Still Life Project

Room atmosphere with one light on.

Objects and light at different position.

Depth of field lenes and focus on the flowers.

Afternoon lighting effect.

Evaluation

In this project, my task is to re-model at least 6 objects that I have found or collected. The aim of this project is to model and texture accurately and realistically, in order to fit with the topic area – ‘visualisation’.

To commence with this project, I first visualised stuffs that around me, for example, objects that in my house and then I gathered the objects together and tried to give a theme to them. At the same time, I have researched and looked at other still life scenes. I thought about to produce something that look similar to still life photographs, such as those taken by Peter Lippman. However, due to the high quality that I desire to produce in this project, I decided to photograph my own objects, because I can observe and measure the objects in order to achieve the aim.

The objects that I have chosen were a lamp, a vase with three wooden flowers, a glass of juice, a jug of juice, a plate and eight pieces of biscuits. In my still life scenes, it revealed that it is a tea break in the evening.

During this project, I have learnt a lot of modelling skills; especially how to model and texture objects accurately by using lathe modifier, edit polygons of objects and UVW unwrap map. And now, I am confident with modelling 3D objects from the real world.

In my project, it involved me to use different methods to create the objects. For instance, the glass, the jug and the vase, I started modelling them by using a line then applied a lathe modifier on it. Any details that need to add on afterwards, I had converted them into editable poly and moved the vertex to the shape that I need. For the remaining objects which are lamp, biscuits, plate and flowers, I used standard primitives and transformed them into the shape that I want, then converted them into editable poly and edited the vertex and edges, these objects are time consuming to model.

In addition, I have learnt about texturing in this project. The texture tutorials gave me a clear idea of how 3d models are texturing and it will be a useful knowledge in my future projects. I had used this method for my biscuits and flower, and I understood that texture is an important process to give me a realistic 3d model.

I found the most difficult section in this project was lighting, because it took time to render out the effect that I was looking at. I had spend two days and tested with the lighting. However, I felt that it was a good practice by experiment with different lighting such as normal light and light with mental ray on. Also, different lighting shadows will create different mood. For example, shadow map, mental ray shadow and ray trace shadow. These three do different jobs, and in my project I decided to use mental ray shadow as I have render my scene out as a mental ray.

In general, I am satisfied of my final renders. However, if I have more time I will concentrate more with the lighting, as I did not expect it was time consume to render. This project gives me a prospect in my future career as I found this project looks more professional than my previous works. 

Mapping my flowers

Modelling flower

The followings show how I create a flower.

The following is the hardest part that I had spent a day to make it accurate, 

Finally... 

Re-modelling the jug

I have re-modeled the jug, because the final result looks different to the real object.

The following pictures show that how I created the handle,

After edited the handle, I have applied a smooth modifier on it.

Finally result of the second jug!

To apply a glass texture. At first, I have found a video tutorial in the internet and I have used the fresnel function to apply the texture on.

However, I will the mental ray rendering in order to make the objects realistically. Therefore, I have applied the mental ray glass texture on instead of the one that I showed above.

My Fantasy Olympics

In this project, I need to produce a 30 sec animation by using Adobe After effects. I have to think of a futuristic sport, and design an appropriate character to compete within the sport. For me, this project was a challenge, because I have to use a software that I never use it before.

Firstly, it involved some research to get some ideas of sport and character that I created. I came up with ideas of playing sports under water or in the galaxy etc. Then I decided to have the sport of Hamster ball running over water. It is about a character running inside a hamster ball, it is like a running game. Running inside a hamster ball and compete with others.

To start, I sketched out of the idea of running inside a hamster ball on water. Then I sketched some ideas of my character e.g. faces and outfits. Also, I have sketched the assets that I need in this animation e.g. the environment (trees, clouds, water, banner…etc) and audience.

After sketches, I have to create the character in illustrator by using different layers, because I have to separate different parts of the character of different layers in order to animate in After Effects. After I created all the parts that I need, and then I imported them into AE, and place them into a 3d space by following my storyboard. In this animation, I have created a particle that made the animation interest was the CC particle world. This is how I create the fire from the fire torch.

In this project, everything was new to me, and I found it is interesting to use 2d character in 3d environment. At first, I was confusing how can I create 3d environment by using 2d elements. However, after I finished this project, I have a clear idea of what does it mean. It is just about layering and camera angels.

I was not 100% happy of what I produced in this project, because I don’t have skills with the software and I did spend a lot of time to experiment with the software. There are lots of little bits that I want to have like the wave of water etc. However, in my next semester I hope to learn more. From this project, I learnt that I could not import too many assets into one project, because this will affect the speed of preview while you are creating. I did imported too many trees in my project, and I end up I could not have the effect of a depth of field camera, because I could not preview from the screen of what will it look like. This project did gave me the feeling of what is the advertising animation industry fields like, also from this project I realised most of the advertising are combine with 2d and 3d elements. 

Final Piece of "Digital me" project

Interactive Media- "Digital Me"

My Online Portfolio

Please give me some comments of what you think. =]

Redo my “Digital me” project as an improvement

After lots of consideration, I decided to redo my “Digital me” project. The reason that I want to re design for my online presence. I realised that my website looks like a promotion website more than a personal branding website. This is due to the big Polaroid’s camera at the beginning of my website. Also, from a audience point of view, I felt the style of the website does not work as an online portfolio, because it is too colorful that makes too much to read. For an online portfolio, I will prefer simple and claim. Therefore, I decided to re- do my digital me project as an improvement.

Before create my website in Dreamweaver, I have to…

Create a wireframe. 

After I considered re-creating my website, I have looked through some designers and photographers portfolio. The layout of Matt Guegan’s portfolio is the one that I prefer the most. However, I won’t copy the layout that he got. The thing that prefer is his name at the top of the page that make it clears of what is the website about.

