Vladislav Shlenov is a worldbuilder. That’s not hyperbole. His role as a part of KitBash3D varies from lead artist to concept designer and nearly everything in between as he delivers fantastic worlds to establish authenticity for other creative artists. KitBash3D assets can be seen in such popular and well-known productions as Terminator: Dark Fate, Marvel’s Oscar-nominated Doctor Strange, and the poster for HBO’s Primetime Emmy Award–Award-winning series The Last of Us. The creative force behind all of these projects embraces a love of the science-fiction genre, which aligns seamlessly with Vlad’s tastes. His previous career as an architect infuses his creations for KitBash3D with an extra level of plausibility and functionality, whether designed for futuristic warfare or inspired by the inhabitants of Middle Earth. If you look deeply into his work, you’ll see the virtual manifestations of fantastic ideas by a scientific yet whimsical mind.
Much of Vlad’s work for KitBash3D begins with a general concept, leaving ample room for his creative genius to expand on. Future Warfare has a basic premise: what does war look like a century from now? What are the advancements that seem plausible but just a little out of reach in the present day? Bridging the gap between current trends and forward-leaning imagination, Shlenov conceived of a mobile armory, drop pods, and ideas seemingly most appropriate for a futuristic Tom Cruise movie. The imposed limitation of not taking things too futuristic, ala “flying cars,” proved to be anything but limiting for Vlad. Components like buildings with moving parts for greater protection and increased efficiency of purpose testify to the incredible detail placed in the backstory of any production these Kits are used in. Noting that he prefers the notion of war only in fictional scenarios such as this, Vlad stipulates that he revels in the opportunity as an experiment in challenging his own cleverness. He remarks, “I always work in 3D to understand the volume of the designed object. My task is to convey the concepts as clearly as possible. Everything in this kit should be mobile enough. That is, the structures had to be designed in such a way that their image hinted at the quick assembly and disassembly of these structures. There is a definite realistic approach to the design that would work.” See how Future Warfare was used in Mayfire’s “The Age of Kings” music video.
His work inspires filmmakers, music artists, and others, but Vlad is quick to point out that he takes equal inspiration from others in the community. He praised artist Syd Mead (known for his futuristic designs in films like Bladerunner, Tron, and Aliens) as one of his favorites and the inspirational starting point for much Vlad’s ideas for KitBash3D’s AtomPunk. Utilizing an aesthetic reminiscent of America somewhere between 1960-1980, AtomPunk is a genre balanced on the edge of absolute utopia (full-fledged prosperity achieved by atomic technologies) and a possible terrible dystopia – the end of the world and atomic war. What Vlad has manifested in this particular kit is the blend of a hopeful future with that of a realistic sense of mankind’s own inclination to self-inflict destruction. Still, optimism is prevalent in AtomPunk. Nike recognized this and utilized this kit for a hugely successful campaign early this year, which marketed their high-tech winter coats.
Because KitBash3D’s creations are intended to infuse believability into the creations of other artists, their very DNA demands authenticity in imagined purpose. Peter Jackson’s films brought Tolkien’s visual worlds to an international film audience. The spectacle of these productions was a new benchmark in the industry. In The Iron Forge, Shlenov has taken inspiration from these great novels and films to create a world very similar but not too similar. The imagined world of Cyberpunk has also benefited from Vlad’s contributions through KitBash3D’s Cyberpunk universe (Cyberpunk Vehicles and Cyberpunk Interiors). However, Vladislav specifies that one of his absolute favorite creations for KitBash3D is The City in the Sky. Hinting at humanity’s abandonment of an inhabitable surface, this kit is populated with floating buildings, flying homes, and an existence among the clouds themselves. Shlenov’s designs are fascinating and transfixing. While the look of this kit is striking, Vlad personally finds the most gratification in the fascinating designs he comes up with. He describes, “It was a challenge to think through the buildings from all sides. I think that the most interesting thing was some stylization of steam mechanisms, and in general, the entire kit gravitates towards the architectural style of the 20th century. It was also an intellectual exercise to think through various tools that could allow people to survive in these new conditions. On some structures, you can see a fog catcher (this is a net that is often used in South American countries, which catches particles from clouds and turns them into water), various early 20th-century weather measurement devices, numerous weights hung along the perimeter to balance the structures of each house, and much, much, more.”
What is so apparent in this description is that Mr. Shlenov is committed to the actual plausibility of his designs rather than simply seeing them as aesthetically interesting, though that goal is certainly achieved with remarkable success as well.
KitBash3D is a community of creators who are committed to the exploration and creation of assets that will ignite and empower the creativity of others. Vladislav Shlenov recalls the inspiration he felt watching films from Hollywood and how this led him to pursue a career path that deviated from one typical for an architect such as himself. His work for KitBash3D proves that we don’t have to accept the traditional definitions of our skillset; we can imagine our own journey and design it for ourselves.
Published by: Khy Talara
