I've been searching through old Bugs Bunny cartoons, and I came across one that I must have watched 100 times when I was little. This classic is filled with all kinds of (admitedly indirect) reference material for my project. (If Warner Bros uses a book to fill in exposition, than gosh darnit so can I!)
Here is a "secret unlock" from the game The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning. Yes, video games now have embedded interviews with voice actors. It's great, I love it. Anyway, this one features Elijah Wood as the voice of Spyro. Spyro flies, looks around, breathes fire, etc., all things I will need eventually. There's actually some decent reference if you can get past Lij's inane conversation.
Mitch sent me this really great reference from an SVA student, Catherine Yoo. Some of the animation is good, some of it is okay. I really like the textures and the colors. I'm kind of going for the same moody lighting, but probably a different color scheme, one with more green/reddish and less blue/orangish color triads. (I love the embed tag).
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Eragon
Yesterday I watched the movie Eragon. Unfortunately, it seemed like the writers used cliff notes instead of reading the whole book. The acting was decent enough, but really what could they do with such insipid dialogue? Brevity was emphasized at the expense of characterization and culture, and this was my main complaint.
The elves and their bloody history with dragons are hardly mentioned at all. The tensions between the dwarves and the Varden are not mentioned. Ajihad has like three lines and we learn nothing about his past or his character. Eragon being illiterate was a major plot point in the book, and this was not mentioned. Eragon found Arya by dreaming of her instead of backtracing the market trails of the sethir oil used to kill his uncle. Saphira aged in ... a few minutes?
In the first part of the book it was vague as to who we were supposed to be rooting for, the Varden or King Galbatorix. Brom told Eragon he would have to choose between them and this choice was never made clear in the movie.
Eragon spends significantly more time naked in the book than in the movie. But at least in the book those scenes are plot related. In one scene Eragon wearing nothing but tight leather pants. I mean, yes, he's nice to look at, but at least TRY to give it a point. But there's none. Nasuada is also in this scene and utters her one empty line, sealing her fate as another useless character. Such a completely pointless scene. However, I should mention that, besides showing Eddy Speleers in all his shirtless glory, there is a WELL with a whole bunch of bottles and things on the side, sort of like the ingredients in my story. So that's double the reference! Kind of ...
Some of my favorite scenes in the book never made it to the film:
-Eragon picking out names for baby Saphira not realizing that she was female
-Eragon scrapes off half of his thighs the first time he rides Saphira
-Eragon trying to hide his memories faster than the twins could steal them
-Arya testing Eragon's ability to use magic
-Eragon meets Angela the fortune teller at Farthen Dur
-Eragon learns the reason why Durza wanted to become a Shade just as he kills him
Damn, I could go on and on. Honestly, the book was better (and that's not saying much, because the book was really only so-so).
Anyway, I do believe I can use Saphira as reference for my project. If not with design, then at least as an animation reference. The way she flies, lands, cocks her head, breathes fire, etc. Design-wise, it doesn't fit the project.
I agree with you, Claire, that Eragon is a bad movie. However, it is most certainly not the worst movie of all time, as it does not even come close to the level of mediocrity achieved by Troll 2:
-Eragon is actually about a boy named Eragon. Troll 2 has no trolls.
-Evil king Galbatorix wants to destroy those who resist his rule. Evil vegetarian goblins want to turn people into plants so they can eat them.
-Eragon kills Durza with a magical sword. Joshua kills the goblin queen with a double decker bologna sandwich.
-Durza can kill an Urgal by touching its head. Creedence can kill a teenage boy by drowning him in popcorn.
-Ajihad: "I am Ajihad, leader of the Varden. If you are the Rider, call your beast inside." Diana: "Your grandfather's death was very difficult for your father, for Holly, and for me his daughter." (Okay, I admit both those lines are pretty bad).
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Last three weeks!
Horror of horrors, I'm just now realizing that we only have three weeks left to do the previz package. To prevent me from pulling my hair out, I'm going to try to map out the next three weeks.
