Thursday, 2 May 2019

Conclusion

A number of elements have slipped since conception and planning. Characters and environment details were pared down. Problems were found in the technical elements of rigging and this placed stress on the animation process. Sound also remains incomplete.

With all this said, style, shot sizing and angles, timing and transitions were utilised in an attempt to produce the desired effect.

Some useful outcomes of this process may be to reinforce the importance of planning within a realistic scope and learning how to balance technical considerations against the need to tell the story. Most useful however, will be the development of story and discovering new ways to take this to the audience.

On to the next one…

Some Notes on Final Shots


These are some notes on the types of shots used throughout the film. It should also be noted that the camera is restricted to a 180’ arc to maintain spatial continuity.


High angle shots work to make the subject look smaller or weaker within the scene. In this shot, lights were also adjusted to produce a long shadow spilling into the scene. Materials were also substituted as the baked light map could not receive shadows.

Frame within a frame. This style of framing can tighten the shot using scene elements, focussing attention and creating a more claustrophobic feel.

Framing with perspective. Perspective lines lead to the focal point of the shot which, in this case is also picked out in high contrast.

Framing with light. In this shot, a spotlight with a soft penumbra frames the subject and closes the surrounding space.

A short focal length exaggerates depth and distorts in the periphery to create a disconcerting effect.


Reverse angle shots were used as a device for introducing a character and revealing their point of view or as a means of portraying action and reaction.

Saturday, 30 March 2019

Bake Off/Trade Off - Light Maps

Trying to reduce render times.

The static elements in the scene (lighting and geometry) allow for "baking" lighting effects into textures. The UV layouts are expensive in time but worth it. Not only do they reduce render times hugely, but the resulting images can be quite intriguing in their own right.






Shooting Craps

As the models, textures and lighting come together, we're starting to get a real idea of the final look.

From the opening pedestal camera move in the lift car....




 
... to the drama of the Doctor's office interior...


Render times remain a problem and we'll look at that next.

The New Shot List Was Missing.....

I'd been following this revised shot list but hadn't posted it. This was created using proxy models for environment and character. A loose shot tempo is represented by the heart beat graphic.

Click on an image to view more detail.






This set of shots for the doctor's office remain unresolved. Options are still being considered while working on technical elements.


A Real Rig-marole

Choosing an "auto-rigging" solution over a manual build was meant to save me some time, grief and mental fatigue.

Advanced Skeleton (www.animationstudios.com.au/advanced-skeleton) is a fantastic tool but the basic process requires a model to have specific attributes and the steps to be followed. Mistakes while learning were plentiful.


Perseverance was key. The facial rigging scripts, once parameters were defined, were amazing to watch in action.

The Model Protagonist in Summary

Here's our man.

Ready to go.


Rigging up next followed by a serious look at scene optimisation. Render times are killing me