Episode 16: With Fresh Teeth

So here we are another week down and an ever pressing deadline approaching!
This time however there are no extensions.

I'm just back from a week 1st ADing a short film in Dunedin, was awesome and a nice break from the
computer screen. But I do feel like I have to play catch up now! But I've got sharp teeth again, ready to sink them into the several assignments due soon.

Thought I'd chuck up a few renders of where I'm at with my major and also my 1st finished panel for my Graphic Novel!

Here is the initial Lay out of the Alchemy Lab just basic blocks for most stuff, Starting to model all the assets now.....lots of assets! 

Here is Archee finished modeled.

And Archee again but now rigged! Just the Fur to go! 

1st panel of Graphic Novel "The Hermit"

based of my short film idea of the same name. A dramatic western set in the Gold rush of 

Central Otago.

And here's the link of the week!
Saw this and thought it was pretty funny.
Also looks cool!
https://vimeo.com/72625639

Episode 15: The Return of The Wizard

Thought I'd better post about my Major 3D assignment which is underway and a massive part of this semester!

First off the first installment of "A Quest For Knowledge- Mandrake Madness" was finished!!

So I thought I'd celebrate with another couple of finished frames....

 Opening Title

The Mandrake! 

And so on to the next installment, continuing from my first semester character and world....Blistering Brew

In this tale Albeit tries to make a potion in his alchemy lab but as usual his terrible luck back fires and it all goes wrong.

Here is some of the pre production work for the short. The story is also introducing a new character to the world..... .Archee!

This is one of the style frames for the opening where Archee descends from his web.

And here Albeit nervously mixes an ingredient into the potion.

So yea moving into modelling and the animatic stage of the short now!

Episode 14: The Breakdown of Charlie

Ok so Charlie Floyd's Visionarium has had a version handed in, it's not the final by any means but it's getting places. I'm sure there will be more work to come on it once the feedback comes in. Also the sound, music and grading are still getting done.

So today I thought I'd reflect a little on the project and talk about some of the shots I worked on. For obvious reasons I can't talk too much about it and also can't show too much but I will talk about one shot that doesn't give too much away.

Overall I'm pretty happy about how the VFX and compositing came out. Again I feel there where a few of the crew didn't do as much as others but we won't linger on that....

So a wee VFX breakdown for a greenscreen shot from scene two.

Here is the finished shot......

 Here is the original plate of INT Charlie's Shop, Charlie was looking across the street to Eve's shop which wasn't actually across the street.

Here is the plate that was got for Eva's shop front. As you can see was quite a lot closer than ideal, due to the street being full of cars and not wanting to put the camera on the road, this was the best result.

So the Shot was masked and scaled down to fit the clean plate photo that was taken.

This is the footage on top of the BG plate photo 

This was then painted by Brandon Dunn, who added her shop sign the curtains next door and the flowers out the front.

Charlies plate was then Masked and keyed and a lens blur added. 

 Finally the Glass was put back in and some atmospherics where added to the street and dust added inside. The shot was then colour corrected to match each other as was the grain structure matched for the two elements.

So yea a lot of work went into some of the shots, these shots didn't come out amazing but it was about trying to find a balance between the time and the quality of the plates given. I put a lot more time into the "money" shots where the VFX made the shot. Unfortunately I can't go into those shots until the film is released! 

Overall there was about 90 odd shots in the film that had some sort of computer generated element, this ranged from dust to a fully CG modeled 1920's street with period cars! So yea, of those 90 I worked on about 60 odd and of them about 45 I personally did all the VFX and compositing for including a lot of ROTOing. So yea a heap of work went into Charlies.

In hinge sight there would have been a lot of thing Jasper and I wouldn't have agreed to fix as a lot of shots really ate into the post production time that didn't really need done if there was better planning.

But hinge sight is a wonderful thing and I learnt so much about VFX work flow from this experience!

SOOoooo now to my Major 3D assignment!! just a wee segway here is the link of the week.

Contre Temps- Directed by Jérémi Boutelet
https://vimeo.com/71695621

A sumptuous visual world with fantastic toon shaders , love the colour palette and caustics! great story and nice sound design. Enjoy!