New Designers 2018 #ND18

Looking forward to exhibiting at New Designers this week! Post-submission Escape Zone 3000 has had some very minor changes, specifically aimed towards the music & the SFX.

I have my business cards ready and some small prints of the Footloose inspired poster I created earlier in the year...I am ready! #ND18

Major Project - Reflective Statement

Post minor submission, there was a hint of anxiety in the pit of my stomach knowing that my film should/would be finished and available for people to see. Such a feeling gave me a real push to make the film as good as it can be in the remaining time left on the course.
My plans for the major project were to animate, render, and start and finish post production, which I successfully achieved.
Animating was a great experience, overall it took about three months but it felt like 3 weeks, it was a lot of fun bringing the character I had designed and developed a story for to life. I was pleased that rendering went smoothly, it was the one thing I worried about the most as it was out of my hands and I knew it would take the most time to complete. However, I kept to schedule and in-between animating I was able to get certain shots rendered through the night.

a BIG part of the major project was collaborating with composer Jeffrey Wang. Jeffrey was a pleasure to work with, he was always open to ideas and opinions which made working with him fun as opposed to being a daunting experience. I am very pleased with how the music has turned out, it is the perfect blend of sound and theatricality that I had in mind. I look forward to working with Jeffrey in the future.

One of the final things I had to do was edit the film together. Which I absolutely LOVED. I have always loved editing and this project didn't change that, if anything it made me appreciate it more, the time and effort that can be put into a single shot to give the best performance I feel has shone through within my final film.
Being at UCA and on this course has helped me to fully realise the career path I want to follow. I want to be a director. I have always appreciated films, the way they are made, the cinematography, editing and so on. I've always looked up to directors as creators with a wide scope of talent. The ability to be at the driving seat of a large production and trust both yoursef and the people working alongside you, is something I am striving towards. Since the final hand-in I have already started laying the ground work for a couple of ideas I have had stored as notes on my phone and I look forward to progressing with these in the future, my plan is to get the help of my fellow peers who want to develop their skills further and create fun and exciting animations.

Escape Zone 3000 - Major Project Submission Post

Escape Zone 3000

The Art Of 'Escape Zone 3000

Escape Zone 3000 VFX/Video Ageing

Whilst I await the arrival of the final soundtrack for Escape 'Zone 3000' I wanted to show a quick breakdown of the FX used to make the animation look like a VHS tape.

Shadows...Before and After

To keep my blog a bit more active I wanted to show a quick change I've made during the post-production period of my project. The picture above is an example of one of these changes. This shot had been rendered about a week or more ago and overtime I looked at it I felt like something looked odd...the shadows! So, I went back into the file and re-rendered a new set of shadows and voilà an updated scene that looks, in my opinion much better!

Escape Zone 3000 - Final Look Development

Over the past few weeks I have been rendering my animation and I have also started compositing some scenes together. I have taken some stills of certain parts of the film to give a glimpse into the current look of 'Escape Zone 3000'

However, this is still not the definitive look. I plan on working on some colour grading and some other added VFX to tie everything together in the end.

C-13's P.O.V

The Holo-Cell

Zone 3000 Corridor

" The Music Is On His Side"

During my short blog hiatus I have completed the animation for the dance sequence and the rest of the animation. This post shows the dance sequence with the music. There may need to be some changes with the music to hit key musical stabs that match up to certain actions but overall it has gone to plan. (Side note - There will be artificial camera shake/wobble added in post to give the dance sequence/ALL the outdoor shots a sense of freedom in comparison to the mechanical movements of the interior shots) 

In the next few days I will be posting the rest of the shots that complete the animation whilst I render each part of my animation. 

Scene 8: Shot 1 Playblast

Scene 7: Shot 1,2,3 and 4 Playblasts

Shot 1

Shot 2

Shot 3

Shot 4

Scene 8 Pre-Vis Edit

I'm just a couple of shots away from this scene in which C-13 finds the elevator exit. I wanted to know what your opinion is on the above video which shows two different edits. They both work visually but I wanted to see what you felt looks/feels better when watching.