Next week, the work that no one will see because it's not my presentation day. Well, maybe I'll show it in two weeks.
Week 1:
-Finalized Visual Script
-Finalized Thesis Statement and Synopsis
-Finalized 2D animatic
-Shot sheet with production tasks
-First draft of Gantt chart
-Concept images, color tests, sketches, environment tests of kid, dragon, forest environment, well, pole light, manual, ingredient items, basically everything
-Hopefully I'll also have time to take a look at Eragon and Dragonslayer
-Start on "real" research -- psychological, historical, cultural, artistic styles
-block out scene with basic geometry and cameras
Week 2:
-More dragon movies
-Finish Previz thesis paper
-More concept art
-Verbal execution plan
-Start considering proof of concept work
-more finalized Gantt chart based on class comments
-more scene elements based on class comments, fix camera angles
Week 3:
-Proof of concept video file
-technical research: modeling tests, texture tests, dynamics tests
-finalized package, including research paper and concept art
-3D animatic! (If I'm lucky and have enough time)
Whew, it's not so bad, is it?
Next week, the work that no one will see because it's not my presentation day. Well, maybe I'll show it in two weeks.
Week 1:
-Finalized Visual Script
-Finalized Thesis Statement and Synopsis
-Finalized 2D animatic
-Shot sheet with production tasks
-First draft of Gantt chart
-Concept images, color tests, sketches, environment tests of kid, dragon, forest environment, well, pole light, manual, ingredient items, basically everything
-Hopefully I'll also have time to take a look at Eragon and Dragonslayer
-Start on "real" research -- psychological, historical, cultural, artistic styles
-block out scene with basic geometry and cameras
Week 2:
-More dragon movies
-Finish Previz thesis paper
-More concept art
-Verbal execution plan
-Start considering proof of concept work
-more finalized Gantt chart based on class comments
-more scene elements based on class comments, fix camera angles
Week 3:
-Proof of concept video file
-technical research: modeling tests, texture tests, dynamics tests
-finalized package, including research paper and concept art
-3D animatic! (If I'm lucky and have enough time)
Whew, it's not so bad, is it?
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Shot list
This is just my list of all the shots so I won't go mad while trying to make yet another 2D animatic. The finalized shot list will include all production tasks required for each shot. Right now, I am feeling a little sad because I have 46 shots. 46 SHOTS! How the hell did this happen?!!!
1. Canera fades up on the "No Trespassing Sign." Pushes in, and Billy's shadowed figure can be seen carrying a box entering from the left side of the frame.
2. Closeup, the box is dumped onto a stone ledge.
3. Camera shows Billy's face, he is tired.
4. Closeup on Billy's hands as he opens the box, revealing ingredients and the manual inside. He takes out the manual
5. Billy flips open the manual to the first page. On one side is the "Thank you for buying message, on the other is the picture of the knight on the dragon." Billy's hand moves from the left page to the right to caress the picture of the knight and dragon.
6. Billy smiles warmly at the picture.
7. Billy turns the page and it says, step 1, find a well.
8. Billy looks up. A medium closeup shot of Billy pulls back to reveal the entire environment, including the entire well, trees in the background, and the overhead light.
9. Billy turns to page 2 which lists the first ingredient to add.
10. Billy searches around in the box, finds the first ingredients, and pours it into the well. The well starts to glow very slightly.
11. Start the montage--scenes crossfade between each other. Billy's finger taps onto ingredient 2.
12. Billy throws in the plant ingredient (2).
13. Billy drifts back over to the book and looks in it.
14. Billy turns the page to show ingredient 3
15. Closeup of potion being poured in the well (same animation as pouring action in shot 10, different angle and different color ingredient)
16. Page turns, ingredient 8.
17. Throws in another ingredient.
18. Page turns, ingredient 14.
19. Well starts glowing very strongly. End montage
20. Page reads, "FINAL INGREDIENT. Warning: do not use more than a couple drops."
21. Billy carefully takes out the final ingredient, a vial of glowing pink fluid, and uncorks it. The lighting flickers, and Billy looks up nervously.
