Minor Project: Silent Story (Rigging Test Animation)

Completed rigging the father but I'm having difficulties rigging eyebrows and adding blend shapes. i will continue rigging the remaining three characters that are left. This character will be on hold as it is just the eyebrows and blend shapes that are left to do then i will speak with with my mentor, Alan - the Maya Guru :)

Minor Project: Touchstone Submission

Touchstone Submission

Minor Project: Modelling Update

I haven't posted for a second because I've been ill and lack of internet in my house. Here are quick updates of my models.

Silent Story: Modelling The Mothers Character (Body)

Silent Story: Modelling The Father (Body)

Orthographic Views

For as for the dads face regarding his mouth. i was thinking to make it as he speaks his mustache and jaw moves rather than opening and closing his mouth.

Minor Project: Character Design

Trying to understand my characters face by doing expression sheet. I've also simplified his face making it more circular.

Here I have four of the same faces of the Dad character, trying to find which size of mustache and glasses suits him. I prefer number 4 or maybe the mustache of 4 and the glasses of 1.

Silent Story : Mum Concept Art

I've done a concept art for Mum. My animation would be in black and white - inspired by PaperMan.

minor Project: Storyboard

Minor Project: Characters

Not sure what to call the title of my animation so i named it 'Story'. 

here are the character that will be involved in the animation. As i already know what they look like visually it was just a matter of dialing down and making it cartoony. the animation will involve four characters - me, a younger version of me, mum and dad. 

Minor Project: Visual Style

As my project will be a story a about the past, I have been thinking about visual styles that could be integrated in my animation.
 i started looking at hand drawn textures. visually they look good depending on how they are drawn . some could give that creepy look and when its dimmed down - it could be subtle and colorful.

The "Backwater Gospel" is a short animation and an example of how this 2D texture is used to give the creeps.

Another animation that uses the same art style is "Path of Hate". A short animation based on an historical war activity that occurred. visually comparing with Backwater Gospel it is noticeable that the texture is hand - drawn but not as thick and grainy, maybe more hand shading.  

expanding on the visuals i also admire the style of black and white. since my story is about the past and someone who passed away i would prefer using black and white with a bit colors popping e.g everything could be in black and white but a particular couch that i would remember was red. that color would stand out when its in a scene. an animation that uses this style was "Paper Man" animated by Pixar. it also integrated a subtle style or flow of 2D elements, not sure if its the texture of the way the animation was rendered. it would make sense and have more meaning to the animation if it was black and white. 

                                    

Minor Project : Updated Idea

Idea
For my minor project i have decided to create a short story animation on the story of my dad who sadly passed away in 2005. He was a loving and caring father. was also an artist. this story will narrate from how my parents met to my mum travelling to England in pursuing of her career as things started going down hill.

This story would be told from my perspective and will also be voiced my me. It will also feature 4 Characters. Adult George, Young George, Mum and Dad.

Visual Style
After sharing my idea with my mentor he advised me to look at how stories of people are told in a more creative way through stylized animation by StoryCorps. I was excited with this idea, thought it would make more sense visually to the audience in getting the story across.

Visual Example 

I was also thinking about how i wanted to present the characters - how they should look. the idea that came to mind was to have the characters exaggerated. I started looking at caricature which is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in an exaggerated. This style will present the characters in a less realistic way and more cartoony. this style will only be applying  from the neck all the way to the legs keeping the head a bit normal as well as having some cartoon features.

 During this process i was also thinking about ways these characters would be modeled. as I'm using caricature most parts of the character will be exaggerated, less shapes and curves and longer limbs.

The plan is to get the pre-production sorted enabling me to use the other half of the term to focus on the animation.

Minor Project: Brief Ideas

I started thinking about minor brief ideas that could be used in this project. with these ideas I'm not sure if i should make them a years worth of a long project or making till Januarys deadline.

(Idea 1)
the way I'm being influenced and approaching ideas, I'm doing this in a way of using quotes and from looking these quotes i would dive in to project and explore ideas surrounding that particular quote.

this quote is by George brenard Shaw. he says "Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything". the idea that popped to mind from this quote was a situation of an inventor whose mind was consistent in making a particular object in a certain way but keeps getting it wrong, whereas the step to make a change - something different, has always been right in front of him. it could also be an idea of how things that change peoples lives were invented e.g electricity, phones, games etc. maybe this could be about a male
that wants a particular female but has certain ways he approaches rather than taking a different approach.

(Idea Two)

"Life is hard. its even harder when your stupid" - John Wayne. this quote says it all, there is no doubt - whatever ideas this quote holds would have to be funny. The idea i had was having a character do silly things in his life which which would make his shoes tight and uncomfortable to be in. i came up with an idea of a character having to baby sit, not really focusing on the baby ends up tearing the baby ends up messing up the house. the baby sitter on the other hand tries to do things to stop the baby but in this case 'stupid things' e.g
getting groups of monkeys to play with this baby, which doesn't turn out as he/she thought - Stupid.

(Idea three)

"It kills me sometimes, how people die" - Markus Zusaks, The Book Thief's. now! this could go in dual ways. it could be in a way of making the audience feel sad, terrified in ways and how people lose their lives and living their loved once behind to cope (this could be a life cycle) OR 63 ways to die. it could be death in a funny way e.g dying via Singing, zombies, frying pans, fridge, dancing, fart, screaming anything silly
thing that could cause death to the other character. on the 63rd death could be a twist.

(Idea Four)

"Death is Peaceful, Life is  harder" - Stepheine Meyer. an idea that could be about suffering homeless character who had no other way to make it in life but to die. there could be a twist as to when hes about to commit suicide, he finds a winning lotto ticket of 100 million.


(Idea Five) *My Favorite* :)

An idea came to mind 'what could be the most scariest, terrifying thing that could happen to someone in a safe zone, their home' - you allowing a stranger into your home who works for company that checks peoples gas, you not knowing this person is actually a terrorist using this company as a disguise to get into people homes and set a bomb (plot twist ending).

these ideas are not as yet on solid ground.

Character Animation [Contains strong Language]

Dialogue was extracted from 'Training Day' the movie.

*Enlarge Screen for HD* 

Super Punch Animation: Breakdowns with Final

So i decided to do a little animation referenced off a fight scene from Man of Steel.

@Alan Submission Post: Year 2

Adaptation Part A:

Adaptation Part B:

Making of: Tyron the Fastest Alive

Maya Tutorial List:

Game Modelling

All Game Modelling

Dynamics Part 1: Intro to Particles 
Part: 1,2,3,4,5,7,910,11,12,13

Lighting & Rendering Part 2
Part: 1,2,3,4,5

Lighting & Rendering 2: Mental Ray Lighting Techniques

Mental Ray Part 1: Samples & Quality Control

Mental Ray Part 2: Final Gather

Mental Ray Part 3: Linear Work Flow

Mental Ray Part 4: Physical Sun & Sky

Mental Ray Part 5: Portal Lights

Tyrone The Fastest Alive : CD Art

Making Of: Tyron The Fastest Alive

Making of: Tyron the Fastest Alive

Adaptation B: Textures