On the wings of lead - The Max Power story

A short film by my talented wife wrote, shot an edited. OTK (one take Kate). Is extremely bright individual and someone I spend a lot of time with. We are often bouncing ideas and making them a solid ideas. Not just a pipe dream. We think of everything from TV show ideas through to theme tunes to shows that don't exist. Or just a theme for feeding the cats. It is fun and keeps the brain active and mostly creative. She is a very talented writer with brains to match. She is a stunner of a lady and so proud to call her my wife. I feel lucky to be spending m life with her.

You can read her blogs here (this is an interview with WWE wrestler Batista : http://onetakekate.blogspot.co.nz/2013/11/batista-interview-july-2009.html

 I was also lucky to star in my first roll on Camera.

This was a great experience for myself. I spent an entire day racing around being Max Power. It was hard. The funny thing is. I have changed so much since this was shot in 2010. Its now 2013 (dec). I am a very different man. Through choices I have made to better myself. Through these choices I have become more and more like Max Power. a pencil enthusiast.

Max Power.

ACNZ group project "STARFISH" - Term 4 week Seven Part 1 of 2

 

PLAYBLASTS : We have been playblasting our scenes all of last week and making the tweaks up until today (TUESDAY 26/11/13). We have organised a "rush sessions" everyday to make sure, not only that we are animating well. But that all the animation is the same in style using "slow-in , slow-out" principals. A "rush session" is when we gather all the scenes and compile them together. This helps make sure "hook-ups" are reading well and the general positions of the characters from scene to scene.

TWEAKING : Animating is hard. So knowning where to tweak is even harder. I really feel great about animating. My foundation is strong and traditional. So I have been helping tweaking scenes to make sure my class mates know why we are adding or style of animation "slow-in, slow-out".

LIGHTING : Lighting each scene is curtail for the overall story. Lighting is a huge story telling part. Jamie and I are working on this scene by scene and doing test renders to make sure none are over exposed or hard to read a pose of a character.

Below is a test render with full lighting. This is a guide to all of our scenes.

We are now finishing lighting before moving on to rendering all the scenes.

ACNZ group project "STARFISH" - Term 4 week five part 2 of 2

    

   

We are so close to animation, just a little more focus and nit picking rigs and textures. Locking down the scene layouts with cameras. Its exciting. STARFISH will be a short film in 20 days.

Now that the character has been modelled it is time to move in to UV mapping / unwrapping. ready for texturing.

Here is Group one.

From Left to Right

Top : Esther , Jamie, Jaron and Sean
Bottom : Leon , Jono


We are on track and ready to animate MONDAY!

We are kinda excited.

ACNZ group project "STARFISH" - Term 4 week five Part 1 of 2

We had a group meeting late on Thursday afternoon to plan for the week. This has helped us focus on what we need to complete before aiming to animate in week 6 and 7. Then rendering in week 8.

24 days - Then it is due. So we are on track for completion and always trying to beat deadline and exceed our expectations.

 Starting to work on the topology of the large starfish. I start with the eye getting the indent matching the turnaround model sheet.

When adding extra edge loops to adjust the face I make sure I have control on where the edge loops are heading and reshape to suit.

For this character his large frame is weighted in the belly area. So I have shaped the vertex to make the basic shape of the character.

Modelling the large starfish. It is important to keep his cartoony feel. Especially his face (eyes, eyebrow and mouth shape. He has some shaping to do, before he suits his scary presence.

 Now that the overall design has been modelled and approved. It is time to move on to UV mapping.

This is the last character in the group to be modelled and textured as my time has been spent finalising 2D parts in the group. Storyboarding  (deciding the layout and making sure the continuity is finalised)  and the animatic then designing the final character turnarounds.

Teeth and mouth shape finalised ready for UV Mapping and texturing.

 So far this is the fastest I have worked. completing the model in 4 - 5 hours.

ACNZ group project "STARFISH" - Term 4 week four Part 2 of 2

WEEK 4: Part 2 of 2. Modelling the 'Dad Starfish'.

Turnaround model sheets ready for MAYA.

Above is MAYA, project set, images imported and ready to model.


Focussing on a strong shape with good topology.

I plan to finish the modelling on Monday finalising the face / inner mouth and bending parts. Then moving on to UV mapping early Tuesday. The Dad Starfish is .As a group we are going very well. We have updated the schedule and looking at finalising scenes and layouts mid to end of next week.

ACNZ group project "STARFISH" - Term 4 week four Part 1 of 2

WEEK 4 : Finalising designs and confirmed sizes of characters to get proportion correct. Jamie has unwrapped the main character TIERONE ready for texturing. Esther is currently working on texturing the main character and nailing it. I am super happy with how it is shaping up. Below are the finalised designs for our characters.

Tierone 2D turn around (Leon) verses 3D modelled turnaround and unwrapped by (Jamie). Textured by Esther.

Size:

After completing the turnaround models. It is now my turn get stuck into modelling myself. I will be doing the adult starfish. This character is not in the film for long. But he is the punch line. So we have to get his scary presence across in the final moments.

