Fire background test created using after effects. A close possiblity, to make it work I will need to play with colour and find a way to match the candle flame. At the moment this flame looks more realistic than the more cartoon effact of the candle flame.
A quick test with the scene in the forground. I Havd created a very quick mask to see how the piece will look together. Currently the fire speed is far to fast for the scene, as well as other problems to be sorted.
Monday, 29 March 2010
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Backdrop Experiments
I have thought about what should be used as the backdrop for the shadowpuppets for some time. from the begining i knew its had to be a representation of fire as that is the theme which runs through the all asecpts of the project. Here some experiements for creating the backdrop.
The first test uses animated ramps to give a change in colour but nothing really looks firy this way. The second i have used maya fluid dymanics and played with the settings for temperature and colours to find the best combination.
The second test is closest to the effect that i want for the background, howevere further alterations are needed to match the colour of the flame in the time line scene, to link the together. I am also looking in to different ways in which this effect can be made.
The first test uses animated ramps to give a change in colour but nothing really looks firy this way. The second i have used maya fluid dymanics and played with the settings for temperature and colours to find the best combination.
The second test is closest to the effect that i want for the background, howevere further alterations are needed to match the colour of the flame in the time line scene, to link the together. I am also looking in to different ways in which this effect can be made.
The Spanish Armada - The Cannons
I have spent a few days working on refining the Spanish armada scene with the addition of cannon fire. However I have been having a few problems with creating this. The smoke from the cannons I have used particle clouds which render fine, and for the water splash I have used a combination of multi streak and multi point particles, which do not seem to render. The two types render in different ways, the particles clouds use the Maya software, whereas the multi streak and points use Maya hardware. I also have fireworks in the scene created the same way as the water splash and these render out OK. also while working with the splashes, my sea plane, created using softbodies explode when it comes to playing out the time line. This is somthing that I currently cannot check with a test render as the splash itself does not render, so as of this moment I cannot tell whether or not I have gone about creating an effect water splash in the best possible way.
Thursday, 25 March 2010
The Spanish Armada
Many thing that i have worked through still need refining and further test, but for the moment these elements are with the body of the scene. However there are still a few elements which are not, for instance the splash and ripples which come from the cannon balls hitting and missing the ships. I also need to upload the research and experimentation from my candle flames.
This is the best example I have found found so far of a splash being created in Maya. As I suspected the best way would be to use particles to create my splash of sea water.
This is the best example I have found found so far of a splash being created in Maya. As I suspected the best way would be to use particles to create my splash of sea water.
Water splash from Maya particles & then to foam. from Vikas Chandel on Vimeo.
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Candle Flame Test
I have tried many variations to create a flame for the candle using various tutorials. Some have been very realistic fires and others are more cartoony. The Flame I chose, as seen below, is the more cartoony of all tried. I still need to work out the lighting for this scene as the flame is to bright against an un-illuminated candle, as the only light in the scene at the moment is a spot light from the candle. The animation within the texture of the candle will also act as the back drop to my silhouette scene.
if the video below does not start, click on it to go to the you tube link. I have been having problems uploading videos for the blog.
if the video below does not start, click on it to go to the you tube link. I have been having problems uploading videos for the blog.
Monday, 22 March 2010
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Friday, 19 March 2010
King James I remodle
I have spent the last few days redesigning and modeling the King character for the time line sequence. This character still needs to be refined, and the hands and feet still need to be modelled.
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
King James I cont...
I have decided to take a step back and look at the project a whole, to take a look at what I have and how it should all fit together and I'm not happy with it. The opening timeline scene at the moment feels very mixed, there it not a consistency within my modleing techniques and texturing. I feel that King James dose not fit with the scene (even though I like my latest character, he needs to go through another remodel. Thats not to say that the first remodel was a waste of time because he is closer to the mark than my first.) I have time to go back to the drawing board to find my true King. When it comes to textureing, I have a combinaion of real world texture (the lantern) and more cartoony textures (the ships) at play. This I one issue that needs attetion. I have spent to long looking at this project in close detail at idividual parts rather than the overall picture. It good that I have realised this soon enough to fix the problem.
Monday, 15 March 2010
Project Summary - Past, Present and Future
Project Brief:
An educational animation for school children about Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder plot in a shadow puppet style. The animation should use a combination of 2d and 3 d world space. The way I plan to do this, is by having an opening and closing animation of a timeline world in which key events from the 1500's to early 1600's will play out. (Without giving great deal of information about the story in which each could contain.) As seen in previous storyboard posts, the camera will travel along the timeline passing these events to the Guy Fawkes Lantern, which is where the our story will unfold.
