Z Brush - Week 1

First lesson of Z Brush. I learnt the basics using the different tools, and how to save the files and import models from Autodesk Maya.

Monster Character Design 2 Final Image

Monster 2 Fleshed Out

Monster 2 Development Sheet

I tried out three different designs for this character, I wanted a sea creature design but played around with the hair and feet because I felt that the body showed the feminine design well. I shall use the green and blue shades because I think they best represent the ocean and gives the character a sea hag appeal. If I had more time I would most likely change around the expression, I could not convey the vengeance look very well in this design, but I will try to sharped the eyebrows to make her look angrier in the fleshed out design. However I feel that it was the design that I liked the most and which suited her out of the three I had drawn at the top of the page.

Monster Design 2 - Outlined Thumbnails

Next I shall develop monster 1 (top left hand side) I believe this character best suits the characteristics that I created and shows the use of the triangle and circle shapes very well. I chose Wicked, vengeful and feminine as my character traits. 

3D Animation Skills Development - Week 2 - Facial Manipulation

Showreel Proposal - Brooke Hayes

Looking into different aspects of the Animation Industry and how I have developed my personal skills in 2D and 3D animation and design, I have carefully thought about which area of the animation process I would like to specialise in. I have done a lot of research into character animation, background design, storyboarding, digital painting and 3D character animation and have personally worked on all of these aspects of the animation pipeline. Based around my own work I have come to the conclusion that I would like to base my showreel and also my long term career choice around 2D background design and 3D background modelling, whilst also experimenting with 2D character animation. Personally I feel that the strongest parts of both my 2D and 3D animations are the background designs and final images or models along with certain aspects of my animation principles. I can see myself being best suited for careers that focus on these skills, and so feel my showreel should present these skills to an employer. I enjoy creating worlds for the characters to interact with, and as I would like to develop my showreel around backgrounds I think it is best to have a form of animation within those scenes to make them more exciting and to show an employer how my scenes can work for an animation. Even though I would like to specialise in being a background designer and stylist, I have also come to realise that I have a love of taking characters and animating them to show their individual personalities and capturing their emotions on screen.

My inspiration for looking into background design was originally the background artwork for Warner Bros Looney Tunes and the 3D background models in Disney’s Tangled, these two companies have always inspired my work in some way. The clean lines and use of simple block colours used in the Looney Tunes backgrounds, are created in such a way that they are able to stand out without overwhelming the animation going on in the scene. I feel that this balance between animation and background design is very important; I would like to get this point across within my own scenes and make them visually appealing but not overpowering. With Tangled this interested me in 3D modelling because I love the smooth designs and thought that goes into every model, I am fascinated with the realism that can be achieved which would take a lot longer to duplicate in a 2D animation.

I possess extensive knowledge of how to use software such as Photoshop, Flash, and Autodesk Maya. I do prefer to work out my initial sketches on paper because it gives me more control over the lines; I also find it easier to add in smaller details using different coloured pencils rather than the tools on Photoshop. I will need these skills to help me to create my layouts to get the best possible flow from the design. My digital painting skills will help me to create realistic concept art to showcase my background designs before I paint out the final scene, I have an extensive range of painting styles that will give each background design its own personality. I have created a variety of character animations with bringing inanimate objects to life and developing their background story, to make them relatable and interesting to the audience. Using what I have already learnt from my Animation course so far I will make sure to add stimulating stories and characters to my background scenes.

In regards to hardware, I will need a computer capable of running software such as Flash and Autodesk Maya. This software needs to run efficiently because if it’s slow I will not be able to finish my work to a high standard, as my work flow will be affected. I am planning on creating all of my animation on the computer rather than drawing out the frames by hand because I want a clean almost cartoon feel to my animations, I believe this method will give me the design and quality that I am looking for. I will be making use of a graphics tablet to produce my showreel, as I feel more comfortable working this way and feel in doing so I can produce higher quality work. When thinking about making my 3D modelled backgrounds I need to make sure that I take lots of reference photos or if I am designing worlds from scratch I will create a library of reference images from existing movies or sketches based around real life objects and buildings. I will need to have a mouse to make these scenes in Maya because this is the best way for me to achieve an accurate representation of my initial designs and research quickly and efficiently.

