We Can't All Be Lion Tamers

Ernesto

2011-07-08T20:54:00.007+01:00

The Graduation animation I worked on during my first year has been finished. The director Corinne Ladeinde has been very busy of late BUT I recieved an email today and have been informed that a copy is on its way - very much looking forward to watching it.

Until then here is a little snippet of the film.

'Ernesto' Trailer

Left Kick

2011-06-23T11:22:00.004+01:00

The final part of my two year masters is underway and I will be busy with working on a few projects and a large chunk of time will be chomped by Left Kick.

Left Kick is a graduation animation directed by Jonathan Topf. The film is being produced entirely in 3D and the best thing is that there is going to be lots of animation for me so I am happy but to be part of the film is fab - really looking forward to cutting my teeth on it!

Working with a director is pretty cool as well, instant feedback, different ideas and alterations is a refreshing way to work. For instance the first shot I have been animating is a jog through a park and I have been working on it for roughly 3 days and every time I have put it forward for a critique the following day it has become a much stronger - I'll post a little sneak peak of it when it is finished.

For those who are interested, here is the link to the Left Kick website where you can see work in progress and read more about what is going on. I have also included a link to Jonathan's personal site where you can familiarise yourself a little more with Cochise himself.

Official Site

Jonathan Topf

Be careful...

2011-06-15T10:19:00.003+01:00

Continuing to add animation to my reel, I noticed that all the work featured are animals and I figured that I needed to add something that has two legs... like us!

I have been working hard to improve my animation and not just the final product but the whole process from planning and what sort of research I do. I have been reading that a lot of reviewers are getting a little tired of watching reels with perfect walks and runs so I decided to try and do a normal walk but have the chap slip on a patch of ice. This way I can kill two birds with one stone and also and more importantly have something on the reel that isn't that common.

I am happy but the walk isn't as strong as the run so I will continue to tweak this but because I am trying to work on some other projects now I want to only work on reel work when I need a break from everything NFTS related.

New(er) Showreel

2011-06-09T11:22:00.000+01:00

Senna

2011-06-09T11:20:00.004+01:00

The Poster says everything...

Senna Theme by 'Antonio Pinto'

CG cutaways

2011-04-15T10:46:00.003+01:00

My main idea behind this film was to able to intricate CG into live action plates. Although this will be great and I am confident of getting a decent result - we may have to create scenes entirely in CG just in case I need another angle or the story needs something else that the live plates are not giving to us.

Here is a small test of the table top, no props other than the soldier but this is a great start. Lee Griggs our tutor during this module is responsible for the set up and has very kindly accepted my offer of working with us to get this finished.

Directorial Debut

2011-04-14T22:04:00.006+01:00

A couple of days ago I made my first real stab at directing. The current module at NFTS is MoCap and for it I decided to design a story for the mocap to sit and take centre stage. The film is very short and is essentially a character piece taking place in one set with the bare minimum of dialog.

The film takes place in a child's room and the action is simple. A father reads his son a bedtime story and the story is an extract from the battle of Waterloo where Wellington meet
Napoleon in 1815. He then finishes and says goodnight, kisses his son's forehead and leaves quietly where the little boy falls a sleep amongst a bedroom full of toys. The soldiers then come alive and fight on his table and his books, marbles, rulers and comics form the battle ground.

The motion capture data that was filmed at Centroid in Pinewood studios will drive the soldiers. I also got to direct this part as well and so I do feel incredibly attached to it as a piece of work and will be one of the greatest pieces of work I think I will ever produce.

Working with a Cinematographer on this was such a great experience and also having ability to control the shoot as a director was a blast. Benjamin Hecking was my DoP and was a massive advocate in making this much more than just an exercise in our VFX time table. His ligthing was great and he captured an amazing sense of reality with his shadow placement. The set was built by Steven Granger, after building our Conway set he once again stepped and knocked up a beautiful set that transported us and me back when we were all young and when toys were constantly on our minds. He set was full of great props and finished off with hand stippled stencils of aeroplanes.

I have also contracted an editor and a composer for this and I will know more next week but at the moment I am very happy about the possibilities for this film. I also received all of the mocap data from Centroid and couldn't resist putting a little test together...

CG Double

2011-04-06T17:19:00.003+01:00

After a couple of days rigging and uvmapping and general tidying up the model is ready for the sh boom scene. I think I will try and add him into the very right of the plate and in the background at the start of the scene. The main goal is to populate and to create a sense that there is a bigger problem at hand than just the bride on fire.

I am about to start the animation but couldn't resist posing the man and taking a screen grab. David Jacobs is going to run the model through mudbox to texture and generally add detail to the mesh while I get on with the best bit - The animation.

Internship Reel

2011-03-30T14:24:00.004+01:00

Making this reel was an adventure to say the least, after managing to render everything out and then re rendering the shots so it Vimeo would display it properly and then finding mistakes after it had all been uploaded... Glad it is finished now.

The reason behind all this is that I am applying for a couple of Internships, and obviously the reel is the main thing about the application. It's great to see the work all in one place and I cannot tell you how much it differs from my previous reel - It is a massive improvement. For the first time since leaving university in 2005 I have a complete CG reel and no hand drawn animation (tear rolls down my cheek) and I am happy and more happy to be moving forward to the dream of working on films.

The reel contains most of the projects I have completed since starting the MA in January last year and even some unfinished ones, those shots will hopefully be all done and dusted in time for the next Internship date at the end of May. I have tried to cover a lot of the bases with the reel and where I felt I had gaps I took some time and produced a PAP (personal animation project) and other than the lip-sync I am happy with it and hopefully the big-wigs in the industry will be as well.

All I can do now is wait and get back on with the projects that I have neglected since starting out on this Internship route.

Oh, here is the completed reel...

Lip Sync

2011-03-28T20:58:00.005+01:00

Here it is finished, well as much as I can get it. The internship deadlines are fast approaching and I still need to make the reel and the DVD so the lip sync will have to suffer slightly. To be honest I am so out of practise producing animation like that, all of the animation I have been working on over the last year has been realistic work and mostly creature work which is by far the most interesting in terms of animation for me as an artist.

I would like to do more character work but unless I am working on a full length animated feature it will always have to be personal projects which is a shame.

Anyway here is the final lip sync, it's a line from a favourite film of mine, 'GoldenEye' and a little line delivered by Sean Bean and I tried to camp it up a little and try and over exaggerate it.

You looking at me...?

2011-03-28T18:23:00.004+01:00

I am just about to finish the kip sync for my new reel. I am nearly there but as with a lot of things in animation - It all comes down to the little touches and it's a painstaking process. The lip sync is purely for the reel and to show I have character animation skills, if, a little bit rusty.

I have been going through the dialog and adding the facial animation and poses, the animation is roughly four seconds, it is from something longer but I really wanted to concentrate on a small section.

Here is a screen grab from maya, I just love his last expression of the piece.

No smoke with out Fire

2011-03-24T10:52:00.002Z

After a crash course (no pun intended) in particles my tutor (Lee Griggs) and I fudged the smoke on the Helicopter using a preset effect in Maya and parented it to the fuselage of the helicopter and activated it after the tail breaks off.

Seeing the helicopter separate from the tail is making this complicated shot more complicated and bringing unnecessary attention to the action of the helicopter and detracting from the rest of the plate. The smoke however is working and with a much more detailed sit down with the effects I am sure that the smoke can be present through the entire scene and not at a certain point.

HDRI

2011-03-23T15:42:00.003Z

Lee Griggs is back in showing the class how to use HDRI's when rendering and guiding us through some of the nitty-gritty. Using the low res proxy model of the soldier I used for the shoot at Centroid I followed the tuition and rendered out a very short animation using the basic ROM file that was given to us from Centroid.

The plastic is too shiny but the overall look is great and this has demonstrated that a few CG only scenes could be a possibility.

Bertie Crisp

2011-03-20T01:05:00.005Z

One of the current Graduation animations I had the pleasure of being involved with 'Bertie Crisp' has been released upon the world and here is a link to the official website where you can read about the talented cast and the director of the short - Francesca Adams.

www.bertiecrisp

Bite

2011-03-11T20:52:00.002Z

The DCM goes ever on, it seems to be a project that is all about technique rather than artistry but I am still hanging in there with the animation of the shark. I have been asked to add a single bite to the end of the scene rather than have it just charging the camera with its mouth open.

Still needs to be tweaked and cleaned up but its on the final animation pass so I am happy and it will be on the reel for the internships I am planning on applying for.

Motion Builder

2011-03-09T17:11:00.002Z

After a days worth of tuition in MotionBuilder, I have movement with the low proxy soldier. Nothing special just a ROM (range of movement) test which is used to calibrate the suit and the software to capture the data.

Here is the result, a skeleton made in maya to specific requirements and then brought in to Motionbuilder and the motion capture merge on top of it and then reimported into maya.

Motion Capture

2011-03-07T12:05:00.002Z

Next week I get the chance to direct a small motion capture shoot at Pinewood studios. The idea is based on plastic soldiers that come to life on a little boys desk and fight while he is a sleep. It is a very simple idea but I am hoping it will be a lot of fun.

I have started this morning building the low res and very basic versions of the soldiers. I am thinking of taking the maya model into Mudbox and sculpting a little more detail and the final look is one of blue and red plastic so I think that good detail will look great.

To Rig...

