Production Pipeline - Final

The long awaited moment has come: Project LARP is finished. It's been a long road with many trials and much learning but in the end the finished product is about where I envisioned it. Some of the sound is off (tweaked it and went to rerender but the program was acting up) and some of the video is off (one animation of the slime changes color and some of the videos get out of placement/scale at times) but over all I'm satisfied knowing how much I learned from this project. In all honesty, this was a huge learning experience with particles, blend shapes, nCloth, green screening, etc. Many things had to be rendered multiple times including a few nights ago when I realized I rendered with the wrong extension. The process has taught me to be cautious and begin things quickly. I had started filming very quickly (within the first couple of weeks) and unfortunately the golden rule has limitations. I ended up reshooting all of it week 9 without my original actress. Regardless, with some ingenuity and some patience I have accomplished what I set out to do: create all 3D, 2D and live film assets and compile them together in an entertaining manner symbolic of classic video gaming.
Things I'd do differently? I'd definitely focus more on preproduction early on. I had a lot in mind but not all of it was completed. This included an animatic for the scenes. I had the general idea mapped out on my storyboards but there's still pacing and timing that can only be achieved with animatics. Overlooking that step made After Effects a bit trickier to key frame. I'd also have gotten more feedback sooner to make more changes for the better.
Things I'm glad I did. I asked questions and researched from either other students, tutorials, or simply attending classes that were relevant to my topics. It was a huge help to have resources to make things as I'd never done them before. Knowing someone/thing had all the knowledge was comforting because learning on my own would have taken much longer. In addition, my passion and drive were refreshing. I sought out to do x number of things and I didn't back down from it. I'm proud of my accomplishments and can only hope that in the future I'm able to do more exciting projects like LARP.

Until Next Time,
     Tex.

Production Pipeline: Project LARP 08

It's been a couple weeks since I've posted progress but suffice it to say it's been a little slow in the sweat shop due to theater. Not to say there hasn't been some improvements and new items created. One of the largest improvements has been to particle effects. The two fire elements I have are now improved as with their smoke...only the smoke isn't animating yet. Not sure why but I'm looking into it. Fire is doing wonderfully now that the fireball is made of fluids and not particles. Slime has blend shapes now so the only thing left is to smooth out his animations and render. Mimic has a bit more work because he has very complicated rigs for his tongue (which has been remodeled upon request). The bamboo pole was done a long time ago but I haven't shown it off here so I figured I'd upload that. The sky has been finished but I haven't really shown it off properly. The environment as a whole should be fine but I still need to create those dirt clouds for when characters/models make movements in the dirt (what would rock would be some footprints and the like done as an animated texture but the timing/placement of all of that could be a major pain so I'll leave that out for now since a RPG wouldn't have that anyway). The only other model that hasn't been shown yet is the winged potion. It's finally done except I still want to try to rig the wings to flutter and I need to animate the cork pop with the glitterfetti. I may try to research nDynamics to have 'realistic' fluids but considering how late in the game that would be coming I may just add that later down the line. The 2D components are started but I may be tweaking them a tad as they're only so-so. Music and sound effects will be starting next week and all green screen capture will be imported to After Effects for compositing. Now, for the long awaited photos of all these new goodies. Videos to come.

Until next time,
     Tex.

EDW Ind Study: Week 07

This is a demonstration of the functionality of the rig I'll be using for each of the models. I intend to still use Motion Capture for the march but all other animation of the upper body will be key framed as was this animation. This exact rig will be used for all four models to ensure a similar march and continuity between models.

This coming week will be filming myself at the counter and then applying the models with their animation. If Motion Capture does not happen in time I'll be animating the walk cycle myself week 9. All renders will occur week 8-9 for final compositing week 10.

EDW Ind Study: Week 06

New project starting up utilizing Motion Capture and Motion Builder. The message is simple: get kids to eat breakfast. Utilizing four maya models (cereal, milk, bowl, and spoon) I intend to capture a march very similar to "Let's all go to the Lobby" followed by a live actor smiling down at the objects as they cross through the video of a counter top. The idea is to have them dance when the reach the actor in a very Hip-Hop style. Music choices are still somewhat up in the air but the two inspirations for this are "Let's all go to the Lobby" and an old breakfast time commercial from Nickolodeon in which a spoon, knife, and fork do a rap about different breakfast ideas. I have concluded that my models will be fairly simple pieces of separate geometry rigged with rigid bodies and proper naming conventions for Motion Builder. I'll be contacting Halbstein this week for meeting to learn the Motion Capture system. This commercial should be approximately 30-45 seconds long and be followed by a 2D text over the newly blurred scene reading "Eating breakfast can help you get up and move!"

