Leo Tsang Design

Home/Island Ideas #01

2012-02-13T23:12:00.000Z

Exploring initial ideas of Volan's home and island with some rough sketches. These early sketches experiment with the idea that Volan's home has been adapted and modified to expand the space of the house, as well as initial musings into the system of flight of the island.

Including ideas for the island, designs A - D (see image below) explore some initial ideas with propellers, hot air balloons and sails. In the case of design D, the island itself is shaped to work in more unison with the propellers, accommodating the blades below. Idea E uses the hot air balloons underneath the island to propel the island upwards, where idea F uses multiple levels of helicopter type rotation built into the island for flight.

One of the main challenges to solve is whether the house is a main component of flight i.e. literally accommodating a sail or hot air balloons in its design, or is rather a component that powers the system of flight being more apparent around the island. Essentially, it may be a case of treating the designs of the house and the island very closely together, or perhaps as one, in order to achieve a coherent design as a whole.

Isle of Cirrus Project Proposal

2012-02-11T17:16:00.007Z

The project idea arranged as formal project proposal document. I've decided to run with the project title Isle of Cirrus and the protagonist name Volan for now - Cirrus being a type of cloud and Volan meaning in latin 'to fly'.

Isle of Cirrus Project Proposal

Flying Machines and Wind Turbines

2012-02-10T21:56:00.001Z

I've been looking into various flying technologies and possible energy sources that may power the flight of the island. While the design does not have to be necessarily possible in the real world, it is worth exploring in order to ensure a degree of believability to the design as a whole.

Initial thoughts include a combination of two systems running through the house and island, one providing lift (such as hot air balloon) and the other forward momentum (propellers). Ideally, the effect will not be something too sci-fi or necessarily steampunk, but rather to capture a whimsical element to the design as a whole.

It is worth noting that the flying island is meant to be designed and built by the protagonist, leading to a self assembled aesthetic.

A common theme for flight and renewable energy is with propellers and turbines to harness the power of the wind. As such, these could be present around the house/island as a means to collect energy or provide lift.

A typical turbine with a straightforward ring that more than doubles the output power.

Spiral turbine design

A helix type design

A turbine that floats in the air to maximise the air flow at higher altitudes. More details on this intriguing design can be found here and here.

Interesting shape of turbine that can turn in the wind

As well as a more lo-fi version

Integrating the flight system with the house and island as a whole will be a key factor in this project, and as such I will be making sure to dedicate time to this aspect to ensure that the design is right.

The Protagonist + Home

2012-02-08T20:27:00.000Z

Here is my current line of thinking into the background and context of the protagonist and his home, which will help fuel the designs as a whole.

Protagonist
My initial thoughts for the protagonist is to be of a 'coming of age' male, reflective of a pioneering spirit. Originally a farmer, he had a variety of tools and equipment at his disposal to adapt to the flooded world. But now alone and isolated, he roams the skies in search for land and signs of any other survivors. Additional thoughts for details include props such as a telescope to pouches.

Home/Island
The home of the protagonist has been adapted to power and maintain the flight of the island. With limited space on the island, the modifications also serve to maximise the space of the house. As such, initial impressions of the house are of a quirky design with a variety of different materials the protagonist would have managed to collect in his travels.

Identifying the system which keeps the house and island in flight will be key to the logic and design of the home as a whole, which I'll dedicate and post to later with more research.

Idea Development

2012-02-08T13:34:00.000Z

After some welcome feedback, the scope of the project has developed in a way that should be much more manageable.

The idea and context of the piece persists, where now the final outcome of the project will be to create a short scene of the animation (akin to an animated still image) capturing a moment of flight of the protagonist and his island. This may involve a single camera movement slowly revealing elements of the animated image to suggest the narrative of the piece.

This breaks down the main challenges of the project to:

Character
Environment Home/Island
Animation of flight (secondary objects)

In this way, the narrative is found within the image, rather than told as a grand structured narrative as a whole. More time can also be dedicated into strengthening the design and the animation as a whole.

I'll organise a formal project proposal soon enough, while continuing to get things moving with research and references.

Final Major Project Idea

2012-02-02T23:23:00.004Z

After much thought, here is my idea for the final major project. It's still in development so some details may need some more thought.

Goal
An animated short of roughly 2 minutes length (subject to change).

Context Only
The world has been flooded as sea levels have risen, land has become a rare commodity. Existing parts of land are now 'flown' by individuals. These flying/floating islands are powered by a whimsical element that is yet to be determined, but could be wind, steam or a unique material.

For the actual animation, we will only be focusing on a main protagonist and his own flying island, containing his home that has been expanded with an array of scrounged materials.

The Animated Short
Opening
The animation will begin by slowly revealing the flying island of a main protagonist, quite high in the air with the sea being partially visible below. Shots introducing the home and the contraption that is keeping it in flight will be key in setting the tone and atmosphere of the piece.

The protagonist is outside the home or on top of highest point, searching through binoculars/telescope for more land to gather more resources and make contact with others.

Trigger
Eventually the protagonist catches a glimpse of another flying piece of land, and adjusts the flight path of his own island accordingly.

However a storm approaches from behind, catching the protagonist off guard. The protagonist's island is engulfed by the storm and is battered by the elements with a fatal blow.

End
We return to find the protagonist floating on the sea amongst the wreckage of his home and island. As the water level continues to rise, the protagonist seems resigned to his fate as there is nothing he can do. When all seems lost...

Option 1
...A ladder drops down above the protagonist, leading to the island he spotted earlier flying above to rescue him. A silhouetted figure waves and awaits up top.

Option 2
...A submarine type vehicle rises from the water, with the hatch opening to rescue the protagonist and revealing another way humans have adapted to survive the flooded world.

As the protagonist meets his saviour, a much larger island (or underwater world) is revealed with a thriving community, suggesting that there is hope for humanity yet.

Challenges
The main challenges of this project will include:

Protagonist Character (Rigging, animation etc)
Environment of the protagonists Home, Island and props
Possible environment of saviour's island/community
Matte Paintings of the surrounding sky/sea
Secondary animation of props etc.

Sound
Atmospheric and sound effects only
-Possible music played from a radio speaker prop. Would crackle and cut off upon arrival of storm.

Visual Style Inspiration/References
The presentation of the animation would be of a bold visual style with more saturated tones as seen in the below image. This will help reinforce the whimsical concept of the piece.

This idea will fulfil my ambitions of producing an animated short, relying much more on setting the tone and atmosphere of the piece with strong visual design. Research, sketches, thumbnails and storyboards will be to follow if all is in order.

Any thoughts and feedback is welcome.

Final Major Project

2012-01-31T21:40:00.000Z

Time certainly flies as the last project is upon us for the third and final year at CG Arts & Animation. Over the next 15 weeks or so, we will carry out a self directed project showing the best of our abilities of the CG pipeline. Needless to say, this is the big one.

Project ideas to come soon as I gather my thoughts - so stay tuned!

The Wolves Within

2012-01-26T14:27:00.005Z

Project is over! Jolanta and I are proud to present The Wolves Within. Big thanks to David Keefe for the soundtrack and Philip Banks for the voiceover!

A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible fight between two wolves.
One is evil – he is anger, hate, arrogance and greed
The other is good – he is peace, hope, benevolence and serenity.
Which wolf will win?
The one you feed…

The Wolves Within

The making of The Wolves Within.

The Making of the Wolves Within

As well as a little production video providing a peek into the development and process behind the project.

You can find more behind the scenes over at our blog.

Enjoy!

Wolves Within Update

2012-01-16T16:28:00.000Z

Tough times of late, as I've been super busy getting scenes finalised and rendered as we come to the end of the project. There's still more to do so just a quick update for now - all scenes have been rendered and now I'm stuck in with the final push with compositing. Here's a quick preview of the shrine scene coming together with the many render passes and dynamics.

Hopefully, I'll make a more detailed post about the process when things have calmed down. But right now, back to work!

Key Scene Dynamics

2011-12-14T23:02:00.001Z

Update on the progress with dynamics over the key sequences of the animation, created using Maya dynamics and post compositing in After Effects. Each dynamic element has to be rendered out separately for optimal control in post compositing, where the environment itself may still look at little rough as they were not rendered at this stage. Some further tweaking and refinements is still necessary as their not quite there yet.

Evil Wolf Dynamics Test

The dynamics are mainly following their influence from the initial concept here. Movements of the dynamics need to be sharper to better reflect the nature of the evil wolf.

Good Wolf Dynamics Test

Following the concepts from here. The markings are being generated randomly with instancing objects, although I'm considering to animate the markings manually for better control (or perhaps a combination of the two). Tweaking to the density of the purple lights may also be in order.