2011-03-03T20:29:00.002Z

I have finished modeling the CG double for the digital fiction film. I wanted to add detail to the face but I thought better of it as I won't be putting the CG too close to the camera. I have modeled a low res man, although when I smooth him he will be much bigger. The clothes are all just soft indications of cloth and hopefully the texture will help and of course the lighting.

I am looking forward to animating him and I may be tempted to use a auto rigging program so I can get something functional then I can concentrate much more time on the animation.

Crash Pre Viz

2011-03-01T20:46:00.002Z

I have turned my attention to the helicopter again after a day of rendering an other project. The pre viz of the helicopter crash is rough, very Hollywood but I think it is working and once the director (Jamie Stone) has seen it I can get some feedback to see what he likes and what he doesn't. However I did thoroughly enjoy previz(ing) it and I hope that it does stay in the final version.

CG Double

2011-03-01T14:39:00.003Z

Now the helicopter model is rigged and textured ready for the previz stage, I have started work on the CG doubles that will occupy the background to give the scene a greater sense of depth. I have the low res plate now and watching it the scale of the work is massive.

The scene itself is filled with smoke and I am unwilling to move the CG doubles to close to the screen as they will look very 'fake' also at the slow motion I am afraid that they will fail to hold up to scrutiny. I have a good look and think that they can be placed in a few locations such as the very start, midway as long as I can hide it behind the smoke and have the helicopter enter and leave frame at that point. The end is incredibly bare and maybe place a few running/moving around the structure and fill with smoke.

The model itself has been interesting to work on as I have been modeling clothes straight on while retaining rough proportions of an actual human. The face will be the next challenge and then the texturing will be difficult. I am however looking forward to the animation and its the animation that will sell all of this, it is just a shame that to get to the animation all this other work has to be put into place.

Take Off

2011-02-26T17:57:00.001Z

With the texture completed and all the parts UV mapped the helicopter for the digital fiction project is ready for a little test. Nothing big, the helicopter only has three controllers so the animation will be straight forward - although a challenge to get it to look convincing and especially as it has to crash land near(ish) to the camera.

I decided to get a little test, very low res but I wanted to see what it would actually look like and what blur level I will need in the end. The motion blur will be an issue to match the footage which is playing at 100fps so there will be blur but the helicopter it self should be free from any blur.

The test here is a simple 5 minute take, simple movement but I think that properly lit I am sure I can sell it.

Metal Plates and Rota Blades

2011-02-25T20:03:00.003Z

End of play draws near and texturing has begun. So far so good, I want to lay down a very rough jig-saw type texture then go in and add the details such as warning stripes and logos. I am aiming for something similar to a news chopper but it could be a rescue helicopter or military but not sure yet.

Digital Fiction

2011-02-25T14:43:00.005Z

At last after a fair few months of working on other projects I have started working on the 'Digital Fiction' project. The premise of the film is the end of the world and I was interested from the get-go, I managed to get the director on his own and talked about what I felt I could do to help populate his scene. After a little discussion I was given the green light to make a few digital people to inhabit the background to give a sense of the 'larger' world.

The helicopter came up because when the director was watching the rushes he noticed that the actress ducks behind a car for no reason and he wanted something in the shot for her to be reacting to and so the helicopter idea sprang up.

The model is going really well, I am not as familiar with hard surface model and inorganic objects but this after a day or so is looking good and once the model is cleaned up it should be ready for texturing and I can move onto the digital people - which will take much more time and also the rigging will be much more time consuming.

Ant Rig

2011-02-17T14:14:00.002Z

Here is the ant finished and ready fro animation. It has an incredibly simple rig, a handful of controls and really it is only designed to be viewed from a distance to give the illusion that their are ants in the live action plate.

The texture is a dark red blinn, nothing fancy but it sells the idea. Next on the agenda is to track the plate and begin low res geometry building and animation.

THEM...

2011-02-15T19:36:00.004Z

Well not quite but I am modelling an ant for a short film. I can't say anything as it is going into Cannes but I can tell you that I am working on an ant. The model I feel is completed after about 40mins of work, because ants are very small the model itself can be low res and rigged using a basic but solid setup.

The texturing will be something like a reflective material and blanket colour to try and mimic the natural colouring of ants. The animation will be made on a few hero ants and duplicated many times to create a swam - although I have not seen the plate...

Faster and more Intense...

2011-02-14T00:11:00.004Z

The previous version of the shark animation has been deemed too slow and not as 'manic' as my earlier pre-viz. Its strange a lot of people base their opinions and knowledge based solely on Jaws but in the film the shark is barely seen and because it is a film liberties are taken. I am a creature animator much more than a character animator and relish the chance to recreate naturalistic movement and love studying creatures and learning about them.

The previsoue post LINK had the movement based on what I have been reading and the videos I have managed to find and watch. A shark is a slow predator that seems to stalk its prey rather than bolt around the ocean as it was a rocket. It moves beautifully in the water and its effortless and so capturing that and putting into animation is and has been incredibly difficult but hugely enjoyable.

The supervisor however wanted something more punchy and more inline with my intitial previz, after working on it for the entire day I have something that I feel is closer to what is required even if I have my reservations about it being unrealistic. I have taken a few liberties with this version by having the shark completely leave frame only to reappear at speed charging towards the camera, the animation as a whole still needs work but the idea is there.

Its alive... well, almost

2011-02-12T21:38:00.004Z

The shark project is something that has been really fun to work on but it has been incredibly difficult to find the time to sit and actually animate. It's going well and I think after another full day of tweeking the current animation it should be ready for the depth pass render.

Here is the current state, 80 % complete I think and I am happy with movement after several attempts at trying to make it look real.

Pre-Viz

2011-01-14T12:32:00.003Z

To get the animation locked down and approved I have done a extremely quick animation (approx 1 hour) It will serve as a sequence for the animatic and see how it holds up and what it looks like with all the other sequences in the short.

The shark is the last thing you as the viewer sees and finishes with a bite into the camera. The animation is rough, little movement but its only intended as a taster and to serve as pre-viz animation only.

Touching distance

2011-01-11T17:13:00.003Z

The shark model is now nearing completion and I have been working on the edge flow ready for the rig and animation stage. There is still some cosmetic work to do and certain details I want to include such as the spine ridge towards the tail of the shark. Some of the curvature has been lost as a direct result of adding in edge loops to keep everything quads - so that will need a little work to bring it back. I am very pleased with how it has turned out and is probably the cleanest model I have built to date and I am thoroughly looking forward to bringing it to life.

Topology studying

2011-01-09T20:14:00.006Z

I have been reworking the shark again, the shape of the mouth was all wrong and I think it all stemmed from using a reference image that was probably drawn by an artist that never saw a Great White and so I have been looking a proper pictures and playing around with the nose and I have something that know looks like a Great White.

From the front I have been reading that the shark almost smiles at you and so getting that right has improved the whole geomentry. There is still lots of clean up and the teeth have been roughly placed and the topology needs to be sort for those.

Hopefully tomorrow, I can finish the mouth and start improving the fins and tail.

Swimming with Sharks

2011-01-08T14:47:00.005Z

Happy New Year, feels good to finally have a post in the new year. I have been working on lots of projects and one in particular that is a fantastic project. I am modelling a Great White Shark for a DCM advertisement, (Digital Cinema Media) and also Rig the creature and animate it for the spot.

The model is currently going well although there is still a lot of work to do, the mouth is by far the most tricky bit as I managed to get the shape more or less straight away. The project is great for two reasons, 1) I get to work as a creature artist and animate the final beast and 2) I am learning lots about sharks, such as they have retractable teeth just like big cats, which is having a knock on effect on how I model it.

Here are few screen grabs of the process,

Lighting Concepts

2010-12-14T15:53:00.002Z

To break up the modelling I decided to pose the creature so I can have a look at what shapes it makes when rig and positioned. The light is something that will influence how much the viewer will see of the creature and I want to animate it in such a way that it looks real and cemented in the scene.

The Creature

2010-12-13T17:15:00.004Z

For our departmental film I have decided to include a CGI creature that attacks our hero 'Conway' I am currently making it and have the rough shape. It is a spider like creature with a fleshy body and four spindle like legs. My main reason for this to work out the full pipeline from concept to composition.

The design work for the creature, I wanted something simple but different than what I normally work on. Also this can be my first attempt at getting into mudbox and playing around with displacement maps and really looking into texturing and lighting.

The creature rig will be simple but will have to include a tentacle or two and a mouth that can close - something that I hope will allow me to play with blend shapes and facial setups. Also I have named the creature 'Tindall' after our tutor on this project 'Peter Tindall'

Kodak

2010-12-10T15:47:00.005Z

I have been invited to participate in Kodak competition this year. The director is a fellow SFX/VFX artist, Nicholas Thompson. The idea is about piracy and how it is destroying the film industry. The idea is to play out the final scene from Casablanca.

My task is to recreate the some of the background namely the aircraft and the car in which they get out of at the start of the scene. The plane in the original is stationary but in the short it will be taxi-ing in the background and starting its engines. The car will be partially built, probably just the doors, part of the roof and maybe part of the bonnet. I am unsure of the framing but I think if I build a little more than we need then it should be fine.

