Shoe And Tell

A couple more hours spent on it.

Glad to see some proper shape gathering.

Next: Some other details, fixing the lace holes, then the laces.

After that: digital sculpting and texturing.

Polygon Modelling Progress

After one afternoon I got the basic shape of the plimmy recreated:

I have just duplicated it for demonstration purposes, but there is some shape coming together so far. The laces should be interesting... as well as later Mudbox sculpting, lighting, rendering and compositing...

NURBs Modelling

NURBs modelling was taught as a defunct method of modelling up until this semester, for me.

It is definitely a tricky way to model, and seen as I am not a modeller and never used NURBs before now, I have chosen an object (lamp post from the Nethergate) which has a variety of 'simple' shapes, which is still mind-bloggling at this point in time to recreate. Things considered simple, such as having closed-up edges and creating bevels or adding geometry, are like quests across the antarctic for me at the moment (hyperbole, like).

After years of modelling solely with polygons, it is a bit like re-inventing bread.

The curves can create a very realistic or imperfect 'sharp' edge if utilised correctly...

Tools such as boolean, round tool and circular fillet tool cause some problems sometimes, but I have still made progress. There is still some detail to complete and adjust yet...

References For Test

Myself and Lina are starting up on a test of an environment, so I can try out the type of composite I'd like to achieve this year as she works on her experience in 3D environment modelling.

I have taken inspiration from derelict buildings in Dundee. However, I could not get inside, where are are basing our environment, but I still managed to get some interior shots.

Particular films explore the types of imagery I'd like to create:

'Red' Particularly good style in this exterior shot.

'Station Park'

Orson Welles' 'The Trial' (1962)

These materials should be relevant for the final piece. Even though I do not have a character locked yet, I will look to create a similar setting based on these, and other, influences. Then I want to explore a variety of shots to explore not only compositing in Nuke but the variety within filmmaking further.

Silhouetted City..

RED (supinfocom 2011 short film) from RED the moviemakers on Vimeo.

The shapes in the silhouettes, lighting and fog are very appealing for me here. Also, considering the character in there, makes me think about the integration of a live action character in such a texture-less environment, very similar to film noir which I have great interest in..

Script Writing

Alfred Hitchcock: "To make a great film you need three things - the script, the script and the script."

Of course I am concentrating on compositing, but what will I composite without this? 

Workshops with Mark Grindle, script writer, have made clear what makes up the fabric of a story. He shared my philosophy that characters are most important, and the story will develop on from that character and their needs, etc. Then other characters can surround them (seen directly or not).

Important things in script writing to consider are:

Tone - Mood, eg. comedic, drama, tragedy

Theme - Point of view, desires - eg. love, validation, justice, etc. Fears - eg. of death

The next steps for the project are to flesh out my characters or create newer ones. I am set to sit down with Mark Grossi and Tom Paxton next week hopefully to brainstorm some ideas. I will then develop the piece around projected technically achieved imagery to explore them within their 'story'...

I am also working with Lina Ivanova (3D modelling) and Michal Zagorski (Director of Photography) on a short test (or split into two) based totally on the types of settings I want to create and then gaining Nuke experience in compositing, this semester.

Hopefully some synopsises, concepts as well as tests are on their way very soon. 

Along with completing assignments, by the end of the semester (early December) I should have a rough script, Nuke compositing and chroma keying tests, and a test shoot with Michal.

Dram-Bu-Ie

MPC

I really like their work in post-production.

Yi Zhou - Greatness

Pure Greatness.

The Greatness HD from Yi Zhou on Vimeo.

A bunch of great visual effects examples/inspiration. It is the great clarity in detail which is a great benchmark, for me. Just great.

Desom = Genius?

Great combination of live action and VFX, and all-round good piece:

Hauschka - Radar from Jeff Desom on Vimeo.

X On A Blog

Another reference worth sharing again is X On A Map:

X ON A MAP from Jeff Desom on Vimeo.

It gives me some ideas of the look I want to achieve in live action, but also replicate in the computer. However, keeping in mind narrative of a well-rounded film (it is not yet clear how close to this I am going to design this year - as my project won't be as heavy on live action - as I am still predominantly focussing on VFX practices at DoJ - but for it's feel in these regards are definitely worth noting).

It is also just a good short..

