CGI - Continued

Following on from my last blog I have been researching further articles and have been discovering new techniques which can relate to my project.
The mouth can now be animated along with the eye lids and nostrils.
I have been doing some work on animating the mouth and tongue. Coinciding with this I have been watching Jurassic park to see the movements of the dinosaur.

In this video you can see the mouth, tongue, eyes, and legs have been animated.

I've been researching the movements of frogs particularly how the legs move in the air.
My aim is that the dinosaur will attack my character, by hitting him with a club then continue time travelling.



Below are a couple pictures to show what the render of the dinosaur will look like once complete. Its the same frame just at different angles.

CGI

I have taken my dinosaur animation one step further after finding some new software. 
I am currently using Maya. This programme was used to make films such as; Spider-Man, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings: Trilogy, Gladiator, The Matrix I , II & III, The Hulk, Terminator and Monsters Inc. 
And the list goes on!


I have taken on the daunting task of trying to teach myself how to use this programme. In addition to this I read well over 20 articles, watched countless tutorials and spent many hours trying to learn how to use the programme. 
I am currently using CGI for the fight between my character and the dinosaur. Originally I bought a toy dinosaur with the intention of using in this scene using stop-animation. However I changed my mind when the opportunity to use CGI came along as I found it more of a challenge.

Here is the dinosaur I am currently working on:

When animating the dinosaur it works very similar to stop-animation. You move each joint however you intend it to be and then set a key frame - the equivalent to taking a picture. However the difference with this is you can jump 50 frames (or more / or less) ahead and choose the position you want the dinosaur to end in and set a key frame. The computer will then do the rest in between the two key frames therefore cutting time.

The most time consuming part of this is the programming of the character. I luckily found a plug-in and only had to create a couple joints, renders and features. 

I am now animating the dinosaur, I have constructed 15 seconds(Aprox.) of film and I aim to make this to about 20 - 30 seconds long.

Here is what I have so far:

Green Screen

Green Screen Prep.

Here are some pictures of me and the other group I am working with preparing the green screen for when we do our shoot.
We decided that we would iron the whole green screen as it would help in the post-production process so that the key can be clearer.

 I decided it would be a good idea to use a large piece of cardboard to use as a guide when folding the massive piece of fabric as it would cause less creases. I trimmed the cardboard so that it was half the width of the fabric so that it could be doubled over making it compact resulting by having less creases compared to if it was more compact.

Set Design + Prop Design

The Time Machine.
The Time Machine is my characters way of escaping his problems of being love sick. He can travel in and around time but I like the idea that he can't properly use this "hi-tech" piece of time travel equipment.
I designed it to have lots of different buttons, lights and faders. Considering the music is electronic and has lots of synthesized sounds I thought it would be appropriate to use real music equipment. An example of this is a sound mixing desk which will act as the control panel. In addition to this I have a small toy keyboard which I might incorporate.

Here is what I have so far:
I started with lots of scrap cardboard and bits and pieces.

 This is the time machine in its current state. I like the lampshade, it gives it the homely feel. Almost Wallace and Gromit like.

 As you can see it has flashing L.E.Ds along the front of it, This has a really good effect with the tin foil.
I also had the luck of a friend having a backwards clock!

 I have made it all from scrap cardboard and Tesco Value tin foil. All the items used in this time machine have been borrowed or found by rummaging through the church I am filming at.

The feather duster launches it through time and space. (AKA the throttle)
The guitar pedal is the foot pedal, not sure what it does yet, but maybe it could be in conjunction with the music?

As you can see the time machine is not complete due to lack of colour. The room is completely white and the tinfoil just reflects the colour. Below are two other pieces which I will add to it:


THE FLUX CAPACITOR!! - Thought this would be an interesting piece of inter-textual referencing.
At the moment its just a box with tin foil...I am going to get 3 blue glow sticks and fix them in the Y position. Hopefully this will make the time travel possible :)

This here is the Bubble Dynamo Vim (BDV) - Basically it will bubble when time travel starts. It builds up energy and releases it at an incredible speed launching the time machine and the operator in to worm hole's to eventually end in the destination. 

Its a bit like fuel though...so it runs out.

I decided to make this as I wanted more movement on my time machine and I also wanted more colour. It has a fun effect which I really like.


I also covered up the window in the back ground by using a huge sheet of white paper just so that it made the room bigger and didn't retract form the time machine. I think it works well as you can't tell by looking on the camera it isn't a wall.

Set Design - Bedroom

This scene is were the character disappears into the bed into his happy world.
I am going to re-film this section as I quite stupidly changed the lighting...
Anyway I will show you what I have got so far and how I did it.

I have the character sitting on the bed, he then opens up the sheets and travels through his bed but doesn't come out the other side.

For this I had to keep the camera in the same place when I filmed from this angle to make sure it worked.

First of all I filmed the character climbing through the bed.
For this I had to take off my mattress, unscrew a few panels and stuff the bed frame to replicate the mattress. I then placed a cheap bed sheet over the top and cut a slit in it so that my actor could slip through.

Once I had filmed my actor climbing through the bed I simply filmed the bed and nothing happening.

So in post the first video layer was that of my actor climbing through the bed. Then I layered the second video of nothing happening on top. I cropped this video from the top only showing the bottom half of the bed.

This then created the effect of my actor slipping through his bed in to nowhere.

If you watch you can see a clear line across clearly showing that its shot at different times...This is due to me changing the lighting.
Here is what I have so far:
(The aspect ratio is a tad strange and its only 38 secs long)

Prop Design - Dancing Hearts

For my happy world I want to have lots of fun colourful items in the room. Iv decided as the character is feeling love sick that I wanted to emphasis on this.
So for my little dancers in the background I want them to wear big colourful smiley hearts.

I have made them out of cardboard which I have found in the recycling skip at school.

Here is what I made at school. I first of all made one full size half. I then continued to use scraps of cardboard to draw and cut around.

I then painted them red.

Then I painted smiley faces on them.

(YET TO BE UPLOADED)

Planning and Research - Self Evaluation

I believe as an overall level at the moment I am currently a level 3ish. I want this to move up to a level 4 by the end of the week.

Here is an evaluation of each of the criteria within the planning and research tasks:

Research into similar products : level 3
Potential target audience: Level 2 - I have uploaded my results but I haven't analysed it yet
Organisation of locations, costumes or props : Level 3 - with a little more work I can move this up to a level 4
Work on Shot lists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding : level 3/4
Time management : Level 3/4
Level of care in the presentation of the research and planning : Level 4
Skill in use of digital technology in presentation : Level 3/4
Communication Skills : Level 3

I will try harder to continually analyse my work and target it towards my work. My other main aim is to make sure I am fulfilling the criteria in all areas of my work.

Underwater Camera

I have just finished making my first underwater camera! I haven't tested it yet, however I tested it before my modifications and it had a small leak. So fingers crossed when the silicone dry's it will work!


Here is how I made it for £3.50:

First of all I bought a round Tupperware style plastic container. Which cost me £0.50

Then I cut a hole out of the top using a Stanley knife.

I had earlier had a piece of perspex cut out at school

I fixed the perspex circle to where I had cut the hole out with a clear silicon. This is the same silicon used on general bathroom objects making it water tight. Hence the choice in material. Silicon £3

This is what the base looks like after it has been fitted.

 I then created a seal at the screw thread on top, so that when I screw it in place no water gets in through the joint.

Here is a test showing the difference in plastics and the reason I cut into the front:

This is the original plastic material, as you can see its frosted as its a very cheap plastic.

 Now as you can see the perspex is a lot clearer than the original.

Soon to upload some test :)