Shot 003

2010-12-02T21:31:00.003Z

Here is the final shot from 'The Pride of Wade Ellison' I have also included the breakdown of the process I went through to achieve the shot. The Director, Sean Branigan is very happy with it and so far people who have seen the edits have no idea it is an effects shot, so I have done my job. I am looking forward to seeing the final film and with my little 2 second shot in there it will make it that little bit more special.

Creature Animation 03 from Samuel Walsh on Vimeo.

Film Props

2010-11-27T14:01:00.008Z

The short module at Millennium FX has come to an end. It has been a great experience to see how the prosthetics side is produced and get a huge insight in how long the process can take. The module serves as a intensive short course in Prosthetics as well as a container for the SFX gags in our film. The class has been making a full head prostheses, a partial face prosthesis, finger extensions, a prop arm - complete with balsa wood bones, a large gouge that will be augmented with CG and several small wound pieces including a handful with silly glass wedged in them.

The characters also have makeshift weapons and a few pistols, I took the props on board and played around with casting the Axe and Knifes. The Axe initially didn't work which was probably to do with the fact that the A&B mixture had been out overnight and was contaminated with other chemicals in the extractor room. The knifes worked from the start but one of the molds had problems letting the fast cast mixture right to the end but I did manage to get a partial knife from it which will serve as a prop to decorate.

The Knife was coloured using a mixture of silver spray paint which was sprayed straight into the mold before the fast cast mix was poured. This gave a great base coat for applying a textured brown to the handle before I added layers of acrylic paint to try and create depth and with a coat of Shellac which gave the knife a rust colour before finally rubbing back a few layers to make to look well used.

The pistol was a simple plastic replica that (Peter Tindall) had lying around. Painted using the same technique as the Knife but more metallic in its appearance, again it had to look well used but also like 'Conway' had used it a lot. I tried to get a worn wooded look for the handle and painting the two pistols exactly the same was fun.

Finally the two main weapons were cast using a soft foam mix with piano wire threaded down the center to add rigidity and stability or they would flop. They are both soft but if you were to swing at someone it would still hurt. Painted using acrylics and shellac to create the worn down and dirty feeling. To add a little more I wrapped some scrim around the handles to make it look like they had been personalised and were used a lot for killing. Scrim is simply a soft string netting that comes on a giant roll. Paint was added to stain the fabric.

Through the Wall

2010-10-31T01:38:00.005+01:00

After several weeks of tweaking and cherry picking the dinosaur sequence is about ready. I will be back tweaking it before the major render but as from right now I am happy with the piece. It maybe extended to add a little more at the end.

This is probably my strongest creature animation and I learned a lot about planning and why sketching thumbnails of poses and ideas for movement is so vital to getting a performance that is real. Over the entire animation I was sketching positions for key frames before I keyed in maya, just to see whether it would make sense from one position to the other.

Sound for the first time will be added to my animation and this will grant a much better sense of realism and will cement the key points of the animation with viewer and move from test to film piece and should stand out as something more than a simple animation.

Alley

2010-10-18T16:03:00.004+01:00

Work on the reel is picking up again before the 'Prosthetic' film starts in November. I am cherry picking the creature work and adding to the breakdowns whenever possible. I have decided to add sound to the animations and try and bring them to life, well a little more than they already are. 'Pavol Kajan' is my sound designer on the case and the early snippets are great so it will be great to have a sound design to got with the images.

The dog sequence I envisioned is set in an alleyway with rubbish and old waste - perfect stuff for a dog to be sniffing around. I have added a few more objects to the scene to help sell the idea, I am only looking at the animation so a big complicated render has been replaced with an occlusion pass.

Running up that Hill

2010-10-09T10:25:00.002+01:00

In between working on 'The Pride' and the creature interaction animation I decided to add a run cycle to my reel using the Dino rig. I manage to get all this in about 4 hours, I needed a break from the other animation and doing a cycle is a great change of pace...(no pun intended)

15 seconds

2010-10-08T14:43:00.003+01:00

Well, after loosely planning the animation I have finally completed the rough animation and runs for about 15 seconds. Still rough and there will be another few rounds of polishing but at the present I have the Dino doing the action that from my early sketches and there is a narrative behind the action so it reads on screen.

This is a pure show reel piece and is to show interaction with the environment and of course focusing heavily on the realistic movement of a creature. Also there is the added factor of animating to a camera move, I am trying to perform an exercise that would be similar to an industry job and complete efficiently and to a high level. Although I have been working on several other projects this has been a great project that I have been able to pick up and put down at my own pace.

The Flock

2010-10-07T16:14:00.005+01:00

After a few tests, The semi final sequence is finished. The bird animation came out well in the end and I managed to get lots of animation into the sequence even though each bird is tiny on the final plate.

As I am unable to show anything from the final film I have rendered out the birds but left out the background - so the action of the birds is there to see just not the location which it takes place, you'll have to wait for that.

(Watch on the clip full screen to see the birds)

The Pride takes Flight

2010-10-02T11:17:00.005+01:00

Westerns is a genre of film that I really enjoy watching, nearly every western film is watchable in my opinion. The spaghetti westerns have all the fantastic cinematography and Ford's have the story and this leads me straight to my next point - there is a western graduation film and more importantly I have secured some work during the post production phase.

I have been gagging to get my hands on the footage and to work on this film, I havn't yet seen anything of the film other than some stills but I have been slipped a rough edit (just for me) so I can watch and see what I think but as have already seen some of the action sequences I know it will be awesome.

The film is directed by Sean Branigan, I have never worked with him before but I know he draws all his own storyboards, just like Ridely Scott so there are a sought of 'Branigrams' and they are very swish. The Cinematographer is Ben Bailey, I worked with him on a book trailer over the summer, although he was the Gaffer I can imagine that his work on this will be great.
I can't really divulge anymore information but here is a tester poster for it. It was produced by the very talented DDP supervisor, Andrew Scattergood - http://www.andrew-scattergood.co.uk

I have been given the task of creating a series of birds for a wide shot that are startled from some pistol fire. There are a number of ways that this shot could be produced but I saw this as an exercise in efficient low poly modelling and realistic animation. The birds themselves will be incredibly small in shot and so I will apply a simple texture map for the birds but the animation will sell the idea.

I have more or less finished the bird, I have chosen to base it loosely on an American crow but the shape is more generic - I figure the silhouette will need to be recognisable. I tested the model and applied a sample rig to the bird geometry and it seems to be working so with appropriate weight painting and more accurate joint placement I should have a usable skeletal system to add controls and start animating. Here is a sample of the animation, rig test and look development.

Progression

2010-09-29T18:20:00.004+01:00

Here are is the latest animation as it stands, I have reworked the pacing a little and tried to make out the dinosaur is thinking about his next move before he smashed through the wall. I have also rejigged the 'Action CAMERA' to create a better sense of danger and reality to the viewer. It is currently at the point where the creature is about to pounce on the viewer which should be fun to animate.

Dynamic

2010-09-25T21:51:00.004+01:00

I have been working on the Dino sequence for a few days and I have chopped an changed it a number of times since the initial idea. I am still opting for two hits on the wall but I have beefed up the first hit with a prolonged reaction from the creature. The next few seconds where the Dino lines up his run I wanted to try and show problem solving where he carefully steps back and positions himself for a big run and jump. I really enjoy the job of giving personality to the creatures and by adding just the right amount of character you can make something seem real and sells the idea of the creature being alive and making real decisions in the animation.

The animation will change again but now this is refining stage but it still needs a proper ending and this is where the second figure will come in (hopefully) and even throw in another Dino coming through the wall as a homage to the great film - Jurassic Park.

Breaking through

2010-09-20T21:33:00.005+01:00

In a bid to get some high quality creature animation under my belt and on my reel I have been thinking about new scenes to work on. After the successful piece of animation using the Duke rig I have turned my attention to a dinosaur sequence.

The sequence follows the dinosaur trying to smash through a wall to get to something on the other side. I have not decided if there will be a man that the dinosaur will fight and possibly kill or if it will just attack the camera and finish the scene that way. I have blocked out the first part and loosely roughed out the jump and land on the other side. The smash through the wall looks dynamic from the cameras perspective but from the dinosaurs side it looks far more flat so that is something I want address because I would like to show both views on the reel.

The animation has so far taken around 6 hours to get to this so it is a promising start and hopefully will be stronger than the dog and the next animation stronger than this.

These are sample renders, I am only concentrating on the animation for the creature reel, I will hope to include some more polished renders and some live action plates so I can animate to match live action.

Subtleties

2010-09-14T17:41:00.004+01:00

Just a quick entry, I have managed to add a little more to the creature animation. I have decided to go with a longer sniff, a look and a little investigation from the dog. I am pleased with the first half and I feel it looks like a genuine pooch doing what dogs er.. do.

Blood's A Rover

2010-09-13T20:16:00.002+01:00

Before the summer break I worked as a SFX assistant and a VFX artist on a fantastic book trailer. It is a competition run in partnership with 'Folyes' book shop and the idea is to advertise four of the summers biggest novels. Fulfilling dual roles on the production as both the SFX and the VFX meant that I learnt so much about the physical side of the work load and more importantly the post-production side. I delved deep into Nuke and I believe that I am much stronger using the software. Working one2one with director was great and to be part of the team was by far best bit and I will look forward to repeating the experience in the future.

Here is full trailer (Link)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swYsC7mYgUI

Here is the breakdown,

Blood's A Rover - SFX/VFX Breakdown from Samuel Walsh on Vimeo.