The opening story idea has evolved from the being in a museum to on a timeline, as the timeline can open up the exhibition possibilities (if this was a commissioned piece.) It also opens the possibility of other story's to crate a series (again if this project was to be commissioned). The image of a timeline itself helps the imagination of the audience to think outside the box in living in a different time as the timeline itself does not have any temporal or geographical ties (as seen by the audience). However I have given myself those ties for the purpose of limiting the work load to events within the British History between 1550-1610.
The opening animation should have its own artist style, which is still being searched for. So far the style for the opening, (as found in the image above) has been created with a combination of filters and adjustments in photoshop. I am also investigating other ways in which to create similar effects. I am also considering (as seem in previous posts) this style with a low opacity graphic pen filter over top, however this could just end up looking like rain. I like the look of the graphic pen style for this shot, however as the camera moves past the next event, the details King could become lost. Also another way to create that style would be needed as the same effect as previous, when using the graphic pen, has give different results. This is an area that I plan to continue to look in to.
The Spanish Armada (1588) and the Crowning of King James I of England (1603) are two events I look into and have begun to work on for events on the time line. For the Spanish Armada the cannons and balls will be animated firing and one another, with relevant water splashes (still to be investigated and created). The King will be animated receiving his crown.
The lantern (1605) will symbolise the gun powder plot. It will be animated fading into view surrounded by explosion and fireworks. The Flame within the lantern (require Alan's helps with the tutorial found) will become the location for the shadow puppet part of the story to play out.
The characters will move around as live actors, without strings attached. The transitions within the shadow puppet story will be represented and played out through characteristics of fire itself. Guy Fawkes will become the barrels of gunpowder by parts of the hat burning away. The embers from the match will reveal the house of Parliament. The King will turn around and become the bonfire on which Guy Fawkes is placed. (I have begun to investigate ways in which to this).
The shadow puppet animation will play out the time of the poem as read and recorded by Stephen Lyons. There will also be sound effects and music as found at fire festivals played throughout the animation. (Both still to be found).
At the moment all jobs to be done and have been done are all on going processes, many elements need refining, for example : characters, the way things animate etc. I will concentrate on find the style for the opening at the stage before rendering the opening sequence. The main bulk of the shadow puppets sequence is ready to be animated (excluding transitions, which are still being investigated for the best possible way). The timeline animation currently has 2 of the 3 must have events which I have started to animate. I still to finish modleing the third. and refine the some of the modles of the first two. I still have alot to and discover, but if i have time, I would like to create further events for the timeline which will be seen from a distant, for example the Great Fire of London 1666 seen further down the timeline as the camera travels to lantern.
An educational animation for school children about Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder plot in a shadow puppet style. The animation should use a combination of 2d and 3 d world space. The way I plan to do this, is by having an opening and closing animation of a timeline world in which key events from the 1500's to early 1600's will play out. (Without giving great deal of information about the story in which each could contain.) As seen in previous storyboard posts, the camera will travel along the timeline passing these events to the Guy Fawkes Lantern, which is where the our story will unfold.
The opening story idea has evolved from the being in a museum to on a timeline, as the timeline can open up the exhibition possibilities (if this was a commissioned piece.) It also opens the possibility of other story's to crate a series (again if this project was to be commissioned). The image of a timeline itself helps the imagination of the audience to think outside the box in living in a different time as the timeline itself does not have any temporal or geographical ties (as seen by the audience). However I have given myself those ties for the purpose of limiting the work load to events within the British History between 1550-1610.
The opening animation should have its own artist style, which is still being searched for. So far the style for the opening, (as found in the image above) has been created with a combination of filters and adjustments in photoshop. I am also investigating other ways in which to create similar effects. I am also considering (as seem in previous posts) this style with a low opacity graphic pen filter over top, however this could just end up looking like rain. I like the look of the graphic pen style for this shot, however as the camera moves past the next event, the details King could become lost. Also another way to create that style would be needed as the same effect as previous, when using the graphic pen, has give different results. This is an area that I plan to continue to look in to.
The Spanish Armada (1588) and the Crowning of King James I of England (1603) are two events I look into and have begun to work on for events on the time line. For the Spanish Armada the cannons and balls will be animated firing and one another, with relevant water splashes (still to be investigated and created). The King will be animated receiving his crown.
The lantern (1605) will symbolise the gun powder plot. It will be animated fading into view surrounded by explosion and fireworks. The Flame within the lantern (require Alan's helps with the tutorial found) will become the location for the shadow puppet part of the story to play out.