Shrine Dynamics Test

There will need to be two sets of dynamics for when the shrine; one where it is relatively dormant during the opening, to another with a rushing of activity as it beckons the wolves to the soul. The above example is admittedly not quite one or the other as of yet, serving as an experimentation of ideas with ethereal like flames to swirling trails of energy.

Shrine Opening Test #2

2011-12-05T23:18:00.001Z

Revisions to the shrine opening, with increased speed and acceleration. Still toying with the idea of the fade to black during the narrator's dialogue as you can see in the 4th variation.

Some minor tweaks to the positioning of the rock formations is needed to stop the slight 'popping' towards the end of the pull back.

Shrine Opening Test

2011-12-03T23:33:00.001Z

One of the trickiest environments to tackle is the transition shot from the shrine where the camera pulls back through the environment. Here is a playblast of the scene focusing on the camera movements, with two minor variations in the editing. Elements such as lighting is not final.

We are yet to determine the idea of cutting to one or two shots of the wolves with the slow panning of the soul and narration, for a sense of tension/buildup before the race. Feedback is most welcome.

The Wolves Within Interim Presentation

2011-11-30T17:35:00.003Z

Today, we had to present a short interim presentation to our tutors and peers for The Wolves Within - which serves as a great way to recap on the project thus far. Check it out below!

The Wolves Within - Interim Presentation

Environment Update

2011-11-29T09:26:00.000Z

Update on progress with environments The Wolves Within - these are framed closely to the camera angles found in the animatic/previs.

Above Shot & 'Take Lead' shot
We first see the wolves from above, before leading to a side by side shot of the two wolves running where the evil wolf edges in front.

Evil Wolf Paw Shot

Shot of the evil wolf demonstrating his power as he crushes the ground beneath him to gain the lead. Again, the green light is a placeholder at the moment until some more development tests.

This leads on to the main Evil Wolf shot which has undergone some further tweaks.

Side Race Shot

Side race shot where the good wolf catches up by taking alternate route.

Jumping Shot

Jumping shot as the good wolf begins to take the lead. This leads into the 'Air shot' of the good wolf. Elements of the affects of the good wolf should begin to present here (will be added).

Landing Shot

Landing shot showing that the good wolf has taken the lead. Bit tricky to capture the composition in this one as the good wolf needs posing to fit into the shot correctly. Remnants of the effects of the good wolf such as the purple/pink light and markings will be added.

R&D: Shrine Dynamics #1

2011-11-25T10:22:00.004Z

With the wolves affecting the environment in fantastical ways, dynamics are an important element for our animation. This can be achieved with a combination of Maya dynamics and post effects, or just post composition effects alone.

Here are some initial render tests with Maya dynamics for the Shrine Environment. The soul is suspended in mid-air over the central shrine which reacts strongly to the wolves' presence.

Raw Maya Particles

Post-Comp

The post effects gives a much needed boost to the basic dynamics, which will most likely be the best way to approach this process. It's still a little rough at the moment and will probably go through many more tests and variations, as elements such as lighting from the particles will need to affect the environment (current render is a single background plate).

Good/Evil Shot Environment

2011-11-24T23:21:00.001Z

Making progress with some of the other environments/shots at The Wolves Within, with modelling, texturing and lighting. Here are the central shots where the Good and Evil wolf get to demonstrate their affects on the environment. Forgive the wolf poses in each shot - as I don't have the rigged versions yet, they are primarily there to achieve the correct scale in the environment.

Evil Wolf Shot

Here the evil wolf takes the lead, mainly bringing destruction to the environment. Ominous green shafts of light seep through the cracks on the ground, where shards of rock and angular rock formations fill the scene. Original concept here.

Good Wolf 'Air' Shot

In this shot, the good wolf is leaping in the air as he regains the lead from the evil wolf. Elements in the environment echo ideas from the original concept, with the Native American markings being awakened by the presence of the good wolf, as well as the shards and fragments of the rocks coming down to form as a whole.

Markings

There's still a few placeholder elements until some further testing with dynamics can be carried out, namely the green light from the evil wolf environment and the pinky/purple light from good wolf environment.

It's a little tricky working with each environment, as definitive right or wrong elements is hard to pinpoint until a more refined shot of the environment is done. Only until you you have a more refined scene, can you see the broader picture and identify what is needed next.

Shrine Environment #03

2011-11-18T12:14:00.000Z

A lot of experimenting with textures and Normal Maps this week, while making more progress with the shrine environment. Textures have been applied throughtout the environment along with additional adjustments to the lighting.

Shrine Model with Normal Map

Totem Models

The base models of the totems was taken into Zbrush, polypainted (painted directly onto the model rather than a flat texture map) and scuplted for additional details. From this, normals maps and texture maps from polypaint can be exported and applied to the base mesh.

Shrine Environment #02

2011-11-11T18:50:00.002Z

More progress with the shrine environment over at The Wolves Within, experimenting with the lighting in the scene to get a sense of the tone we're trying to capture. Elements such as the background matte painting and blue shaft of light are temporary at the moment and will be further refined.

Life Drawing #18

2011-11-11T18:46:00.002Z

Life drawing! A few tricky poses this week with an array of intersecting objects and foreshortening.

Shrine Environment #01

2011-11-08T23:28:00.000Z

Work in progress for the Shrine environment, blocking things in at the moment and will continue to add further detail. A few experiments will be needed to be carried out involving textures with normal maps and the background matte painting.

Main totem props

Previs/Animatics

2011-11-04T14:59:00.003Z

As we move into production over at The Wolves Within, we made some more tweaks and refinements to the animatic with the addition of previs. After an initial previs, we found the timing and pacing were better in the original animatic, and thus combined the two.

Animatic/Previs (Latest version)

Previs v.1

Elements are still subject to tweaking, but for now we'll push on with production. Where Jolanta is focusing on characters with the two wolves, I will be taking care of the environments with the shrine as well as the good and evil parts of the environment. Wish us luck!

Life Drawing #17

2011-11-02T18:50:00.002Z

More life drawing again this week with a female model. There's a lot of objects surrounding the model this time as the first years were focusing on negative space.

The Wolves Within Project Proposal

2011-10-29T22:38:00.001+01:00

With the foundations of The Wolves Within project firmly in place, here is the formal document of our project proposal.

The Wolves Within Project Proposal

Concept Shrine Environment #02

2011-10-28T12:06:00.002+01:00

Second concept piece of the shrine.

To further suggest the transition into more man made influences as we arrive at the forefront of the human spirit, the environment is now more reflective of Native American influences with totem like elements. This also helps to distinguish the final confrontation with more significance.

Concept Shrine Environment #01

2011-10-26T19:44:00.001+01:00

Concept piece of the shrine environment which holds the human spirit that the wolves seek to control. The presence of the wolves agitate the flames evoking the spiritual nature of the environment as the ruins resonate from within.

Rather than literal representations of Native American structures, I opted for more abtract/suggestive representations of rock-like material. However, this may need to be further resolved to suggest a more significant shift to a man-made environment. After some discussion with Jolanta, we have some fresh ideas to try at this key environment.

Some initial designs of the shrine

References

Life Drawing #16

2011-10-26T19:42:00.000+01:00

Life drawing again with a male model. I think the plenty of 2 minute warm up drawings definitely helped further down the line with the later extended poses.

Good Wolf Concept #02

2011-10-22T22:43:00.001+01:00

Another concept piece for the good wolf and his effect on the environment.

Moving away from the initial idea that the wolf brings life to the environment with elements such as plants and trees, the environment is now more consistent with the evil wolf with neutral rock type cliffs. Where the evil wolf brings chaos to the environment, the presence of the good wolf allows the rocks to form back into whole forms awakening the Native American markings in the process. In this way, the logic and design is also more consistent with the setting of inner space with other worldly elements.

Good Wolf Concept #01

2011-10-19T20:42:00.005+01:00

Initial concepts for the good wolf. In contrast to the evil wolf, the later restores life to the surroundings with light and colour.

Looking back at the piece, the current setting of a forest now feels distracting and perhaps underwhelming to the idea of inner space that the wolves are racing through. Needless to say, I will be experimenting with some more concepts to resolve this one.

Life Drawing #15

2011-10-19T18:50:00.003+01:00

More fun with Life Drawing with a few 2 minute poses and extended ones.

Evil Wolf Concept #01

2011-10-13T23:34:00.001+01:00

Concept piece of Evil Wolf affecting the environment with destructive effects. At this stage, we are exploring concepts to try and capture the visual look and style of the project. It's an important stage of the project so feedback is most welcome!

Initial Environment/Character Designs

2011-10-13T23:02:00.000+01:00

My initial musings for character and environments for The Wolves Within.