James Desom is worth checking (some great short films of his here...)
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Also, please excuse the lack of my own work. This will be rectified once I get well, and I get some other things out of the way (well, it better be...)

Roman Composites

...No, The Romans weren't that ahead of their time...

This example demonstrates the realism I aim to go into in my composites.

Kahn's Exeter Short Film from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

It will consist of, for me, simple modelling, but realistic texturing, lighting and camera movement (building on my experience in these areas and hopefully collaborating in most areas also). Then the compositing in Nuke will be the main area of focus - polishing it to the highest degree.

This may be the reference, more closely in time, to some small tests this semester.

My focus also, more likely in the next semester, is the narrative of how these shots are put together with other styles of storytelling combined (but less prevalent). However, my main focus is well executed composites.

Welles' Haunting 'The Trial'

Orson Welles' 'The Trial' (1962)

Welles, it stuck in my memory. When it comes to setting it really is excellent. I love the derelict sets and locations. It always appeals to me. It may be because I am from Kirkcaldy where the old Linoleum factories are diminishing, and have studied in Dundee where some of the more obvious old mills sit in disrepair.

These type of settings stuck in my mind, but also the maze-like, or ultimately dream-like, way they are presented and explored in The Trial. The character has purpose, but seems lost. And this is what in essence has inspired me for the forthcoming projects. Simply, really, because the setting helps you explore the character, and this idea plays around in my imagination...

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In regards to it's relevance, I feel I want to create settings for my characters, through 3D and even matte paintings, in order to composite to a high standard. The writing and tests are still undergoing, and in form my piece will be much simpler to this, but this is a good reference as to what type of setting I'd like to composite, or at least one of them.... for now, anyway....



This is an interesting opening. Especially when imagining 3D composite images used like this in a story of my own...

Generally, it is an influence of mine.

Lewy

I like the idea of old balanced with new here in this advert. 

http://www.themill.com/work/john-lewis/the-other-half.aspx

I think it is achieved by compositing matte paintings, but I think it is also achievable through 3D.

My Aunty Cedents

This is a post revolved around some influences, inspirations and antecedent work which get me all excited inside, and that (opening up too much to you?)

First of all, to understand my view point, one must have to look at at my undergraduate piece I finished in May of this year:

This short animated picture was based on a rigorous passion of mine, kept company by particular philosophies - such as a documentary style to display and describe a character from two different POVs in order for the audience to form their own opinion on the protagonist. All of the form of cinematic conventions and storyelling techniques (See Van Sijll, 2005) were explored to display film history knowledge. Very arty, yes. (more information here.) It was a very rigorous process, and in hindsight it was great to make a serious movie based on such nonsense.

 Despite the majority of 'My City' being created through animation (excepting the shot of the architectural drawings and some smoke and particle elements), I am also based in live action - this area is where my masters study will be based primarily.

The documentary style of 'My City' was influenced by Kolker (2000)'s writing on Martin Scorsese's work, and then my interpretation of his work after reading up on this. Scorsese uses tracking shots often in his films, often with a voice over involved throughout it. Most importantly however, he tells a story through subjective point of views - the clearest examples being Taxi Driver (See the close-up of Travis Bickle's eyes near the start) and Shutter Island (where if it wasn't told from the protagonist's point of view, the secrets, mysteries and twist in the tale would fail). This is one of many elements necessary to have in mind when telling a cinematic story - POV.

Another imperative touched upon there, is character. Scorsese believes that if a character, or the person, is interesting enough, one doesn't have to get bogged down in technique. In my opinion, the techniques used should explore that character and open them up, through the events and locations/settings/environments. Alfred Hitchcock believed technique was more important than story. Simply because the techniques helps people to react to whatever the content may be. (I feel it is like telling a joke. You could say something completely shit in a funny way and you will get a laugh. But, if you say everything dead-pan, you could be saying the wittiest things but people think you may be serious and so they ignore it.)



Hitchcock used a technique called pure cinema where a story was explored through the eyes of the character, as the audience are shown events and consistently the character's reaction to these developments. I believe people follow a film better through these techniques such as point of view, simply, because people like, or are interesting in, people (maybe not if you're autistic - sorry - but we, in general, interact and have evolved this way). Audiences will respond better to this and likely remember the film well after the screening (unlike, in my opinion, if they just see some fancy and random visual effects for 2 hours. I don't care if it had surround-sound as well).

