Next Gen 23/04/16 VFX Maya Shot

Considering that we have been working on our 3D models and texturing for the last few weeks, all progress for the portfolio has been increased because of the deadline in 3 weeks. The shot in Maya has been a priority recently.

The VFX work for the shot has been finished. I was considering the blocks to move at 1 frame intervals with a gap of 4 frames. This would have made the blocks falling look more like the blocks in the game. The problem was it was incredibly unappealing and hard for my eyes to track at such a fast pace. So the drop rate is at around 12 frames for one block to make it to its destination. One thing I am happy with is the blocks do not clip and the position for the blocks to fall in tangent to the background clip is done. The only main issue I have now is the fact that the animation maybe to fast for the clip, also the fact that the locks are a different colour than the blocks in the clip (as a side note).

The only thing I know that I can fix without restarting is to slow down the animation at points to match the clip. However if I fix the colour the he models will be reset and I will have to do the whole animation again.

A major issue that I had was that once the clip had rendered, the clip was constantly in my frame of view and I forgot how to move it. Finding the objects, while only allowed to see 2 inches in-front of you was annoying; fortunately I was able to find it again and align it well.

Once the frame rate has been reduced the shot should almost be finished.

Next Gen 23/04/16 Models Update

The main models I have updated, are the Low Poly Chest and the Sci Fi Wardrobe.

The chest was a model that was discarded during the project "Lost Dog Simulator". The main update was that the chest was separated into 2 sections, the main body and the hatch/door. The reason for this was not just because of textures, but because that means the chest can open.

Compared to the older model, this chest has more levelled out polygons and the hatch can open because of its point of origin being at the back of the box back side. I have gotten all of the textures I need for the model to be complete. One more thing I could add would be some form of cushioning/fabric inside the chest.


 However that will have to made as a separate object, plus it might inter-fear with the low poly style we were going for.






The other model (The Wardrobe) was much more tedious to deal with because it consists of 30 separate objects. All of them need different textures and some of the objects (latches to the boards) need moved origin points to be precise. Another problem I realised is that if I connect the latch to the board all of the polygon UMV mapping would be reset (which means around 1 hour of wasted work).

My main issue with this model are these. These are the 'conduits' that allow the wardrobe to work. The issue is, there are over 40 of them and they have over 50 circular polygons, each. I have not figured a way in which to get all of them UMV mapped at a good time rate. Plus I have not found a good texture for the largest polygon (the face). I am mostly happy at the fact that most of the UMV mapping has been finished.
The final look that I want it to have, is a style like the original Bioshock, when they took a element from the past and updated it with modern technology.

Now I have not been focusing on this. Once the exams are over (26/04/16) then I can focus on my portfolio.

How to Get More From Your Art/Drawing

After the art essay I handed in a few days ago. It got me thinking how could I create better drawings and concept art, compared to what I am doing now. I was looking up some help and different art styles, but I found a post from Monika Zagrobelna. It allowed me to see the idea of being a better artist more clearly, but sure their was the stereotypical "do more and practice more to be better" kind of talk but there was also a few handy pointers I would like to share.

1. Anatomy, Something that can be incredibly important is knowing what you are trying to draw and how well you know the scale of that object. We as humans can generally overlook some similarity flaws (such as a lemur having dog proportions), however if you have never drawn what you are drawing before, without studying it first, do not expect it to be as close to the final product that you thought it would be.

2. Adaptation, Taking criticism from the same people over and over, can give your work some leniency. If you want to improve from response, you must ask other people that you might not be familiar with. That also translates to your style, not just your standard of art and the more of an audience that can give you criticism, the more you can improve.

3. Realism and Non-realism, You may get more criticism for drawing realistic objects, than imaginary creations. This is because people know what and where to criticize (including 4 limbs and having tails on a abdomen).

Other points that she used was for was after the main drawing would be complete.

1. Shading, It is incredibly hard to create a good piece of art that relies on light and shadow,rather than outlines. It takes a much more observant eye to make it work well. However the effect makes it appear much more realistic.

2. Colour, Most artists go for the most generic and realistic colours possible. This can only be done so many times before it becomes boring/photorealism. You need to experiment with what works and what doesn't so the image can have a much more lasting impact.