22. Closeup of the overhead light flickering.
23. Extreme closeup of Billy's face, he carefully pours a single drop of the final ingredient into the well.
24. An overhead shot of the well shows that nothing has changed except for a slight ripple in the liquid.
25. Slightly frustrated, Billy adds a few more drops.
26. Again, nothing happens.
27. Angrily, Billy pounds the side of the well. The final ingredient vial slips and tumbles into the well.
28. The final ingredient is shown splashing into the well.
29. Billy makes a scared face. The light flickers again, and he looks up.
30. Closeup on the light going out
31. Camera shows the vial falling to the bottom of the well. Viscous pink liquid flows out of the bottle, and starts to take shape. Camera pushes in on a dragon embryo beginning to form rapidly.
32. The well is bubbling furiously.
33. Billy peers into the well nervously.
34. A dragon bursts out of the well, and the camera follows it into the air. Slightly slow motion as the dragon breathes licks of flame and roars.
35. Billy looks on in wonder, the dragon's shape reflecting in his eyes.
36. The dragon is roaring when the light suddenly clicks back on. Dragon's eyes are startled as if he is realizing something.
37. Billy and the dragon shown in a side view. The dragon is very tiny.
38. Billy looks on in wonder as the dragon lands on the edge of the well, kind of upset that he's so small. Billy's surprised face turns into a smile.
39. Billy lifts the dragon onto his shoulder.
40. Back view as the dragon puts its head against Billy's happily. The manual is in view, and the camera pushes slightly in toward it.
41. The manual reads "Enjoy your new might dragon!" and on the opposite page is the same knight on a dragon.
42. Billy sighs, slighly disappointed. The dragon peers downward to see what he is looking at.
43. Closeup on the dragon's face, which gets angry.
44. The dragon breathes a huge fireball and reduces the manual to ashes instantly.
45. Billy is totally shocked, but slowly gets a mischievous face, which the dragon mimics.
46. Billy leaves with the dragon, and the camera follows him slightly, but Billy and the dragon leave screan right. Camera ends on the discarded ingredient bottles, open box, the well, and smoking ash of the manual.
1. Canera fades up on the "No Trespassing Sign." Pushes in, and Billy's shadowed figure can be seen carrying a box entering from the left side of the frame.
2. Closeup, the box is dumped onto a stone ledge.
3. Camera shows Billy's face, he is tired.
4. Closeup on Billy's hands as he opens the box, revealing ingredients and the manual inside. He takes out the manual
5. Billy flips open the manual to the first page. On one side is the "Thank you for buying message, on the other is the picture of the knight on the dragon." Billy's hand moves from the left page to the right to caress the picture of the knight and dragon.
6. Billy smiles warmly at the picture.
7. Billy turns the page and it says, step 1, find a well.
8. Billy looks up. A medium closeup shot of Billy pulls back to reveal the entire environment, including the entire well, trees in the background, and the overhead light.
9. Billy turns to page 2 which lists the first ingredient to add.
10. Billy searches around in the box, finds the first ingredients, and pours it into the well. The well starts to glow very slightly.
11. Start the montage--scenes crossfade between each other. Billy's finger taps onto ingredient 2.
12. Billy throws in the plant ingredient (2).
13. Billy drifts back over to the book and looks in it.
14. Billy turns the page to show ingredient 3
15. Closeup of potion being poured in the well (same animation as pouring action in shot 10, different angle and different color ingredient)
16. Page turns, ingredient 8.
17. Throws in another ingredient.
18. Page turns, ingredient 14.
19. Well starts glowing very strongly. End montage
20. Page reads, "FINAL INGREDIENT. Warning: do not use more than a couple drops."
21. Billy carefully takes out the final ingredient, a vial of glowing pink fluid, and uncorks it. The lighting flickers, and Billy looks up nervously.