Production Pipeline: Storyboarding Progress 01

I haven't posted the storyboard for Project LARP yet so here it is in progress. Very dark I know and unfortunately the environment has indeed changed since then (update to come). The characters are hard to see now so suffice it to say the next step is to chroma-key the footage...or at least take the footage, make a still and pop it into the storyboard. Anyway, more progress on this to come. In addition, look out for the animatic. It's coming up soon.

EDW 05: Green Screening

Though I'm not quite ready to be using this yet I went ahead and chroma-keyed one of my many videos from green screen...and then I realized I will likely need to reshoot. So much for planning ahead. ^ ^; No worries. Nick and I plan to finish the green screen on Wednesday so a reshoot can be done this weekend. Time to gather the actors!

Production Pipeline: Week 04 into 05

It's been a while since I've been into the 'studio' due to my acting but there's been a little progress. Let's do a run down shall we?

LARP Project:
Slime: Model - Polygon and Textures (complete!)
            Wiggle - nCloth (complete!)
            Squash and Stretch - Blend Shapes [have one that shows Slime dissolve] (starting this week)
            Bubbles - Particles (revisit texture and needed to be added to model)
            Fire and Smoke - Particles and Fluids (starting this week)
            Animation - (starting soon)
            Render - (starting soon)
Mimic: Model - Polygon and Textures (nearly complete [requires grouping])
             Tongue - Model (redoing this week) and Rig (rig needs to be tweaked)
             Saliva/Spit - Particles (starting this week)
             Lid/Box animation/rig - Rig (starting this week)
             Animation - (starting soon)
             Render - (starting soon)
Bamboo Pole: Model - Polygons and Textures (revisit if need be)
                        Render - (starting soon)
Fireball: Fireball - Particles (revisit if need be)
               Smoke - Fluid Effects (revisit)
               Animation - (starting soon)
               Render - (starting soon)
Winged Potion: Model - Glass (complete!), Wings (starting this week)
                          Magic Potion - Fluids [or possibly just model and animate] (starting this week)
                          Glitter - Particles (starting this week)
                          Animation - (starting soon)
                          Render - (starting soon)
Environment: Model - Paint Effects (revisit textures for coherency), Dirt (revisit texture)
                       Sky - Fluid Effects (revisit texture)
                       Animation - (starting soon)
                       Render - (separate passes to start soon)
Menu Tab/Hit Point/other 2D effects: (starting soon)
Music/Sound Effects: (starting soon)
Green Screen/Video Editing: (starting soon)

As you can see, there's a lot of stuff to do before week 9. Very ambitious project but by taking off just a little bit at a time it'll be manageable. Week 5 will see the completion of the potion, the completion of the Mimic's tongue (put into model), all fire/smoke particles, blend shape Slime, saliva/spit, Box Rig (if any), and environmental pieces. In addition, I need to redo my storyboard and animatic. Therefore, if any thing aforementioned is not finished due to the animatic and storyboard I wont consider myself behind for the week because the planning stage is still underdeveloped and that will account for any last changes to the piece anyway. By week 6, animating key frames should start and renders will begin week 7.

Until next time! - Tex

EDW Week 4: Green Screen and Motion Capture

Nothing much to add here. All filming was performed in advance and I'm still working through production pipeline to add all the elements for rendering. I'm currently working with Nick Nicely to create a giant wall of green screening or possibly just a floor for the current green screen sweep. In addition, I hope to use the remaining paint that we bought to create a wall for my own apartment where I can film in my own home! Exciting things happening with green screening under Marla Schweppe's guidance. In addition, I hope to have a camera for this coming weekend to test the paint color and the wall or floor. Depends on our availability when the wall or floor will be done but pictures of our progress will be posted shortly.
Starting this week: Motion Capture. I'll be asking Halbstein for assistance in this if I can't reach Kirk Lansman.
Concept: Take a photograph of my clean kitchen and model a cereal box and jug/bottle/carton of milk. Capture motion of two actors moving around and attach motion to the models as they dance on the counter top. Matching perspective and applying lighting/shadows is the challenge here. Interest is not on tracking motion, but rather capturing motion and applying it to a model.

