Projection Mapping Trees

Projection mapping allowed me to create concept art and convert it into a 3D model. I created a painting of a tree, modeled around it like an orthograph, then projected the same image onto the model to create a texture for it. I'm pleased with the results of this tree, and I'd like to model three others to be mapped onto. Alan taught me the process today by helping me with this tree model, and so now I will be applying that to the other three tree designs I had done yesterday.

Backdrop- Tree Matte Paintings

After speaking with Alan today about creating the background for the narrative animation, he suggested that when making the trees in the backdrop, I could make a matte painting in Photoshop and model around it in Maya. After that I could then project the same matte painting onto the model and it would create the texture for it. I'm currently modelling trees in Maya and finding it difficult as the trees are complex shapes, but I think it'll be worth it.

Prettygirl49- Design and Head Orthographs

I've only done the orthographs for the head on this character as I'm unsure how to do the ones for the body. Throughout the animation, this character doesn't move (apart from her face) and she stays seated in the whole animation. Therefore this character could be modelled already seated with out a fully rigged body.

Prettygirl49 Sketches

Touch up on the girl character to match the style of the main character. I've based these sketches on a robin, by colouring her cheeks and designing her jumper with a red belly. Need feedback.

Birdie

Chirper Concept Art

He's the human embodiment of twitter.

Chirper Character- Expression Sheet

Drawing from the clay model allowed me to sketch out an expression sheet easily for our main character. This is to show what kind of expressions the character may be making in the animation. When it comes to rigging our character, we may need to use blend shapes to create these expressions. I don't think we will use all of these expressions in the final piece, I just think it's a good idea to establish how the face moves. For example the eyebrows could be raised or rotated to convey different emotions, also the mouth could be made to do the same.

Character Body Thumbnails

After making a clay model of our main characters head, I thought that his body didn't match in quite the same style. Since this character (Chirper) is based on the twitter logo, I looked to real birds for references. I've come up with a few rough sketches that could be used for Chirper's final character design. Some feedback would be appreciated for this.

First Animatic

This is the first animatic made for our narrative project. I plan on putting together another one, after seeing the mistakes through this one. A couple of things can be improved with the timing, but that is on my part as I put this together. What I have notices that may need to be changed is the written text on screen. Some of it needs to be shortened so it is easier for the audience to read quickly.

Storyboard for Narrative Project

I based this storyboard on Andy's script. There may be a lot of images in this storyboard, but that is because I want to use it for the animatic.

Narrative- Storyboard for Animatic

Narrative- Character Sketches of Twit

I've taken one of my characters from my last thumbnails and did a little more work on him. I think he should look more human yet have some bird features, as he is meant to symbolize the Twitter icon. I also thought that a suitable knick name for him could be 'Twit,' short for Twitter and also means foolish person.

Narrative Story- Character Thumbnails

In our story there is a character who expresses himself through social media. He is the living embodiment of a social network site, so this was an interesting motive for character design. I have done a few rough sketches of characters based on social media sites and their logos.

1. Facebook- I felt he would have a long, straight figure, and every part of him has angles. I also based the shape of his head on the Facebook logo.

2. Twitter- The icon for twitter is a blue bird, and so I based this character's design on that idea. I particularly like this sketch as he looks like a human slowly transforming into a bird.

3. Emoji- The third character was based on an emoji, but when I finished the sketch it reminded me a bit of a fried egg. I'm very fond of this design as the emoji theme is far to obvious and I think something discrete will work better for this character.

4. Facebook- Another character based on the Facebook logo. This one is shorter and in my opinion, looks a little cutesy.

5. Tinder- Nothing screams good social skills like Tinder. This character may work if the theme for our animation was 'love,' but I don't think it'll work in the context of friendship. Still it was good to get ideas down.

6. Instagram- This one may be my favourite, as I like his face. The logo for Instagram is a camera and that perfectly represents what social media is now. People taking photographs and looking at other photographs. This character is one that likes to watch and observe other people.

7. Tumblr- The logo for Tumblr heavily influenced the design of this character, as I tried my best effort to make his face in the shape of a 't'.

8. You Tube- His face is based on the logo of You Tube and a widescreen television. This character was a quick sketch and I'm not particularly fond of it.

Feedback from anyone would be much appreciated as I think some opinions are needed. I don't want any of these characters to be the final design, as each one of them is based on one social media site. I would like the character in our story to represent social media in general, with out singling any websites out. 

Not so Social Networking: Narrative Idea

This idea was thought up at the group discussion with Alan. It's about a character who needs to make friends but doesn't know how to. And so the character refers to social media in he hope of making friends. This idea is very similar to the two characters at the bus stop, and that because it's playing on the same theme, but in a slightly different contexts. In this idea the main character is different to the other characters, which are plain in appearance. It's symbolize how little people know about someone when they first meet them, and also it makes it easier to animate characters like this. Personally I prefer the other idea about two characters who meet for the first time. I think with the theme of friendship, two characters work well with it. However I did want to post this as this was an idea we discussed as a group. 

Friend Request- Narrative Idea

After speaking with Alan our group decided basing the story on Facebook friends. This is one idea I had and I hope to get feedback from the others.

 There are two people at a bus stop. One of them spends so much time on social networks that he now see's everything in Facebook terms. He meets someone at the bus stop and wants to make friends, but the only way he knows how is done through Facebook.

 The split screen is to show what's going on in his mind. I feel this is also a use of the term 'behind the scenes,' as it allows an insight into what the character is thinking.

This story may seem short but it should last for around two minutes, and it covers all the themes our group was given for this project.

Narrative Idea- School Play

The first idea I suggested was a story about two friends who get into an argument and spend the rest of the day without each other. Andy put in the suggestion that one character could be the sun and the other a cloud. This would symbolise how they both work well together, however it took away from the theme 'behind the scenes.' So to incorporate that theme with Andy's idea, perhaps a school play could be the perfect setting. Two children in the play together, one cloud and one sun. They have an argument in rehearsal and spend the next day and night not talking to each other. A split screen can be used to show their lives running parallel to one another, mirroring their actions. The split screen can be broken on the night of the play when the curtain raises and they see each other and make up. 

Narrative Story Idea- Behind the Screens

A story idea I came up with follows the activities of two characters. One spends a lot of time alone on his phone and computer whilst the other seems to have a perfect life, going out, dating and socializing. The animation follows their lives, showing them in a parallel split screen. At the end it is revealed that they are the same person, living a virtual life on the internet. The last shot is of him on his death bed, alone with just his laptop. This story is to point out how much time people spend on the internet, putting together their ideal lifestyle through social networks. I think that this story fits in with the theme of friendship as this is a person with virtual friends instead of real ones. It also fits in with the theme of behind the scenes, as it show two sides to how this character is living his life.    

Animation- First Thoughts

Our group brief is to make a short animation about something that goes on 'behind the scenes' with the central theme about friendship. The short video is also to include a split shot view, showing two different scenes happening along side each other. So the first idea I've come up with is following two friends who have an argument and storm off away from each other. Then each character goes about their day in the absence of their friend. They soon realize how unhappy they are and the next time they meet, they make up. I know that this story sounds simple and a bit boring, but we only have around two minutes to create something based on the themes given  to us. I reckon this animation could work well with strong, atmospheric shots of the characters and the environments they're in. This may work well with the main characters being 3D animated with the backgrounds to be 2D animated. Doing this could make it easier to compose the animation, as the backgrounds wouldn't have to be modelled and rendered in Maya.