3. Details, they are not as important as you may think; even when creating art that is realistic. You can sacrifice certain elements of the shot you are re-creating, to create another style. Drawing detail can in some cases detract from the "actual meaning of the situation". It is not saying that having ridiculous detail is bad but combing different elements can be show to be better (as shown in the image).

A final point of what I want to share is that if you are trying to go for photorealism in art. It might night leave such a lasting impression. Plus it can only be copied so many times before it becomes repetitive. Try different styles constantly, you may just find ones that suit you better.

So, you can use these ideas and go and improve your work.

This link is to go to the post for the pointers she gives out in more detail. If I share all pointers I wouldn't be doing her credit for her ideas and pointers.

http://design.tutsplus.com/articles/realism-photorealism-and-style-in-drawing--cms-21630

Dream VFX Job (small assignment)

My dream job in the VFX industry would be is to be a senior composting artist. The reason for this is because I work better with editing footage rather than creating animation, , as well as the fact that this is a senior position (why aim low, easy.
The main company for this position is 'Double Negative' currently in London England. The companies that I would want to work for are: Method Studious, Double Negative, The Mill and Jellyfish.

The role of this is to combine, all of the elements that are required in the final shot into the frames, this means that you must understand all forms of animation and VFX. This role also requires that you are able to evaluate certain shots (including animated and live action), to make sure that they are able to meld together seamlessly. Since that this is also a senior position, you must be able to keep the other compositors on track with their own work.

The way that these jobs tend to work are temporary contracts that can last for around 1 year (considering that this would be mostly in post production for the work and pre-production for finding other compositors). If I want to change companies is something I still need to decide. However since most of the work would be overseas it might be difficult to keep up with.

The way I will get to this roll is by entering the industry as a Rotoscope Artist for a few years, then work my way through the positions. Eventually, with enough experience and the right portfolio, I will be able to get the position and in time, who knows, I might be able to be a VFX supervisor.

For this role I need to be able to:

• Make decisions without any supervision
• Work well to balance the intentions of all departments in VFX
• Have a good eye for detail
• Have respect for the requirements of each department
• Able to work as and/or a team and be able to lead the team
• Show leadership skills
• Have knowledge of all key processes on the VFX pipeline. 
• Have knowledge in other programs, including Photoshop and  After effects

These are also not including the requirements for if the situation changes and have to adapt to the new forms of supply and demand for the required shots. 

The 12 Principles of Animation

Since I was off when this was discussed, I am now going to go through the 12 different stages of animation.
These steps were developed by the team at Walt Disney studious in the 1930s. These principles now exist because of the practise that the team had in the new field of animating, trying to make animating more realistic, in terms of how the objects and characters moved to express personality and weight.   