Production Pipeline: Environment WIP 01

Here's the environment for the two actors and the models so far. Working out the depth of field still and may add a few more elements, but so far so good. Lemme know what you think because there's plenty more that could be done to improve this. :3 [recall it's supposed to be somewhat 'stylized' so I am trying to have a somewhat saturated 'realism' to the 'cartoon' look].

Production Pipeline: Mimic WIP

Well, Mimic has come a long way but he's finally making moves! He has a tongue now and the textures look SOOOO much better. In addition, I'm going to add the remaining front teeth (looks odd without them), two handles, and two back hinges. Then it's off to making the joints for the tongue and lid and maybe a little bit of particles for spit? I dunno yet but the more I dream the more I love this project. :3 Lemme know your thoughts too and I'll credit you in my blogs!

Till Next Time,
     Randy Mappus

Environment Design: Tutorials

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsOc9xQiAc4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3WG5m1uAVc&feature=related

http://the-area.com/tutorials/deforming_geometry_with_fluids_in_maya

Production Pipeline - Week 03

I'm still working on the storyboard (to be finished tonight or tomorrow) but the animatic is somewhat on the back burner due to actual filming having started this Sunday! [see below for an example]. The storyboard is quite rough so I plan on fixing it up with some color and better illustration soon (and then screen captures of my models asap). The shot sheet will also be completed tonight or tomorrow with each asset and camera movement. All beginning of models is underway and some are built but lack their special effects. Scratch track is in the wings but is lacking the special effect sounds for now as I keep developing the storyboard/animatic. Lots of work yet to do for Wednesday...already feeling behind schedule. Regardless, the project is underway and at this point it's polishing, editing, and combining.

EDW Ind: Week 03

I have been unable to review Final Cut Pro as of yet but it would appear that it may be unnecessary. Soundtrack Pro on the other hand is still necessary and has been reviewed. I attempted to find MatchMover but learned that the Gnomon disks do not cover that topic. I will be asking Shaun Foster for assistance in learning and understanding the program. I have watched a tutorial from 2010's Autodesk MatchMover but it was not very helpful. Furthermore, I plan on asking if it is possible to have a tutorial in EDW about MatchMover.
I was able to watch Aaron Powell's tutorial on Green Screening techniques and have begun filming. I will likely need to try to capture more film this week to ensure I have all that I need. Resources are gathered and displayed in previous posts.
This week will entail a continuation of filming if needed, creation of the 3D environment, completion of the 3D models, starting their rigging, and starting the particles for each creature. If time, try to match footage perspective and study lighting/shadows in Maya.

Production Pipeline - Mimic Progress 3

Hit a snag. :/ [Deep dark secret time!!!] I'm not an expert texture artist. :0 I know; huge shock. Anyway, trying to make the wood have a depth (displacement map) but still have that toon shader look. If anyone knows how to help fix this I'd be very grateful. (PS I'm aware of the one side on the top not being fixed but I rather wait to fix it until the whole texture is ready)

- Tex

Production Pipeline - Mimic Progress 2

My heart stopped when I saw this render. Whoa what an improvement fog and color makes! And the shadows! :0 Anyway, Mimic is well on its way. Now to study MatchMover. :3

Production Pipeline - Mimic Progress

The general idea of what the Mimic will look like. Still considering the eyes...but considering I want to stay fairly true to the original I may just leave them alone...though I really want some light fog coming from the box and likely some glow from the eyes to give it a more eerie feel. Reference below.

Production Pipeline - Design Document

3-4 Paragraph Narrative:

The idea behind the animation is a simple narrative following a warrior and a dark mage (any spell caster that isn’t focused on healing but rather attacking) who encounter two enemies: a slime creature based on the Dragon Warrior game for the NES and a Mimic from Dragon Quest or even Final Fantasy. The battle system is based on Final Fantasy X and explains what the audience sees as opposed to what the two characters see.

The characters aren’t aware they’re a game; rather, the audience is to believe they are in control of the characters and are actively interacting with the game world. As the battle continues, the characters make increasingly intuitive choices as to distance the user from the role of ‘God’ and hopefully make the characters seem more personable to get the audience to sympathize and perhaps incorporate themselves into the characters. Thus, when a character is damaged, the audience should feel as though they were damaged too.

To achieve this, the camera will take on several different perspectives but towards the end it will seem more ‘first person’ as to achieve that connection I seek. The idea is to have the audience determine, “is this character me?” or “am I controlling this stage and all its players?” The real interesting part is to see what role they play: are they warriors who step into battle with the characters or are they mages who sit back and observe from afar? Ideally people will take one of the other sides but not both and, on that same note, hopefully the room will be split on its decision.

