Factory Preparation

I have received a version of the factory from Lina Ivanova of what she has achieved to model.

Since, I have been tweaking the scene by grouping and renaming within the Outliner for organisation and easier changes; UV mapping; converting everything to polygons; re-routing textures; fixing scaling issues; adding details such as rubble; setting up render settings; tweaking the layout; smoothing objects; setting up image based lighting and more...

The factory from a test extreme long shot. Many tweaks have been made.

Myself and Michal Zagorski have also been out photographing the Old Mills in Dundee for textures and source images to composite into the scene. This should add much more realism to the environment.

The issues so far with the environment, I feel. are there is are the scale isn't real enough, things aren't deteriorated enough, there needs to be more little details and things such as weeds composited. The texturing and lighting stages may take a bit of time, but I have experience and this shot is my focus from now.

Vertigo-esque shot of ladders

For the lighting, I have used a HDRI sourced from the internet with similar colours and time of day of which we shot the other shots and live action on green screen in. And I have added some spotlights in upon this.

A Smart IBL: http://www.hdrlabs.com/sibl/archive.html

I have other options as well

For this type of shot I take a lot of inspiration from the visual effects industry, creating some very ultra-real work. For example, the work on The Great Gatsby (2013):

The Great Gatsby (2013)

So, if I take inspiration from this, I can use the modelling and the live action I have, and then texture, light and composite this in an interesting way and I can make something hopefully very beautiful.

So, it is my job to use the final stages of this development to make this look as real and interesting as possible. Lina has done a good job with the modelling, and now it is a foundation for me to really build on.

Much more on this soon...

Colour Correction - DaVinci Resolve

After speaking with Thomas Hogben about colour correction, and after a while of wondering which programme I would  go about this process with, it was made aware to me that DaVinci Resolve would be a good way to go.

I have since downloaded the free version and looked into tutorials. I am poking around trying to get to know the interface and brushing up on theory - primary, secondary colours, etc.

Referring to my previous colour correction post, it would be used obviously to best create the feeling of continuity - along with combining the visual effects to create atmosphere.

I feel that colour correction is a big part of compositing, as is tracking and roto, for example. They all form the process and create the visuals one can achieve in this area. That is why I will putting a lot of focus in this area in the near future.

References For CG Factory/Station Interior

Lina is working on modelling this. I have updated with this before. I hope to get a working version to do tests with in the coming weeks. 

In the story, Tyler opens a living room door to this large station. It serves as a daunting visual displaying the multiple routes that he can choose to go...

Quick Alleyway Comp Test

This is a sketchy concept for the alleyway scene using a location scout reference shot:

It is based on the references in the previous post.

I look forward to the having the final plates to play with and I will spend days and weeks on such a shot, not just an hour or something... ;)

Research Skills and Methods | Academic Poster

This poster is currently in line for printing. The poster design's function is to put across clearly the context of our proposed research for masters, and display what we have already gathered and learned in a concise and visually clear manner, basically.

Here is the final poster:

I produced it using Photoshop, and when printed A1 size it might therefore be a little pixelated, due to everything, bar the text, not being vectors. My computer began to slow up a bit over the last week with renders going and files using up memory (probably), so there may be errors within this poster which I didn't have the patience to fix. Hopefully it is all good for presenting officially next week.

I have found over the past while the proposed research I intend has evolved and has clarity, and I hope the poster hints to this, although I will also support this poster verbally for assessment.

Notes on Siamese Twins

As recommended by Mark Grossi...

Films to watch for reference:

- Sisters (Brian De Palma)

- Dead Ringers (David Cronenberg)

- Basket Case (Frank Hennenlotter)

Research into:

- Chang and Eng Bunker (first noted case of conjoined twins)

___

Note: The film should be haunting and alluring through the character's search in their dreamlike state, and I imagine it would have at least one surreal exchange with an individual (just visualising). A long shot of the brother from a distance, facing away from camera, in an expansive setting is another detail which comes to mind from the offset.

The quirky twist in which it ends on should also be heartfelt and portray as accurate as possible a portrayal of siamese twins' relationship with each other.

It is led by a fear of loss, subtly shown as a desire to find someone.

The rest of the piece is all about these composite shots I want to produce with the storyline.

My studies are therefore focussed on siamese twins to an extent, as well as more predominantly compositing techniques and further cinematic/film understandings.

"Pure Cinematics"

Mr Hitchcock describes it best in his own words:

It's the simplest and most effective of techniques.

A technique that I would clearly like to utilise to provoke the reaction in the audience to the character I intend to.

This in theory is a 'subconscious technique', as it is not my primary focus in the project. It's a way to not over-complicate things. I aim for a simple short film.

_____
N.B. Writing is soon underway on the project.

Black (Noir) Film

A heavy influence on the visuals I'd like to produce is the style named film noir.

I have also used this as an influence for my undergraduate film 'My City'.

Iconic still from The Big Combo (1955).

If you aren't entirely sure what "film noir" is, it is basically a French term meaning films that are dark/black visually, with rather dark content such as murder. The style was adopted and adapted by French filmmakers, however its origins are from the Golden Age of Hollywood, in the post WWII period. There is evidently a lot of dispare in these films. The term was coined by a french journalist, and the Hollywood directors weren't entirely conscious how historical and cliched their films may become.

Particularly notable aspects in this look is it's high contrast, fog, backlighting and silhouettes, shadows of characters and patterned shadows...

The darkness and mysterious atmospheres, to me, are clearly cinematic and appealing.

Dram-Bu-Ie

MPC

I really like their work in post-production.

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...)
___

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...)

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...

___

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.