Playing around with some environment ideas with a few thumbnails. Mainly experimenting with the use of colour and effects of the good/evil wolf area, as well as the final goal of the human spirit.

Some initial sketches of wolf designs, contrasting the two wolves with different emphasis on the spine eg. tall and proud vs a hunching feral stance. They may be a little generic at the moment which I hope to resolve with further development.

Life Drawing #14

2011-10-13T22:42:00.001+01:00

More life drawing this week - with some quick poses and extended pieces focusing on measurements and proportions.

The Wolves Within - Update #2

2011-10-07T18:39:00.003+01:00

Exciting news with The Wolves Within project, as we have received some new voiceovers by Philip Banks and Jack Pernell. Big thanks to these guys!

Preview their narration below (be sure to play in 360p and above for better sound quality):

Philip Banks

Jack Parnell

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With these new voiceovers, we experimented with them on our animatic as well as introducing a new ambient type track.

Philip Banks

Jack Pernell

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Here is our most recent animatic with version #5. The narration is now delivered at the very beginning before joining the race between the two wolves, where now two background soundtracks are included for better pacing purposes; an initial track to set the tone and tension before the race, and a second track providing a build up in a pace and intensity before the final culmination at the end of the race.

Updated storyboard with our most recent changes to help keep track of things.

Life Drawing #13

2011-10-07T17:33:00.001+01:00

Chilled out at the life drawing session with the first years earlier this week. It's been far too long since I last did life drawing, I'm afraid I may be a little rusty.

The Wolves Within - Animatic #03

2011-10-04T11:22:00.001+01:00

Version 3 of our animatic over at The Wolves Within. Yes that's my voice for the narration! - necessary to get a sense of timing for the voiceover so I hope you don't mind.

We had a lot of discussion over our previous storyboards and animatics, taking each shot and identifying its significance. Frames that were repetitive or did not justify itself were cut, where we have included a some new frames for better coherency and theatricality, as well as some experimentation.

The current narration has been abbreviated from the original story to better suit our purposes.

Script
A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible fight between two wolves.

One is evil – he is anger, hate, arrogance and greed

The other is good – he is peace, hope, benevolence and serenity.

Which wolf will win?
The one you feed…

We're still ironing out details, but hopefully this brings us ever closer to our goal.

The Wolves Within - Animatic

2011-09-30T10:18:00.004+01:00

Initial animatic for The Wolves Within. Jolanta has also made a version of the animatic (technically version 1) over here, so be sure to check it out.

A number of changes/tweaks come to mind while putting together this initial animatic, so except some further developments. The sound is temporary for the moment, but it serves to capture the sort of tone we're trying to achieve. Its not fully confirmed yet, but we'll most likely need a sound guy to help create the soundtrack for us (students welcome) - so drop a comment or email if you're interested.

The Wolves Within - Update

2011-09-29T00:33:00.002+01:00

Lots of activity over at The Wolves Within - I'm just updating things over here.

Refined Approach + Storyboard
In transcribing the original Cherokee tale of Two Wolves, our idea now consists of a race between the two wolves of good and evil, as they seek to control and dominate our actions by reaching the metaphorical representation of the human soul/psyche first (currently represented as a Native American Doll).

Throughout the race, we will see the wolves’ effects on the neutral landscape of the inner psyche; where the evil wolf brings chaos and destruction, the later brings harmony and life. Neither wolf will gain a decisive advantage, culminating to a stand-off between the two wolves. This in turn reflects the eternal strife within us where our conscience seeks to guide us to do right or wrong.

With this narrative in mind, Jolanta and I have been working on some thumbnails and storyboards which you may have seen earlier. Here we have arranged our ideas together to form our preferred approach thus far.

Essentially, the race is broken down into three acts: the evil wolf initially takes the lead demonstrating his destructive effects to the environment, then the good wolf later manages to take the lead restoring life to landscape, before finally culminating to a stand-off between the two wolves as they approach their goal.

More to come as we'll begin to form some concept art and animatics.

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Thumbs/Storyboards/References
Some work in progress storyboards

Initial thumbs

Further references

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Freud's Id, ego, super-ego
In discussion of the very core of our narrative, we found that it captures the essence of the conscience seeking to direct our lives and goals, not dissimilar to Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis of the id, ego and super-ego. While not straying too far from the point, we briefly drew parallels from Freud’s theories to elements of our narrative.

Id
The evil wolf comes to represent the dark, inaccessible part of the Id, where primal instincts drive the subject to satisfy pleasures and desires in complete disregard to all else. The evil wolf brings chaos and destruction to the environment with its relentless pursuit of its goal.

Ego
Conversely, the good wolf can come to reflect the Ego, as it seeks to control the Id’s primal instincts. It too desires to control the human psyche, but to suit long term benefits as reflected in its restoration of life to the surrounding environments.

Super-ego
Lastly, the super-ego is found in the culmination of the human soul and psyche of the Native American doll. Being influenced by both id and ego (the two wolves in this case), it strives to maintain a balance to suppress the unacceptable urges of the id and make the ego act upon idealistic standards rather than on simple realistic principles. It is present in the conscious, preconscious and unconscious.

This helps to discern the essence of what each element in our narrative may come to represent.

Cultural Perceptions of Wolves

2011-09-24T21:57:00.008+01:00

A collection of research investigating some of the cultural perceptions and symbolisms surrounding wolves. This is key in influencing and informing our designs.

European
With European imagination, wolves long stood as a symbol of bane being uncontrollable nature. The Bible describes Jesus as the shepherd protecting his herd of sheep from the wolf, signifying the wolf as a symbol of sin and prurient influence (John 10:12). Wolves in literature also do not fair well, often being wicked villains as long fanged, terrible beasts, with examples in Grimms' Fairy Tales of the big bad wolf in Red Riding Hood or the Three Little Pigs.

Roman
In Roman mythology, the Wolf symbol appears with the founders of Rome with the twins Romulus and Remus. Being cast out by their great uncle Amulius, the two founding brothers were adopted by a she-wolf known as Lupa. Otherwise, they have become as symbols associated with the Gods of war, Ares and Mars.

Norse
In Norse mythology, the Wolf is a symbol for victory when ridden by Odin and the Valkyries upon the battlefield. It often includes the legend of three malevolent wolves Fenrir, Sköll and Hati, where the tale suggests that Fenrir will have grown so large that his upper jaw touches the sky while his lower touches the earth when he gapes. Otherwise, the wolves Geri and Freki were Odin's faithful pets, becoming a sign of good omen.

Celtic
As a Celtic symbol, the Wolf was a source of lunar power. Two wolves drive the time as they chase the sun and moon. Celtic lore states that the Wolf would hunt down the sun and devour it at each dusk so as to allow the power of the moon to come forth.

Asia
In Asia, the wolf guards the doors that allow entrance to heavenly, celestial realms. The Wolf is also said to be among the ancestry of Genghis Khan. Grain farmers once worshiped wolves at shrines and left food offerings near their dens, beseeching them to protect their crops from wild boars and deer; where talismans adorned with images of wolves were used as charms to ward against calamities such as fire and disease, as well as bringing fertility to crops and couples.

Native American Culture
Wolves held a special place in almost all Native American tribes, being admired for their strength, endurance and hunting skills. They taught the tribes about sharing, cooperating while hunting and looking after the young, caring and having pride in their tribes. They showed the Indians how to move in the forests - carefully and quietly. The hunters looked for signs of them, for when game was scarce, the wolves would be gone. And after killing the prey, a good hunter always left a piece of meat behind.

For the Cherokee tribe, they would never kill a wolf, believing the spirit of the slain wolf would revenge its death. The Cherokee also believed that if a hunter showed respect and prayed before and after killing an animal, the deer, wolf, fox, and opossum would guard his feet against frostbite.

The Native American symbol/carving of the Wolf:

Symbolising intelligence, leadership, a strong sense of family, guardianship, ritual and spirituality.

Revered because it was a good hunter, the wolf symbolizes cunning and was often associated with a special spirit a man had to acquire to become a successful hunter. As Wolves mate for life and live in close family units usually traveling in packs, they are regarded as a family-oriented symbol in West Coast Native culture. Wolf is the land manifestation of the Killer Whale as they mate for life, protect their young and do not separate from their families.

Upon looking at further symbols of Native American culture, I found an interesting example concerning The Twins.

Portrayed in most emergence or creation stories, they illustrate the concept of duality in life. In the natural world everything exists in balance: male & female, large & small, light & dark & good & evil. The twins are usually shown as boys or short men who overcame great odds to defend the people from all enemies, drought, attack from other beings, animals, or many other problems. Here they are depicted as Father Sky & Mother Earth from a Navajo sand painting.

