I am very busy working on my dissertation as well as jumping between animation projects so there won't be much on here over the Christmas break. We will be up to our ears in production come January so I will have to make up for it then.

L.A Times Roundtable Discussion: Animation

I was on FilmaterIQ.com and found this discussion on feature length animation. Worth checking out...

Animation Production: Hook, Line & Stinker Character Modelling

So I got some feedback on the student model from Freddy and Seb on Friday. They were pleased with it but had some changes. I have made notes on the screenshots in photoshop to jog my memory. Me and Freddy decided not to elongate the arms any further as they would hang down to low when at his side. I will spend late Saturday and Sunday (I am working during the day) working on it so Teddy can begin to build the rigg on Monday. Admittedly this model has taken me slightly longer than it should have but I needed the experience as thats the only way i'm going to learn. Even tough I dont want to be a character modeller having those skills will come in handy.

Animation Production Story Session

Last night I arranged a story feedback session with the third years to discuss and help each other with story changes. Not as many people turned as should have. I think this was because we always work towards Thursdays as thats when we see Helen I think they feel changing their story last minuet is

Orbit Strange:

Rules of Reality:
1) As he gets older gravitational pull grows stronger and radius grows larger. Stays constant once he reaches puberty.
2) Movement of object always based on circular orbit or spiral.
3) Weight?

Team Brainstorm:

Sam/ Sash,
Build sympathy over course of life
Personality: agoraphobic (watch bunny and the bull
Personality: anti-hoarder. has nothing in home
is on the news as a freak
start with suicide and show flashbacks of life
more extreme
Chid star
finds a love intrest with small head


Act 1:
Mr.Tibro/ Orbit Strage in the womb as a fetus.
In playpen at home, building blocks float around head
Primary school. Kids throwing paper airplanes at him, its flies around his head
Secondary school/ College. No girls like him.
University.
First date. Cinema with girlfriend his head blocks projector and audience throw food at him.
Snow ball fight. Christmas
He falls back into the snow

Act 2 pt 1:
he falls back into his bed sheets and closes his eyes
alarm clock beeps. hand slams down to stop it.
he is a middle aged man living alone
He wakes up and we see his daily routine...
He uses toilet and his wees orbits around his head
breakfast bowl, cereal and milk float around his head as he walks into the kitchen

Act 2 pt 2:
Jobs

Act 2 pt 3:

Act 3:
end: Mr.Tibro "I'm Orbit Strange"

Hook, Line & Stinker:



We also came up with the idea of interesting 2D Transition for the background of the opening montage (act 1) here are some 2D Transition Examples:

Metamorphosis from Good Books on Vimeo.

Infinitus Artificium:

narrative vs abstract

relations between characters

staging/ environment used to tell story/ enhance emotion

Hook Line & Stinker:
screenshots of maya model
sent to stu

Spanish guitarist
alternate composing:
Oggeymen
Vagabonds & The Box
students

Infinitus Artificium:

No motion capture until January.

Stipped StripesL

Created by: Jens Meisner. Choreographer/ Dancer: Katie Dale-Everett

Animation Production: Look Development

Most of my posts have been about Production and Producing so its rare for me to look into any aspect much deeper. I spoke to Seb on Friday about lighting for Hook, Line & Sinker (HLS) and we are both looking forward to it. Most of our strengths will come to fruition next term when we hit the ground running I can promise you that. 

I am confident the story will come together but I think we need to look at this more as HLS has potential to be a great looking film.  Yes we will obviously be using a linear lighting workflow. Having spoken to Olly and still feeling the burn of the Animated Exeter Ident this has to be done.

I have been thinking about the Look Development for HLS more specifically lighting, lenses, focal length and cameras in Maya as well as watching a lot of films set as see this weekend. I found very good post on Reverse Key Lighting that we can consider using. Its going to be a mix of it looking and getting the fastest possible render times out of it. 

Below are some screenshots of movies either set at sea or with scenes at sea...

The Perfect Storm (2000):

King Kong, 2005 (Boat Scene):

Interior Light: warm, yellow, orage. Exterior Light: cold, blue, white

Interior Light: warm, yellow, orage. Exterior Light: cold, blue, white

Animation Production: Animatic Sweatbox

My projects were in the second hard of animatic sweatbox sessions that were spread over Thursday/ Friday. I did not get the chance to speak to him but I wanted to get advice on Little Loud off him (im not letting that die) which is a shame as he preferred to discuss it face to face rather than email. He suggested I talk to Andy about having him come back but in the back of my mind I have a feeling that that was the last time i'll see him. It was brilliant to to get his feedback today.

Below are the animatics for the projects I am working on. I have out the feedback under each video. The feedback was harsh but true and I took notes from a subjective view, easier when the project is not your brainchild, so I can analyse it properly. My biggest regret/ annoyance is that this feedback had not come sooner. having Luis Cook 4 weeks ago would have been a game changer for some projects.