In the end, the characters are victorious in their battle and the audience should be joyous…until there is the twist of the treasure chest not being a prize, but rather a trick to the audience to test their sense of adventure: “be ready for anything/be prepared”. The Mimic is the surprise element to keep the audience engaged and reward them for paying attention. After the Mimic is defeated, the party rejoices (as should the audience) and the animation is through thereafter. Simple and short but with what I hope to be a somewhat profound and entertaining clip at Live Action Role Playing.

Production Pipeline: Design Document

One Sentence Concept:

“A 30 second short animated parody of the classic RPG genre utilizing live film, 2D and 3D animation compositing.

One Paragraph Specific Description:

“The short will portray two actors; a warrior and a mage who battle a 3D ‘slime’ monster modeled after the Nintendo Entertainment System’s Role Playing Game: Dragon Warrior. The piece as a whole should have the same look and feel as classic turn-based RPG’s such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior and Dragon Quest, and Suikoden. The ‘slime’ is created using Maya’s Mental Ray rendering software to create such effects as caustics, a rigged face for animating, possibly particle effects to show a dripping/oozing effect or simple a separation of part of the slime, and finally realistic gelatinous textures with proper lighting. In addition to the ‘slime’, there is a chance for a 3D environment utilizing paint effects for a realistic grass effect that should animate as if there is a wind. Finally, the last elements to the piece are the live film actors utilizing green screen and interesting HDR camera movements as well as integrating the 2D dialogue boxes to toggle commands as any classic RPG would portray. These elements will all come together in After Effects with H264 compression.”

Weapon Concepts:

Fire Concepts:

Battle Screen Concepts:

Additional Monster Concept:

EDW: Independent Study Syllabus

-        Project week 1-5: green screen capture for RPG [2 live actors in a green screen composited with a 3D environment, a 3D weapon/particle fire and smoke, a 3D animated ‘slime’, and 2D motion graphics for ‘menu’ tabs]

Week 1: Decide what the project(s) will be and what undertaking will be used (AfterEffects, Watchout, Soundtrack Pro, MatchMover, [possibly MotionBuilder?], Final Cut Pro) and creating basic itinerary/outline for projects.

- Project 1 will utilize AfterEffects for compositing and Soundtrack Pro for all sounds/music. Final Cut Pro will be used to correct all footage for Green Screening and all footage will be passed through MatchMover due to complex camera moves.

- Project 2 will utilize MotionBuilder for capturing all motion, AfterEffects for compositing, Watchout for displaying the project, and a simple camera for the photograph. Soundtrack pro for music editing.

Week 2: Exploration of different Green Screen techniques and integration in AfterEffects (Aaron’s Tutorial). Exploration of MatchMover and how to integrate HD camera footage [rent out and watch Gnomon Disks]. Review Final Cut Pro and Soundtrack Pro integrated with HD camera footage. Start shooting for Green Screen. [Begin production of assets – Production Pipeline] Gather references/inspiration.

Checking out the Gnomon this week for viewing MatchMover techniques. Meeting with group for work on Green Screening (find actress ASAP and work with Nick Nicely (Warrior)) Reviewing Final Cut Pro and Soundtrack Pro. Inspiration attached.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKogQf9ooR8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obpGWK-1jAc&feature=related

'Slime'

This is the completed slime thus far. I have developed the texture procedurally inside Maya and hope to have a general rig for him done this week. The rig will allow his point to wiggle, his mouth to crease/open/close, and his eyes to blink. I'm also looking into adding an emitter from within his body to emit particles to symbolize bubbles. To finish him up I plan to add a jiggle deformer so he feels a little like 'Jell-o'. Otherwise, he's well on his way. Next up, weapons! :3

- Tex

Production Pipeline - Week 01

The production has started! It's very exciting to have a rough idea of what the project will entail. So far the project will have two actors (one male and female): a warrior and a mage. These characters will be filmed in front of a green screen (learning that this week) and then integrated into a 3D environment (modeled by Nick Nicely). The warriors take on a classic RPG style as they battle a slime in a turn based manner. The slime is already nearing completion and will be rigged for animation this week. The next 3D items to be made are the bamboo pole (or maybe a club) and any sort of particles that will be added such as the mage's fireball.
This weeks agenda: create 'slime', finish storyboard, begin to film live actors (Nick Nicely and possibly Ciara O'Neill), review the 3D environment with Nick Nicely, create bamboo pole (or club), do any film editing of the green screen capture, learn Match Mover.

- Tex