My ideas:

Idea 1:

Idea 2:

Idea 3:

The theme:

Referring to my previous post "Moodboard", I did mentioned I like "simple and plain". Therefore, for my new website I will use this as my theme. 

My network plan:

Typography:

This time I will use 2 typeface. I will keep what I had decided before “Tahamo”, because this is a common available sans-serif font and it is an ideal font for presenting information on the screen. The other one is hand-written typeface that makes the website more personal and friendly.

How to make my website looks more personal?

I realized a logo is an essential for a personal website, especially for a designer. A logo represents an identity. Therefore, I have design a logo for my website and I will paste it on the top left corner of my website. I decided to put it on top left corner, because people usually read from the top left to the bottom right.

Portfolio is like a showcase of my work and which will enhance my employment. However, a blog is necessary, because the employer will be interested in my design process. Therefore, I will include my blogger link into my website.

Improvement from my evaluation:

From my evaluation, I said that I would like to have more interacted in my website. Therefore, on my homepage, I would like to have some rollover images to make it look more interest. And these rollover images would be the best works that I did so far. These images will link a page that the work will enlarge either in a gallery or in a video.

I am re creating my website now, I hope I will finish it on Sunday. After that I will get my own domain website and web hosting space, so my portfolio is actually present "online"!!   

Lighting and Track back

This week I have learnt some lighting and camera skills and things that we have to plan beforehand such as: floor planning- where actors stand, lights setting... etc. For example:

Theme: Interviewing someone

Place: Waverley Theatre

Theme: Track back of someone

Place: Graveyard 

The following is what we have done during the same, and I have added some text to explain what had happened.

Suppose to film...

We were supposed to film today, but our actor didn't up for it which screwed up our plan. Initially, we planned to film it before the easter holiday! Therefore, we can have time to improve if anything goes wrong. But everyone is going back home for the easter and the bank holiday- means 2weeks off. Now, we plan to film on the 03.05.2011


Initial plan:
"Hey tomorrow we can pick up the equipement between 4-4:30 so could some people come and help collect everything about 4-4:15ish and then maybe we could go set up and have a few practice runs at filming while we have the light and everything?
On Wednesday the flat is free from 1:30 so we can go and film when our seminar finishes.
Cheers!" 

End up:

"Ugggggghhh, I've been really screwed over, Lucy can't film tomorrow in the day either. I'm thinking we quickly try find a new actress or we are gonna be way behind our schedule. I'm really sorry guys, I thought she'd be more reliable but I guess not :("

Our Presentation and the first seminar with Phil

P.S. Editing effect video:

This is whatI want to create at the start. E.g. Introducing the actors.

There will be stop frame in our film and this is the style that I am looking for.

Fade in and fade out transaction. 

We were the first group presented, nervous! But Phil was happy about what we have done.

Finally...

Recently, I was busy on my haunted house project and I have tried to figure out the lighting and camera in order to deliver my work in a good standard. And today I have spend 6 hours to render my animation. Click to view and leave me some feedback please.

Overall I was appreciated with my effort, but this was not the perfect one, there are areas that I can improve such as:

1.    1.   More light can be add when the cart passing through the corridor before the sudden drop.   

2.    2.  Background music can change to a Japanese music, so this may enhance the scary feeling of the animation.

And I have posted this in my Facebook and our NTU multimedia Facebook group which allow my course mates give me some feedback of what they think.

Moving Image… start today

This will be my last project of my year 1. It is about interpret a script- adapt into your own version. I am in a group of five which are:

Producer: Helen
Director: Natasha
Camera and Lighting: Chris
Sound design: Ajay
Editing:  Amanda (Me)

My role is consisting of raw camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics and special effects. Editors are skilled storytellers, charged with cutting hours and hours of shot together to create a cohesive story.

We have been given the script called “DOG”. The script is about a man who eats dog food due to having no food in his cupboards.

Brainstorming:
1. Depression, alcoholic

2. Brake in, eats food, crazy person, mental problem, mourning the loss of…

In the seminar, we discussed the script together and we thought the story is more about depression- a man trying to cope and mourn the loss of his dog.

Therefore, we decided the film is focusing on the girl rather than the story of a dog. We have started adapt the script to be a story about a girl using alcohol as a means of coping with the loss of a loved one or family member.

The initial idea that we got is the girl is attached to an object of sentimental value leaving the audience to guess who it belonged to, at the end she appears to have passed out on the sofa clinging to the sentimental object and a letter connected with it. We have replaced dog food for alcohol, sick instead of poo, passes out at the end instead of turing into a dog.

Also, this week I have learnt how to use celtex to edit the script which I found it quite useful, and our team are pretty organize we recorded what we discussed in the seminar. Therefore, everybody knows what stage we are at.

Example of our works:

Screenshot of my progress

 Props:

Scare Scene:

Lighting and Camera setting:

Storyboard

Scare scenes (edited)

After created the props, I realised the idea that I got did not work as good as what I imagined (read below entries). Therefore, I decided to slightly change the idea. I will change the first half of the animation, because I think if I make the animation as a storytelling, audience may get bored. So I have re-draw the scare scenes again in order to create the new props.

1. A table with a TV, showing a scary boy.

2. Cup pick up by a ghost (invisible ghost)

3. Sliding door open and close with banging sound effect, a scary ghost (from the Japanese horror film called Ju-on) appear.

4. A girl with swing on a rocking horse, then the ball suddenly dropping down on the floor, with girl's laughing sound effect.

5. Ghost climbing down the stairs.

6. A sudden drop in a rabbit mouth.

7. A ghost chasing the visitors (cart).

Obviously I have added more scare scenes then before, these are start from the beginning until the end, because I would like my animation looks more interest. These will make the audiences watch my animation until the end.