The characters will move around as live actors, without strings attached. The transitions within the shadow puppet story will be represented and played out through characteristics of fire itself. Guy Fawkes will become the barrels of gunpowder by parts of the hat burning away. The embers from the match will reveal the house of Parliament. The King will turn around and become the bonfire on which Guy Fawkes is placed. (I have begun to investigate ways in which to this).
The shadow puppet animation will play out the time of the poem as read and recorded by Stephen Lyons. There will also be sound effects and music as found at fire festivals played throughout the animation. (Both still to be found).
At the moment all jobs to be done and have been done are all on going processes, many elements need refining, for example : characters, the way things animate etc. I will concentrate on find the style for the opening at the stage before rendering the opening sequence. The main bulk of the shadow puppets sequence is ready to be animated (excluding transitions, which are still being investigated for the best possible way). The timeline animation currently has 2 of the 3 must have events which I have started to animate. I still to finish modleing the third. and refine the some of the modles of the first two. I still have alot to and discover, but if i have time, I would like to create further events for the timeline which will be seen from a distant, for example the Great Fire of London 1666 seen further down the timeline as the camera travels to lantern.
Transition test - Guy Fawkes to Gunpowder Barrels
Over the last few days I have looked at ways in which to move from Guy Fawkes to the Gunpowder barrels, and have spent time experimenting to find ways to do this. I want to keep the transition different and fresh, in order to keep the audience entertained.
In the test below I have created a second second head of Guy Fawkes with individual segments, which fade out separately, which the scene will cut to after the camera has focused in on Guy Fawkes Hat. Timing and partical use need refining and tweeking to match the animation as a whole.
In the test below I have created a second second head of Guy Fawkes with individual segments, which fade out separately, which the scene will cut to after the camera has focused in on Guy Fawkes Hat. Timing and partical use need refining and tweeking to match the animation as a whole.
Friday, 12 March 2010
King James I cont...
The King is rigged and textured, the throne is built. I need to fix the weights within the bindings of the rig to sit the King on his throne. That shall be my next task.
Thursday, 11 March 2010
King James I
Also on the time I plan to have the crowning of King James I 1603 fpr the camera to travel past before arriving at the lantern. I have modlede verious forms of the king resulting in the final being the neatest and most fitting for the time line scene. A cartoony version of the king with solid shapes fits the art style of the time line.
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Monday, 8 March 2010
pre -vis 3
There are currently elements rhat need to be tidied up, but here is my lastest ideas for transtions within the shadow story.
At the moment the transitions are not clear in the pre-vis. However, the first transition seen is when the camera zooms into Guy Fawkes hat and becomes the barrels. The transition between the two will occur in the form embers burning away to create the holes between the barrels. The second transition occurs when the camera follows a spark off Guy Fawkes match up to the entrance of parliament. The third transition occurs when the King turns to face the camera and becomes the bonfire.
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Stylizing Timelines cont...
As mentioned in my previous post, problems which I have encountered when using photoshop filters and effects to find and create style fitting for my animtion dont not always work as well and produce the same effects in after effects. In some cases the filters are in one programme and not the other. However I have found a solution to this problem by trawling throught the internet. By exporting the animation from after effects as a Filmstrip, it can then be opened in photoshop for the effects, filters, styles, etc. to be applied and then simply saved ready to be reopened in after effects to be added to the project. I have yet to find other ways to create the same styles through other methods. For the moment the camera movements are to fast, while travelling through the ships.
Ink Edges
Poster Edges
Graphic pen
Ink Edges
Poster Edges
Graphic pen
(still trying to find a way to upload. every way tried so far has failed, whether its direct to the blog site or embeded through you tube.)
Graphic Pen 15% opacity over Poster edge 75% desatuatration
With this last animation i have used a combination poster edges with a lower desatutraion and graphic pen over top to try to give a graphic novel effect. I will also investigate other ways in which to creat this effect.
Stylizing Timelines
Graphic Pen
I have spent this afternoon investigating and comparing some graphical styles using photo shop filter to find the atheistic for the timeline world with suggestions from Phil in mind. When comparing the images side by side, -50%desatutrated image style feels more natural for this piece, the saturation could possibly be pushed further, and the shadows cast (particually across the sails) need to have a more sublte edging, with more experimenting needed, solutions should hopefully be found. However, the effect of the poter edges in photoshop does give the same effect in after effects. This is a problem to look into.