1. Squash and Stretch
This action gives the illusion of weight and volume to a character as it moves. Also squash and stretch is useful in animating dialogue and doing facial expressions. How extreme the use of squash and stretch is, depends on what is required in animating the scene. Usually it's broader in a short style of picture and subtler in a feature. It is used in all forms of character animation from a bouncing ball to the body weight of a person walking. This is the most important element you will be required to master and will be used often.
2. Anticipation
This movement prepares the audience for a major action the character is about to perform, such as, starting to run, jump or change expression. A dancer does not just leap off the floor. A backwards motion occurs before the forward action is executed. The backward motion is the anticipation. A comic effect can be done by not using anticipation after a series of gags that used anticipation. Almost all real action has major or minor anticipation such as a pitcher's wind-up or a golfers' back swing. Feature animation is often less broad than short animation unless a scene requires it to develop a characters personality.
3. Staging
A pose or action should clearly communicate to the audience the attitude, mood, reaction or idea of the character as it relates to the story and continuity of the story line. The effective use of long, medium, or close up shots, as well as camera angles also helps in telling the story. There is a limited amount of time in a film, so each sequence, scene and frame of film must relate to the overall story. Do not confuse the audience with too many actions at once. Use one action clearly stated to get the idea across, unless you are animating a scene that is to depict clutter and confusion. Staging directs the audience's attention to the story or idea being told. Care must be taken in background design so it isn't obscuring the animation or competing with it due to excess detail behind the animation. Background and animation should work together as a pictorial unit in a scene.
4.Straight Ahead and Pose to Pose Animation
Straight ahead animation starts at the first drawing and works drawing to drawing to the end of a scene. You can lose size, volume, and proportions with this method, but it does have spontaneity and freshness. Fast, wild action scenes are done this way. Pose to Pose is more planned out and charted with key drawings done at intervals throughout the scene. Size, volumes, and proportions are controlled better this way, as is the action. The lead animator will turn charting and keys over to his assistant. An assistant can be better used with this method so that the animator doesn't have to draw every drawing in a scene. An animator can do more scenes this way and concentrate on the planning of the animation. Many scenes use a bit of both methods of animation.
5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action
When the main body of the character stops all other parts continue to catch up to the main mass of the character, such as arms, long hair, clothing, coat tails or a dress, floppy ears or a long tail (these follow the path of action). Nothing stops all at once. This is follow through. Overlapping action is when the character changes direction while his clothes or hair continues forward. The character is going in a new direction, to be followed, a number of frames later, by his clothes in the new direction. "DRAG," in animation, for example, would be when Goofy starts to run, but his head, ears, upper body, and clothes do not keep up with his legs. In features, this type of action is done more subtly. Example: When Snow White starts to dance, her dress does not begin to move with her immediately but catches up a few frames later. Long hair and animal tail will also be handled in the same manner. Timing becomes critical to the effectiveness of drag and the overlapping action.
6. Slow-Out and Slow-In
As action starts, we have more drawings near the starting pose, one or two in the middle, and more drawings near the next pose. Fewer drawings make the action faster and more drawings make the action slower. Slow-ins and slow-outs soften the action, making it more life-like. For a gag action, we may omit some slow-out or slow-ins for shock appeal or the surprise element. This will give more snap to the scene. 
7. Arcs
All actions, with few exceptions (such as the animation of a mechanical device), follow an arc or slightly circular path. This is especially true of the human figure and the action of animals. Arcs give animation a more natural action and better flow. Think of natural movements in the terms of a pendulum swinging. All arm movement, head turns and even eye movements are executed on an arcs.
8. Secondary Action
This action adds to and enriches the main action and adds more dimension to the character animation, supplementing and/or re-enforcing the main action. Example: A character is angrily walking toward another character. The walk is forceful, aggressive, and forward leaning. The leg action is just short of a stomping walk. The secondary action is a few strong gestures of the arms working with the walk. Also, the possibility of dialogue being delivered at the same time with tilts and turns of the head to accentuate the walk and dialogue, but not so much as to distract from the walk action. All of these actions should work together in support of one another. Think of the walk as the primary action and arm swings, head bounce and all other actions of the body as secondary or supporting action.
9. Timing
Expertise in timing comes best with experience and personal experimentation, using the trial and error method in refining technique. The basics are: more drawings between poses slow and smooth the action. Fewer drawings make the action faster and crisper. A variety of slow and fast timing within a scene adds texture and interest to the movement. Most animation is done on twos (one drawing photographed on two frames of film) or on ones (one drawing photographed on each frame of film). Twos are used most of the time, and ones are used during camera moves such as trucks, pans and occasionally for subtle and quick dialogue animation. Also, there is timing in the acting of a character to establish mood, emotion, and reaction to another character or to a situation. Studying movement of actors and performers on stage and in films is useful when animating human or animal characters. This frame by frame examination of film footage will aid you in understanding timing for animation. This is a great way to learn from the others.
10. Exaggeration
Exaggeration is not extreme distortion of a drawing or extremely broad, violent action all the time. Its like a caricature of facial features, expressions, poses, attitudes and actions. Action traced from live action film can be accurate, but stiff and mechanical. In feature animation, a character must move more broadly to look natural. The same is true of facial expressions, but the action should not be as broad as in a short cartoon style. Exaggeration in a walk or an eye movement or even a head turn will give your film more appeal. Use good taste and common sense to keep from becoming too theatrical and excessively animated.
11. Solid Drawing
The basic principles of drawing form, weight, volume solidity and the illusion of three dimension apply to animation as it does to academic drawing. The way you draw cartoons, you draw in the classical sense, using pencil sketches and drawings for reproduction of life. You transform these into colour and movement giving the characters the illusion of three-and four-dimensional life. Three dimensional is movement in space. The fourth dimension is movement in time.
12. Appeal
A live performer has charisma. An animated character has appeal. Appealing animation does not mean just being cute and cuddly. All characters have to have appeal whether they are heroic, villainous, comic or cute. Appeal, as you will use it, includes an easy to read design, clear drawing, and personality development that will capture and involve the audience's interest. Early cartoons were basically a series of gags strung together on a main theme. Over the years, the artists have learned that to produce a feature there was a need for story continuity, character development and a higher quality of artwork throughout the entire production. Like all forms of story telling, the feature has to appeal to the mind as well as to the eye.