Facebook Page

2010-09-08T14:47:00.003+01:00

A new page on the Facebook has appeared. It is dedicated to all things SFX, VFX and DPP. Come and join!

http://www.facebook.com/sfxvfxdpp

Guerillavision

2010-09-04T21:51:00.005+01:00

I decided to setup a channel on Vimeo to showcase some of the adverts I worked on at my time at Guerillavision. I have also added several other adverts from the talented team at Guerilla that have been produced before, during and after I left the company to start at the National Film and Television school.

http://vimeo.com/channels/guerillavision

Religion

2010-08-31T21:18:00.006+01:00

A book came today that I have very much looking forward to receiving - 'The VES Handbook of Visual Effects' Since my time at the NFTS, my reading has sky rocketed and the many blogs and features I have been reading and this book seemed to come highly recommended and I thought that I'd better get my own copy.

The book itself is huge and crammed full of information and processes for the visual effects artist. I am hoping one day to become a VFX supervisor and this book will be my first port of call for learning and researching. I am thoroughly looking forward to getting into the book. I have a book called the 'Animators Survival Kit' and that guided me through university and helped strengthen my early forays into animation and this will bookend my studies in Visual Effects.

Master Shot VFX Breakdown

2010-08-25T18:21:00.005+01:00

Here it is finally, the first proper visual effect shot I ever worked on. Many of the entries about 'Take One Painting' were referring to this shot. It was the main criteria for the module and the finished result of both the production designers and the DOP students.

I have had to rework the track and iron out the bumps and re-textured and move the 3D models around slightly and of course went back and re-textured the Duke and now his coat can be clearly seen. The quality of the upload is not as good as I expected but I will upload a HD version before the end of the week.

I can finally lay the module and the footage to rest now, I am pleased with the two different shots and I am chuffed that I manged to get the Duke to appear in both.

Set Extension & Creature Animation 02 from Samuel Walsh on Vimeo.

Sniffing

2010-08-22T22:55:00.002+01:00

Just a quick entry, I have decided to try and get more creature animation on my reel as that is what I want to do more of and hopefully do it as my career. I have decided to concentrate on the animation and not worry about getting something like looks beautiful, well the animation will be. I am going to try and get a test done every month and build a range of animations that will go into a specific creature reel to go along with the VFX work I'll be doing as well.

I am gonna do a few with the 'Duke' rig and then build something else. Animation like a dog catching a frisbee and picking up something with its mouth. I have started my first of the series, a short eight second or so piece (at the moment its about 3 but I have been chopping and changing like a crazy man)

It has been difficult just to try and pace out the dog around the cube and make it look like its sniffing around while it is moving. I am getting there in terms of selling the idea that it is a dog doing what a dog does but I am still a huge way off but I'll get there

Interior Shot VFX Breakdown

2010-08-20T22:56:00.004+01:00

At long last I have managed to upload a completed shot with a VFX breakdown. I have finally collected all of my render passes and reworked the rig and now have a full breakdown of the work that went into the shot.

I should have the Master shot online sometime next week and then I am free to start work on some more creature animation, although I do not think that I will push for such a high gloss finish, just get some simple renders to show off the animation.

Set Extension & Creature Animation 01 from Samuel Walsh on Vimeo.

I am pleased with the result but still think that the animation of the dog could be improved but as an entire piece and it will serve as a great benchmark for my future work.

For Sale

2010-08-19T18:01:00.005+01:00

Adult Greyhound needs a new home. A working dog and star of such productions as the 'Take One Painting master shot' in the spring of 2010 and not forgetting his comeback performance after a reworked Rig in the late summer in the 'Interior shot' Both of which will soon appear online HERE

A solid model, great for animation or companionship, has a great temperament and follows instructions like no other. Goes by the name of the Duke and needs to stretch his legs on other exciting projects.

All interested parties please click on this LINK and put in an offer - you know he is worth it.

Small but Mighty

2010-08-08T22:18:00.005+01:00

As I am currently find myself on a summer break from the film school, I have been thinking of tasks to fill the time. I have decided to model a mouse, with the end result in creating a creature that has fur, something that I wanted to get on the dog for the master shot but due to time constraints it was not possible.

I have only managed to get about eights hours on this because I was asked to help on with the SFX (Special Effects) on a book trailer for a competition that has run through the school over the past couple of years. I can't tell you to0 much as I have to wait until the trailer has been released, sometime around the end of August. So time has been spent doing that but I think the mouse will be something I can keep going back to.

The model is very basic and has the right shape for the detailing part to begin. I am pleased thus far with the results and I think that this will be great fun to work on and when it comes to animation I think I can really get it to move like the real thing.

Occlusion

2010-07-16T11:43:00.003+01:00

Here is the Interior shot with the dog fully animated. Although from looking at the scene a number of times I have noticed that certain key frames are ugly and the silhouettes are horrible so another pass will clean all that up.

I have also missed a few minor things from the renders and the texture needs work, I am thinking that the Specular pass may need reworking.

Rough Compostion

2010-07-05T13:48:00.002+01:00

Here is a rough comp of the interior shot with the dog inserted. I have only used the colour and shadow pass for the comp because I wanted to setup the masks and the pipeline in Nuke so when all the animation is perfect and the renders are completed I can quickly get the work finished inside Nuke.

Skulk

2010-07-04T20:21:00.003+01:00

I have finally got underway with the animation for the Interior shot scene that I have been working on over the last month. The animation here is the first rough pass and so is still littered with errors but the whole movement is there and the Duke is slowly becoming cemented into the short scene. Unlike the previous animation, The Master Shot had little actor interaction and I had to work hard to hit the subtle marks from the little girl. Where as here, I have an actor (Abigail Joshi) Production designer pretending to be shooing the dog out of the room and so the animation has all the required marks to have the dog interact more instinctively.

The animation is flowing correctly although I need to add more emphasis to the moment that the dog jumps onto the step and alter the timing where his feet hit the floor. I am pleased with the motion in the dog as it leaves the room and how it enters and with another pass and final tweaks I will have something that will improve the shot and another piece of solid animation.

18 Rounds...

2010-07-03T11:46:00.005+01:00

A little gratuitous vanity here, me firing a SIGG 552. Just before the video started I had already popped off 2 rounds as singles and decided to finish the clip on full automatic. The video is very short and the short burst dispenses 18 rounds - If that was real I would be reloading every couple of minutes. The armourers said that I looked like I knew how to hold a weapon...

I HAVE UPLOADED THIS VIDEO TO SHOW FILM SPECIFICATION FIREARMS.
I WAS UNDER THE STRICT SUPERVISION OF A QUALIFIED ARMOURER.
THE AMMUNITION USED WERE BLANKS AND ALL POSSIBLE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WERE TAKEN.

The Last Boy Scout

2010-07-02T09:15:00.007+01:00

So far this module has included some truly fascinating tasks and exercises but to have a day with a armourer was simple something else. As weapons are often used in films there has to be a qualified armourer to source the weapons and more importantly make them safe and configure them to shoot blanks - although still deadly if used incorrectly and of course make the actors look good while using them.

We started off very slow because safety is paramount and there was a huge amount to get across and what to look for. I learned many things but this is a particular good quote from the day,

'Don't trust any bugger with a gun'

There was a small session in how to stand and how to correctly hold the weapon, I noticed that they are incredibly heavy although strangely comfortable once you have found that spot where the butt fits snugly into the shoulder. Firing the first weapon was the most fun, the model was a SIGG 552 and packed a lot of punch.

SIGG 552

There was a choice of three different firing types, single, 3-shot burst and automatic. I decided that I was only going to do this once so after firing the 1st two shots I flicked straight to automatic and let rip - It was an absolute rush, I could not even here the weapon and I fired 18 rounds so quickly.

The other two chances came from side arms, pistols, the first was James Bonds pistol of choice,

WALTHER PPK

This pistol was incredibly light and comfortable when holding and firing and had very minimal kick and the sound was still loud but nothing compared to the machine gun. Stylish, although I look no where near as Pierce Brosnan when I was firing that.

BROWNING HI POWER

Another pistol but far more powerful than the Walter and have a massive 10 rounds compared to 6 but it was much larger. This was a very elegant weapon, large enough to get a good grip and fitted well into the palm of my hand. I was told that this was often issued to officers in the British army not as a fighting weapon but as a defensive weapon. Used at close quarter and when all is lost and having 10 rounds and maybe a few clips it would be do or die for many soldiers - A story that makes the weapon all that more fascinating.

VFX Breakdown

2010-06-29T20:20:00.002+01:00

The interior shot and its elements are finished, I am currently working out the render passes so I can just concentrate on the animation. It will something subtle just appearing by the door and running away when the dog is ushered out of the scene. To show companies what sort of skills you have and also compositing everything was great and I am pleased that I am showing all the different passes that are need to create VFX and integrate it into live action footage. This is a rough template for the finished render and the template for my other two shots. There is some pacing issues and I would like to hold the wipes for longer, so the viewer can clearly see the passes.

Eight Years...

2010-06-25T10:06:00.004+01:00

Time Heals All Wounds...

2010-06-24T16:32:00.008+01:00

Change is as good as a rest people often say, well I had a little make up test on my hand today in between all the CGI. It was just a small test done in around three minutes and a later touch up application five minutes. Unfortunately I have not got a link to Maria's [Aburn] work but I did take a few pics of the wound.