I have now completed most of the 2D requirements. Finalising all characters and the animatic. It is now my turn to do some modelling in MAYA. I am responsible for 'Dad Starfish'.

Here we go...

ACNZ group project "STARFISH" - Term 4 week three

WEEK THREE: Over the weekend I finished the turnaround model sheet for the boy and then applied the colour and colour keys to see what would best suit the environment.

 

 

 

After being happy with the design I handed the turnaround to Jamie to complete modelling. We feel most comfortable with the red/orange hair. We then worked on and finalised all the critiques on the animatic. We are now sitting at 1'10'' which is the length we are aiming for.

Modelling and modelling Assets begins

Schedule is being organised to finish Pre-production.

 

ACNZ group project "STARFISH" - Term 4 week two

WEEK TWO: This is the part I am most passionate about. Story, Timing, Storyboarding, Character design and Matte background art. Bringing the story to visual life. Its super exciting. Planning to make deadline and how we make deadline.

Concepts begin. We are aiming for a simple style like Adventure time and The Regular Show. But in 3D / CGI. Very cartoony. Very pleasing on the eye to match our story and setting. This will make lighting more manageable inside of our cartoony realm. We start referencing these shows, grabbing as many images that relate to our story. We start reference and the look / style guide process begins.


I have then made a mood board to gather all the info before the concepts are started properly. This gives us all an idea that we are all working together as a group to come up with designs. Together.

This is an important part of the creation process that I support and feel your idea can grow quickly. But more than anything this is where the character gets depth and believability. which is everything to us in animation.

I have come up with some of the original concept designs to get across the simple style we are going for. I have then given a character to everyone in the group to redesign. After everyone has redesigned the characters based on our simple style. We will then present these concepts with our storyboard for our first critique. The critique is to get a fresh pair of eyes on the story. To make sure it makes sense.

Below are my concepts and working order of how the idea developed in to a style we can happily model, texture and animate.

While other group members went to redesign some characters I focused on the main character. The annoying boy at the beach. He was looking far to cute. So I had to make him look super evil and almost antagonising little boy.

Jamie and I worked on the animatic while other members worked on concepts and assets for the production. We then had a 'Rush' session and received great feedback on the animatic and identified parts that did not hook up very well.

Over the weekend I worked on the finalised BOY concept and background we will be referencing for the production. I completed some thumbnail/silhouette of the boy concept idea to make sure the character suits. I also completed the course requirement of Sneak, Staggering, Double take and showing weight.

ACNZ group project "STARFISH" - Term 4 week one.

WEEK ONE: Starting a group project can be an exciting time mixed with a bit of nervousness that can bubble to the surface.

We all have varied skills and all want to produce the best work we can for first year CGI students. Which is a good start. A positive start. We had to come up with a short story. Remembering it needs to be simple fun and achievable in the strict time frame. Our group has come up with a great idea. It is all of the above. I was proud that we came up with a story we can achieve.

 Just need the time to develop it in to a short film. The story is then being approved by a 6 tutors form 1st to 3rd year tutors from traditional animation to CGI. So getting a large perspective.

Our story is. A young boys day at the beach. He is a spoilt, rich kid, brat who does not wish to be at the beach he hates the beach. His mother is not interested in amusing the boy or his sister. The boy then sighs and decides to get up to mischief. He see's the mothers keys on the table. The boy then grabs the keys and with an evil look he drops them in the sand and buries them.

The boy ,not sure what's next. Then looks over towards his sister who is having a great time building her sand castle in front of the uninterested mother. The boy walks over with a reasonable face like he is going to play. The sister is smiling. The boy then has a maniacal look on his face. The sisters face is now frightened and scared. The boy then destroys the sisters sand castle. The sister is left in tears, there is no reaction from the mother.

Before the sand has even settled the boy is looking for his next victim and day he can ruin. He looks next too his sister and closer to the ocean he can see a little Baby Starfish sun bathing before the tide comes in. The boy goes straight to the rock pool and grabs on to the Baby Starfish. The little Baby Starfish tries to hold on with all his strength and tiny suction caps. He is then ripped off the sun bathing rock. The kid then gives a more maniacal look before starting to twist and torture the Baby Starfish.

He quickly gets bored and goes to throw the starfish out to sea, a shadow slowly comes over the boy. The boy pauses in fear and slowly turns. An over the shoulder shot looking down at the boy. There is then a reverse angle shot of the large Dad Starfish towering over the little boy. The Dad Starfish is starts to pant. The boy sinks in to his shoes as the Dad Starfish is then preparing to slam the boy. Credits roll

Our story is approved and we move on to storyboarding faze. Which a lot of timing can be worked on. Below is my rough storyboard before starting the animatic and playing around with different shots.

Concepts and reference for style begin.

Hector Fisheries - coloured turnaround.

Hector Fisheries is a Solo greek fisherman. He lives to fish. He feels at home when at see.

Problem is. He loves the fish so much.


I am currently modelling this character in Autodesk - MAYA. I am really enjoying it so far. I look forward to sharing him in the coming months.

Below is the current process shown through screen shots in MAYA.