Next Gen 22/03/16 University Searches

Newcastle
Computer Science (3 Years) Game Engineering 
A levels of AAB-ABB/AAC or IB points of 34-35
Computer Science (4 Years) Game Engineering 
A levels of AAB or IB points of 35
These courses focus on the technical design, development and implementation of software that goes into the game, rather than the artistic element of the games. Including gaming simulations and computer game development.

Industry Links 

Waterstons, Accenture, IBM, Procter and Gamble, Deloitte, GSK.

The facilities include over 300 dedicated PC's running Linux and Windows, an 'Immersive virtual reality suite', motion capture and 3D printing facilities. 

You do the same module for two years before specializing in one part of the degree. 

You will be given a personal tutor throughout your degree and a peer mentor for the first year. 

It is assessed through group work and the portfolio you fill.

Sunderland
Teesside
Computer Games Animation (3 Years or 4 including work placement) It also has a foundation year for those who do not qualify
Cost of £9,000
A good offer is usually two A Levels or equivalent.
This course is an in depth look at the creative and technical issues involved in large scale levels for PC and Consoles in both 3D and 2D.  For the first year you study concept visualization, design and mechanics, history of games, intro to 3D modeling and introduction to animation for games. Year 2 includes The Journeymen Project, Motion Capture, Cut-sequence Design for Games and Non-bipedal Animation for Games. Finally advanced animation, advanced game development, advanced studies in games and a full game practical project.
You are assessed through your experience with the software, projects in each module, and your portfolio.
Computer Games Design (3 Years or 4 including work placement) It also has a foundation year for those who do not qualify, however it is limited
Cost of £9,000
A good offer is usually two A Levels or equivalent.
This course is about designing the rules and structure of games, as well as understanding the roles that each specialist has to work together to create games. You also study game engines and industry technologies. For the first year modules, you learn the history of games, intro to 3D modeling, intro to animation for games, concept visualization for games and game design and mechanics. The second year is casual game development, game design and production, the 'Journeyman Project', Level design and production for games, casual game development, games design and production and Lighting and Texturing for games. Final year would be advanced games development, games interface design, games practical project and contemporary studies in games.
You are assessed through your experience with the software, projects in each module, and your portfolio.

Next Gen 21/03/16 VFX Job Roles

Compositor: They are responsible for taking all of the assets that all of the other departments have created and combine them together to form the final product. They usually work in 2D roles with 3D CGI and VFX and occasionally stop motion. You will most likely be entered at a Roto artist and work your way up the ranks.
Skills required are:

• Knowledge in computer animation processes
• Artistic skills
• Preferably Minimum experience of 2 years
• Knowledge in programs such as Adobe After Effects 

Good education for this role include having a degree in a art related subject (including animation, design, drawing and photography).

Concept Artist: They generally come up with visual ideas of spectacles, creatures,  people and other elements, they generally work on larger production movies. They are also a large amount of these artists to throw around more ideas. The concepts are generally used at the beginning of post production. If the project is based on a source material they will read over the material to have a idea of what is wanted. They can also be involved in development processes because of illustrations.
Skills required are:

• Able to use illustration software 
• Able to adapt your drawings into filming
• Understanding what other departments require from your work
• An interest in design, film and architecture 

Good education for this role would be, an art focused course (such as graphic artist or graphic artist) or qualification in visual effects or animation.