The injury is made up of a wax compound, which builds up the damaged area of the skin and this is the foundation of the wound. The next stage was applying purple tones with hints of black to create the bruising that would surround the cut, this was the most time consuming part because the skin has to be coloured and painted slowly. Then a clear gel to make the skin mimic weeping burnt skin and then the good bit follows. Two separate applications of blood, the first is the congealed blood which is a jelly substance which is dabbed in and then finally a blood liquid, quiet thick and is applied sparingly. the final little touch is with the most basic ingredient, Vaseline to add a subtle shimmer.

Custom camera

2010-06-23T14:07:00.002+01:00

Making a show reel is a difficult process to go through - for me it's having that tiny little voice in the back of my head saying 'that could be better' but I think I am at a stage in my career that I see the reel as something to show the industry I am capable of working in VFX. I do not pretend to be something I am not and I am not one to toot my own horn but the fear of failure is always present and to be honest that is what gives me the determination to keep going.

I have given myself a short deadline to get a reel uploaded and I am currently finishing the three shots I have been working and adding in a fourth shot - the duke. I want to show the animation, the rig and the modelling as a separate clip because the master shot shows the duke in a scene and after the time spent on the Duke, he deserves another runaround.

Water

2010-06-22T09:33:00.003+01:00

The scene is beginning to take shape. The water is moving how I wanted, I was briefly thinking of making the view through the arch a little stormy because it would fit with the action, especially as Eleonore (production designer) is carry a rug and passing a message - maybe to say that there has been a report... regardless of what it could fit but at the moment my main concern is getting the arch way finished and then start texturing it to make sure it fits with the real footage. I am going to add some weathering to it and add a little more detail. I have noticed that the track is very shaky but the CGI seems to follow the camera and hopefully when rendered out at a good resolution the quality will soften the flickering caused by the shakes.

Windmill over the water

2010-06-18T09:58:00.003+01:00

Between learning about the physical side of the industry yesterday, I managed to carry working on the Reverse shot. I am beginning to make steady progress and I am well underway with the village that is in the distance and across the water. I want to create a village that is hinting at something slightly larger but as we [the viewer] can only see through the arch the rest of the village will not be built but because of the position on the hill top I need to show just enough to sell the idea.

I have dirtied the water to try and recreate a naturalistic feel and although the sky was more of a random choice - I really like that the sky even though its dull and flooded with grey tones there is a hint of golden sunshine and I can use that to create subtle reflections on the water and just kiss the buildings such as the windmill to really bring it into reality. I am going to try and recreate the sky in photoshop so I can separate the clouds, the sunshine and the sky and animate them to see if I can get any movement in the light on the buildings. At the moment the textures in the background are very small but do seem to be holding and I think that if I just tweak them, I should be able to have slight differences.

Reverse Shot

2010-06-16T14:21:00.007+01:00

In an effort to keep plugging away with the shots, I have started work on two entirely different shots. The Interior Shot which I have already begun work on and made steady progress although the dog still needs to be fully animated before the shot will be completed. I have also decided to start work on a very different again, I have opted for the reverse shot on the set to contemplate the master shot and the interior shot. My hope is to have a good range of shots by the end of the 1st year and ready for my show reel.

Original Plate

Set Extension Plate

I wanted to create something that would be more than just extending a wall so I have started work on making a small town across a body of water and try and limit the elements that follow on from the set. The design of this shot will also allow me to place in the Digital double I am working on, I am planning on animating a walk and maybe some other actions in the loading area I have designed, if there is time I may try and model a small boat to make the harbour look a little more busy. I want a variety of shots on my reel and I want to try as many ideas as I can, for instance the house in reality would not be as close to the water as that. I have tried to make out that the houses on either side of the bank are situated on high ground but these exercises are to get my skills up-to-speed and allow me to learn lots about the tracking process and the Maya/Nuke pipeline.

The big test in this shot will be the window, the green screen can be seen clearly through the window and is also reflected back and so I think that it has to be an entire window replacement and that is something that I will have to investigate further.

Digital Double

2010-06-14T20:43:00.001+01:00

I have been recently working on something that has always interested me since I first saw the massive documentaries about the Lord of the Rings. Digital Doubles are a great way of getting actors into a shot that either were not available or the idea is too dangerous. The reason here is neither, I am making the double to add to the background of a few shots to try and create a larger world and add some extra people in the backgrounds of the shots.

I managed to get the cast to pose for reference pictures when we were shooting 'Take One Painting' and I have begun with John Merry (Production Designer) and have made good progress. After around twelve hours work I have a rough mannequin with very basic features. The double will take a fair amount of time because the double needs to be detailed enough to hold up next to the physical counterparts. John will only exist in the background but I would like him to be recognised at least.

The final model will need to be rigged and animated - something that could be a lot of fun and if I can manage I will use this model as a base for the rest and design another few UV maps so to recreate a small crowd and really fill out the shot.

Progress...

2010-06-07T22:09:00.003+01:00

VFX work is slowing down and will take a back seat because the SFX module has started and I have six whole weeks to try all of the physical aspects of the industry. I will however keep working on the custom 'Take One Painting' shots and should be able to make steady progress. The interior shot that I have been working on is going well and I will hopefully get the dog animated and then start the final composition.

Interior Shot

2010-06-02T23:18:00.006+01:00

After a long time working on the master shot, I have finally moved onto something new. Although I have been back and forth with tweaking the shot to iron out a few of the flaws. The new shot is an interior which is great change of pace and completely different. It's main advantage is that the shot is around 6-7 seconds instead of the massive 50 second master shot. This has been a godsend when using PF Track as previewing track points and solving is much faster and has allowed me to try new things and get results quicker and therefore I have been able to explore the software.

For this shot I wanted to create something that was real but simple, I opted for lots of wooden beams to hide the main areas where the set ended and added the start of a small staircase in the back right of the shot. I wanted to try and create a larger world scenario and make it looked like it was lived in. So far I have only added in the colour maps and the lights, I plan to use the specular maps and bump maps to give the wood a little more reality and presence in the shot. The Duke will also make an appearance as the main reason for the shot is that Abigail (Production designer) shews out a 'invisible' animal and as there is a dog in the master shot, I will composit the Duke into the shot.

Original Plate

Set Extension Plate

The above shot is my work in progress so far and its beginning to turn out the way I wanted it. I have still have work to do to make sure that there is sufficient shadow around the beams, although I think that I can get that from the occlusion pass. I am pleased with how the lighting is match the original plate and that it is given a realistic look to the beams.

Cherry Picking

2010-05-22T17:51:00.003+01:00

At last the module is finished. It has been a mammoth slog to get everything done and ready for the showing. The work was screened in front of the other sections and anybody who was interested in what we had been doing these last twelve or so weeks. Seeing the work on the big was great although there were a number of errors, mainly the tracking and the grading - the later is something that the DPP would normally handle so I am not dwelling on that but I am disappointed in the track, I had tested it and was aware of a few minor chinks but on the cinema screen it was very wobbly and I feel the best thing to do is to redo the track and match the buildings back up.

The Duke however went down extremely well and helped improve the overall feel of the piece. I am very happy with the final scene, I feel that in terms of learning I covered everything and even though the piece was far from perfect I now understand tracking and what to look for, modelling and texturing and how to match marry real footage with the Maya elements and of course how to rig and texture a model to be animated.

I am now deep into cherry picking the rig and I have sorted out the problem with the tail, it has taken several hours and now I can revisit the animation and give it a decent tail movement which was sadly lacking in the piece. I am happy to keep working on it as it will be part of the show reel and therefore an important piece of work. I have roughed out another scene for the Duke to star in and hopefully will start that soon.

MPC

2010-05-18T16:27:00.006+01:00

I recently grabbed 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' from my school library. I have been watching a lot of costume pieces and films with lots of great set designs and high grade production design. I had watched the original 'Elizabeth' way back before I even started at university and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had researched the film and found out that MPC (Moving Picture Company) here in London had done the VFX and that was enough for me.

The shots that contained the VFX were kept to a minimum and when they were used they were beautiful and incredibly realistic.

The ships that formed the Spanish Armada were fantastic and although the shot was short the detail present was great and the details of the sails all blowing really brought the scene to life. The grading made it look like a painting and the sun rays bursting out from the clouds gave the scene a sense what was about to happen.

The fire ship sequence was also full of excellent detail and the colours were amazing and the contrast between the fire and the cold sea made the fire look exceptional hot and subtle heat haze really was the cherry on the cake.

My personal favourite shot from the film was when Elizabeth walks to the cliff to see the Armada burning, although the ships are off screen the reddish tones creep into the cool palette of Elizabeth. The little silhouette of the queen standing on the cliff with here gown blowing in the wind and the waves crashing at the bottom is so beautiful and with the score reaching its crescendo is a perfect way to finish the battle.

Nuking the Duke

2010-05-15T08:55:00.004+01:00

The final stages approach for this module, after three long months, the deadline next week is in sight. I still have lots of little jobs to do to make the scene watchable. I have probably finished with Maya for now but I will revisit it once the review is behind me. I have an extra couple of weeks once the module reaches its end to polish the scene up for my showreel which basically means adding lots of wipes and stage transitions and of course showing the animation break down for the Duke.