During my showreel pre-production process I want to learn how to add in complex details to my 3D models, I shall do this by using another piece of 3D modelling software such as Z brush with my finished Maya designs. I only have experience using one piece of 3D modelling software which is Autodesk Maya. I would like to develop my knowledge within this field as I am not comfortable UV mapping and texturing my models; I feel that adding small details to my background models will make them look much more appealing to the viewer rather than adding low quality textures.

The plan for my showreel is to show a series of initial design ideas and developments to show that I clearly understand the process within the Animation Industry, finished pencil background design sheets and concept art pieces drawn in Photoshop. Also background artwork for those designs finished to animation standards. I shall develop a series of character animations, including a lip sync and different character studies such as a walk cycle for both human and animals, a weight study and character interaction scenes. These will be either placed over the top of some of my earlier shown background designs or I shall create new scenes that I will make especially for the short story animations. All of my animations will be in 2D on either Flash or Photoshop. Finally I will design and make 2 – 4 3D modelled backgrounds in Maya and developed in Z Brush. At the time of writing I do not have a thorough understanding of Z Brush, however I am currently learning to use it and by the time my showreel enters production I hope to be competent enough with it as to not detract from my productivity. I am aiming to have a showreel around 3 to 4 minutes, because that was the generally accepted running time from most companies. My target audience will be low to high budget animation studios, and so I will need to make sure that my showreel is to a high enough standard for what these studios expect. These standards are set by high end animation companies such as Pixar that lower budget companies may look to in order to gauge the standards they should expect from applicants. I am going export my showreel as a Quicktime video, so that I can upload it to a video sharing website so that it can be easily viewed by an employer, I can also link it through networking websites such as LinkedIn in order to gain additional exposure. I am still deciding on what resolution to put my showreel into, but to get the best possible quality without having too much rendering time I will look into having the video resolution as HDV 1080/DVCPRO HD720 and the image size as 1920x1080 or having the image size as 1080x720p.

Animation Showreels - Research

Jason Anastas showreel https://vimeo.com/60058144 -

This showreel is a good example of how to get a persons skills across in a short space of time, every scene cuts straight to the next showing all of his best pieces of animation work without over complicating the scenes with extra effects which are not usually needed.

P. Vertamatte https://vimeo.com/10317253 -

This shows a really nice range of character animations, which are also developed using 2D and 3D animation, the music was calming and worked will with the scenes shown. 

Tom Bancroft http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb2ZhhIGiWY - 

Like that the scenes are shown without any music in the background, it allows you to focus on the animation being seen on the screen and not noticing if the music changes tempo when needed.

Monster Character 2 - Thumbnail Block Colours

I tried a different approach when creating my second character design, I found that when designing a human form character that a lot of the shapes were lost if I designed them using one colour. So I added in a lighter shade to show the difference between the foreground and the background. I think that I shall develop the middle character on the bottom row because I feel that from the silhouette it best fits the characteristic that I am looking for.

Monster Character Reference 2

Reference sheet for my second character design.

More Showreel Advice.

I thought that the article below would be of use to me when I start thinking about the details of my showreel.

http://www.creativebloq.com/audiovisual/perfect-showreel-top-tips-9134570

Monster Character Design 1 Final Image

This is the final painted image for my character. I feel that thing designs best shows all of the three characteristics that I had chosen. I did a rough colour palette at the top of the page showing the block colours used to paint the monster. The only thing I am not happy with is the painted texture, if I had more time to develop the character I would have experimented with different brushes to get the fur style I wanted.

Monster 1 Fleshed Out

Character 1 development Sheet

Monster Design 1 - Outlined Thumbnails

Next I shall develop monster 14 (bottom row, 2nd from the right) I feel that he best suits the characteristics set for this character.

Monster Thumbnail Sheet - Block Characters

SHAPES USED CIRCLE AND SQUARE

My first character design silhouette thumbnails, I wanted to create a page of quickly drawn initial shapes onto paper to see what I could design from a silhouette. There are a few choices that I could make which could give me a good starting point. I think I shall develop the second one from the right on the last line (number 14) because I believe it best fits the character traits listed at the top.

