Taylor's Memory

On Monday we got given a small brief by one of our peers to do a one second animation of said peer's favourite childhood memory. Taylor and I paired up and her memory is of her sister, cousin and herself dressing up as Teen Titan characters. The would go to their Nana's house and film themselves and watch them. I animated them watching their own footage whilst the smell of their Nana's cooking wafted into the room.

Jellyfish Animation

Today for class we had to come up with an animation over a funky background being some wateeeeer. I imagined some jellyfish minding their own business near the surface when a wave kinda pushes them down causing them to tumble about in the water. Poor jellies ♥

Animating the taste of food

In class on Friday, we had to animate the 'taste' of food. Our tutor gave us lots of different options to choose from and I chose Green Tea Pocky. I found it difficult to animate as I was using a mouse with my right hand..and I'm a lefty D: I pictured it a bit differently, but this is what my right hand did...it has a brain of it's own D:
The pocky was calming and smooth like waves, Then the biscuit kind of interrupted that, being the weirdly shaped bouncy things I drew. The animation as a while sucks cos yeah, my right hand wasn't co-operating ...

June 3rd Feedback

Group Feedback
- Show shaking when the earthquake occurs
-Silhouette of Elizabeth needs to be more clear
- Lights flickering/ things falling off the piano
- Slight zoom on the vanity unit when the earthquake occurs
- Show what he's sitting on. Establishing shot of vanity unit with chair in the shot.
- Depth of field for background - not in complete focus
- Tie the light in the mirror more into the real world (Shine on actor slightly)
- Need newspaper clipping and photo on the mirror
- Adjust position of actor in side on shoot -too low
- Put animation in animatic - adjust positioning correctly for shots with white background in animation just change to multiply so piano is visible.

I'm hoping we can still add the image of the sunset/sunrise. This will add depth to the story and the relationship

For the title, Taylor and I reckon it should just be simple text. We want the viewer to know what the title is straight away. perhaps we could just have simple text of 'AFTERSHOCK' on the screen. The door slams shut and the text shakes (like in an earthquake) Also rather than the title fading away, it could dissolve/ crumble away (Like rubble in an earthquake).

Image Planes done

Quickly put together the framed sunset and images of the polaroid photo and newspaper clipping into maya. Tomorrow morning before the meeting, we're hoping to have the scene set up (even if it's not complete) just so we as the group as well as the tutors can see how it will look close to finished. Patrick will be putting everything together in the scene, while Taylor and I carry on working with the objects in the scene. The bookshelf and vanity unit are almost complete. I will start texturing the coffee table once that is ready which will hopefully be done tomorrow.

I took the photo at Muriwai beach in the holidays and showed the group and got thumbs up all round. The sizing of each image isn't quite right, but that will be sorted out later on :)

Textured Bookshelf

Here's a rendered picture of the textured bookshelf. I'll hand it over to Taylor and she will be doing the glass texture.
I haven't had time to work on it at home, but I got faster applying the textures as I worked on it today, so other objects shouldn't take too long. We're really only applying textures on a few things being the bookshelf, coffee table and the couch. Everything else will have a simple lambert on it.

I don't really know why I used complimentary colours on the books that are on the floor. PERHAPS it represents the husband and wife and how they're in opposite worlds~ or because skittles.

Mirror Research

WE NEED MIRROR RESEARCH!
I thought that if our character has straight hair, then we'd go for a round, circular mirror. If she has curly or wavy hair we'd go for a more rectangular shaped mirror. This way, the mirror and character would contrast more and the character would pop out more, which is want we want.
plus we don't want some extravagant mirror taking the attention away from the character.
Since our character has curly hair, we'll go with a rectangular shape. I will be posting some mirrors that I reckon will work and Patrick will work off that :)

References
http://www.themirrorlady.com/shop_by_price.php?range=0
http://www.hayneedle.com/accents-and-decor/mirrors_rectangle_list_188625_4295162695
https://locari.jp/posts/16536
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chelsea-Silver-Ornate-Leaner-Antique-Floor-Mirror-36-x-72-X-Large-/261709737572
http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/photo/386680
http://www.villabarnes.com/2011/09/bleached-mirror.html
http://www.architectureartdesigns.com/top-17-surprisingly-amazing-upcycled-vintage-decorations-for-your-dream-home/
http://thedecoratedhouse.blogspot.com/2011/08/chalk-paint-blues-distressed-waxed.html

First Group Meeting with the Tutors

Our group, Team Spinach, had our first recorded meeting with our tutors and it went really well. We all have a clear idea of what each person is doing and where they're up to. The feedback received was really helpful for everyone.
To be honest I got a bit nervous as recordings causes me to tense up a bit, but as we all shared feedback I felt more comfortable.
For my concepts that I showed the group , Patrick and Joseph pointed out to make the character look more tired as if she's been in the mirror for a long time and in a way wants to move on. - bags under eyes, messy hair etc.