We as a group have had to take this project from conception right through to final comping and Grading. I feel a little like we are stepping on the toes of the DPP section - I understand that it is necessary to do the foundation of Nuke and the all import work flow and what is required from us in terms of correct pipeline renders and file formats. I have struggled with the compositing because of working out the animation and setting up the passes for the Duke and this has delayed my entry into the software. I am not entirely worried but the inexperience within Nuke does show and problem solving is incredibly difficult.

The first initial render shows good things and highlights some errors in both my modelling and tracking but I am pleased with how the Duke has turned out and with a handful of grades and colour corrects I should finish with a respectable piece of work and something worthy of the Cinematographers and Production Designers efforts.

First Rough Pass

2010-05-11T20:46:00.010+01:00

At last after six weeks work I finally have the first rough animation pass for the project. The Rig has been the bane of my life for the last 10 days and I have spent more time trouble shooting and fixing it than I have actually using it. The Rig is now stable and works very well, I have noticed a few minor faults but nothing that will effect the usefulness of the rig as a whole.

The animation has occupied a space in my head since I first saw the painting and to have something real is great. I have worked hard to plan the animation and originally wanted to have the Duke in the scene when the camera began to zoom out but quickly realised that idea would have to be a secondary animation and would have to be completed after the deadline. I had envisioned around 9-10 seconds of animation but this failed to allow for the movement I required and I lengthened it by three seconds and now have something that flows well and has sufficient pace. The Duke has to work with the actors and remain a secondary character until he moves forward to interact with the little girl.

In an effort to cement the Duke into the scene I have tied the animation with the visual cues that are given by the girl and although limited they do serve as key markers for pace. I used the markers as reference points and planned the animation to hit these, like for instance when the girl points, the dog is moving out of the building and into the centre of the scene.

As this is the first rough pass there are areas that still need tightening and obviously the tail needs a full pass of animation but I have planned it to have limited movement and not wag, I feel it can be small movements. The next stage is the cleaning and animating the ears and adding bounce to the body of the Duke - at the moment it looks a little static. Look forward to the second pass.

Never work with children or CGI dogs...

2010-05-09T20:53:00.000+01:00

I have been working hard over the last four weeks in an effort to make the deadline for the module. I have so far enjoyed all of the modelling/texturing and lighting my set extension sections and I am currently on the eve of putting it all together in Nuke. I am however having trouble dividing my time between the animation of the Duke and compositing the scene. We are stepping on the DDP (Digital Post-Production) toes with this exercise and with everything equal I would rather hand over my renders to them to work their magic while I concentrate my full attention on the animation.

This module has given me a great understanding of the VFX pipeline and an insight to the range of specialities that exist before the work even reaches the compositing and grading stages. I have been trouble-shooting the Rig for a week and now see why in the industry there are dedicated Riggers. I look back at the rigging and I know that I learned an incredible amount but barley scratched the surface, this have reinforced my need for more of this in the future and hope that CGI creatures are needed for the Graduation films next year.

Animation is the part of the module that has given me the greatest satisfaction and although it is not even part of the module the chance to combine it with what I learned was something that I could not shy away from. I have been working over the last two days to get the dog walking and seem really and match the pace of the actors in the master shot. I am having to work quickly and I am beginning to struggle to nail the subtleties of how a dog would walk and act.

The animation is the 1st pass and in terms of completion is still a good many man hours to get right, I am hoping that I can pin down the movements as I am a little afraid of the animation looking cheap and wooden and if I feel it is not good enough to include it in the final submission I will remove it, if I am not 100% happy then the audience will not enjoy the scene.

The above image is a low quality render of all the assets are I currently have them inside Maya. The purpose of this is to see how the sections are fitting together and how the lighting and texturing is matching the original footage. There is a tree missing from this as there has been a change to the final image straight from the Cinematographer and so that is currently being worked out.

A quick render of the Duke, I have been using the paint tool in maya to hide the seams and considering the tool is nowhere near as powerful the tool set inside Photoshop, it worked very well and for small texturing adjustments the 3D paint tool is the way forward.

Andy Serkis

2010-05-09T11:32:00.004+01:00

This week we had a little treat - Gollum came to visit in our little VFX cave at NFTS. It was great to have Mr Serkis come and look at our work, he was very interested in the work we were doing and he is such a legend having given Gollum such personality and to make Kong much more than a big ape. He has such incredible balance and pose when in the MoCap suit and that is something that interests me a lot, the ability to combine hand keyed animation with real footage is a perfect match. I am lucky enough to study Motion Capture at the school and to be able to combine it with animation and character design will be fantastic.

Although Mr Serkis could only stop by for a short time, he said some nice things about our work and that he wished us all luck with getting it completed.

Gary McGivney

2010-04-11T10:53:00.003+01:00

Recently while still working for Guerilla, I decided to email an old animation contact. Back in 2006 when I finished my university course, I believed that I was ready to take on the animation world - I was very unprepared. I started to send out showreels and CV's and was incredibly nervous about hearing what the industry thought of my work.

I sent one of my reels to a company in NZ, a company who's work I liked and wanted to hear what the MD thought - Gary McGivney was his name. Gary is an American animator/Producer who founded 'Zippitoons' in 1996. When I heard back just before Christmas 2006 the email contained something that changed everything. Gary was incredibly honest and some would consider brutal, he wrote about what I had done wrong and what I needed to include to make a great animation reel.

I read his email a few times and wrote a thank you and asked him to become mentor to me and help me to improve - he accepted and I began to send him small animation tests for feedback and Gary would always give me excellent and well thought out critiques. He would also recommend software and reading lists so I was up-to-date with the latest developments in the industry.

Just last year around after Christmas, I emailed Gary to say a big thank you and tell him how incredibly helpful and generous with his time. I grew as an artist from having Gary's input and how he made me see how important a solid foundation of the core animation principals are. I was unsure however that Gary would remember me due to the three years that had passed since our vast email exchanges - Thankfully he did! He was taken-a-back that I had thanked him for his help and that he was pleased that his initial comments had only made me stronger in my quest to enter the industry.

I am not sure if Gary McGivney will ever read this but all I can say is this - Without your help Gary I think that I would be wandering along a different path now without the thirst and would not be able to call upon the experience I have.

Thank You

The Zippitoons Team

UV Map

2010-04-10T02:02:00.003+01:00

After three solid days of UV(ing) the texture map is finally finished. I may have to add a few of his teeth but that is small compared to the main map. This is something that I had little experience with and having only done it once before I struggled through it. I managed to finish with something that has very distortion and from the very basic fur tests I have done, I can take heart from the fact that it is working. I have managed to put myself back on schedule and now I can concentrate more time on learning 'PF Track' so I can get the master shot ready for the build.

The Duke is no ready for either texturing or fur shaders, I am aiming for fur partly because it is something that I have never done before and also I believe that it will add far more realism than a texture could. The checkers on the mesh are roughly all the same size and this will allow the fur to more accurately attach itself to the geometry and should look much tidier but again this will come down to who well I can explore the fur shader. I am very tired after this and with around six weeks to go I feel that with this task behind me I can begin to move forward with the class and not have such a big side track on my hands. The Dukes UV map is fairly simple compared to some of work that is going on in films but for me its a good start and should be simple to paint in 'Photoshop' if I chose to texture the Duke.

Montagne Jeunesse

2010-03-29T21:01:00.009+01:00

Six in the morning and on my way to the location somewhere in East Acton. Shooting began around ten and that gave me enough time to say hello to a few familiar faces and an introduction here and there to the crew members I had not met before. It was a relatively small crew but the results were fantastic. The location also had another twist because it was the home of food critic - 'Oliver Payton' who is a regular on 'The Great British Menu'

I did briefly meet him but he disappeared off to work quickly with the rest of his family in tow. The shot went smoothly and with no delays and although my contribution was small I am happy that I got the chance to experience a live location and the ability to work with crew that I normally would not interact with such as the Gaffer or the DIT. As a runner you can just work with crew when you think they need it and the stories they share makes it all worth it.

The spot was directed by the extremely talented Matthew Loudon. He is a rising star in his field and is a wealth of knowledge for his age and I will back this horse to have a bright future in this industry. His diplomatic approach and calm demeanor is refreshing especially on a shot where people can become stretched. His graduation film 'My Darling Wife' was nominated for a short film BAFTA. I am very happy to be working with Matthew on an animated short, although only in it's infancy there is a script and the beginnings of a look.

The DoP incharge was David Procter, he is a gifted cinematographer and shoots beautifully and I have only seen Glimpses of his work but it is impressive stuff and his work has taken him all over the globe. He is a friendly and helpful person, last time I worked with him gave me some advice about film school which helped me immensely.

(Right) David Procter - (Far Right) Matthew Loudon

The two assistant directors and client managers fell upon the very capable shoulders of Rhea Hajifanis and Rachel Walker. Rhea is a confident and bright young woman, especially suited for organising clients and writing scripts, I worked closely with her on 247 Moneybox and together achieved a good result.

Rachel is the all - rounder and turns her hand to many skills often required by Guerilla. She is beginning to venture into the world of Producing, even though I have a vested interest in the result she will have no trouble in securing the role that was made for her. Rachel was my co-director/co-animator/colourist/inker/saviour and motivator during Chandlers, something that helped my confidence and skill as an artist.