Again, the idea of twins arises to reflect the duality of good and evil; they are part of the same and perhaps together form as one.

Sources:
Cry of Wolves: http://www.cryofwolves.com/wolves4.html
Totem Wolf Symbols: http://www.whats-your-sign.com/totem-wolf-symbols.html
Meaning Wolf: http://www.mnforsustain.org/wolf_meaning_wolf.htm
Wolves and Christianity: http://www.wolfsongalaska.org/wolves_and_Christianity.html
Symbols of West Coast Native Art: http://www.littlebearart.ca/mythology.html
Wolves Spirit Meanings: http://alltotems.com/wolf-totem-symbolism-and-meaning/

Discussing Approaches

2011-09-24T01:29:00.003+01:00

There’s been much discussion over the approach of our idea in The Wolves Within. Here I’ll try to surmise our line of thinking thus far.

Our idea is to illustrate the story of the Two Wolves with an animation that captures a frozen moment of time between the two wolves. Theatrical camera movement and staging of characters and props will be used to unravel the story, akin to Alfred Hitchcock's Rope and animations such as Apnee. This is to reflect the inner space within us, and perhaps the theatrical performance of the stage. The passage of time can be reflected with careful and seamless editing of frozen moments, not dissimilar to the idea of a modern La Jetée of sorts.

Only a select few of the qualities describing the wolves that echo the lines of good vs evil, will feature in our character and environment designs. For example:

Good Wolf
Peace, Benevolence, Love, Hope

Evil Wolf
Anger, Hate, Arrogance, Greed

These will be grounded with Native American culture and influences to reflect the philosophical origins of the tale.

Objects/props can help illustrate the two polar opposites. For instance, a Native American doll is presented to the two wolves where one is shown to care for the doll, the other destroys it, before descending into a final frame of eternal conflict. Acts such as this will help provide resonances of the ‘evil’ twin, sibling rivalries or the Doppelganger into the mix, reflecting the notion of the battle between good and evil raging within us.

Hope this clears things up a bit.

Wolf Sketches/Reference

2011-09-23T23:26:00.001+01:00

Just some studies of wolf anatomy as I've been collecting reference material for The Wolves Within project.

References

The Wolves Within

2011-09-19T20:59:00.003+01:00

Our group blog for the project is live over at the http://thewolveswithin.blogspot.com/ - be sure to follow it!

The idea for our third project is to transcribe a Cherokee legend known as the Wolves Within. The short tale describes the potential for good and evil inside all of us, with metaphorical descriptions of two wolves.

The Wolves Within

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is
anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego."

He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed..."

Source: http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/TwoWolves-Cherokee.html

From this, we aim to focus on Character and Environment Design of the two wolves specifically, reflecting their polar opposites of good and evil as defined by the tale. Where the final piece will be a culmination of the two as a final still, as well as a diorama of sorts as a piece of time based media to further capture and illustrate our designs.

In this way, we will be able to focus specifically on improving our techniques on character and environment design, rather than be over-burdened with technical aspects such as rigging. We are also keen to effectively integrate software such as ZBrush into our pipeline to further develop our skills in this regard. Essentially, the main challenge arises in creating unique and interesting concepts and designs that capture the prescribed nature of the wolves, while avoiding simply creating two generic wolves.

-

This is the initial proposal of our idea so far, so things may get tweaked after some feedback. I will still be keeping things up to date over here, but be sure to follow our group blog for all the complete updates.

Dawn of the Third Year

2011-09-18T21:44:00.001+01:00

The third year is upon us! I'm delighted to say that I will be working with Jolanta Jasiulionyte for our first project of the third year. We've been discussing ideas and have settled on a Cherokee legend to transcibe from, forming our project title as 'The Wolves Within'. More on than that later as I intend to get a more detailed post going.

Over the summer, I've mainly been chipping away at the dissertation, getting to grips with some tutorials and software such as ZBrush, and generally enjoying my time off. I've made a few tweaks updating things here and there on the blog which I'll hope you approve of. Other than that, its time to get things going on here!

Bruce Weight Lift

2011-06-01T15:48:00.001+01:00

Here is the main animation exercise I had the chance to do at my time at Nexus - with my attempt to capture the good old weight lifting test with a small twist. Big thanks to Mark Davies and Michael Greenwood for all their help and feedback on this.

It may not be perfect with many parts that could do with some further refinements, but I’m pleased with what I’ve achieved so far as it’s come a long way from its first incarnations. I now feel much more confident in how to approach animation which will hopefully show in my future projects.

Nexus - Week 5

2011-05-30T21:50:00.000+01:00

Last Friday was the end of my work experience at Nexus - and while I'm sad to go, I've had a fantastic time that has been very inspiring.

While I was unable to get stuck in on a live project in production, I still managed to learn lots about working in a professional studio environment. From the many creative group meetings to the dynamic between directors and studio members, the collaborative nature of working to form the best creative solutions was very inspiring. The projects that I did work on were predominantly in the pre-production stages, creating various props and environments for a number of pitches. This allowed me to work within the practices of the Nexus pipeline, such as ensuring naming conventions and file locations were consistent and ready for use for other members.

Becoming familiar with 3D Studio Max has also opened my eyes to some new approaches and ideas when it comes to working in CG. From modelling, animating and to the advantages of working with Linear Workflow - a process of working with gamma correction to achieve the best lighting and colouring results. Both Max and Maya have their ups and downs, and while I'm not championing one or the other, there's certainly things I'm trying to bring into Maya from Max and vice versa.

With animation exercises, I learned a lot with the process of animating with the help from Michael and Mark whose feedback and words of animating wisdom have proved invaluable to me. From the importance of animation curves with trajectories, to the effective use of the graph editor, I've certainly learned a few new tricks that have given me confidence to animating.

Overall, I had a great time with the whole experience being very enlightening and inspiring to say the least. I want to thank everyone at Nexus for helping me out and making me feel welcome, and of course to Phil and Alan for making this possible.

While I won't be able to upload everything I've done, I will be able to post some stuff including one of the main animation exercises I've been working on - so look out for that!

Hi-Res Model - Body

2011-05-30T21:10:00.000+01:00

With the head complete, we have begun to model the body of the hi-res version of the character.

Front, Side, Back.

Hi-Res Model - Head

2011-05-23T23:34:00.001+01:00

Remember this guy? Well, we've now got round to modelling a hi-res version of the character. Where there were limitations to the earlier games model, it is now a case of maximising detail when necessary, adding additional faces that will be eventually smoothed. Of course, the flow of geometry is still important and must be considered carefully.

Front, Side, Back.

Maya - Matchmoving #2 - 4

2011-05-23T23:24:00.000+01:00

Continuing our matchmoving workshops, we've begun to track some live scenes using Autodesk's Matchmover. Essentially, the camera tracking data is translated from Matchmover to Maya, allowing one to construct proxy environment and place new objects into the scene with the confidence that it will appear correctly in shot.

We experimented with a number of methods from:

Autotracking (added sphere)

to manual tracking method known as Target Tracking (added sphere)

to a Masked Auto Tracking method, requiring one to maintain the mask throughout the scene (added wind-up Key).

Maya Dynamics #10 - 12

2011-05-23T22:53:00.004+01:00

Been keeping up with some Maya tutorials in the background, starting with some dynamics!

Soft/Rigid Bodies
Some more dynamics with soft/rigid bodies, creating a number of interesting effects from deformations to organic type movements.

Dynamics Ncloth
Dynamics can also be applied to nurb objects, granting some advantages over polygon counterparts.

Nexus - Week 4

2011-05-20T22:31:00.004+01:00

An update from my fourth week at Nexus!

As I have continued with my animation exercise earlier this week, I've been fortunate enough to be getting some great feedback from animator Michael Greenwood, giving me quick lessons and pointers that would have taken much longer for me to figure out myself. While I still have much to learn, I've certainly feel a lot more confident in approaching animation in a CG world. Its a challenging process that cannot be rushed, requiring much feedback and perseverance that will make the hours fly by, but its also one of the most rewarding experiences you could ever achieve once things fall in place.

Michael has worked on a variety of projects with some wonderful examples of animation, so be sure to check his work out on his site. Here is a commercial for 'TNT Post' that Michael was the lead on.

Another CG artist who I work with at the studio is Florian Caspar, who is working on a potential high-profile project that is also very exciting. Check out Florian's impressive showreel below, and also a fun twist to presenting a character turnaround.

This CG character didn’t anticipate his turn around!

Otherwise, I have also been working collaboratively for another upcoming pitch, building models and props to populate the environment. The project has an intriguing concept and art direction that brings a different approach to modelling - so some exciting stuff at it begins to gather pace into my fifth and final week here at Nexus.

