built to carry them.
REEL PHILOSOPHY
REEL PHILOSOPHY
Every editorial decision in this reel was made with the viewer in mind.
The track sets the terms. It's upbeat where the old cut was slow-burn — building gradually toward a climax, then breaking down and building again. Every cut is timed to it.
That structure does the work an edit usually has to force. The build carries momentum without rushing the shots that need to breathe, and the breakdowns give the eye somewhere to land before the next lift.
A reel is never just a showcase of the work. It's a demonstration of editing sensibility and the level of direction behind every frame.
Every editorial decision in this reel was made with the viewer in mind.
The track sets the terms. It's upbeat where the old cut was slow-burn — building gradually toward a climax, then breaking down and building again. Every cut is timed to it.
That structure does the work an edit usually has to force. The build carries momentum without rushing the shots that need to breathe, and the breakdowns give the eye somewhere to land before the next lift.
A reel is never just a showcase of the work. It's a demonstration of editing sensibility and the level of direction behind every frame.
REEL PHILOSOPHY
Every editorial decision in this reel was made with the viewer in mind.
The track sets the terms. It's upbeat where the old cut was slow-burn — building gradually toward a climax, then breaking down and building again. Every cut is timed to it.
That structure does the work an edit usually has to force. The build carries momentum without rushing the shots that need to breathe, and the breakdowns give the eye somewhere to land before the next lift.
A reel is never just a showcase of the work. It's a demonstration of editing sensibility and the level of direction behind every frame.
SOFTWARE STACKS
SOFTWARE STACKS
Autodesk Maya
Adobe Suites (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects)
Adobe Substance 3D (Painter, Stager)
Maxon One Products (Redshift, Red Giant, ZBrush)
Foundry Nuke & Mari
PF Track
Chaos Vray
AI production workflow (Claude & ChatGPT)
Nano Banana/GPT Image 2/SeeDream 5 Pro
AI video stacks (Higgsfield/Artlist/Runway)
Elevenlabs
Autodesk Maya
Adobe Suites (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects)
Adobe Substance 3D (Painter, Stager)
Maxon One Products (Redshift, Red Giant, ZBrush)
Foundry Nuke & Mari
PF Track
Chaos Vray
AI production workflow (Claude & ChatGPT)
Nano Banana/GPT Image 2/SeeDream 5 Pro
AI video stacks (Higgsfield/Artlist/Runway)
Elevenlabs
SOFTWARE STACKS
Autodesk Maya
Adobe Suites (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects)
Adobe Substance 3D (Painter, Stager)
Maxon One Products (Redshift, Red Giant, ZBrush)
Foundry Nuke & Mari
PF Track
Chaos Vray
AI production workflow (Claude & ChatGPT)
Nano Banana/GPT Image 2/SeeDream 5 Pro
AI video stacks (Higgsfield/Artlist/Runway)
Elevenlabs
More Works More Works
More Works More Works
©2026 MICHAEL KO DESIGN
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©2026 MICHAEL KO DESIGN
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