Full Colour Poster Edges
Grey scale with poster edges
-50% Desaturation of colour with poster edges
Maya standard 3D
I have spent this afternoon investigating and comparing some graphical styles using photo shop filter to find the atheistic for the timeline world with suggestions from Phil in mind. When comparing the images side by side, -50%desatutrated image style feels more natural for this piece, the saturation could possibly be pushed further, and the shadows cast (particually across the sails) need to have a more sublte edging, with more experimenting needed, solutions should hopefully be found. However, the effect of the poter edges in photoshop does give the same effect in after effects. This is a problem to look into.
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
time line previs update
A preview for the opening. At the moment the camera moves to fast, the pace will be adjusted according the sounds which will come later. The ships from the Spanish Armada will be firing cannon balls at one another. Then there will be king James being crowned and the great fire of London in the distance.
Monday, 1 March 2010
Time line additions.
While the camera travels along the time line, there should be plenty of this to interest the audience. These things would also be available as part of the series, (as mentioned in previous posts) to bring history alive. The end of the Spanish Armada of 1588 should be one event for the camera to travel past/through to reach the current short story of Guy Fawkes.
Other possible events to be featured on this time line could be the crowning of King James VI of Scotland as King James I of England in 1603 and the Great Fire of London in 1666 should be featured in the distance.
While traveling along the time line, I don't want to go back further than 1550 as the journey to the lanterns story could be too long and begin to bore the audience.
England's Timeline 1500-1700 from Wikipedia:
- 1549 England - Prayer Book rebellion in south-west.
- 1553 England - Act Against Sectaries 1553
- 1558 England - Queen Elizabeth I accedes to the throne
- 1559 England - Act of Supremacy 1559
- 1560:Scotland - Parliament legislates protestant reformation of the Church of Scotland.
- 1567 Scotland - The Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots, abdicates and flees Scotland after an uprising by Protestant lords
- 1571 England - Treason's Act 1571
- 1571 England - Act Prohibiting Papal Bulls from Rome 1571
- 1578 Scotland - James VI takes over government from his regent, James Douglas.
- 1582 Scotland - Establishment of the University of Edinburgh by Royal Charter.
- 1587 England and Scotland - Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, at Fotheringay Castle in Northampton shire on February 8
- 1588 England - Spanish Armada destroyed on August 8
- 1592 Scotland - Presbyterianism becomes the established form of church government in Scotland by Act of Parliament.
- 1593 England - Act Against Papists 1593
- 1603 England - Death of Queen Elizabeth I on March 24
- 1603 England - James VI of Scotland crowned King of England (as James I of England)
- 1603 England - Plague
- 1605 England and Scotland - on November 5, the Gunpowder plot is uncovered, in which Guy Fawkes and other catholic associates attempted to blow up the king, James VI and I and the Parliament of England.
- 1618 England - Execution of Sir Walter Raleigh
- 1625 England and Scotland - Death of James VI and I on March 27
- 1639 England and Scotland - At war until 1644 in what become known as the Bishops' Wars
- 1640 England - The Long Parliament summoned.
- 1642 England - English Civil War begins (see Timeline of the English Civil War)
- 1666 England - The Great Fire of London ravages the city from
- 1688 England - The Glorious Revolution replaces James II with William III
Project Summary
Over the last five weeks I have spent time desgining the storyboard, sets and characters. From an early start I have got myself bogged down in the first ideas for the story, and got a much needed shake up in week four. I dove into creating these intail ideas to early on. Some, such as the characters, needed to be started early on as I often fall into problems with rigs, also to realise the characters fully in design, Maya, for myself, is a big help as character drawing has never been a strength of mine.
Working through new ideas, it seems more fitting and exciting for the stroy to unfold on a time line as to see the story you are traveling through time. To create the estectical feeling of traveling through time, there needs to be items and images from key past events for the camera to travel past, some stationary, some with subtle movements until you reach the lanturn which will appear in an explosion of fireworks. A display more elaborate than the movements of the other items past.
To Do Next:
- Finalise characters
- Design Create and rig the Kings Knights
- Research, Desgin Create Animate timeline events
- Aniamte camera
- Create backdrops for timeline and shadow puppet show
- animate the shadow puppet story
Working through new ideas, it seems more fitting and exciting for the stroy to unfold on a time line as to see the story you are traveling through time. To create the estectical feeling of traveling through time, there needs to be items and images from key past events for the camera to travel past, some stationary, some with subtle movements until you reach the lanturn which will appear in an explosion of fireworks. A display more elaborate than the movements of the other items past.
To Do Next:
- Finalise characters
- Design Create and rig the Kings Knights
- Research, Desgin Create Animate timeline events
- Aniamte camera
- Create backdrops for timeline and shadow puppet show
- animate the shadow puppet story
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