Nexus - Week 3

2011-05-13T22:08:00.004+01:00

This week at Nexus has been an interesting one as a variety of pitches have come and go. Its an interesting dynamic between directors and studio members, as while the directors lead the 'vision' so to speak, everything else is a constant collaboration between directors and studio members in order to create the best, creative designs and solutions possible.

While things are still a little quiet on the live project side of things, I've been spending most of my time with some animation exercises using some of the Nexus characters and rigs. Often I'll show my progress to some of the animators around the studio who are able to give me some invaluable feedback on my work. Its all very encouraging as I'm learning a lot of the process of animating which would have taken me a lot longer to learn otherwise. I can't quite post my progress on here yet as I'm using some Nexus characters, but hopefully there will be a workaround to this at a later point.

A group of us had a little field trip to a mo-cap studio this week, which unfortunately wasn't quite finish to say the least, but interesting nonetheless to see the potential workspace. I also met a bunch of people working in the industry as we went out for some drinks one evening. The people there came from a range of fields who had either worked at Nexus at some point or were simply friends of Nexus - so it was great making contacts with people and talking about their experiences in the industry.

The end of this week brings me past the mid-way point in my work experience, with 2 weeks left at Nexus!

Nexus - Day 6

2011-05-05T21:42:00.003+01:00

Day 6 and I'm continuing to work on stuff for another upcoming pitch. Its exciting stuff as its got a neat concept going for it. I'm learning more and more on the collaborative side of things with group discussions, important feedback from the directors as well as the pipeline that ensures everyone can work together across multiple files with proper naming conventions etc. Hopefully, it will get the green light so we can continue to take it all the way.

In the mean time, I thought I share with you an animated short by Dara Cazamea, one of the guys at Nexus that I am fortunate to be working with. This was his graduation project co-directed by four other guys. Some really great stuff here so be sure to give it a watch when you have the time. It has a B-movie type plot so it rings a lot of bells from our own group projects earlier in the year.

Word of warning: contains a lot of blood and scenes not for the squeamish... but really its hilarious so don't let it put you off.

Hambuster
You may like having a good lunch in a quiet place as a park... But what if your lunch doesn't?
In the street everyone can hear you scream, but honestly who cares?

Try it out in stereoscopic 3D if you dare!

Hambuster is a graduation movie co-directed by five students from Supinfocom Arles.  This production is a 6 min short film and it was all done in 3D stereoscopic.
Enjoy!

I just realised Phil has already posted this on the group blog (2 days ago in fact!) but waargh I'll post it up here anyways.

Nexus - Day 4-5

2011-05-04T22:02:00.004+01:00

With the beginning of the second week here at Nexus, I've been working on a few bits and bobs across a number of pitches. I've also got to meet a few of the directors who lead the majority of projects for Nexus, as well as participating in the creative group meetings where its fascinating to witness the creative decisions, solutions and ideas taking place.

Some of the work for a pitch is going through a redesign after feedback from the clients, so its fine for me to post one of the environments I put together. From a quick concept, to modelled set. Lighting is pretty basic at the moment, but I'm now learning to use the Vray lighting system (which is coming to Maya) and getting my head around the Linear Workflow theory with gamma correction... its a little bit tricky but I think I'm getting the hang of it.

Concept

Scene

That's all I can post for now!

Nexus - Day 3

2011-04-28T23:25:00.002+01:00

A small update at my day at Nexus - I've begun some work on some environments for an upcoming pitch, which I'm very excited about but unfortunately can't say too much on here.

Today also signals the end of the first week here at Nexus (cut short by the big royal day tomorrow). Its been a captivating week as I've met the team, familiarised myself at the studio and learnt some new software with 3D Studio Max. Its all still fresh and inspiring so far - where I can't wait to get stuck in in earnest with some meaty projects.

On a side note: You may want to be on the look out for 3D Artist magazine issue 28, as it features a double page article on the CG Arts & Animation course at UCA Rochester. It also features my Dark Carnival piece from the 1st year, along with some words I mention at the beginning of the second paragraph. Otherwise, there's some great stuff on the legendary Syd Mead too.

Nexus - Day 2

2011-04-27T23:48:00.006+01:00

Continuing with some 3D Studio Max tutorials, I got round to finishing my toycar model; learning how to lay out UVs, texturing, lighting and rendering with Vray and HDR maps in Max. Again, its a similar process to Maya with things more or less hidden under different menus and commands. The Vray lighting system is certainly worth some more investigation as it produced some neat results even with my simple lighting setup.

The final render could do with some minor tweaks, though I'm pleased with the results so far. I ended up giving it a copper type texture where I tried to up the specular and bump settings for better results.

UVs

Moreover, I also got the chance to check out the workflow and structure of Nexus in how they manage and organise their range of projects across a vast network of computers. All in all, it stresses the importance of having naming conventions and sticking to a pipeline to ensure that projects run smoothly, as any number of projects could be going on simultaneously with several people working on each collaboratively. It sort of reminds me of our group project earlier on in the year, where specific attention was needed in simply organising a working structure that we all agreed to adhere to.

Nexus Productions - Work Placement

2011-04-27T22:20:00.004+01:00

Nexus Productions is an independent Production and Animation Studio based in London. They work in a variety of fields from short films, commercials to interactive media; from which they have achieved world wide recognition in the form of an Oscar nominated short, Grammy nominated and MTV Award winning music videos, Cannes Grand Prix, Gold Lions, and Black D&AD pencil winning commercials.

Here are a few examples of their work.

Muffin Man
Commercial
A fully animated spot taking the viewer through the runaway expansion of a muffin making business from a small stall to international franchise. This was actually shown to us last year when Mark Davies came to give a talk.

Mr Long Legs
Commercial
A feel-good spot for Royal Bank of Canada, which follows Mr Long Legs as he takes his kids on an adventure around the World.

The Girl Effect
Commercial
Some 2D stuff, this short takes us on the journey of a 12 year-old girl to escape poverty, exploitation and the risk of AIDS/HIV, to build a better future for herself and future generations. The Girl Effect is the potential of 600 million adolescent girls to end poverty for themselves and the world.

The Tale of the Three Brothers (Harry Potter)
Film & TV
Inspired by oriental shadow puppetry, the captivating sequence visually narrates Hermione's story about three wizard brothers who try to outwit Death. I believe Nexus prodimantly worked on the 'second brother's tale' of the scene.

Browser Pong
Interactive

I also wanted to show some of the interactive pieces that Nexus does, as I was shown a great example the other day. The only one I can find at the moment, is Browser Pong which simulates a game of pong played with your very own browser windows. You can try it out right now after the jump, otherwise, watch the video example - in fact I recommend both as there are some neat little tricks you can do for some kicks and giggles.

Play Browser Pong!
Watch the video demonstration here

Hope you've enjoyed this brief look at Nexus Productions!

Nexus Productions - Day 1

2011-04-26T23:03:00.011+01:00

I started my work placement at Nexus Productions today - exciting stuff as I got to meet the team and familiarise myself with the studio I'll be working at for the next five weeks. One of the big hurdles to overcome, however, is learning 3D Studio Max as it is the main CG software Nexus uses. Its certainly a separate beast from Maya as navigation, menus and hotkeys are all mapped differently. However, the two do share similarities with familiar terms with Graph Editor and Material Editor (aka hypershade) with mental ray settings returning.

So today, I set out learning the ropes of Max with some tutorials to get accustomed to the interface. I created a set of dice, as a sort of homage to our first Maya tutorials, where I've also modelled a toycar which significantly helped me learn the basics of modelling in Max - extruding, edge loops, vertices etc.

Max has the intriguing feature of using Modifiers when modelling, which essentially acts like a layer system similar to Photoshop. Modifiers affect things down the list hierarchy, where visibility can toggled to hide/reveal any changes to the model in a dynamic fashion. For example, a Symmetry modifier can mirror a current mesh object, which can then be easily turned on and off whilst continuing to work with the model. Max also likes to give different colours to newly created objects, so forgive the wacky colours below.

Its still early days yet with much to learn, but there are some nice features in Max which I'm slowly discovering.

Other than that, things are a little quiet at the moment as there are only a few minor projects going on. Hopefully, things will pick up as some bigger projects come down the line. I intend to make a post showing some of Nexus's previous work when I have a moment, so look out for that. Otherwise, back to Max for me!

Maya - Matchmoving

2011-04-15T23:16:00.002+01:00

In this workshop, we're beginning to look into the process of matchmoving with Maya - effectively blending live-action scenes with CG elements.

Here, we took a static image as a starting point. Without any prior information to the actual image or focal length settings, aligning the camera is a tricky yet integral part of the process.

