Last Nick’s session was very helpful and insightful on both fundamental hard surface modelling and animating. The fun I had following his teaching made want to develop more on the mechanical model. This week’s session is about modelling the palm of the hand. Firstly Nick taught us to organize and name the model. It’s a very necessary process because model with the right name is very crucial for rigging.
Nick showed us different way of closing holes. I usually use bridge to fix topology. Nick showed us the way of closing it differently by using closing holes and multi-cut. I asked my 3D modeller friend after about it, my friend sometimes bridge bugs so closing holes is better.
tip1: create quick selection so it’s easier to control.
This is the idea I want to focus on the most in my future previz studies. I finished the background story. I wrote it in a kind abstract way which might be a bit hard to understand. But this is really helpful for me to develop my idea about the animation. I feel like I have to have this background setting there to motivate me, or else I won’t be interested in working on this.
In the next week, I will try to work on rough shots for this animation in both drawing and 3D.
The slides is a bit abstract for now. I can explain in words that is easier to understand: the animation is about a magic dog that walks into a depressed man’s mental garden, and turns the garden environment from winter with nothing to spring with everything.
I want people to feel “healed” when they see this animation.
The third idea comes from an animation I made in the end of 2021.
I finished reading Chainsawman and was deeply in love with the character Makima, so I made this animation. I wanted to make a character in three piece but scary at the same time.
I might develop this further because I’m in love with urban legend story from internet, such as SCP foundation series.
So I might make an animation based this old work to go for a kind of scary direction.
Last week I was working mostly with Yuting to develop script and find references for the animation. This week the focus of my work has became more clear. After going through the concept design and having multiple discussions, we decided to build the virtual classroom environment in 3D environment instead of 2D illustration.
I will be in charge of the modelling and texturing of the virtual classroom environment based on the concept drawings by illustrators from the group.
We played a fun game about collaborative drawing in class. These are drawings I’ve played part in.
I think this is a really nice way for us to understand how collaboration on art project works. I understand it will be everyone putting their thoughts on one subject together and it will turn out unexpectedly.
This week Nick did a comprehensive class on how to design and construct a robotic arm. He said that building a robot arm may look hard but it’s not so hard to do. It is new to me to make a complicated robot arm as well. I don’t usually work with Maya, so it might be challenging for me to do the robot arm. However, Nick’s class is always helpful on the fundamental side of learning the software because he is very experienced and a nice lecturer to learn from. I’m very happy and excited to do the robot arm.
New tip: Holding ctrl while scaling makes the object smoother.
tip 2: holding middle mouse button can change the number on the selected bar easily.
tip 3: open custom shelf, click ctrl and shift at the same time and drag the insert edgy loop (or other function) into the shelf.
tip 4: press 7 to turn on light view. Create spot light and press t to create aim. So the big light can follow the aim around.
tip 5: put both pre and post infinity cycle-select infinity on view to create a loop animation.
Approximate design: Half-minute realistic scene (3D): Shot 1-Shot 2 scene shots: about 8-16 seconds to show the sketch classroom scene.
Shot 3: Scan the drawings (about 3) (illustrated by 2d animator)
Rough shot3 ideas
Shot 4: Switching angles to show drawings being scanned and zooming in. Lens 5: The painting changes from 3D to 2D (because it is scanned). Lens 6: Zoom out to show the virtual scene. Shot 7-8: Change the camera to show 2D virtual studio. Shot 9: Plaster sculptures are discussing about drawings.
For personalized design of plaster, 2D designer can refer to these following ideas: (For example, when David speaks, he compares the student’s works with his creator Michelangelo’s. Maybe adding the Italian hand gesture to the chatting bubbles)
Face animation: The animation should be about one and a half minutes. There are 3-4 plaster casts. Current plaster candidates: David, Voltaire, The unknown lady, Venus, eyes, mouth, nose(lying on the side).
Possible interactions: Make headless sculptures hold someone else’s head. or: David argues with his own eye. or: There are pencil marks on the face of the sculpture. The eraser kicks away the naughty pen, and erases the mark. or: The unknow lady rolls her eyes.
This week after I had a lot discussion with Clio. We proposed a plan together and formed a group.
Theme: From everyday object to a fantastic object
Team member:
Yiyu Wang, Tingyi Huang, Yutin Yan, Jieyi An, (MA 3D Computer Animation)
Fangyuan Shao, Bingxue Xiang (MA Animation)
We will produce an animation with both 3D and 2D animation. A half-minute realistic scene (3D), with 2d animations inside (grabbing paintings, scanning, etc.) and then switching to 2d. Then, there are 3D plaster sculpture animations in the scene (2D) of the virtual studio.
Overall, the animation is that all the plaster sculptures look at the uploaded paintings from the shelf and start to judge each piece of the sketch. All plaster sculptures have different opinions, so they argue in the end.
The general wish is to blend in the idea of metaverse (virtual space and identity) and a sense of belonging. Being judged by the same standards is a nightmare that everyone shares. By doing this animation, we can show our embrace of the pain and the wish to overcome it with a sense of humour.
Pre-design deadline: 1/23 [Including the design of two scenes, storyboard production, material collection, and animation if possible]
Animation production start time: 1/24 [Animation production will be based on storyboards. 3D and 2D will start at the same time.
There will be two stages: environment and animation production, which will be produced in sequence according to the importance of the cut. The estimated time for background production and animation production is: 2/16]
Last compositing start time: 2/28
Estimated end time: 3/6 [Need to stay for a week in case there is an unexpected situation to remedy]
Approximate form of cooperation: the combination of 2D and 3D, we will have two scenes, virtual and real, the real scene mainly uses 3D to make the background, and 2D to make small animations; the virtual scene mainly uses 2D to make the background, and 3D to make the character animation.
Animation length: about 1-2 minutes.
Cooperation method: first design the preliminary design together, and then make the 2D and 3D scenes respectively after deciding on the scene, and then exchange each other to make animation.
Rough plot: The paintings of middle school students in the real studio are scanned into the virtual world without authorization and scored by different sculptures.
Music: not necessary, maybe find some music students to do it.
Doing Previz allows a director of a production to supervise and experiment with different staging and art direction options for a project. It helps with budget and efficiency. It can provide accurate details of how to use the camera on the set. I think Previz is a more physically accurate version of the 2d storyboard.
Rule of third
The rule of thirds in photography is a guideline that places the subject in the left or right third of an image, leaving the other two thirds more open. It divides a photo into nine equal parts, split by two equally spaced horizontal and vertical lines. I think it helps a lot with the aesthetics of a movie.
Bringing the world to your scenes
I think the most important thing when it comes to world building is research. Imagination is important as well. It is fun to create and bring exotic creatures, rich political histories in a story.