Also Dane suggested to not have my character look so young. I saw this once I had drawn the concepts as I didn't have a clear image of what she'd look like, so I kinda just drew what came to my head. Whenever I draw characters they tend to be of a young age also. Showing the character has aged would be a bit difficult, but a good challenge.

Patrick also suggested to draw more concepts solely in three quarter view as we can get a better view of the character, also it would look a lot nicer. I totally agree with this, I mainly had her straight on as she's in a mirror which she will be seen straight on (not necessarily though as we play around with the camera angles. it would be a lot more interesting as an end result to show straight on as well as three quarter view. At least with this, we as an audience can also see that she's not a flat character and that she could actually be there.

The people in my group doing character concepts, including myself are struggling to stylize our model (Holly). Trying to stylize, yet show that it still looks like Holly. Some of us have a habit of majorly stylizing or going full on cartoon - which isn't a bad thing at all, but as we are leaning more towards a realistic style it is definitely challenging. The tutors recommend looking up caricature tutorials to get a better sense on capturing a person. Keat suggested drawing people, or in our case Holly, in profile view so we can get a clearer view on her facial features so we can easily translate further drawings to straight on or three-quarter.

Keat had a really understanding point on a part of our final script. In one line, the husband says  'it was my fault, I couldn't save you' he said that this needs to be further explained , like the audience would want to know what happened and how it happened. Simply changing the line is the best solution like 'it should've been me not you' this is something our group can easily come to terms with.

The team is going really well with their individual tasks and I can't wait to see the final video!
#exciting

Rough Production Schedule

Here's a rough production schedule for my group over the semester for the group project. I feel like I have no strengths, so I'm going with filming and editing. I really don't want to bring the team down or feel like I'm doing nothing with my time. I need to pull my weight efficiently and help in any way possible.

Script: First Draft

This was my first try at the vending machine idea before the tutors gave me feedback. Definitely not the final, but it has a rough guide to my original idea. Annnnnd hopefully it makes sense.

Based on the vending machines on floor 10 lul
note: no dialogue

INT: IN HALL WAY (FLOOR 10 OTAGO UNIVERSITY BUILDING)

FULL SHOT OF VENDING MACHINE.
A figure walks to the vending machine and pulls out some coins to buy a chocolate bar.

CLOSE UP OF CHOCOLATE BAR IN THE VENDING MACHINE.
The chocolate bar gets stuck due to a small animated character holding on to it.

CLOSE UP OF FIGURES' FACE AND SWAPS TO THE ANIMATED CHARACTER
The live action character and animated character make eye contact and the live action character gets angry.

FULL SHOT OF FIGURE AND VENDING MACHINE
The live action character grabs the vending machine and shakes it. Angry because he/she wants his/her chocolate bar.

[Each time the vending machine shakes the location/ environment changes. This is due to the vending machine being a ship in disguise of a vending machine - to blend in with the environment. The location changes 3 times: to a beach, forest and waterfall until the environment changes back to the original setting.]

CLOSE UP OF CHOCOLATE BAR AND ANIMATED CHARACTER
The chocolate bar and animated character fall down in the vending machine. It looks really intense when the bar and character fall up close, like sky diving since it would be scary for the little character, but from the live action characters POV it looks pretty normal. Just falling. The norms.

SHOT OF FIGURE GRABBING THE CHOCOLATE BAR ALONG WITH THE ANIMATED CHARACTER.
The live action character brings the chocolate bar up to his face with the animated character holding on to the chocolate bar.

WIDE SHOT OF THE 2 CHARACTERS PLUS THE CHOCOLATE BAR
The characters are making intense eye contact , even squinting. The animated character growls.

MID SHOT
The live action character swings the chocolate bar causing the animated character to let go and splat on a nearby wall (or outside of the vending machine?).


Here are the notes again for it 
Backstory:
The animated character is from another planet or dimension. The vending machine is just for show as it is sort of ship or transporter for the animated character. The food in the vending machine is all fake. The reason the animated character holds on to the chocolate bar is because it isn't real and it part of the 'ship.