Modelled Set
Once the camera is aligned, elements in the scene had to be modelled in order to achieve correct information with lighting, shadows and reflections. We then proceeded to add our CG element to the scene, an orrery, as well as some random spheres to test elements within our set such as the shadows and reflections.

Final Composite
After rendering out several passes (shown below), the shot is composited together to form the final scene. Note the integration of the orrery to the scene, the shadows on the sphere under the walkway, as well as the reflection to the far right sphere towards the back.

Various render passes
By rendering out different elements of the shot separately, these can then be effectively controlled and composited within the scene by adjusting any individual values. These were rendered out with render layers, and later composited in After Effects.

This ends the beginning introduction to matchmoving, where I believe we will continue by dealing with moving elements in the next workshop.

Maya Dynamics #09

2011-04-15T22:39:00.001+01:00

Some more dynamics before the holidays, introducing soft/rigid bodies with a few scenarios; a chain, Newton's cradle, earring and catapult.

I tried increasing the gravity magnitude setting as it seems to work better in creating less floaty movements, though in hindsight I think I could have pushed it more for some of them. Newton's cradle also took some tinkering to get right, as it seemed to have a mind of own when the balls struck one another. Other than that - it was an amusing case of trial and error to get the catapult to hit its target.

Turntables for Tribe 17

2011-04-13T14:14:00.002+01:00

Got round to creating turntables for the main three characters of Tribe 17, with Tribe A, B and C. Unfortunately, the latter two videos are not in HD yet (as vimeo only allows 1 HD video a week), but they will become HD sometime later in the next week or so.

Mental Ray - Caustics, Materials, Physical Sun, Portal Lights, HDRI

2011-04-10T23:48:00.002+01:00

A lengthy post coming up - looking at Mental Ray with Caustics, Materials, Physical Sun and Sky, Portal Lights and HDR images.

Caustics
Caustics is the name given to the phenomenon of bright hot spots when light is refracted through materials such as glass or water. In this case, applying the caustic setting (along with final gather and global illumination) helps to simulate this effect.

Mix_Materials_X
Mental Rays default mix_materials_x has a number of preset settings that work quite effectively. The versatility of the material is impressive especially considering the fact that these presets can be combined and mixed together for entirely unique results.

Physical Sun and Sky
Mental Ray has the option of using a Physical Sun and sky to light a scene - here we delve into some of the finer settings.

With a default sun and sky, the horizon line must be adjusted to match the scene.

Adjusting the physical sun direction will simulate different times of day, where the sun disc scale attribute can be tweaked to change the size of the sun.

A early afternoon lighting is achieved by rotating the sun by a rough value of 135.

If necessary, the hue to red/blue can be tweaked to match specific scenes.

Where the haze setting can be adjusted to create a clear day or an overcast one.

Saturation levels can also be tweaked to a desired effect.

Shadows created by the physical sun and sky can also be tweaked. With the example below, increasing the softness and number of samples can help achieve a softer look to shadows while maintaining quality.

Portal Lights
Mental Ray's physical sun and sky do not work so well with interiors. However, this can be amended with the use of portal lights to help light any interior scenes. As such, ambient occlusion and colour bleed can be used to have colour bounce of surfaces.

HDR (High Dynamic Range) Images
HDR images used for lighting can provide a much greater level of detail to a scene, particularly with reflective surfaces. Often, it alludes to the world outside the scene with a chrome ball type reflection.

Base scene

Tweaking colour gain and offset values is integral to achieve desired results when using HDR images. While it may not be noticeable in the examples below, different HDR images were used to experiment with gain and offset values.

Maya Dynamics #08

2011-04-10T23:22:00.000+01:00

This week, we also continued with some more Maya dynamic tutorials with particles. Here we are controlling goal weights with some expressions to allow the mud to slide off the golf ball. The later part of the video shows the goal weights being controlled by a locator control. And finally, we looked at using sprites as particles to create a sparkle effect.

Tribe 17 - Final Animation

2011-04-08T17:33:00.010+01:00

Transcription project is over! I am proud to present Tribe 17 - performing a ritual to attract fireflies which in turn power themselves

Final Animation

Its been a very challenging project that I've certainly learnt a lot from; namely from character design, rigging and animating in Maya. Unfortunately due to time constraints, some scenes did not make it into the final cut. Namely a opening sequence moving slowly amidst the junk piles to better establish the scene of the ritual, as well as resolving the animation in terms of context with a firefly awakening a new tribe robot amidst the junk.

Despite this, I’m happy with what I have achieved in the 10 weeks that this project has taken. There may be opportunities to return to this project in the future, but in the mean time, the skills that I have learnt and developed in this project has been invaluable to me.

Catch a look behind the scenes with the art of publication below, as well as the technical paper which outlines the stages in the rigging process in more detail.

Art of Tribe 17
Art of Tribe 17

Technical Paper
Tribe17 Technical Paper Leo

Enjoy!

Turnaround - Tribe A

2011-04-07T06:23:00.000+01:00

Turnaround for Character Tribe A

Update + DVD Cover/Label

2011-04-05T22:16:00.001+01:00

A quick update as things are pretty tight around here. Scenes are off rendering in the background and well, hopefully everything will come together in the end. In the mean time, I'm taking care of the other tasks still left to do.

Here is a quick render of a scene in progress, note that things are unsmoothed in this image with no matte painting either.

I've also put together a DVD label and cover ready for submission.

Back to work!

Tribe 17 - Rig IK Legs

2011-03-25T10:07:00.004Z

A minor setback, in that I had to edit the original rigs to include IK handles for the legs and feet. Learning from this mistake, I understand a lot more than I originally did with rigging and the use of IK handles. It will make life much easier when animating - which I'll be concentrating all my efforts to.

Displacement + Final Gathering + Global Illumination

2011-03-24T23:55:00.001Z

Here we have explored the use of Displacement, Final Gathering and Global Illumination with Maya and Mental Ray.

Displacement
Displacement maps can add additional detail to basic geometry. Where black areas of the map are 'lowered' and white areas are 'raised' off the object mesh, 'Mid-Greys' are the baseline value where no displacement will occur.

For displacement maps to work properly, its important to determine the Mid-Grey value of the map by adjusting the 'Alpha Gain' and 'Alpha Offset' accordingly.

Below are further examples of displacement, using a non-subdivision setup for unsmoothed objects, a subdivision setup for smoothed surfaces as well as a nurb surface displacement.

Final Gathering
Final Gather works by projecting 'Final Gather Rays' into a scene which scatter upon contact of an object's surface. This effectively calculates 'bounced light and colour' which can be used to light a scene independently or in conjunction with Global Illumination.

Global Illumination
Global Illumination makes use of the photons being projected into a scene. The photons are absorbed and reflected throughout the scene where colour inheritance can occur to bounce or bleed as it moves between different surfaces and their respective material. As such, global illumination can mimic real-world lighting conditions as the photons carries wavelengths of the colour spectrum. Final Gather can also be used to smooth the photons out.

Maya Dynamics #07

2011-03-24T23:27:00.001Z

Here we explored how to control animation cycles with instancing particles. In the scenarios below, the animation cycle is offset for each instance while working with the scene; the robot's feet matches contact with the ground, as well as the spiders following the curvature of the nurb surface.

Environment + Blocking Animation

2011-03-21T22:03:00.001Z

Apologises for the slow update, I've been working away getting my scene set up, reading up some animation techniques and resources (see at end of post); and embarking on some first steps of animation myself.

To reiterate, the members of Tribe 17 are performing a ritual amidst a junkyard to attract nature's fireflies which in turn power them. Tribe character A, being a 'witch doctor' figure, leads the ritual and will be the focus of animation. Character B will manually operating the pile driver, striking the junk to create sparks that attract the fireflies; where character C will form the makeup of worshippers and perhaps even a drumming accompaniment. And ideally, at the very end we will see a lone firefly enter some parts of junk to awaken a new 'junk' tribesman to the group.

Here is the setup of the scene where the animation will take place. There will be a number of establishing shots, which will cut to close ups of animation matching with the sound. I also intend to have some duplicates of the secondary characters B and C to help populate the scene, which slight variation should be simple enough to add to the models if necessary.

I've begun experimenting with the secondary animated characters B and C first to build up my confidence for the main character of animation, where I've started by blocking some of their key poses before animating fully. The first is pulling the rope to operate the pile driver, and the second is kneeling with some worshipping type motions. As such, its pretty rough as the keys are simply stepped at the moment moving from pose to pose.

Once I have more blocked/animated parts done, I will be able to start cutting clips together into a previs form to match with the original track of Soundscape 17.

