Run cycle in Maya

My first ever run cycle!
Animated in Maya...really enjoyed animating the arms and hands, to show the fingers loose and clenched, as he ran. Looking forward to practicing!
This model was provided, including a free rig.

                                                                                                                                                                                        

Graph editors.

'THAW' - final film ideas presentation

So following the reflective practice class last Thursday I've developed all of the ideas that I have and to date and have arrived at this idea for my final project. I'm very pleased as I wish to make a short film that has a simple storyline, examines an element of the human condition and also is a vehicle for a lot of 3D CGI.

Researching transformation themes, I have been inspired by the Brazilian artist, Nele Azevedo http://neleazevedo.com.br/, and her ice sculpture installation work 

MONUMENTO MÍNIMO | MINIMUM MONUMENT.

My film idea. 'THAW'

The story. Ice sculptures are melting. A child watches and is captivated. Remembrance of grandparents, family members, those who have gone before us. Two of the figures...a couple...slowly lean in and dissolve together. What is left is their memory...a water pool on the 

pavement.  Slowly the water brings life to a flower, which can grow from a crack in the stone. The circle of life. A theme of letting go.

For the actual method within the production I aim to explore a combination of live action, backplates, Maya, Mudbox, Realflow and compositing.

'THAW'

Inspiration

Ice in Maya

Maya Textures 

Specular sunlight and back-lit ice. Ice and textures in Maya and Realflow

Concept Storyboard

Reflecting practice - as a tool to shape an idea

Reflective practice is proving to be great in bringing sub-conscious ideas to the surface. Feels like I am revealing my creative process...not only to others, but to myself.

And in this reflective practice I am beginning to see that I have a few common themes that have run through all my ideas for my final project....

So, to keep my ideas conscious and highlight which themes inspire me, I've made a simple list of ideas to date and their common features:

Idea 1:

Exploring interactions between people, humourous and emotive. Set in an urban environment. A relationship begins between two people who never meet. Inspired by the interaction between this street artist and the council.

Idea 2:

Having experienced life inside DJCAD I was inspired by the possibilities and the software available. My ideas changed rapidly. 

A 2D woman is trapped hostage in a camera film negative and fights to break free and become 3D.

Similarly this idea explores a theme of freedom and restriction. I was particularly drawn in this idea to creating a 2D character and transforming her into 3D. A journey of growth. However, I felt that the story was weak and I wasn't convinced that there could be a good enough catalist for her to break free. How? Why? etc

Idea 3:

I've been inspired by Game of Thrones and the title sequence and have been researching how it was created. I was thinking of creating a film title sequence, using dynamics and highly polished VFX to create a stunning animated title sequence - possibly based on the story within idea 2.

This idea, whilst it could look amazing, lacks in a story. And a good title sequence, from the research I have done, all have a solid basis of a good story. So, I want to create some of the dynamics and high definition abstract images, but weld them into a good simple story.

So, back to the drawing board to reflect on my ideas so far, and to see what common themes there are.

And here are the themes that have interested me and the progression of my thoughts today and my final idea, that I'll work on presenting to Phillip Vaughan at DJCAD this week...

Flat to solid

          

 2D Neon outline

        

         

         

           

          

          2D tranforming into 3D

Monochrome to colour...

Tranformation

Abstract HD imagery

2D becoming solid

So my objective is to now get some real focus into what can be achieved in a one minute film...taking into account the ideas and themes above.

My starting point....an internet search for 'shortest stories.' 6 words or less!!

Here's my inspiration - particularly the first and second ones.

We kissed. She melted. Mop please!
James Patrick Kelly

See that shadow? (It's not yours.)
Jim Crace

Free to good home. Extraneous coffin.
Barbara Trapido

So, my mind is sparked with lots of new tangents and ideas - I thought I would show my train of thought both with a word and a picture....

Melting Jelly

Jelly Molds

Melting

Melting ice

Fire and Ice

People of ice and fire

Melting

Dark to Light

This image reminds me of the neon theme and the hostage idea. The fire of the hostage would melt the captor.

     Ice sculptures.        

     There may even be a story in this picture?

     One substance turning into another

Ice people

Ice melting

Aha! I remembered seeing images of this exhibition in Berlin. By the artist Nele Azevedo

http://neleazevedo.com.br/

And I am wondering if I can create a short story based on two ice characters that are in this exhibition? A simple theme of letting go and transformation.

I love designing to music. Mozart and Bach today....I think classical music will go well with this....

Ice figures

A young child watches

Together they melt

  They tranform

And the circle of life continues....

Short story ideas

Just checking out this website - to see if I can write a story in 20 words or less - bringing the ideas I've had so far to life.

Interesting to see Ernest Hemingway's shortest story...“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

http://www.wired.com/2006/11/very-short-stories/

Walk cycle in 3D modelling

Ooh it's back in the 3D labs with Maya!
Today was 'walk cycle' day...
it all went so well until I realised I'd done the opposite leg to what was on the screen, which was fine until we were swapping attributes from right to left and then my character's leg flipped out repeatedly and his arm swung around his head!

I loved putting some character into the walk - puffing out his chest and throwing his head back on the up and lowering his chin and bringing his chest forward on the down step...

Going to recreate the walk cycle over the next couple of days and upload it onto this blog...in the meantime here's some stills from today...

I found the tip of viewing the poses in 'silhouette' mode, with the lights off, very helpful!

Mind Dump, Mind Map and imaginary interview

So today we learned some more reflective creative learning tools...

