CSS-Tricks Intro animation v2 from Krystian Morgan on Vimeo.
CSS-Tricks Intro v2
The second (v2) Intro for the 100th episode of the CSS-Tricks.com screencasts hosted by Chris Coyier. Had a lot of fun on this one. Music by Chris Coyier. Enjoy!
Blender 2.5 Beta
I’m sure at some point you’ve come across Blender being mentioned on some website at some time or another. You may have even downloaded it run it and not much further than that. I personally think the idea behind Blender is incredible, I mean it’s free, open source and it’s up there with many of the other 3D softwares that are usually upwards of £2000. It’s very dense, can match the features of most but unfortunately the thing that has always been a stickler for many people is that it’s really difficult to use. I used it for 3D text etc… for uni projects a few years back and even used it for a match moving project but I always forget how to use it if I don’t use it for a while.
I noticed the other day that over at Blender.org they have a beta for 2.55. So I downloaded it not expecting much difference from the one I already have installed, but wow, it’s looks to have had a complete overhaul, at least interface-wise. It instantly looks alot closer to the stye of other 3D softwares such as Cinema 4D. Over the next few days I’m going to look into videos of animating characters in various 3D software packages, see if it’s actually a viable option for me. Other wise, I’m going to revert to my original plan of 2D animation using Animate Pro and After Effects.
Resident Evil (Game) Remake 2002
A week’s gone by and I’m still very much looking into the potential of using 3D for the entire animation process. I need to weigh up the pros and cons of each possibility whether it be 3D, 2D or hybrids. The reason for this question now is because 2 years ago when I made the decision to use 2D in a faux 3D world was because ‘true’ 3D was way beyond my ability at that time. It’s still a little advanced for me, but overall I’ve improved so much in using 3D softwares on a daily basis, really beginning to feel comfortable working 3D and understanding lighting, rendering and modelling better each day. I feel like an intensive study and trial and error over a few months could get me to a level where I could pull it off. Plus everything id project base. If I was to create the entire film in this way I would get better and better the more I work on it, and previous scenes can be easily updated to keep the quality consistent.
Watching The Polar Express for the first time today reminded me of the Resident Evil Remake opening video. I remember being blown away seeing this for the first time, I loved the realism the colour and mood from it, it was the first time I saw the potential for 3D in more darker stories. I’m still very impressed with it. I may have to pull out my Gamecube and relive it once more. I remember the whole game being very beautifully coloured and textured. Very cinematic.
Luckily for me, the majority of the script (as it currently stands) is very feasible to create in 3D. For instance, alot of indoors a lot of dialogue and action is very to the point for the most point. There are some definite stand out scenes though which are very minimal in the film’s timeline which will be an absolute nightmare to animate in 3D. The one I’m thinking of in particular is very visually appealing and interesting and I don’t want to settle for something easier on it. Obviously an idea would be to leave these last scenes to last (which I will whatever process I use).
I’m going to look into the potential of hiring someone to create the characters (rigged) for me so I could just drop them into scenes ready to animate. As I’ve mentioned before I have a modest cast of characters in the film so it seems like an actual option for me. I could design the drawn turnarounds and work out the colours etc.. beforehand and hand over to the experts to conform to an industry standard 3D model. I’ll inquire this week.
Send me an email if you’re a 3D character modeller/rigger, or know of one.
Rigging 3D Characters (Basics)
Recently I’ve been spending alot of time working on my 3D, both modelling and texture wise for Motion Graphics purposes. I found this really interesting… and simple tutorial on Youtube on how to get a simple inverse kinematics rig running in Cinema 4D and seeing how one should typically perform. I’m going to spend more time looking into this, and even do some tests using generic dummy figures to see how it gels with me. I really doubt I’ll end up going down this route, when I picture the scenes of my film in my head, they’re definitely not in 3D, but you never know till you try. Some instant hesitations and things to worry about are. Lip syncing, clothing and hair dynamics (both looking good and not too slow renders) and also not looking too cutesy. At the very least I’ll have a little walkabout animation and can learn how to do it better organically in the future.
Video by mdotstrange
Ralph Bakshi - Surviving in Tough Times
Ralph Bakshi: Surviving Tough Times – YouTube.com
“…Lethargic, Uninspired, Terrified.”
I’m starting off a new topic of posts to be intermittently published throughout the lifespan of the blog (and the film’s production). These posts will be about inspiration, inspiration for me and I’m sure many people who are interesting in making film (or content) in general.
So firstly let’s start with this 2008 video interview with Ralph Bakshi, animation and film director. I have another more detailed post about Bakshi in the pipeline but I wanted to kick off this new category of posts with this video, as I personally find it one of the most motivating videos to watch, if I’m ever procrastinating (which is thankfully getting rarer and rarer) this video jogs me back to sense. Very simple advice that comes from a person who can talk objectively about the time we are currently living in. It may be directed towards animation, but really is applicable to most forms of creation – particularly large projects.
I’m lucky enough to have a drawing that Ralph drew for me. It’s one of my most valued possessions.
Originally from: AnimationArchive.org