(Left) Rhea - (Right) Rachel

Fur

2010-03-29T00:01:00.004+01:00

A short entry this time, I have been playing around with some fur textures and trying to figure out how to make the duke look more realistic and more believable when composited into the master 'Take One Painting' shot. I have very limited experience with this type of texturing and so far have only managed to test the fur simulation on a very simple polygonal sphere - with very mixed results. I have discovered that the fur is heavily dependant on the UV map and so this will have to be very sound to create a decent fur texture. Here are two renders that have come close to looking like the correct texture, similar to that of the greyhound in the painting.

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog

2010-03-27T23:09:00.004Z

Having left my most up-to-date file of the Duke on my school computer, it ruined my plans of getting the UV map and corrective blend shapes completed before the big task of tracking which is due to start next week. In effort to do something rather nothing I decided on a simple rig test and a first attempt at animating the Duke and bringing him to life. I produced a simple walk cycle and quickly discovered that the rig works well and I will be able to get a working animation completed for the master shot. Although there are some problems with the foot controls, the translation axis are behaving strangely and I cant not afford to spend time troubleshooting as the deadline is approaching and can not afford to waste any more time in the rigging process.

The Duke is only my second completed rig and is much more advanced than my first venture into rigging. I am happy that I have made the mistakes now on the first module and hopefully the next creature I construct will work more efficiently. I am looking forward to animating the duke for the scene and hopefully I will have enough time to add the duke into my person scene and maybe more. I originally envisioned giving the completed file to the rest of the class but I feel that with these errors they will find it extremely difficult to use which is very disappointing for me but I will of course give the duke to the class to use as they see fit.

The animation here has been produced quickly and the actual animation will move more like a greyhound and will use the high poly mesh and the duke will be covered in fur and be a close match to the greyhound in the original painting. I am thoroughly looking forward to animating the final piece and crafting the realistic movements of the animal.

Shoot Day (Two)

2010-03-27T16:19:00.007Z

The second day of the 'Take One Painting' shoot went well although with the number of shots our department wanted the last couple were rushed but still turned out better than expected. I managed to get the shot that I had Pre-Vis(ed) earlier in the week and from seeing other shots I decided to include more of the actors (Production Team) to try and suggest a larger world and make the set extension seem more real.

Here is a picture from the 'Director's POV', this is what I could see when I had a chance to direct my own shot. It was just like you see on the 'making ofs' and there was even a little hand written note on the monitor so we could remember the actors names. The shot went well although I may have some trouble with the blurriness but I think that I will be fine. All that's left now is to look at a few more pictures from the day.

Shoot Day (One)

2010-03-24T20:53:00.006Z

The first day of filming has come to an end and the crew managed to shoot four setups and of course captured the all important 'Take One Painting' master shot. It was great being on set with a crew and using actual 35mm film and working the cinematographers helped our group to get better and more realistic shots than maybe our Pre-Vis suggested. Although my setup is tomorrow, a few members of the group got their shots and even though displayed on a small monitor the results were encouraging and should be even better when we get the footage and begin to track elements and start the VFX.

I managed to get a few pictures and even a little video of one of the shots taking place. I will hopefully add a few more pictures during tomorrows shooting and get a few pictures of my setup.

Pre Vis

2010-03-20T12:20:00.004Z

The final Friday before our day of shooting looms and our tutor 'Lee Griggs' suggested working on some pre-vis - something that delighted me as I am running into difficulties with the Duke and after 3 weeks work I am happy to put him on the shelf.

The set is near completion and is looking good the lights are currently being set up and the green screen positioned for the cinematographers shoot day. The pre-vis is designed as a rough animatic and serves as a first as an interactive guide not only for the cinematographers and the production designers but for me. I can quickly work out the shot(s) that I would like to achieve and change camera moves and positions to achieve the best setup.

I have opted to follow an actor coming entering from the right of shot and walking past the camera that is loosely positioned at the 'Take One Painting' shot. My production designer and I have decided to position the set geographically next to a harbour and focus the set extension on the vista across the water. The actor will walk towards the green screened area and then walk out of shot leaving the camera focusing on a distant windmill that is slowly turning.

Knee Deep

2010-03-13T22:01:00.004Z

For the last week or so I have been knee deep in the rigging process for the Duke. My experience with rigging is limited and a lot of my knowledge is gained through trial and error and so far the Rig is for the majority working. The modelling process is a very fluid and wholly creative process and allows for development of organic ideas where as the rigging section follows a strict structure and follows a stringent set of rules and operating methods.

To allow myself to not get pinned down with the technicalities, I have approached it using my background as an animator. This has lightened the process and bought the creativity back, numerous ideas have been borne out of research on how an actual canine would move and so from that solutions have been found.

There are several problems with the rig and each one has to be addressed before the animation can get underway. I have come across one glaring issue and that the Duke can not sit down, his front legs and back work perfectly for the action BUT the hind legs are subject to the limitations of the IK chain and so I will have to add a FK/IK switch which will allow for direct and precise movement for each bone in the hind legs and should theoretically make the Duke sit down like a good boy.

Experiments with the rig so far have culminated in a few poses to test the rig and this one was my favourite and the Duke now is beginning to look alive for the first time in three weeks. The image may look a little strange and that is because I added a proxy/proxy smooth/Bound switch to the rig to test the movement quickly which eliminates any lagging in Maya. The body of the greyhound is split into rough bone groups and the result makes the mesh seem like it is in pieces.

The Duke

2010-03-03T19:53:00.008Z

After roughly a weeks work I have finished the Greyhound model and I am ready for the next stage. I am extremely pleased with the result and think that if I can put a solid Rig and paint the weights competently the 'Duke' should be back on his feet in no time at all.

I have added in basic detail into the MESH to simulate the muscles under the skin and hinted at certain bone structures, especially around his front and hind legs. I am currently doing some research into 'Mudbox' so I can paint and sculpt the subtle details like the veins and features around the head and snout. The animation will be something totally new because I have only ever animated characters on still backgrounds and this animation will need to be tracked and conform to the camera moves that the Cinematographers will shoot on the day. I wall be producing and run and walk for my NFTS reel and this could be used as a trail run for the rig and if anything needs changing I can do it before the final animation needs to be done.

I am also going to incorporate a low and high res mode for the rig which should help the computer as this is a high detailed model and will make the animation process more streamlined. Here is a render of the Duke using a simple render layer and finished with a straight forward turnaround.

I also have modeled for the first time a detailed mouth and teeth structure, although I have no plans to make the dog bark or snarl, I would like to be able to open the mouth when the dog is moving to add realism, I have included a few screen grabs to show the final mouth region.

Take One Painting

2010-02-27T00:25:00.012Z

Today marks the end of the first 5 weeks of the course here at NFTS and the work is beginning to pick up pace. I have been given the painting for our 'Set Extension' task and had my first production meeting - very low key but I still got to Meet my production designer, who I'll be working with over the course of this module. There is lots to do for this and will be a huge learning experience which is great and I am thoroughly looking forward to jumping in at the deep end.

The Painting is 'Scene In a Courtyard' by the Dutch artist 'Ludolf de Jongh' and is painted using oil on canvas. The painting itself is a traditional scene from Europe and exhibits an everyday occurrence which is perfect for our task. Below is the original, which is a fantastic piece of work and the second image has the 'green screen' areas indicated to show which are the sections which I will be responsible for.

Original Painting

Original with Green Screen Mask

Basically from looking at both of the images, I have been charged with the virtual creation of the background elements, the trees and the hand full of structures that can be seen poking out from behind the wall. I have a few ideas for the look of the buildings and this will be reinforced by another meeting with my Production Designer - Laura sometime next week and see the scale model they have made before the full scale set will be constructed.

I have also given myself a side project, the first thing I noticed when I looked at the painting was that there was a dog. To be honest that was the only thing that I thought about and I have decided to make him. I have begun the modelling stage, although it is proving very tricky, I am making progress and have only realistically spent about 12 hours on it. I plan on finishing him by next week so I can begin the long process of Rigging and animating him. I have been researching rigging and texturing techniques and hopefully will be ready and not let this distract me from the main goal of the set extension. Below is two screen grabs of the Greyhound/Whippet/Lurcher and I have given him the nickname of 'The Duke' - he will be beautiful.

Mental Ray

2010-02-18T22:16:00.004Z

During my first module here at NFTS, I have been learning all about the rendering engine 'Mental Ray' that is used in the Maya software. I am a good user of Maya but I have only touched upon modelling and animation side and this module has been a massive eye opener.

We have been slowly creating a room interior complete with sofas, lamps, units and even curtains. Getting my head around how Maya uses it's nodes to render and have they link together has been difficult but as this is a very practical course, just doing it and making mistakes has been a fantastic experience. I have been guided through all this by a very talented Maya operator, Lee Griggs - I'll talk more about Lee when he leaves us in a couple weeks.

As lighting is such a massive area of 3D, I'm not sure I will ever know everything but from building my own interior and lighting myself has given me a good foundation to build upon during the course of my first 'Proper' project. Here is a test render from day one of the lighting exercise and I am chuffed with the result.

Mr Benson

2010-02-06T11:44:00.005Z

This week has been dedicated to learning about all aspects of the film industry and I have had the pleasure of being guided through this by a very talented and incredibly warm and honest practitioner - Roy Benson.

Through the week I have been subjected to clips from some of the most famous films ever made to experimental films that only Roy knew about - which was fantastic. He had such a great and refreshing approach to teaching us and I took in so much information that at the end of each session I was exhausted!