Mind Dump (free writing)
Mind map (our learning journey)
Conducting an imaginary interview about our creative 'problem'.

Great to see that the reflective learning journey is not natural or easy! Ha!

First task was a free writing 'mind dump'. I wasn't sure what would come out at all - but the timing was perfect, I am in the middle of  a creative block. I know from experience that ideas soak and then pop out at unexpected moments, but I need to start to lock down my final project and it's changing all the time.

I have lots of visual ideas - mainly dark, glamourous dynamics, which look great (I have no idea how difficult they are to create!) but no real story to hang them off.

I design well if there is a background 'theme' and therefore all design ideas and details can relate to.or be opposite to that theme. Or I can bring in contrasting themes etc
One of my Character Design tutors at Wimbledon School of Art said "You need to know your character so well that you'd know exactly what underwear they wear. And you need to understand the design details of the period you are designing for, so you know what rules you can break."

Well, I don't know what knickers my character would wear, who the character is/are and what the design environment is.

The free writing mind dump covered lots of themes....

Here's my notes: written as done, with no punctuation or capitals

Title - Visual Effects

Proposing reality in slo mo darkness and water elements of heaven and earth slow and fast pitch black with star of light small humour and characters all in perspective dolls houses lit at night with cars and parties and the human condition breathing and smoke and TV chatter visual fx such as water and fabric dynamics and title sequences garden at night dolls in the foreground patio and dark water sunshine overlaid imagery fountains and grass and slo motion grass outside inside photography exposure and glass being incarcerated negative lightbox doorways out stable doors and horses driveways people flat dolls by people three dimensional paper dolls serviettes coffee and napkin cakes and tea people watching looking keyhole dark staircases turrets towers rivers water simulation buildings lakes and mountains how effects can represent character personalites.

Phew!
Very enjoyable process and I am looking forward to putting some pictures to this - maybe using the conceptulising the environment method that I recently learnt. I can sense that there is some kind of theme about to emerge.
Just re-reading that reminded me of the tiny people images like this....(funny how all the images and references that we pull together for a variety of ideas or projects can somehow mesh together - I selected these recently for our Going Live project)

Here's my learning journey mind map...

The small square with the double outline in the bottom left is a solid box, with substantial walls, that whilst supportive are restrictive (my AutoCAD experience and 2D drawing experience to date) There is an exit top left and whooosh....into the massive square which is Maya (hahaha - guess what software got my attention).

and the circles that are linked are the three assignments in our academic module - tiny links (my initial idea of what I understood and what I thought was going to be revealed) and the big circles (what actually happened in reality and the growth and new understanding as a result)

The squares underneath are about campus life - the canteen! Cashpoint! Library and free parking!!

For my imaginary interview - I interviewed Colonel Chris Hadfield - as I admire his integrity and imagination.

Marvel's Daredevil - Opening Titles - Now Streaming on Netflix

Great trailer - we had a spontaneous get together yesterday and watched clips on line, in the Graduate Centre. Katherine suggested this Daredevil title sequence as a reference piece...from that we researched 'Reflow' software http://www.realflow.com - possibly used to create some of the fluid dynamics....

The Leftovers Season 2: Opening Credits (HBO)

More research on titles - interesting use of natural elements to show the absence of a person.

The Man in the High Castle - Opening Intro - HD

Maybe the song captured my imagination, but love the visuals in this title sequence...

Creating a visual theme

Some rough sketches in Photoshop - creating a theme from my concept ideas

Haha this is brilliant...
This is a great visual representation of how my creative mind operates during our training in Maya, Mudbox and our academic lectures -

I was informed during Digital Tutors that Adobe changed the colour of the interface in Photoshop/After Effects etc to a dark grey - to make it a more submersive experience. In my opinion it absolutely worked....

Saw this clip with a camera and viewed it with ideas linked to my final project idea...

Imaginary Forces - Behind the Scenes - SXSW 2015 Gaming Awards from Imaginary Forces on Vimeo.

Love this ident too...

Netflix Australia "Spectrum" from Imaginary Forces on Vimeo.

Title sequence research ideas

Alongside GoingLive I am researching title sequences for inspiration for my final project...
I'm checking out companies to contact for interviews and found this link...

http://www.imaginaryforces.com/work/sci-arc-promotional-teaser
Really like the soundtrack to this piece - and the simplicity and textures in the images...

Sci Arc Promotional Video from Imaginary Forces on Vimeo.

Title sequences and concept visuals

So my ideas for my final project have taken a big turn...

During an online course that I've taken over the Christmas holidays I've been inspired by the visual below, taken from Lisa Liang course on Digital Tutors...

I've also become very interested in VFX and animated title sequences.

So my starting point of the next round of research is to create a 'feature film' quality concept environment and bring it to life in an animated title sequence....drawing on inspiration from Game of Thrones, The Jinx and Making a Murderer. Links below to the title sequences....

I can use my ideas from the intial storyboard - a woman trapped in a camera film negative, fights to become 3D, as a starting point.

I intend for my final project to not only be a good artistic piece in it's own right, but also as a vehicle to showcase animation, modelling, rigging, compositing and VFX methods and abilities...

Lisa Liang Visual

My initial 20 second concepts in Photoshop

Game of Thrones title sequence

The Jinx title sequence

Making a Murderer title sequence

Going Live project - production meeting 1

So Semester 2 has begun!

Brainstorming ideas, planning and our first production meeting - for our Going Live project.

Brief has been provided by Axis in Glasgow http://www.axisanimation.com/ in conjunction with Phillip Vaughan at DJCAD