22. Closeup of the overhead light flickering.
23. Extreme closeup of Billy's face, he carefully pours a single drop of the final ingredient into the well.
24. An overhead shot of the well shows that nothing has changed except for a slight ripple in the liquid.
25. Slightly frustrated, Billy adds a few more drops.
26. Again, nothing happens.
27. Angrily, Billy pounds the side of the well. The final ingredient vial slips and tumbles into the well.
28. The final ingredient is shown splashing into the well.
29. Billy makes a scared face. The light flickers again, and he looks up.
30. Closeup on the light going out
31. Camera shows the vial falling to the bottom of the well. Viscous pink liquid flows out of the bottle, and starts to take shape. Camera pushes in on a dragon embryo beginning to form rapidly.
32. The well is bubbling furiously.
33. Billy peers into the well nervously.
34. A dragon bursts out of the well, and the camera follows it into the air. Slightly slow motion as the dragon breathes licks of flame and roars.
35. Billy looks on in wonder, the dragon's shape reflecting in his eyes.
36. The dragon is roaring when the light suddenly clicks back on. Dragon's eyes are startled as if he is realizing something.
37. Billy and the dragon shown in a side view. The dragon is very tiny.
38. Billy looks on in wonder as the dragon lands on the edge of the well, kind of upset that he's so small. Billy's surprised face turns into a smile.
39. Billy lifts the dragon onto his shoulder.
40. Back view as the dragon puts its head against Billy's happily. The manual is in view, and the camera pushes slightly in toward it.
41. The manual reads "Enjoy your new might dragon!" and on the opposite page is the same knight on a dragon.
42. Billy sighs, slighly disappointed. The dragon peers downward to see what he is looking at.
43. Closeup on the dragon's face, which gets angry.
44. The dragon breathes a huge fireball and reduces the manual to ashes instantly.
45. Billy is totally shocked, but slowly gets a mischievous face, which the dragon mimics.
46. Billy leaves with the dragon, and the camera follows him slightly, but Billy and the dragon leave screan right. Camera ends on the discarded ingredient bottles, open box, the well, and smoking ash of the manual.
It's worse than I thought ...
I've revised all the things I need to do before the end of the semester (at this point, about a month). It's worse than I thought! I also made a copy of Omri Navot's previsualization package and have been using it as a template for my own. The items listed are approximately in the order that I am going to tackle them:
-pre-production work
--finalized story beats
--finalized story boards
--2D animatic for timing and story
--finalized synopsis
--finalized thesis statement
--pre-production sketches, concept art, reference images, mood and color boards
--3D animatic /story reel with basic models, textures, animation, and cameras
--"finalized" shot sheet with an outline of all tasks
--Gantt chart to outline production schedule
-finalized or near finalized design
--kid
--dragon
--environment
--well
--manual
--ingredient items
-research paper
--mainly dragon films and animations
--"create a creature" or "create a pet" stories
--psychology of loneliness, mischief, fantastical play
--sociocultural significance of dragons throughout history
--artistic styles to emulate
--bibliography
-proof of concept animation / technical research
--character rigging and animation
--bubbling water dynamics
--steam / smoke effects
--dragon embryo forming underwater
--water dripping off the dragon
--dragon skin texture
--fire / burning dynamics or shaders
Impossible to do in a month?
-pre-production work
--finalized story beats
--finalized story boards
--2D animatic for timing and story
--finalized synopsis
--finalized thesis statement
--pre-production sketches, concept art, reference images, mood and color boards
--3D animatic /story reel with basic models, textures, animation, and cameras
--"finalized" shot sheet with an outline of all tasks
--Gantt chart to outline production schedule
-finalized or near finalized design
--kid
--dragon
--environment
--well
--manual
--ingredient items
-research paper
--mainly dragon films and animations
--"create a creature" or "create a pet" stories
--psychology of loneliness, mischief, fantastical play
--sociocultural significance of dragons throughout history
--artistic styles to emulate
--bibliography
-proof of concept animation / technical research
--character rigging and animation
--bubbling water dynamics
--steam / smoke effects
--dragon embryo forming underwater
--water dripping off the dragon
--dragon skin texture
--fire / burning dynamics or shaders
Impossible to do in a month?