Layout  Artist (3D Computer Animation): This role usually turns 2d shot plans and storyboards into 3D shots, generally using props and models to have an idea of how the shot should play out in each scene. Not just the characters but the background models and the props. They generally work with the Director and Storyboard artists to achieve the shot without cause any problems with the other members of the crew. They can also be called upon to be technical directors and
Lighting Technical Director or a Camera operator.
Skills required are:

• Have strong IT skills
• An understanding of editing
• Able to deliver on deadlines
• Able to work with a minimum of supervision
• Can apply motion capture to computer generated models
• Be highly film literate and see to the needs of production
• Understands the ideas of cinematography 

Good education for this role would be having a degree in illustration, fine art and sculpture, and have experience in computer design and film production.

Match Move Artist(AKA Move Trackers and 3D Trackers): This job is usually translating a visual/live action shot into a 3D shot. They position tracking points in the visual shot so that they have something to base the animation of off. The role mainly focuses on using already shot footage and implementing special effects. They will most likely use programs such as Maya/Maya Live and Equaliser.
Skills required are:

• Able to work under stress and meet deadlines
• Able to take and understand criticism
• Understanding of relevant recent 3d software
• An understanding of Maths and Physics

Good education for this job would be, to have a degree in computer graphics and animation and a maths degree.

Roto Artist: This job involves tracking and identifying the frames in live action shots, where animation will overlap or come into play (Rotoscoping).  This allows a area of the shot that animation can be added into accurately without it seeming fake. However the compositors are the ones who add the elements. Other duties they have can be, grading live action plates and painting out wires and rigs.
Skills required are:

• An understanding of art and/or photography
• Competent drawing skills
• Have a good eye for inaccurate images and frames
• Experience in relevant software

Good education for this role would be, a degree in either art, animation or illustration. 

VFX Producer: The role of a producer is to oversee the project; making sure everything is progressing. The is includes making sure that nothing goes over-budget, everything meets deadlines and everything is working correctly. They may also be called upon to talk with clients about the progress.
Skills required are:

• A long history of working in VFX
• Have great leadership skills
• Able to budget projects well
• Be confident in your decisions

Good education for this job is, having a degree in animation and/or maths. A professional usage of Nuke.

Runners/Production Assistant: This entry level job mainly involves keeping the production moving, which means they mainly move around information from one department to another, get resources for artists or simply getting beverages.
Skills required are:

• Being tidy and efficient
• Being able to work under pressure
• Able to respond to requests efficiently

You really don't require any degrees or tutor-age for a runner placement. The only thing that increases your chance of being selected is by having a degree in some related VFX field.

VFX Supervisor: The run-down for this job is that, a VFX supervisor will decide when a VFX shot will be put into a shot. Making sure all of the shots that are needed are filmed properly so the editing process will be easier. They also lead a team of technical artists in the visual studio. Finally they are the ones who allow the producer and director to meet at what the product should end up being.
Skills required are:

• To be creative and able to modify ideas 
• Able to lead a team of artist
• Have design, layout and composition skills
• Able to work with all departments
• Having admirable leadership skills
• Able to assess and criticise other peoples work
• Having a professional skills in relevant software (including Maya, Nuke and/or Cinema 4d)
• On set experience and strong negotiation skills

Good education for this role, having degrees in science, animation, arts and technology. Although you need to have a lot of experience in the VFX industry to even be considered for the role. 

CG Supervisor: This job involves leading and watching over a group of CG artists (that deal in either animation or visual effects).
The skills required are:

• Understanding the VFX process
• Having experience with relevant recent software including Maya and Nuke
• Technical knowledge of the CG pipeline and can evolve workflows 
• Exceptional product management skills

Good education to have for this role would be, having previous experience with recruiting, being a mentor and training other CG artists.

Rigger: A rigger is more of a engineering role because, they build up rigs for the production. Depending on the size of the production they can also be asked to build much larger structures (including floors, scaffolding towers and pavements). They are also responsible for more electronic props (such as wires and fibre optics). They must also be able to install powered hoists and use power tools.
Skills required are:

• Knowledge in the concept of rigging
• Have good co-ordination and stamina
• Comfortable with working at heights
• Be prepared to work long shifts
• Able to work both independently and socially

Good education for this role can be, a few years with a qualified scaffolding company, extensive knowledge with health and safety regulations related to rigging. It is also a requirement to have a drivers Licence. 