Whilst establishing my scene and getting my hands stuck into the animating, I've also been looking at some resources to help me on my way. The 11 Second Club has some great resources on their site, particularly the 'Helpful Hints' section hosting a number of great guides when it comes to animating - so be sure to check them out.

I'm still reading through them, but some I found a good read so far are:

The Top Five
Why We Block
Back and Forth
Put It There
Giving Yourself Permission

Motion Blur + Depth of Field

2011-03-18T19:47:00.000Z

Here we have explored the use of Motion blur and Depth of Field within Maya Software and Mental Ray.

Motion Blur

Motion blur can be useful in adding to the believability of movement as demonstrated with the jet planes below.

However, it can significantly increase render times and should thus only be used when appropriate to the scene. The image below demonstrates the difference between Maya Software motion blur to Mental Ray's motion blur, with the latter added another minute to fully render. Switching from 'Scanline' to 'Rapid Motion' (rasterizer) in Mental Ray can help reduce render time while keeping desirable results.

Depth of Field

Depth of field can be achieved with Maya's cameras to simulate real-world cameras in focusing on specific subjects. Again, this increases overall render time where Zdepth render layers could be used instead to simulate depth of field in compositing.

Maya Dynamics #06

2011-03-18T19:20:00.000Z

Delving further into the use of instancing with dynamics, here we've looked at creating variation within the particle instances with rotation, scale and aiming expressions; to emitting particles from instances themselves, to populating a scene with trees using instances of paint effects.

Tribe 17 - Rigged + Controls

2011-03-14T18:43:00.004Z

The members of Tribe 17 are now fully rigged with working controls. It took a little doing to get things moving as intended, most parts are parented to joints although a few specific areas had to be skinned.

Now the animating can begin in earnest!

Mental Ray

2011-03-10T23:30:00.000Z

Here we are delving deeper in rendering with Mental Ray, understanding some of the differences and limitations between Maya Software rendering and Mental Ray, to optimising scene files to ensure best possible render times.

Shadows - Shadow Map
Depth Map Shadows from Maya Software does not function with Mental Ray, however, these can be 'transferred' into a similar representation using Mental Ray's Shadow Map overrides if needed.

Below, the first of the two images show Software Rendering with Depth Map Shadows, with the second demonstrating Mental Ray using its own Shadow Map overrides transferred from the original depth map shadows.

Optimising - Binary Space Partition (BSP)

To optimise scene files and minimise render times, adjusting and noting the BSP Depth can help reduce render times by balancing the BSP Size (Size of Memory Leaf) with the BSP Depth (Depth of Memory Used). In addition, Raytracing settings and sampling values can be reduced to greatly reduce rendering times with little impact on the scene as a whole.

The images below demonstrate the changes in render time from Metal Rays default production settings to a few minor adjustments as described above; making around a 20 second difference, with only a very subtle difference in image quality.

Examining the BSP Depth further can be achieved using 'Regular BSP' with 'Depth' diagnostics. Red areas signify High areas of memory usage, with Greens/blues signifying low.

Much of this Optimising process depends on the scene itself requiring some specific tweaking for each individual scenes, where its benefits will certainly pay off by reducing render times when rendering full animation sequences.

Note: For some reason, I couldn't get the Output Window to display the BSP reports despite changing the Verbosity Level to 'Progress Messages' in Maya 2011. Information about the render would appear as normal when rendering in the output box, but lines concerning BSP data was simply missing. I ended up using Maya 2010 which functioned fine by reporting the BSP data as normal.

Maya Dynamics #05

2011-03-10T22:28:00.000Z

Today, we looked at the use of instancing with Maya dynamics. One can already begin to see the potential that instancing with dynamics can have, populating scenes with multiple objects quickly and efficiently.

Tribe Character Model C

2011-03-07T23:53:00.003Z

Third character model complete! Again, areas were changed when translating the original design in order for the model to function better in a 3D space.

Front, Side, Back.

With the three character models complete, I hope to get them rigged up as soon as possible in order to begin some much eagerly awaited animation.

Tribe Character Model A - Edits

2011-03-07T23:05:00.001Z

Made some minor tweaks to Tribe character model A, heightening the legs slightly and adjusting the feet.

Tribe Character Model B

2011-03-05T23:27:00.000Z

Second character model is complete! Had a bit more difficulty figuring out the various parts for this one. I had to change a few more areas from the original design to work better in a 3D space, but it hopefully it still captures the essence of the character as before.

Front, Side, Back

Brand - Logo

2011-03-04T11:57:00.000Z

On a quick break from Maya, I've looked into the self branding side of things and put together some logo concepts. Taking note from previous logo designs for KLED Animations, I felt the current character designs for this project could work quite nicely in keeping with the fun and creative side of things.

I'm leaning towards design C and D at the moment, but feel free to let me know what you think.

Tribe Character Model A

2011-03-03T22:41:00.006Z

Managed to finish the model of the first of the characters of Tribe 17 today. I tried to retain as much of the original design as possible, where only a few things were tweaked in places to better accommodate the design in a 3D space.

Front, Side, Back.

Hopefully, I won't run into problems in the model when it comes to rigging. In the mean time, I aim to get the other models completed.

Junk Character Progress

2011-03-01T22:31:00.001Z

Made some minor changes to the original designs as suggested from feedback. Mainly, larger feet are given to the 2nd and 3rd designs to better balance and support the model.

I've also begun modelling the characters this week, working on the head and blocking the body in with quick shapes to get a sense of proportion of the model.

Junkyard Concept

2011-02-27T23:26:00.002Z

Although environments are not not the main focus for this project, it would be ideal to have a concept piece to follow when constructing the scene. Thus, here is concept piece of the junkyard where the members of Tribe 17 will perform.

I am yet to fully determine the context within the animation, which I have had a number of talks with Alan. In general, the members of Tribe 17 are performing a ritual of sorts to make 'B' or perhaps 'C' happen. So in this idea, the Tribe's ritual movements involve operating a pile driver machine; by pounding the various bits of junk (in time with the drumming of the soundpiece) they create sparks to attract fireflies, which in turn they use to power and store within themselves. As such, I tried to capture a mystical tone to the piece above as it involves a circle/cycle with machine and nature. It may be a quirky premise and may need some tweaking to give me more opportunities to animate, but I'm eager to hear any thoughts or feedback on the idea.

Junk Character Designs

2011-02-27T13:27:00.001Z

From my original silhouettes created from objects of junk, I have taken the more successful designs to flesh out. It has been tricky deciphering the insides of the silhouette, where many tweaks and experimentation was needed to refine the design as a whole. I've tried to place objects that would enable degrees of flexibility and movement such as ball joints, tubing or springs.

Although there are most likely areas subject to some further tweaking, I believe I can take these further to begin modelling where changes can be made in the production process.

Game Modelling - UVs

2011-02-26T18:52:00.002Z

With our game model character completed, we have also laid out UVs with Game design principles in mind. Namely, the UVs are combined together on a single sheet where repeated parts such as hands and shoes are left overlapping to mirror, effectively maximising texture space.

Maya - Normal Maps

2011-02-25T22:38:00.001Z

As part of our workshops concerning Game Modelling, we have begun to look at the potential of Normal Maps to significantly increase the level of detail with texturing. A flat plane with low geometry can give the impression of depth and detail with the use of normal maps. However, they lose their effectiveness when viewed at extreme angles.

Maya Dynamics #04

2011-02-25T22:37:00.004Z

Delving further into Maya dynamics this week introducing soft/rigid bodies with particle systems.

Technical Troubles

2011-02-22T22:10:00.000Z

I'm afraid to report some technical woes as my graphics card has seemed to have died on me tonight - it fails to startup with one long beep followed by three short beeps of death. I have an old graphics card in place which should suffice for now until I get a new replacement in, so hopefully it won't disrupt my work flow too much.

Fortunately, I have my work backed up on an external drive, so I can work on other computers if necessary. But yes - take this as another healthy reminder to backup your work!

Maya Dynamics #03

2011-02-19T23:41:00.000Z

Our third week experimenting with Maya dynamics emitting from surfaces and other particles themselves. Here we created fireworks, an object dispersing, as well as object slowly catching fire with an example of a barrel.

Game Modelling - Body

2011-02-19T23:40:00.000Z

With the head of the Games Model completed, we have moved on to create the body of the character following the same principles as before, where the model is not smoothed relying on the softening/hardening of normals. Additional faces are also given to areas of particular deformation.

Junk Silhouette Designs

2011-02-14T12:51:00.005Z

With the world of my animation revolving around a junkyard, it makes natural sense that the design and aesthetic should similarly be inspired by junk. Thus, as suggested by tutor Alan, I have taken a range of reference images of junk and cutout individual parts/objects for a range of intriguing forms and shapes.

