Digi-Nouveau

Hi folks,
I have a new blog located at https://diginouveau.wordpress.com/ I have changed hosting providers because, and I know this may sound odd, of the native iPad app for Wordpress! 

All the post's from this blog have been imported to the new blog so all the information is still available.
Thanks,
Phil

Proposal: (What do you intend to do?)

For my final project I want to move away from interactive media and explore the crossover subject of visual effects. I will address the technical and historical themes, focussing on the creation of assets fit for use in enhancing live action sequences. I would like to be able to shoot a live action that I can enhance with CGI (referred to as Visual Effects (Or VFX)).

I have chosen to move away from interactivity and focus on ...”Content for film and Production” because truthfully I have spent two years on projects where I have had to consider interactivity in choices and because of this have had times where I cannot explore other themes further. Obviously CGI in film and CGI in game development are largely produced in the same way, (convergence media) I think it will helpful to explore the methodologies and practices involved in VFX for film to expose myself to industry practice that until now I have been unexposed to, such as; digital compositing, camera matching, special effects, colour correct, matte painting(?), (more to add here)


Assessment Work:

In the form of a technical report (but I actually want to do a reflective report)
As I said I want to be able to take a piece of footage and enhance it with digital VFX. I have spoken to Mark about the subject and he has told me to be aware of the “right kind of filming and footage” mentioning camera tracking as a major point. In that case it may be difficult to find a piece of footage so if I can consider filming my own sequence as an option I can address those technical issues at the time.

I am considering an overall theme for the look of the sequence and have settled on “a-day-after-tomorrow” style end of the world scenario (erm... possibly). Obviously due to the scope of what I am proposing if I have to film the sequence it will be no longer than 1 minute in length.

I have considered the technical problems involved with this such as having to film a sequence, which I have no exposure to, but I feel that idea gels well with games art I.e live action cutscenes in games, (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GyOYaDHquE&feature=related). As part of my research I will put forward excerpts from case studies that I have already begun. I will endeavour to offer primary research by contacting members of studios and directly involving them in a Q&A session in the field of VFX. Secondary research will come in the way of analysing methodologies that studios and producers use to produce their content. Focusing on the production technicalities



Just to clarify the point here I am focussing on CG and Visual Effects for film and NOT the creation of assets for game. Although the two invariably crossover and the same processes and production are used in both I want to specifically focus on the use of these processes in film.


Schedule of Work: (to include the deadline for submission of assessment):


Week 1
27/09/10 - 01/10/10
Receive BA7

Week 2
04/10/10 - 08/10/10

Monday: Discuss proposal options with MC

Wednesday – Friday: Have a clear idea of LA

Thursday: Start research report prep, I.e email studios relating to VFX to see if they'll participate in a Q&A session.

Week 3
11/10/10 - 15/10/10

Monday: make notes relating to proposed studio work ideas. (these will be discussed with MC/Nigel etc)

Tuesday: Introduction to BA7 on Blog.

Wednesday: Email tutors to pursue a bibliography of research material if possible. (Mark???)

Thursday: Have a clear outline of studio work proposal, email MC.

Week 4
18/10/10 - 23/10/10

Monday: Begin technical diary logging all activity for BA7 for inclusion into research report which will likely be a “reflective report”.

Tuesday: Clarify ANY administration issues, relating to BA7

Wednesday: If studios reply about Q&A begin drafting a series of questions that can be included as primary research.

Thursday: Sit down and work out precisely what I need to do to tick BA8's studio work boxes.

Friday: Have structure of report laid out (print this possibly??) Begin to 'pin' pieces of research into the correct areas.

Week 5
25/10/10 - 29/10/10

Week 6
01/11/10 - 05/11/10

Week 7
08/11/10 – 12/11/10

Week 8
15/11/10 - 19/11/10

Monday: Have the draft report more-or-less done. Sleep on it!

Tuesday: Re-iteration of draft report.


Studio work for BA7 (what ever that may be???) should be completed and ready for review and correction if necessary.

Week 9

Hand-in of BA7


Resource requirements:

-Exposure to fundamental themes related to shooting a sequence suitable for CG integration.

-Adobe After Effects

-Tuition and guidance relating to:
  -matte painting
  -camera tracking (aka matchmoving)
  -compositing
  -animating/rigging/IK/expression (Maya – blend shapes or Cinema4D eXpresso)

I have found this great demo reel of the kind of material I am hoping to produce.


 

I have pin-pointed some areas for research relating to my subject of "Producing Content for Production", these include;

3D Technical issues:
- Animating
   - Rigging
   - IK Chains
- Texturing
- Creating the scene to match the film
- Lighting
- Poly counts

Post Production issues:
- Overlaying sequences
   - Composting
- Colour correction

Obviously this list isn't final and there will almost certainly be other areas of interest to be researched but this is as far as I have gotten!

So, I have been going around in circles for the last week and half deliberating on how I am to tackle this last year at uni. I came to the conclusion pretty early that I wanted to explore visual effects for film but don't really know what topics to explore and how to relate the academic to the studio practice.

So, I have decided to work backwards because the end is a perfect place to begin. For BA8 I want to have a portfolio of assets that can be used as CGI enhancements in film. I would also like (pending uni limitations) to have a live action sequence that I have enhanced with VFX.

Now I can use my plan to look at case studies of current film that utilise these practices to pin point the area of research I need to be aware of and focusing on.

Phewww....

That's settled. Now I have to think about technical issues and themes related to the production of assets for film, I can then cross-reference that with roles in game studios and how the two industry converge, glad I cleared that up!

 Go check out the social network I have created for Digi-Nouveau, you can join and get involved in discourse related to this blog and any digital media subject!

http://diginouveau.wall.fm/index

I found this whilst looking for a starting point to my research point:
http://www.vfxtalk.com/forum/confused-career-changer-needs-advice-please-t27744.html?t=27744 

Here are two youtube videos that I captured with some annotations to demonstrate how I used zbrush and Cinema4D together. Hopefully others will be able to follow along as this is a total beginners guide. 

Prerequisites:
1) Cinema 4D (Demo available from MAXON's website)
2) Zbrush (I am using zbrush 4 but demo's of zbrush 3+ for Mac and Win are available on the Pixologic website)
3) a Basic grasp of the layout and shortcuts of the softwares.

Enjoy!

Just showing the ease of creating cloth in Cinema 4D and bringing it into zBrush!

This is the first attempt at nailing this year's Learning Agreement. 
Obviously this is subject to numerous changes!