Monday, April 9, 2007
Production elements
The elements I need:
-Billy character, rig, texture
-Dragon character, rig, texture
-Forest mattes
-Manual, rigged, textured pages
-Trees
-Well
-Box
-Ingredient bottles
-Final ingredient
-Steam clouds
-Smoke clouds
-Fire
-Bubbling liquid
-Dragon embryo
At this point my focus is animation (it kind of has to be with this story and its two personality-heavy characters), so I don't want to go too heavy on the lighting and texturing. The single light (two if you count the glowing well) helps immensely, but I will still probably want to use mental ray for quick ambient occlusion passes, or maybe even a little global illumination if I decide to change the time of day from dusk to night during the montage sequence. It might be a little too much. I'm still looking for ways to cut back the amount of work, yet every time I start thinking about the project I find myself adding more and more stuff.
Any more suggestions to cut down work are welcome.
-Billy character, rig, texture
-Dragon character, rig, texture
-Forest mattes
-Manual, rigged, textured pages
-Trees
-Well
-Box
-Ingredient bottles
-Final ingredient
-Steam clouds
-Smoke clouds
-Fire
-Bubbling liquid
-Dragon embryo
At this point my focus is animation (it kind of has to be with this story and its two personality-heavy characters), so I don't want to go too heavy on the lighting and texturing. The single light (two if you count the glowing well) helps immensely, but I will still probably want to use mental ray for quick ambient occlusion passes, or maybe even a little global illumination if I decide to change the time of day from dusk to night during the montage sequence. It might be a little too much. I'm still looking for ways to cut back the amount of work, yet every time I start thinking about the project I find myself adding more and more stuff.
Any more suggestions to cut down work are welcome.
Story Beats, yet again
Here's the new story beats, updated to reflect the forest setting which people seemed to like.
-Camera fades up from black to a sign that reads: "Private Property, No Trespassing."
-In the distance, Billy is seen carrying a box.
-Closeup of the box being dumped onto a stone ledge. Box reads "This side up, fragile, do not drop."
-Camera shows Billy's face for the first time, he is a bit tired from carrying the box.
-Billy opens the box and takes out the manual.
-The first page reads "Thank you for purchasing the PRO-QUEST™ Instant Dragon Kit. We hope you enjoy ... (scribbling for the rest of the page)"
-On the opposite page is a picture showing a picture of a knight on the back of a dragon. Billy's hand touches this picture.
-Billy smiles.
-Billy flips the page and the third page reads: "Step one, find a well," and shows a picture of an old well.
-Billy looks up. Shot starts as a closeup on Billy's face and pulls back to reveal that he is in fact standing over a large, stone well. This is the main establishing shot for the environment and shows the well, surrounding forest, and a telephone pole with a pale, overhead light.
-Billy turns the page, which starts listing ingredients. Billy starts adding ingredients to the well.
-Montage sequence of Billy adding ingredients, Billy turning pages in the book, and the well bubbling and glowing different colors
-Billy gets to the second to last page in the book, which reads: "Final ingredient: WARNING, be sure to use no more than a couple drops."
-Billy carefully takes out the final ingredient, a vial of glowing pink fluid, and uncorks it.
-Suddenly, the overhead pole light flickers, and Billy looks up nervously.
-With the camera tightly framed on Billy's face, Billy adds a single drop of the final ingredient into the well.
-A shot of the well shows that nothing has happened except for a tiny ripple from the drop.
-Slightly frustrated, Billy adds in a few more drops. Again nothing happens.
-Billy pounds the side of the vat, and the vial of ingredient slips off the side of the well and into the liquid. The light above goes completely black, leaving Billy illuminated only by the glow of the well.
-Billy makes a scared face.
-The camera follows the liquid into the well beneath the liquid.
-As the vial sinks to the bottom, viscous pink liquid flows out of the bottle and starts forming into a dragon embryo. Camera slowly closes in on the embryo's eye as it forms.