I've then combined the forms together to create silhouette designs of the possible type of characters in the animation.

This approach has produced some intriguing designs which is leading me to consider the possibility of having the characters be made entirely of objects of junk, rather than be human in form and figure. Where their construction would also affect their performance in the way they move.

Maya Dynamics #02

2011-02-12T16:02:00.000Z

More experiments with Maya dynamics using Curve Emitters and Curve Flow to create a shockwave, fireworks, a particle trail following a motion path as well as intersecting surfaces to create a shore effect around an island. Even with these fairly straightforward effects, one can begin to see the potential of dynamics for further uses.

Game Modelling - Head #02

2011-02-12T15:52:00.000Z

We have continued modelling the game model head adding the final details such as the ear and hair. With a low poly model, much of the detail will come from texturing and normal maps.

Thumbnails

2011-02-08T14:22:00.001Z

Some quick thumbnails envisioning the type of shots possible for my animated short. Namely, the figures will perform around a central idol made similarly from the junk, where there will be a main figure performing the majority of movements.

Tribe Silhouette Designs

2011-02-08T14:04:00.004Z

With a concentrated character performance, the designs of my characters will have to work on a number of levels from visual appeal to practicality when animating. First however, I have experimented with a range of character shapes and proportions forming various silhouette designs.

The main feature in the designs is the mask which can be varied to give the illusion of several characters.

The designs with extraggerated proportions are notably working better, particularly the 2nd of 3rd designs of page 1, as well as the designs on the third page.

Alchemy - Tribe Masks

2011-02-08T14:02:00.005Z

To help mix things up in my concepts, I have approached these designs differently using the software Alchemy - a drawing application designed to be widely experimental in nature. These tribe mask designs were made using loose abtract forms and shapes combined with the use of the mirror function.

I had some fun with these as I let go of concerns such as detail or line. While these are not final, they serve as initial musings that may have potential to be explored and developed further.

If you're interested in using Alchemy, you can download it here - its free and there's no need for installation as it runs independently.

Research Masks

2011-02-06T23:54:00.001Z

My main concept is that the dehumanised population dancing to a ritual have also returned to the fashion of masks, made from various scraps and materials. Not only does this provide some interesting designs, but can also help economise my efforts as several masks can be modelled/textured differently to give the illusion of several different characters. As such, I've been gathering some visual reference material in the form of tribal masks for inspiration.

Research Movements

2011-02-06T23:30:00.001Z

I've been researching the type of movements for my character performance short. Mainly, I've been looking at tribe dances for inspiration as it resembles the original sound piece with ceremonial type movements. Here are some examples:

Props such as poles or instruments can be another interesting feature to consider when animating my piece.

Storyboarding and animatics will become integral for me in planning my character movements - which I hope to get up soon enough.

Maya Dynamics #01

2011-02-05T17:22:00.000Z

For this set of Maya tutorials, we're beginning to look at dynamics with particles and emitters. Here are a few tests experimenting with the various use of emitters and particles to create a number of effects; from clouds, fuse, an explosion and steam.

Game Modelling - Head #01

2011-02-05T16:20:00.000Z

Modelling for games can often impose a budget to the amount of faces/polygons one can use at their disposable. The polygon model will not be smoothed, allowing for the use of triangles in the geometry to maximise efficiency. Additionally, softening/hardening the edge of normals are used to complete the model.

Here, we have begun to model a head with the above principles of game modelling in mind.

Revised Transcription Idea

2011-02-02T22:15:00.001Z

The transition project is a prime opportunity to experiment and explore specific areas of the pipeline further before the start of the third and final year. As such, it came to my attention that the act of animating itself is an area I have not had much time to fully explore or develop on, often becoming the last area of focus. Thus, I aim to use this project to concentrate on the process of animation, leaving areas such as environments as a lesser concern in order to maximise my time animating.

My revised idea for this project is to transcribe the original sound piece from the earlier summer project 'Soundscape 17', creating a concentrated character performance animated short. As the track is a lengthy 5 minutes, I will most likely take a segment of the track to animate to.

The performance I have in mind is a ritual type dance matching the tone and rhythm of the track. Where there will be a central figure of focus, perhaps there is also an opportunity to have some extras with repeated movements in the background. The context of my designs will stem from my original idea I had from the soundtrack; with an apocalyptic world consisting of a dehumanised population reduced to a tribe like community, where various junk and technology are used as masks or idols. In my mind, the ritual dance takes place in a junk yard around a central totem made from the scrap, though I would form the environment with a minimalistic approach if I do decide to include an environment for the space the figure(s) to move in, so as to focus on the animation itself.

I feel there are several ways I can approach this, where most of the answers will come once I begin to design the various elements.

Unit 3 - Transcription

2011-01-31T21:48:00.001Z

The last project for the second year is entitled Transcription, where we are challenged to create a transcribed piece or work of our own choosing, transforming an abstract source into a visual form. This can include an extract from a novel/poem, to a piece of music or artwork, fuelling our designs to create either an Animated Short, Digital Set or Character Design be it for a film or game. Essentially, one must identify the end goal of the project and shape the production pipeline accordingly.

Thus, with this project I intend to create an animated short with the aim to focus more specifically on environments. As I have focused pre-predominately on the character production pipeline with the recent narrative project of the Chainsaw Wielding Baby, as well as character designs with the previous character design project, it would be refreshing to turn my attention more towards environments and further refine my skills in these areas of my development.

The subject I'm intending to transcribe is an extract from Persian philosopher Omar Khayyám, where he questions the unknown of life after death.

'Strange is it not? that of the myriads who
Before us pass'd the Door of darkness through,
Not one returns to tell us of the Road,
Which to discover, we must travel too.'
(Lloyd, 2008:5-6)

With this, the main idea of my animated piece would begin with a calm, serene garden type environment, establishing an atmosphere of peace and harmony. From a first person perspective, the camera would travel through the garden environment to arrive at a small Church, where we are lead inside to find a open casket with a body inside. From here, the camera pulls away to reveal that the individual we have been following is actually the person inside the coffin, but in a spirit form visiting his body one last time before disappearing once more.

Effectively, the animation becomes my interpretation of Khayyám's words into a visual form. I do not intend to present a sombre or fearful portrayal of death, but rather a peaceful and perhaps comforting tone of the journey that not one can return to tell us, but a journey we too will travel and discover. Here the animation provides the opportunity to create two diverse environments of the calm, serene garden to the exterior and interior of the reverent man-made structure of a church. Along with the challenge to capture the right tonality and atmosphere of the piece with lighting and pacing. While the narrative contains a character, it will most likely be a model and not one that is fully animated as we move in a first person perspective.

With this idea in mind, hopefully it will be manageable to fit within the limited 10 week time frame, allowing for further development and refinement. Any thoughts and feedback on this idea will be most appreciated.

Lloyd, John. (2008). QI:Advanced Banter - The QI Book of Quotations. London. Faber and Faber.

KLED Animations Presents: 'Day of the Chainsaw Wielding Baby'

2011-01-26T01:05:00.002Z

The studio group project came to a close last week, I'm proud to present my team's animation trailer: Day of the Chainsaw Wielding Baby.

‘Project 6’ – an experiment to create the perfect killing machine, goes astray when their latest subject escapes from a secret laboratory located in the depths of the Earth.
Alone and confused, Project 6 is out of control! Who can stop this ‘baby’ now?

This is actually version 2 of our trailer which I feel works better than our initial version, that featured a narrative trailer voice. You can view the original here.

For a little bit of fun, we actually included some small Easter eggs for the competing studios including Gremlin Box Productions, B3D Studios and Creature Studios and their respective animations - so see if you can spot them, and be sure to check out their respective trailers. Unfortunately, we were not able to fit in Void Canvas Studio, Inspire Studios and Lucid Studios (apologies!) but be sure to check out their works too!

The main share of my work in this project included Concept art, modelling, texturing and rigging our Baby character, creating the Laboratory scene as well as general compositing including small special effects such as bubbles and smoke. My apologies that I couldn't give more frequent updates to this side of the project, as things were pretty tight on schedule. Hopefully, the documented Making Of publication below will make up for this, providing a behind-the-scenes look into much of the process my group and I worked on.

The Making of Day of the Chainsaw Wielding Baby

Here is an additional walk cycle I attempted with the Baby model. I tried to capture the baby's walk cycle by making him a little off balance and slowing his movements.

Where I've also presented a Turnaround of our Baby character for your viewing pleasure.

Feel free to head over to the KLED Animations blog for more details on our progression throughout the weeks.

Otherwise, the next and final project for the second year is soon approaching, entitled Transcription. More on that in the coming days.