Monster Research Character 1

Character Design Research for my Digital Skills Development project.

My Proposal Summary

For my showreel I have decided to based it around 2D background designs, 2D character animation and 3D background modelling. Based on my research I am planning on making my showreel around 3 minutes long, but not exceeding 4 minutes. 

The scenes that I will try to include are:
- A lip sync.
- Animal walk cycle.
- A  human walk cycle.
- Character Interaction.
- 1 - 2 short story animations, including backgrounds.
- Concept Art/Design Sheets.
- Animation featuring weight study.
- Several background designs.
- 2-4 3D models.

Researching Showreel Requirements Part 2

While thinking about the showreel I am considering working on 3D background modelling as a career path, I found the website below it be of great help when thinking about what an employer is looking for. This site informated me of all the smaller details and requirements that most companies look for.

http://3d.about.com/od/Career-Resources/tp/6-Demo-Reel-Tips-For-3d-Artists.htm

For example, I have learnt that:
- It is important to provide a simple breakdown of the image, include what software was used to create it and the poly count.
- Have a specialty, but also show a few textures or design processes to show that you are a well rounded artist.
- Do not over complicate a showreel with to many effects, keep it simple and paced out well. Create a showreel that has a good aesthetic appeal.

With this information in mind, I feel that I could easily apply these tips into my showreel.

Researching Showreel Requirements Part 1

While researching different showreels, I have looked into what requirements I would need to meet for certain high profile companies. With the hope that if I meet the higher profile companies requirements for a showreel, that I can have a wide range of information that will also help me to apply for lower profile company jobs. 
For example I found  a very useful page on the Pixar Animation website, informing applicants on what is needed to create a high quality demo reel including length and what order work should be showcased.
http://www.pixar.com/careers/Creating-a-Demo-Reel 

Looking at what Pixar suggested I now know that if I want a successful showreel I need to make sure that:
- My showreel should not be any longer than 4 minutes.
- If I want to include music in my showreel that it should be basic, or to leave it off altogether.
- To put my strongest work first, and to make sure that it applies to the job I am looking for.
- To put a title card at the beginning of my showreel and my name and contact details at the end.
- I should include information on what I worked on if it was a group project, for example if I modeled the scene did I also texture it.
- I should include stages of the process that I used, like design sketches or concept artwork.
- To make sure that my showreel is finished to a high standard.

I will make sure to meet all of these requirements when thinking about my showreel.

Showreel Research 2D Background Design

while researching online I found this background and layout artist's showreel. Looking at the showreel requirements from high end companies, I felt that this met them to a high standard. The introductory title card lasted long enough that it was easy to read and note without having to stop the reel and play it back, and the text was clear and simple without any over the top effects added to it. 

The use of cross fades between scenes created a well thought out flow to the overall piece. The use of animation livened up the backgrounds that were being shown, which made it more interesting and you could see how it would work in an animation film. However some design and concept images could have been added, so that an employer could see that the artist knew the process well enough, and some animation could have been left out because in some scenes the backgrounds were over shadowed by the fast paced scenes. Overall I felt that this would be useful for me to research because it helped me realise the balance between animation in a background design showreel, which I can now think about when designing my own.

Showreel Research 2D Animation

I wanted to get a collection of research from various different sources, that covers a broad range of skills. This would help me to develop my showreel as my own showreel needs to present a number of different skills, namely background design and 2D animation.

I found that the use of pencil animation worked well in the showreel, it clearly shows a good understanding of animation principles without cluttering the scene with detail. The fluidity of the movements and pace of the music compliment each other and is not too overpowering to distract the viewer. I did find it unusual that a showreel did not include any of the artist's information on a title card or end credits, which I feel is a necessity in a showreel. Finally I love the layout of the reel, the use of short scenes and long full colour animations. This shows a range of skills including character and background designs and emotional story lines that would not have been possible to show in a clip showreel. 