Animation Director: This director is responsible for making sure that the animation for the project gets gone for the deadlines, by assigning he right animators for different roles in the department. This role is mainly for larger productions, if is not the role can be combined with the director. Since they lead the team of animators, they will oversee any and all work produced by the other animators. They also need to keep the animation focused in quality, style and performance.
Skills required are:

• Have years of experience in the animation industry
• Able to help the team come to compromises with what they want without adding to the project budget
• Able to work as a creative lead supervisor of the team
• Able to communicate ideas easily to the animation department

Good education for this role would be, having a art and/or animation degree. You will also be required to show major leadership skills and have extensive knowledge in the animation industry. Considering that this is a leadership role it will take (most likely) years to get to with the requirements.

Crowd Artist: A crowd artist is someone who knows an equilibrium between design, development and implementation to use simulation systems and techniques and create a crowd shot and evolve into crowd simulations. The are responsible for integrating techniques and systems in the production pipelines, collaborating between  various departments to make the shot easier across multiple shots and having a secondary function of scripting.
The skills that are required are:

• Knowledge of programs such as Maya and Houdini
• Knowledge of Vector Maths and Physics
• Able to take direction and adapt to change
• A good eye for natural motion in humans and animals

Good experience for this job would be: knowing rigging, minimum of 1-2 years in the industry, previously used Python, Hscript and VEX, a understanding of of the production line and processes and have previously done projects that involve this kind of work.

Texture Painter: This role is about producing photo realistic textures from scratch and sources to base of off, from the beginning to the end of the pipeline. Responsibilities for this role would be working closely with lighting and modelling artists to create the textures more accurately,
Skills required are:

• Complete certain tasks and complex sequences in a moderate time frame
• Be able to take and give criticism to other artists
• Used photographic elements to create textures
• Have used elements such as lighting and shading 

Good education for this can be: having a understanding of the relationship between departments, have used programs such as Mari, Photoshop and XSI, have used UV's previously and are able to report any technical issues to superiors before it becomes a major issue down the pipeline. 

Motion Capture Artist: This role works close with the directors, actors and animators in pre-production. They create computer generated characters who act and behave like real-life equivalent. Many examples exist such as the aliens from "District 9". These artists are responsible for the shots containing the MoCap, the artists movements and behaviors and compiling it into a 3D program to be rendered and applied to character models. Everything extra (such as extra limbs, hair and clothing) are all added after the shot is filmed and rendered. 

Skills that are needed will be: 

• Some form of experience with graphic design and/or animation programs
• Able to translate fine art into digital programs
• Being familiar with the most up to date programs that people use
• A skilled technician and a experienced artist 

Good education would be: experience in the industry for around 2 years, can explain and use the most up to date relevant programs and have done other jobs in the industry that help and accelerate the process. 

Public Relations Officer: This job is about maintaining a reputation for a client and their business, as well as influencing others of their opinions and behaviour. They also bridge the gap between the public and the organisation, finding any issues, keeping up publicity and to uphold the expectations of shareholders. They are required to report any and all issues and progress to their management. Other responsibilities include: market research, liaising with colleagues, writing and editing case studies and annual reports and maintaining information about the organisations website. 
Skills that are needed for this profession are:

• Having experience in the field of business and knowledge of recent affairs
• Having  organisational and management skills and/or able to effectively multi-task
• Being competent, flexible and are able to learn from our mistakes
• Able to work in a team or by yourself

Good education for this job would be having a degree in either marketing, politics and social sciences and have been associated with the CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations).

Effects Technical Director: This role is all about creating the special effects with systems that they are comfortable using. They use multiple resources to have an idea to what to create.  They will generally work closely with the director and VFX supervisors to having the image that they want as well. They are required to understand and breakdown 3D software to get what is required, because what VFX supervisors want can be incredibly complex (which can require some programming). 

Skills that are needed are:

• Understanding of the technologies relating to 2D and 3D CGI
• Understand rigid body simulations (clothing, fluids and clothing)
• Managing your priorities to go through the VFX pipeline
• Able to take direction and critical feedback
• Able to work well with a team

Good education for getting this role would be having a training course with a private professional, having a junior role as a rigger, runner and preparation or other qualifications with science, art and /or Maths.