Roy Benson told us that he always wanted to get into films and he got his first chance by knocking on doors in Soho and someone gave him that chance. He has worked with many great talents and he had some many stories about the Beatles because he had worked as an editor on the film.

A Hard Day's Night

Roy also worked as a Post Production Supervisor on Rambo 4, although I hadn't seen the film, Roy showed us some of the Rushes from a few scenes and then the completed edited version to show us how much film stock is wasted and how many shots must be covered to give the editor as much choice as possible. Also treated us to a version of the final battle - I was amazed with the technical aspect of the scene and even though the piece lasts for about 5 minutes it took weeks to finish.

Rambo 4

I am so pleased that Roy gave up his time to come and talk to us for the entire week and his stories will be something that I always remember from this and if you ever read this, all I can say is...

Thank you Mr Benson

Terry Gilliam

2010-02-06T11:01:00.004Z

My first week at NFTS and I was treated to an amazing master class - Terry Gilliam. As soon as he walked into the room everybody went quiet and sat in awe for about an hour. Terry talked about lots of films and picked on a few of his favourites from 'Time Bandits to 12 monkeys'. He discussed his views and opinions on Special effects in films and how he as a director approaches the use of these as visuals.

Terry gave a incredibly honest story of Hollywood and how he likes to do things his way and the pressure that directors get from the money men and studios. The whole talk was a great experience even though I didn't manage to get any questions across I learned a lot from listening to him.

247 Parking

2010-01-19T10:23:00.002Z

This is a current advert I am working on and for the first time I am actively working as a pair on this. It has been great to work with someone else and who's skills are very different to mine so coming up with ideas and what can be achieved hits a whole other level.

This is the advert in it's current form and is a 'WIP' so there are still a few issues with the 3D and certain camera moves.

247 Moneybox

2009-12-30T19:58:00.005Z

This the last advert I worked on this year that is ready for the channels. This advert was the most entertaining to work on and by far the most visually pleasing. I believe that it is the best advert in its class by far - (Product being advertised)

This advert came along way and from a particularly crude and extremely basic storyboard (although it was clear and concise), to a very rough and clunky animatic to a polished and slick end product. I decided to animate the pig in flash because the website had a logo which had to be matched and I felt that only Flash could pull it off, my 2D work would of been better in terms of animation but I could not guarantee a perfect match.

I tried to make the pig into a nosy and charming little pig and make people like him because the service is about loaning money which can be boring and dull. The finished product is made better with some great sound effects and a lovely score - which really brings the advert to life.

I decided to upload all of the incarnations, from storyboard for the rough timings, the animatic to show the client what could be achieved and the final finished product.

Storyboard (Rough timings)

Animatic (Client Approval)

Final Advert (Ready for Transmission)

http://www.247moneybox.com

One World Wildlife

2009-12-30T19:36:00.003Z

This is the second advert I have worked on. This was process was very different from my previous job because there was no animation to speak of and very little work to be done in terms of design work.

The job also had an incredibly small budget and had to be done quickly and make the advert seem glossy and upmarket and the main thing was it could not look cheap. The idea centres around a traditional tug on the heart strings with slow zooms from animals that are under threat of extinction. The advert benefits from a great voice over from a chap called 'Guy Harris' which adds weight and also a particularly beautiful piece of piano music from a
'Miss Hajifanis'. After Effects was my biggest asset to this and it allowed me create something pleasing and also I discovered the use of cameras so I could become a mini- D.O.P. when working on this advert. I am hoping that this advert helps increase the donations to help our wildlife.

http://www.oneworldwildlife.org

Chandlers Oil and Gas

2009-12-21T15:19:00.003Z

I thought I would start to upload the adverts that I have been working on these last few months. I have so far finished work on three adverts and I am currently working on a forth.

The first advert was for a company located in the East Midlands and Lancashire region and specialise in selling oil and gas to houses who choose to receive there energy from an on site drum or fuel tank, similar to a camp site caravan but on a much larger scale.

I have uploaded two videos, the first is an animatic with all the rough animation in for timing purposes and to show the clients how the final advert should look and also it was for very important for me to have a solid, working animation to use when I started to finalise the visuals and composite in After Effects.

The second video is the final full advert (although compressed) with all the final music and sound effects, which was done by a very talented sound recordist - 'Jason Creasey' and also which was the icing on-top-of-an-already- amazing experience working on my first advert was to have it voiced by 'Neil Morrissey', famed for his role in Men Behaving Badly.

I had an amazing time working on this project and even though I was working with a very talented team, the stress was particularly high but after the final showing to the client, it was all very worth while and would happily do it all over again.

National Film and Television School

2009-12-11T17:39:00.004Z

I stand ready to start another chapter in my career and I am about to live out a massive dream of mine to study at the National Film and Television School that is years in the making. The epic journey to this point has taken me around the country and can look back on the jobs and the people I have met along the way, knowing that this is truly destiny. It has long been a dream of mine to work in the film industry and now I can walk the corridors where the greats have studied and become a better artist, a more skilled technician and will of course be the making of my character.

I have been supported along the way by a small but incredible mix of people and will never forget what people have done for me along this path and for that alone I thank everybody who was there for me when I needed it, you know who you are!

'Dreams can often become challenging, but challenges are what we live for'

Careful, it Bites

2009-12-03T12:47:00.004Z

I have been mad busy lately and I have only managed about 4 hours of Maya over the last month, which I hate but as I am working at the moment and producing work that is going live for television I cannot grumble - BUT as this is my blog, it seems a perfect place for it... ;)

When I have had the time, usually only 20 minutes here or 5 minutes there, I like to keep my personal animation going and any ideas I have. I always like to try something new. Currently I have been slowly chipping away at a short animation of a creature going through the stage of attacking or even defending itself. I plan on making this fit into a simple 'Idle' animation where over the course of 30 seconds or so a couple of actions can happen and then when finished the creature can return to a breathing stance.

I have only managed to find a small amount of time but it is taking shape, it needs a lot more hours until its ready. I have uploaded the animation in it's present state for you to see.

The Little Pig

2009-11-25T16:51:00.006Z

I have been recently working for a advertising production house and I have been very busy. I have finished work on my first advert a couple of weeks ago. It was a traditional 2D animated advert and finished digitally and it went on to be voiced by Neil Morrissey - which was very cool. I was incredibly pleased that I managed to get the advert completed in 5 weeks, although I was not alone on the project, I did have help from a skilled colourist and clean up artist so essentially a two man effort. The process was a lot of work and incredibly stressfull and taught me a lot about advertising, how to work to the strictest of deadlines and what can be achieved with hard work, Lots...

I am now on to project number two and so far everything is going well and the client is happy with the early rough work and I have around two weeks to polish the animation and the composit the advert using After Effects. I have opted to animate the advert solely in Flash because I have to stick to the original logo. I felt that Flash was the best software to recreate the artwork and allow me to animate the character and make sure it remains consistent to the original image.

Here is a page of thumbnail sketches I did while I was fleshing out the 'Pig' character for the advert, the initial image was a very simple and cute. I used this as a basis for the animation and animated the pig as if it was a nosey little piglet and so this trait is reflected in the movement and the different position the Pig adopts when appearing on screen.

A Good Book

2009-10-02T18:55:00.003+01:00

I bought this book at the start of the year when I first began to learn Maya. I was rather foolish and neglected it after I had skimmed through it. I recently saw it on the shelf and started to read it properly and now that I understand the Maya terms and the 3D speak, the book has turned out to be a very good purchase. I don't really want to write a book review but if you want to learn Maya with animation in mind as a final goal then pick this up. I have provided a link to save you time searching,

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Game-Animators-Guide-Maya/dp/0470038578/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1254506359&sr=8-2-fkmr0

The book also comes with an excellent CD and for once contains decent stuff. Each of the books chapters are located on the CD and each has its own Maya scene files, step by step and best of all a finished, fully rigged and textured character is yours to play with. I have only really experimented with the spider tank. I selected that because I have never tried to animate an arachnid and wanted to have a go. To my surprise the whole process was no where near as difficult I first thought and the result although unfinished is good. I managed to get some secondary action with the cannon and slightly offset the body from the legs. I also then got carried away and quickly bashed together a short pre viz scene with very basic props. It turned out well and as its Pre - Vis, it never needs to be perfect as long as it can be turned around quickly, I think it took about an hour.

Steel Petals x2

2009-10-02T15:53:00.003+01:00

The band I originally produced a flyer for and they liked it so much they wanted another. This one I feel is a better image and is far more chilled out than the last design. Hopefully they will like it and will come back and ask if they want any more design work.

The bands website can be found on the bottom of the flyer.

Harrison Ford

2009-10-01T17:43:00.003+01:00

I am currently recovering from another bout of Tonsillitis and once again my saviour comes in the form of Penicillin and Films. As I have been unable to do anything other than lie down I treated myself to a 'Harrison Ford Day'. In my view these three films are the actors finest work, I can watch each of the films again and again and I can always tell if I like a film as when it is shown on TV I will happily sit through it. I am hoping for a speedy recovery because I have been hired to work on a commercial and need to be fit for the storyboard meeting on Monday, Fingers crossed...

I'll leave you with a favourite quote,

'These people are trying to kill us'

'I know dad, it happens to me all the time'