Textures

I will be using the following textures with additional bump maps that I have already created. I had lots of problems with various file formats only working on certain machines and image transparencies being very temperamental. With my many experiments I have discovered that the most reliable file formats are .bmp for textures without transparency and .tga for images that have transparency.

I am very pleased with the textures as they have managed to incorporate the styles I wanted in my film and have a sense of continuity between them without any of them looking out of place. I found the process of texturing and UV mapping enjoyable.

Boy Rig

Matt has rigged my boy using Setup and Face Machine. I had a few problems, as the boy's UV map seemed to be animated after it had been rigged. This was due to Maya not liking any adjustments to the UVs after Face Machine had been run on a model. I solved this by exporting the new UV map onto the model just before Face Machnie was run.

Lighting and Rendering Plan

For my lighting I intend to use the Metal Ray environment option of Physical Sun and Sky with Final Gather to help the light bounce. I will use render layers so that the characters will be on a separate image to the background. This will allow me to have maximum control over all the variables in compositing. I will also render out Occlusion and Luminance Depth passes. This means I can have self shading and depth of field, which I think will add a lot to my film.

Sound Plan

The piece of music I will be using as a soundtrack is Rossini's William Tell Overture. I had it in my mind to use from the beginning of the project because I think it will work really well when the boy is pretending to gallop around on the rock. However, I had all but dismissed being able to use it until I recently came across the CD royalty free. I'm sure it has been used in animation many times before, probably Warner Brothers and I therefore must take into consideration any associations it already has. However, the only thing it brings to mind is horse racing, which if anything will emphasise my use of it. I really enjoy sound and am therefore looking forward to applying it. For the ambient soundtrack of my film I have chosen a royalty free clip available with Soundtrack Pro. The only other noise I have is for the boy screaming, but I am having trouble finding a source for it. In case I cannot find someone to voice it for me or a usable sound clip, I have learnt the necessary steps in Soundtrack Pro so that I may edit any voice, including my own, to sound like a young boy.

Boy Tweak and UV Map

I have completed tweaking the boy model to my satisfaction. The main changes I made were to make it less symmetrical by adjusting the shirt collar and socks and to make the knees and elbows more knobbly. I also edited the nose and ears as well as other minor parts.I then mapped out the UVs for the boy. I found this quite easy as the mesh was naturally sectioned already according to surface material so seams could be subtly positioned. I also had to take into consideration the splashes of mud that would be on him, which also had influence over where the seems could be placed. I am happy with how he turned out.