-Cutting back above the well, the liquid is now bubbling furiously. A dragon bursts out of the liquid and rises into the air, roaring and breathing licks of flame.
-Billy looks on in wonder, with the dragon's shape reflecting in his eyes.
-The lights suddenly click on, and the dragon makes a startled face, as if suddenly realizing something.
-The next shot shows Billy and the dragon in frame. The dragon is very tiny.
-Billy looks on in wonder as the dragon lands on the edge of the well, kind of upset that he's so small.
-Billy's surprised expression slowly turns into a smile, and he puts the dragon on his shoulder. The manual's last page shows the same picture of the knight on the dragon, and the caption "Enjoy your new mighty dragon!"
-Billy walks over to the picture and touches the dragon's face, slightly disappointed.
-The dragon makes an angry face, and breathes a huge roar of flame that instantly reduces the manual to ash.
-Billy is totally surprised, but then gets a mischievous face, which the dragon mimics.
-Billy leaves with the dragon, camera ends on the discarded ingredient bottles and the open box, the well, and the smoking ash on the well.
-Camera fades up from black to a sign that reads: "Private Property, No Trespassing."
-In the distance, Billy is seen carrying a box.
-Closeup of the box being dumped onto a stone ledge. Box reads "This side up, fragile, do not drop."
-Camera shows Billy's face for the first time, he is a bit tired from carrying the box.
-Billy opens the box and takes out the manual.
-The first page reads "Thank you for purchasing the PRO-QUEST™ Instant Dragon Kit. We hope you enjoy ... (scribbling for the rest of the page)"
-On the opposite page is a picture showing a picture of a knight on the back of a dragon. Billy's hand touches this picture.
-Billy smiles.
-Billy flips the page and the third page reads: "Step one, find a well," and shows a picture of an old well.
-Billy looks up. Shot starts as a closeup on Billy's face and pulls back to reveal that he is in fact standing over a large, stone well. This is the main establishing shot for the environment and shows the well, surrounding forest, and a telephone pole with a pale, overhead light.
-Billy turns the page, which starts listing ingredients. Billy starts adding ingredients to the well.
-Montage sequence of Billy adding ingredients, Billy turning pages in the book, and the well bubbling and glowing different colors
-Billy gets to the second to last page in the book, which reads: "Final ingredient: WARNING, be sure to use no more than a couple drops."
-Billy carefully takes out the final ingredient, a vial of glowing pink fluid, and uncorks it.
-Suddenly, the overhead pole light flickers, and Billy looks up nervously.
-With the camera tightly framed on Billy's face, Billy adds a single drop of the final ingredient into the well.
-A shot of the well shows that nothing has happened except for a tiny ripple from the drop.
-Slightly frustrated, Billy adds in a few more drops. Again nothing happens.
-Billy pounds the side of the vat, and the vial of ingredient slips off the side of the well and into the liquid. The light above goes completely black, leaving Billy illuminated only by the glow of the well.
-Billy makes a scared face.
-The camera follows the liquid into the well beneath the liquid.
-As the vial sinks to the bottom, viscous pink liquid flows out of the bottle and starts forming into a dragon embryo. Camera slowly closes in on the embryo's eye as it forms.
-Cutting back above the well, the liquid is now bubbling furiously. A dragon bursts out of the liquid and rises into the air, roaring and breathing licks of flame.
-Billy looks on in wonder, with the dragon's shape reflecting in his eyes.
-The lights suddenly click on, and the dragon makes a startled face, as if suddenly realizing something.
-The next shot shows Billy and the dragon in frame. The dragon is very tiny.
-Billy looks on in wonder as the dragon lands on the edge of the well, kind of upset that he's so small.
-Billy's surprised expression slowly turns into a smile, and he puts the dragon on his shoulder. The manual's last page shows the same picture of the knight on the dragon, and the caption "Enjoy your new mighty dragon!"
-Billy walks over to the picture and touches the dragon's face, slightly disappointed.