Scene 6: Shot 3,4,5 and 6 Playblasts

Shot 3

Shot 4

Shot 5

Shot 6

Scene 6: Shot 1 and 2 Playblast

Shot 1

Shot 2

Scene 5: Shot 2 Playblast & Re-shoots

Today I worked on Scene 5: Shot 2 which, like a couple of other shots in my animation, is recycled from a previous scene. This shot helped me to fix some issues I had with certain shots, specifically Scene 4: Shot 4. The video above is now finished and in my opinion an improvement on the previous iteration and gives me two new ways of using the scene in the final edit. The video above has no post production camera wobble, nor has it been edited at the end, however, it is a definite improvement to the earlier much more 'stomp' version.  The next few days may see me going back to other shots that I am not 100% ok with and re-animating them. 

See below for earlier version

Scene 5: Shot 1 Update

The animation is now complete for this part of the animation, I chose against adding the slow-mo jump. I'm very pleased with how it has turned out.

Scene 5: Shot 1 Playblast/Update

Tonight I spent some time animating the 'laser maze' scene which has been fun to do, the video above shows my current progress which I am happy with. I still have the final slow-mo jump towards camera to add and the camera work as well as some minor changes to the jumps to make sure there is some differentiation between them. 

Scene 4: Shot 5 Animation Update

In continuation from my previous post I have completed this shot and I am pleased with how it has turned out...NEXT!

Scene 4: Shot 5 Playblast

Started work on shot 5 today, this final shot of scene 4 introduces the 'laser maze' scene which I look forward to animating. However, there is still more to do on this shot which I will continue with tomorrow. 

Scene 4: Shot 4 Playblast

Scene 4: Shot 3 Playblast

Scene 4: Shot 2 Playblast

I took a small break from animating this weekend, to recharge for the coming weeks. Tonight I put together a simple 'reaction' shot. 

Scene 4: Shot 1 Update 3

The animation for this scene is now done. I'm very pleased with how it has turned out. On to the next shot! 

Scene 4: Shot 1 Update 2

Scene 4: Shot 1 Update

Making progress on this part of the animation. I've added a 'run-jump-slide-stop' to keep things fun and active within the sequence, as well as that I've also done a small bit of camera work around the small jump section. There is still a walk to camera to be added and the final camera elements that work alongside these movements, but overall I am happy with how things are moving along.

Scene 4: Shot 1 Playblast

Started work on the first shot of scene 4. Wanted to show some early progress as there is still a lot more to be added; character animation and camera work to be precise. 

Scene 3: Shot 2 Animation Update

After looking back at my animation post from yesterday I decided to go back and change the walk to a run. The main reason for doing this was to keep the continuity from the last shot and to keep up the pace within the animation.

Scene 3: Shot 2 Playblast

Making progress with the animation, this shot is possibly finished, I may change the walk to more of a run to keep the continuity from the previous shot. The purpose of this scene within the animation is to transition from one scene to the next through the use of light and the animation itself. However, there is a possibility that it may not need to be used, but that will be decided at a later date, as a few scenes have been cut to reduce the time of the film and some are yet to be removed. 

Scene 3: Shot 1 Update 3

I have now completed this part of the animation, I'm very pleased with how it has turned out as this is one of just a handful of scenes that involve more animation than a simple jump in or out of camera...Onto the next shot! 

Scene 3: Shot 1 Update 2

Another update on this scene, I have added in some of the camera movement and have added the last turn to camera. All that is left to do are the camera moves, some refinement and C-13's final run  away from camera into what will be a shadow-filled corridor.

UPDATE

I have uploaded a second version of the updated animation which has a bit more motion blur enabled. this was that by changing the settings within viewport 2.0. However, the blur seems to accumulate around the eyes mostly, which is a bit strange. This could be down the the graphics card in my computer. As well as this I have followed some advice from Alan and gave the lower part of the body (the knee/foot) a slight twist as C-13 turns towards the camera. 

Scene 3: Shot 1 Update

I'm currently still working away at this scene. I've still got bits to add and refine, the torso/arms need to be worked on and the final pose and run from camera need to be added. As well as this the camera work also needs to be put in place. The object to the right of the frame is working as a guide to show me when the character (his head) is in the centre of the frame. 