____________________________________

Infinitus Artificium:

Animatic By Lauren Jansons & Amber Hyde

Luis Cook Feedback: (and some of my own notes/ observations/ ideas)

• Audience will be able to pull narrative from abstract pieces. Its innate.
• As a result the 'story'/ peice does not read well. Audience getting completely different message.
• Comes across like a stab at men disguised as a dance piece.
• music seems to sound more positive at start than at end. Should other way around.
• Consider relationship between male and female
• By default audience will begin to shape meaning just based on male and female interation; sexual connotations.
• Try to find the story within the dance.
• How do you represent emotion in dance? color, shape/ form, texture, lighting
• Watch: Pink 'Try' (Music Video) Amber Hyde: "good example of contemporary male and female dance in a song. But is more dominating than male."

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Orbit Strange Animatic:

Animatic By Tom Hughes

Luis Cook Feedback: (and some of my own notes/ observations/ ideas)

• His abilties has not been sued for the right gags.
• No need for construction site gag, does not 
• individual gag needs to build on itself.
• each gag needs to build on the last.
• level of reality/ logic needs to be established and kept constant throughout.
• what is the radius of his gravitational pull? what is the lightest/ heaviest object he can pick up?
• what does he want? how does his ability stop him from having it?
• Mr.Tibro should could start off young and get older as the story goes on. We see him from birth, school, first date, ect to death (where he finds his purpose)
• Gravitational pull gets stronger.
• Love story? Does he meet a woman who's head is a black whole? They complete each other?
• wants intimacy but ability keeps people at a distance!
• use title sequence to set up origins of oversized head? Titles could include orbiting text?
• Read: Dan Martin Comics (Mad Magazine)
• Watch: Captain Awesome (comedic timing) 

Omari:

+ production schedule

+ shot schedule (based on animatic)

+ prop modelling list (based on aniamtic)

Tom:

Animatic (based on feedback)

Character turnarounds

Mark & others:

Help with story developemnt

Hedi..

Animation tests (in Tom's style)

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Hook, Line & Stinker Animatic:

Animatic by Freddy Pooley & Luke Ridgeway

Luis Cook Feedback: (and some of my own notes/ observations/ ideas)

• Clarity. Shots need to be made clearer; action and background. use shades of grey for readability.
• Ensure everything that is set up has end. Some gags and over arching story felt open ended.
• Allow gags to have three act structure like 
• Whats is the purpose of the Murman? How does he help to resolve their relationship? How does he make them feel about each other/ themselves?
• What does each character want? Why cant they have it? (obstacle?)
• Keep father & Son as 'double act' then introduce Murman as the 'wildcard'.
• Make arguing happen gradually throughout 
• Watch: Lupe The Butcher

First Act Ideas:

• Set up ideas of large 'catch'. large fish that has only been seen a by a few old, drunken fishermen. Most believe it to be a myth. This could be and old man talking or even a poster hanging on a wall, a newspaper?

Second Act Idea:

• Father & Son argue during rain (pathetic fallacy)
• Meanwhile fishing mechanism goes crazy. its has clearly caught something of massive wight
• Father and son do not notice boat tipping as they argue (dramatic irony)
• hey reach peak of their argument as murman flops up onto deck
• The murman's presence though comedic must threatens their life as they boat could sink. 
• They are not on a time limit to get the murman off the boat before the boat sinks and they loose everything.

Third Act Idea:

• They see twisted version of themselves in the murman. They do not like what they see.
• Father & Son realise have to let go of the thing that makes them so hard to love
• Father and Son forced swap roles. father is forced to be creative, Son is forced to do something fisherman like?

To Do Week Commencing: Week 10: 03/11/12
Monday Morning Meeting/ Story Session. All to Attend.

Omari:
+ model son/ student (deadline monday)
+ contact oggymen band >> arrange meeting
+ shot schedule (based on animatic)
+ production schedule
+ arrange mocap session with Jens

Freddy:
+ Animatic with…
+ sound
+ elapsed time
+ shot count
+ overall frame count

Seb:
+ Asset management (dropbox folder)
+ render tests
+ animatic (with freddy)

Luke:
+ prop design
+ mobile, fish, Helm sterring wheel, metal bucket, flip book, pencil, door sign
(w/logo), palm tree sea weed,
+ Animatic from storyboards

Dave:
Model

rigging body (14th Dec)
facial rig/ GUI

Tedy:
+ bucket of water simulation (Monday 3rd Dec)
+ rain simulation (software renderer)
+ render test
+ finish the model of the merman

Sash:
+ color script from storyboards (various time of day)
+ Mood board for water >> send to Phoebe

Phoebe:
back ground from previous artwork
concept including water based on sash's mood board

Alex Beadle:
Ship concept design (deadlineTuesday 4rd Dec)
(note; please thin about light sources on the boat/ environment)
Seagull concept (Thurs 6th Dec)

Heidi & Stu:
test animations; walk, run cycle based on footage/ mobcap data