Showreel Research 3D modelling

The first showreel I'm going to analyse can be seen above and consists of 3D backgrounds. I found the title card introducing the persons showreel was very clear and the effects used were quite simple. The only thing I could see wrong with it would be there should have been more information about them and their contact details. While finding research for my showreel I felt that this was a good reference to use because it flowed really well. I liked that the showreel included the wireframes for the models showing the geometry, this would help to prove to an employer that the models had been created correctly and to good standards. There is a lot of really nice zoom shots of the more intricate scenes, which does work well, however the details seem to be lost in the overall image and there are no close up shots of the smaller details. The showreel is quite short and could have used some small details of animation or character poses to make it more interesting

I did find that the music was very overpowering and perhaps could have been left out and let the images speak for themselves. The information card at the end gives all the information an employer would need and is very easy to read.

Animation Demo Reel Advice

3D Animation Skills Development - Week 1 - Facial Modelling

Still trying to get the nose and around the eyes looking right. It is a work in progess.

DIGITAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, SHOWREEL AND CHARACTER DESIGN SECOND YEAR TERM 2

YEAR 2 TERM 2 STARTER POST. 
EVERYTHING FROM HERE IS WORK FOR MY SECOND YEAR TERM 2 SHOWREEL PROJECT AT UNI. 

Project Evaluation.

Throughout this term, I have learn't how to model, texture, animate and light a scene in Autodesk Maya. As well as rendering out all of my scenes and editing the animation in After Effects and Premiere Pro.

Overall I am really happy with how my project and the final underwater and light ray effects I created in After Effects CS6 and Premiere Pro CS6 turned out. I feel that my modelling was the strongest part of my project, seeing as how it was my first time modelling an entire scene in Maya on my own. I wanted to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone by creating two scenes from scratch, one being my bedroom scene and the other being my fishbowl scene. I also feel that I was able to achieve the realistic quality that I initially set out to create. My weakest point of my project was the texturing and UV mapping in Maya, I found it very difficult in the beginning to get my head around the process of how to texture my models. I did look at a lot of tutorials and guides online which helped me and I think did look really good in the end, however it did give me the most trouble throughout my entire project.

My strongest part of the animation I felt was the swim cycle, because the animation look quite smooth and I spent a long period of the production getting the weight of the character looking right. Next time I animate in Maya I will make sure to keep an eye on the movements of the arms, I found that in some circumstance they were twisting at awkward angles and it did take me a while to correct the problem before I could finish the production to begin rendering.

Overall I have learnt a lot about animating in 3D, and I have found that I did get on well with the software once I figured out how it worked. I think modelling and animating in 3D software could be a possible career path that I would pursue based on this project and what I have created. 

Audio

For the audio in my animation I used a voice actor to create all of my sound effects and to re-record my movie quote "Show Me The Money".

Finished 3D Animation

Premiere Editing

Here is the final editing process in Premiere Pro CS6, for my 3D animation, with all my sound effects and editing. The Background colours and light ray effects were all created by me in After Effects. I was not able to use my movie quote "Show Me The Money" directly from the internet because of background interference from the movie. So I asked a class member to do the voice acting for me, in a recording studio which I feel worked out a lot better as I could then get my actor to record sound effects rather than using to many sound effects from the internet. 

Background Video References

Video tutorial for my final project, to give the scene a deep underwater feel.

Final Rendered Scenes - Fishbowl and Bedroom Scene

Bedroom Screenshots

Bedroom Scene normal, wireframe and rendered view.

Lighting Set Up

Lighting Scene in wireframe.

Sand Screenshot

Sand Shots of the normal view, rendered view and the wireframe.

Fish Screenshot

Ship Screenshots

Wireframe, rendered scene and normal view of the ship within the fish bowl.

Treasure Chest Screenshots

Here is the wireframe, normal view and rendered view (with lighting) of the chest. The rendered scene shows the bumpmap that I applied to the red section of the chest.

Maya Project Lip Sync

For my Maya Project I used the quote "Show Me The Money" - Jerry Maguire (1996)

Opening Chest Scene

Art Corner and Window Scene