Scene 3: Shot 1 Playblast

I'm currently working on the third scene of 'Escape Zone 3000'. This scene shows C-13 in his cell when the holographic bars suddenly disappear, I've made quite a bit of progress so far. Specifically on the feet/legs/ I haven't focused on the top half just yet and there is still the final part to be added. I am pleased with how things are going with this shot so far, however, I do feel that as he begins his walk he bobs up and down a little too much.

Scene 2: Shot 2 Playblast

Scene 2: Shot 1 Animation Update

Since my last post I have continued with the animation of the second scene. I would now consider this done and I am more than pleased with how it has turned out. There are other components to this scene (the holographic cell bars) but I have hidden this to show the animation on its own. On to the next shot! 

Scene 2: Shot 1 Playblast

Today I started animating the next scene/shot within the animation. This scene shows C-13 enter the cell landing in a heroic fashion as he believes he has escaped zone 3000. Everything is going well so far. There are still some parts left to do like his final reaction at his imprisonment and the added camera movement as he does a little hop when he lands. 

"The Music Is On His Side"

Over the past few weeks I have had the privilege of collaborating with composer, Jeffrey Wang. Through back and forth emails, Jeffrey has perfectly captured the sound/song needed for the dance sequence in 'Escape Zone 3000'.  I am very pleased with the outcome and I very much look forward to working with Jeffrey as the project progresses. To hear more of Jeffrey's work click here

Scene 1: Shot 1 Animation Update

Small update, the opening scene is now animated and the camera movement has been finalised. With the animation I wanted it to take influence from the old Max Fleischer 'Superman' cartoons. There would be a lack of constant movement which would emphasise specific actions, like the jump. (seen above)

Scene 1: Shot 1 Playblast

As of today I started animating Escape Zone 3000 I have decided to do it in chronological order to know where I am within the film. The playblast above shows the current progress of the first shot in the animation. 

I'm pleased with the 'main animation' so far (the jump) I still need to add the movements before and some other subtleties throughout the shot. The camera used in this scene is more of a stand in as opposed to the final thing.
Overall, things are going well.

Minor Project Reflective Statement

Since the first year, my plan for year three was always to make a short animation. Now that I am finally able to do that I feel I am enjoying the work/project that I am developing more than I have in previous projects. As a result of this I believe the work I have been creating is some of the best I've made on the course.
Year two project 'El Bandido Mutante' enabled me to better understand one of my weaknesses, which was Maya. The 3D work for 'Escape Zone 3000' has felt less challenging, in a sense that I haven't found myself worrying about how to do a particular thing as my knowledge of the software has grown and I am more confident to fix any problems I have.
However, as I know Maya is still a weakness for me I do believe that it has helped me develop my 'style'. I've always had a flat, sometimes disproportionate 2D style and have felt that such a way of working wouldn't be easily translated into 3D, but I've discovered that it can and this has boosted my confidence in the way I work.
My third year project has seen me recognise that I really enjoying directing and storyboarding shots ready for animation, this kind of role (director) is something I'd love to persue as I develop in my career.
Finally, with the submission of the minor project I can now focus my attention on animating and the final edit which I have been looking forward to. I've been in contact with a composer and I look forward to collaborating with them.
Overall this project is running smoothly, I've got a lot of work to do for the final submission, but I'm very excited to get started on it. 

Minor Project Submission 11/01/2018

C-13 Turnaround

"Run, C-13, Run!"

Mentioned in my previous post I have been practicing some animating with my character, above is a quick render of C-13 running. I didn't add any motion blur in Maya (which I will do in the final render) because I wanted a clear look at how the body will move. My plan for tomorrow is to render out the final turnaround of the character.

Making Movie Posters!

As well as practicing some animating on my character, I have decided to make a few movie posters for the film. I wanted them to have an 80s-esque look whilst also having a nice modern vibe to them.

I also decided that I wanted to pay tribute to the film that has inspired most of the 'Escape Zone 3000' story throughout this project so far...'Footloose' (1984) see below.