In this movie, you add materials to the various objects to bring the scene to life. You mostly make use of mental ray materials as this is what works best with the mental ray rendering engine, especially when it comes to reflections and refractions.

Making-of the Channel Trailer - Part 3

The official learning channel for Autodesk® 3ds Max® software, a comprehensive 3D modeling, animation, rendering, and compositing solution for games, film, and motion graphics artists. The Autodesk® 3ds Max® Learning Channel provides tutorials of all levels to help you learn Autodesk® 3ds Max®.