 Based on this, another point worth noting is that Alfred Hitchcock used cutting/editing techniques/storyboarding to cut from gore and violence (despite the subject of his films consistently being of gruesome content). He believed, and I agree, that it is stronger to leave an impression on the audience member's imagination, and let them do some of the thinking themselves. Filmmaking seems to have an incorrect expectancy to create visuals for people who need to escape and see things they couldn't think of. Come on, filmmakers aren't the only ones with imaginations, and displaying overdone visuals is not interacting with the artwork, it is closer to alienation.

A industry-wide philosophy on my project is based on the idea of the current visual effects industry and the way the techniques are used in film. When regarding film history and the technological developments throughout it, I want to take an understanding of how the filmmaking industry developed to these developments in order to put into perspective present time.
Where does the present-day filmmaking industry fit into the grand-scheme and context of film history? What has come before and what is yet to come? 
Are visual effects over-writing tried-and-tested filmmaking conventions, or adding to them? 
Therefore, what use is this current technology when making well-researched films based on those films made, and techniques developed, in the past?
This might seem like a lot of questions, but they really are just the same question worded different ways...

A problem I personally aim to overcome in the masters, succeeding my undergraduate project, is to keep the premise simpler. I also aim to collaborate on writing. When it comes to the content of the story, the objectives are to interview people and hear their stories and anecdotes, then fictionalise them filmically and for good use of visual effects if possible, but also to have a team of writers to have fun in order to build and entertaining piece (I have a few friends from undergraduate in mind for this).

When it comes to clear entertainment, influences are as follows:

Charlie Chaplin's silent films. I love the clear and theatrical performance:

George Melies' jump cuts and multiple exposures. A simple editing technique explored by the early filmmaking pioneer:

An example of me practicing this very quickly (not based on Melies' use, however):

The films I will create this academic year should be very short, simple, entertaining, cinematic in terms of visuals and storytelling techniques and conventions (imperatively), as well as exploring live action techniques for a grounding to build on afterwards. I haven't, to this point, explored in many areas of live-action, notably getting the involvement of make-up and costume artists. If this were possible at any scale, it would be beneficial I believe to my plan going forward. These type of things are, however, not set in stone - they're not even set in eroding wood. Collaboration, like last year, will likely be very broad. I do know people, you know, know. No? Yes.

Based on these influences, and the fact I know a few pianists as well, along with understanding how much bloody time sound design can take up especially when writing a new song with many instruments for every film, I think it would be cool to simplify the music to solely piano... I have always wanted to use an orchestra in my films, and have tried, but this can possibly wait until I have mastered some other things...

Recent work by filmmakers worldwide worth noting in this particular post (to mix generations up a bit) are Alex Beh's short films and some others.

BABE from ALEX BEH on Vimeo.

Sugar by Beh https://vimeo.com/9863602
The Laundry by Beh https://vimeo.com/9606406

X on a map by Jeff Desom https://vimeo.com/50779179

I like the techniques in Beh's film as well as the entertainment values, as well as dialogue quality.

And you can't forget The Office (UK) for some great realism and comedy:

And, here's some clear evidence that I am influenced by this show:



Yes, I plan to act in my films as well. Obviously. And I have a few friends in mind. There will be less dialogue, but in regard to writing it, it will like this. Written to sound real, and have a little bit of an ad-libbed feel as well likely. No plastic lines my plank-like actors. Real people. Like in Monster (2010). Very minimal dialogue, though - this a defensive mechanism. But, I will use people I trust to do dialogue, funny looking ones to move around theatrically, or people who look good who are just to stand on the spot, well lit. Okay, I'm getting facetious now, and there is no way I can tell this is likely at this stage.

An example of visual effects techniques such as compositing, 3D computer modelling and live-action plates:

My project will balance these things but ultimately the specialty and focus is creating well-polished images through the control of many medias to integrate as a whole in the compositing stages (in order to explore cinematic storytelling with modern techniques and pipelines). After all, filmmaking is storytelling though images.

I personally can't wait for the writing and testing stages...

This has been a long post, but also very vague, so wait around for some more detail in to influences and aspirations. I hope it has given you some background to the forthcoming project.

Fraser.