What it feels like to dive into Archeology [3D Fractal] Phenotypic Sarcophagi @julius-horsthuis

Uploaded April 2014 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago

As a fractal archeologist, I enjoy unearthing hidden gems that lie deep within the mathematical soil. These artifacts are phenotypic expressions of their 'genes' - their formulas.

Fractal video by Julius Horsthuis
rendered in Mandelbulb3d

$What it feels like to dive into Archeology [3D Fractal] Phenotypic Sarcophagi As a fractal archeologist, I enjoy unearthing hidden gems that lie deep within the mathematical soil. These artifacts are phenotypic expressions of their genes - their formulas. Fractal video by Julius Horsthuis rendered in Mandelbulb3d$ $MandelRUN Freerunning through a Mandelbox was the immediate thing on my mind when I saw my first 3D fractal. A Fractal Parkour. This is a proof of concept film, showcasing the possibilities of using Mandelbulb3D as a tool for creating interesting environments, and exploring techniques of combining greenscreen footage with a tool many deem unfit for advanced VFX work. The runners are Katie McDonnell and Pedro Salgado, with whom this footage was shot for a different project. (as VFX supervisor on this shoot, I helped design the shots using animatics) Shot and rendered in 50FPS$

$Geigers Nightmare Not modeled or sculpted, a fractal is a mathematical set with self-similar properties. If explored, one can find the most bizarre of shapes and patterns. rendered in Mandelbulb 3D music by Maurice Horsthuis thanks to batjorge for sharing the mandelbulb parameters$

$[4K HDR Fractal trip] Feather Light Slow ethereal weightless moving through this exquisite fractal structure. On Natacha Atlas - Zitherbell http://www.julius-horsthuis.com/$ $Primeval Replicators Fractals tell us something about the way the world works, and this, to me, is just incredible interesting. The idea that something seemingly complex and infinitely detailed can come from very simple beginnings is paradoxical. Either there’s something magic about math that it can do this, or—which I think is more likely—the detail and complexity is just an illusion, enhanced by the fact that our brains with which we perceive this, are made with similar fractal processes. www.julius-horsthuis.com music: Baraka Theme from Michael Stearns$ $[3D FRACTAL] Sphere Invasion It should actually read ‘Sphere Inversion’, since these ineffable negative space objects are mathematically perfect spheres that invert their surroundings. I’ve seen these types of objects a lot on my fractal journeys, but never before did I truly understand what they were. It seems such a relatively simple idea, yet I’ve never before seen this implemented as a visual effect. I’d love to see examples of this applied to realistic geometry, other than these fractals. I could have also called this film ‘Artifacts’ since it’s full of artifacts such as jitter, motion estimation problems, upscaling issues, etc. Rendering time was limited so I had to compromise. Music is “Inner Fireworks” by the amazing Eric Serra, from the movie Lucy. All is rendered in Mandelbulb3D and composited in After Effects$

$Lingua Naturae Feel like a fractal caving adventure? A quest for the language of nature. by Julius Horsthuis rendered in Mandelbulb3d, with additional techniques in 3DS MAX music: One billion miles out by Banco de Gaia$