-The dragon makes an angry face, and breathes a huge roar of flame that instantly reduces the manual to ash.
-Billy is totally surprised, but then gets a mischievous face, which the dragon mimics.
-Billy leaves with the dragon, camera ends on the discarded ingredient bottles and the open box, the well, and the smoking ash on the well.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Everyone hates the factory
Okay, so everyone has (nearly) unanimously decided that the factory setting is inappropriate. That's okay, I was never really in love with the factory either. It's just that now I can't really use my previz setting for my lighting and rendering II final, which was my plan from the start. Oh well, chalk it up to bad planning.
So, in the factory's stead, I'm trying to decide between an indoor swimming pool or a well in the middle of a forest. Opinions/votes?
Swimming pool problems:
-swimming pools are huge. This may make some shots (which I have been framing with a well) difficult
-The perspective shot with the tiny dragon filling the frame might be harder to sell with the swimming pool. I'd have to use a really wide angle lense really close up, and there will probably be major distortion problems.
-Swimming pool caustics (shudder)
-no well ledge to place the box and ingredients. This seems trivial but it makes the animation so much more complicated. The action of placing a box on the floor requires a much keener sense of weight than merely placing it on a waist-high ledge. Same thing for picking up objects from the floor versus a ledge.
-Honestly, I find a dragon coming out of a swimming pool much more incongruous than a dragon coming out of a well.
Forest and well problems:
-first and foremost, the forest itself! I will have to model and texture trees, which I really really don't want to do.
-the ground: brush and rocks and dirt. More modeling that I don't want to do. On the other hand, it would be nice to have a little forest set that could be reused
-leaves rustling. The leaves on trees are never stationary, and that would all have to be animated. And before anyone mentions it, massive amounts of paint effects up close is a bad idea unless you don't mind your project looking like a video game. Actually, maybe I want my backgrounds to look like video game backgrounds. Who knows.
-the well is still just as anachronistic as it was five weeks ago. So make him a farmboy instead. Uncle Joe came in from the big city and dropped off some cool science magazines and Little Billy decided to order the Dragon kit.
-Light goes out scene. I'm thinking that I'll use a single light on a pole, maybe a telephone pole, that flickers, goes out, and comes back on. The scene will obviously be at night, no moon / new moon, maybe some stars.
So, in the factory's stead, I'm trying to decide between an indoor swimming pool or a well in the middle of a forest. Opinions/votes?
Swimming pool problems:
-swimming pools are huge. This may make some shots (which I have been framing with a well) difficult
-The perspective shot with the tiny dragon filling the frame might be harder to sell with the swimming pool. I'd have to use a really wide angle lense really close up, and there will probably be major distortion problems.
-Swimming pool caustics (shudder)
-no well ledge to place the box and ingredients. This seems trivial but it makes the animation so much more complicated. The action of placing a box on the floor requires a much keener sense of weight than merely placing it on a waist-high ledge. Same thing for picking up objects from the floor versus a ledge.
-Honestly, I find a dragon coming out of a swimming pool much more incongruous than a dragon coming out of a well.
Forest and well problems:
-first and foremost, the forest itself! I will have to model and texture trees, which I really really don't want to do.
-the ground: brush and rocks and dirt. More modeling that I don't want to do. On the other hand, it would be nice to have a little forest set that could be reused
-leaves rustling. The leaves on trees are never stationary, and that would all have to be animated. And before anyone mentions it, massive amounts of paint effects up close is a bad idea unless you don't mind your project looking like a video game. Actually, maybe I want my backgrounds to look like video game backgrounds. Who knows.
-the well is still just as anachronistic as it was five weeks ago. So make him a farmboy instead. Uncle Joe came in from the big city and dropped off some cool science magazines and Little Billy decided to order the Dragon kit.
-Light goes out scene. I'm thinking that I'll use a single light on a pole, maybe a telephone pole, that flickers, goes out, and comes back on. The scene will obviously be at night, no moon / new moon, maybe some stars.
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