Possible idea for the 3D object - the chocolate bar. 3D for when the animated character is holding on to it and a real chocolate bar for when the live action character is holding it.

I originally wasn't going to have environment changes because I felt like it would be too dramatic and quite random. Saying this, I thought of a reason as to why the environment would change quite dramatically (backstory).

The amount of times the environment would change would need to be taken into consideration with the audience understanding what's happening as well as the time limit being 30-40 seconds. 10 would probably be too much as eventually bore the audience plus it would be too much in 30-40 seconds. Roughly 3 times would be good as it would still engage the audiences' interest. I picked locations that can actually be filmed (a desert would be difficult).

The alternate ending was that the intense eye contact between both characters causes the animated character to 'poof' away because he was scared. This ending isn't as strong as the current ending plus it makes the animated character seem like he gave up too easily.

Finalish Vending Machine Concept

I came up with this before my brain broke down.
HERE GOES

It starts off with a character/ creature in a ship on his home planet. He presses a button which says 'don't touch' the ship teleports to floor 10 of University of Otago building. The ship transforms into a vending machine to blend in with the environment.
'Bob' goes too the vending machine to buy a chocolate bar. The chocolate bar wont come out because the creature is holding on to it. Also the chocolate bar is not real, it is just for show and it actually part of the ship (cords sticking out the back of the 'chocolate bar').
Bob sees the creature and they make eye contact. Bob gets angry and shakes the vending machine. Due to the aggressive shaking, the teleportation is activated again. The shaking causes the vending machine to teleport to different locations (beach, forest etc). It teleports 2 or 3 times then finally back to the original place that Bob is from. The vending machine 'poofs' away, back to the creatures home and a real chocolate bar comes out of thin air that Bob catches. With this both Bob and the creature are happy.

( I feel like the end for Bob getting a real chocolate bar is a bit weird and random)

Tutor Feedback

My tutors came round and gave me feedback for my vending machine story concept.
I need a beginning and an end. To be honest I didn't consider this in the first place...just an interesting idea really.
I've thought of an ending, but I'm STUCK on the beginning. How the flip did the vending machine and little creature even get there in the first place??

Possible ending
The creature is stuck in our universe/ world/ planet in a vending machine and doesn't know how to get home. Bob comes along and activates the vending machine by putting money into the machine to buy a chocolate bar. After the vending machine has teleported to different locations, it appears back to the original environment (where Bob came in) then the vending machine 'poofs' away back to the creatures home and a real chocolate bar appears for Bob. Win win for Bob and the little creature.
THIS IS GETTING REALLY COMPLICATED. WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF?!!

Possible Beginning ?
Starts off with the creature at home in a ship and he presses a button that isn't supposed to be pressed. This teleports the creature with the 'ship' to a foreign place and the ship transforms into a vending machine as a defense to blend in with the new environment.
What on earth is this nonsense.

Why a vending machine?
To blend in with the environment, being a school environment.

What kind of world is the world from? 
.....I will..think about ...that.

What does the creature look like?
I have an idea in my head which resembles this character from a game I played when I was younger called Chuzzle.

http://www.wildtangent.com/games/chuzzle-deluxe

I simply wanted the character to be cute in a way. there's no real reason as to why that is. 

Final Animation!!

YUS! I didn't think I'd actually finish today! i'm so stoked!!
After many weeks of frustration on Maya, here is my final animation. There's lots of things I could've fixed up on, like how his arms are shiny xD But the time limit didn't allow me too.
Overall, i really like it :D
Thanks everyone for your help!!

3D Animation at it's finest

Accidentally turned the lighting on while I was smooth animating. Bit of a shocker. Oops.
The lighting isn't finished! Just had to add some lights so I could see my character when previously rendering.

Stage Blocking

YUS Stage Blocking complete! The lil breathing attack he has wasn't planned, but I rendered it so many times that it caused him to have a breathing spazz xD I kinda like the effect it has on his reaction to the knife coming towards him :D
I don't really like the last 2 shots that much >.< But this is just stage blocking, when I fully animate it, it'll come out SPOT ON

Fancy Chef for Stage Blocking

Because Maya hates me and vice versa, the weight painting on the pinky for some unknown reason stuffed up. SO NOW the fat chef is a hella fancy and has his pinky sticking out whilst holding the spoon.

Genre Research

Visual Research