Blockout 3

Over the next two blockouts I concentrated on improved the actions, making the timing more accurate, changing camera angles and reducing the amount the tree shook after the plum is picked off. I also tried to make the boys purpose more clear by having him notice the goat when he is screaming at the start, then getting the idea to ride it and visualising this by galloping around using his stick as a horse.

I have been successful in fixing my parenting problem from earlier blockouts. There is a parenting constraint option under the Animation menu set, which allows me to do exactly what I need without causing any problems. I do not know why this has next to no mention on the Internet and why any parenting help suggests other temperamental ways to solve it. The only explanation would be that this is a relatively new feature to Maya.

New Timetable

I made timetable for the production and post-production stages of my project. I have allocated myself plenty of time for animating as that is the most important bit and left the last two Weeks blank, for when things go wrong. I have been experimenting with referencing scenes in Maya, which will allow me to add to edit a collection of scenes at the same time. My Referencing pipeline will be:Although I was not able to stick to the exact dates in my last timetable, everything that needed to be done has been achieved so I am very pleased with my progress to date.

Blockout

I created a blockout of my film in Maya using the Goat and Max for Maya rigs from http://www.highend3d.com/. As well as giving me a much better idea of pacing, I used it as a chance to test out animation by keyframing as many animation cycles as possible. To do this I spent a great deal of time filming and photographing myself acting out particular movements and poses, as well as analysing Internet footage and studying Muybridge image sequences. I created a bank of notes, thumbnails and arcs to help when I animate. Both the mound and tree models are still in production.

I think some of the animation sequences work really well particularly for the goat and I am glad I put so many hours into animating it. There are however a few actions that I do not think are clear; the second close up of the goat is supposed to show the goat pulling against the rope trying to escape from the boy. Also as the boy gingerly tries to climb down the rock he ends up falling instead. The main feedback points I received was to make the boys purpose clearer, reduce the shake of the tree and improve the camera angles.

A large problem I encountered was parenting. I needed to be able to turn on and off the parent attribute and move the child independently from its master. This can be achieved to some degree using multiple versions of the same object, but not to the extent that I needed. After much unsuccessful searching through the Maya help file and the Internet, I discovered a script that allowed me to do just that. However the script had many problems which I could not undo. Although it allowed me to do exactly what I wanted, I ended up spending days fixing problems it had caused and therefore I will need to find a more reliable method when I come to animating.

Group Work: Clay Monkey

I was asked to sculpt a clay model of the monkey in Jo's film. This was to assist in the computer modeling of the character. I was given a series of useful drawings which I turned into a page to use as reference. It had to be free standing and completed ready for when we return after the Christmas holidays.I am pleased with how the monkey turned out as the majority of the design is very thin and therefore difficult to model. To create it I made a metal armature for strength, then covered it in newspaper to help the clay stick and reduce weight. There is actually very little clay on it and because of this it can stand up by itself. I textured it to mach the designs as close as possible.

Boy Design

Finally got the boy design finished over the Christmas holidays, after struggling with it for so long. I am really happy with how they have turned out. I am finding that I am having to spend far longer on designs because someone else is modeling them and I feel they have to be completely perfect. I have given the job of modeling him to Joe. I have asked for this to be completed as soon as possible.

Goat Model

I received the Goat model from Joe today. He did a great job modeling it and with a couple of very minor tweaks it will be perfect.

Storyboard

I asked James to draw a more accurate storyboard for me, as I was struggling to visualise my various camera angles and poses. This helped me a great deal when creating my blockout as I could use it a reference for compositions and poses.

Branch Design

I designed the branches for the plum tree with elements of moss and vines, without straying too far from actual leaves.



I still prefer the shape of the leaves in the below picture, as they are almost like wet sticky clumps of thin finger like leaves.

I have given the job of modeling the tree to Matt. I also tried applying a few different colours to the tree, but as of yet I am not sure which would fit in best with the overall colour scheme.

Sneak Cycle

I animated a sneak cycle ready for the boy which I am quite happy with, although it is a bit overbalanced and snappy in places. I am finally getting the hang of ignoring the numbers in Maya. I find it best to keep the channel box closed whenever possible to prevent me from being distracted by the data.

Goat Design

I used Photoshop to edit the goat's design slightly; thickening the horns and softening the face as well as other minor adjustments.





I have given the Goat to Joe to model for me. I have asked if possible for the model to retain some of the a-symmetric qualities of the original clay design. I have asked for this to be completed by the end of the Christmas holidays.

Hill Model

I am having other people do the majority of modeling for my project, as this will give me more time to work on other parts of production. I have given Susan the job of modeling the hill for my set. I have asked for this to be completed by the end of the Christmas holidays.

Boy Design

I created a clay design for my boy character. Unfortunately I made it too small to sculpt the head and have therefore left it as a rough shape. I think the model has some positive features that with some work could be developed into a successful design.

Tree Design

I developed the tree design in clay. It was a challenging model because of the very thin branches and roots. I used wire and newspaper to aid in the modelling process. I think the design is successful because it is both stylised and clear.

Goat Design

I have created a new design for the goat character. Underneath the clay is an armature made out of gardening wire with newspaper to pad it out to reduce weight. I am happy with this design as it is more stylised and simplified than the last goat.

Quadruped Walk Cycle

I have only ever animated a quadruped character once before and they spent most of the time walking on their hind legs, so I do not have much experience animating four legged walk cycles. For the animation I used the Real Dog rig available at http://www.highend3d.com/. Although I have no problems with the technical side of Maya I still find it difficult to concentrate on the character poses as I spend my time worrying about numbers. Despite several attempts, a lot of planning and analysing of reference footage, the resulting animation is poor as there is no sense of weight and it is quite snappy. As it stands I am not benefiting from computer animation's easier working method (building up animation one layer at a time, the mighty undo button) and I am more confident animating in stop motion and therefore need to concentrate on improving my Maya animation skills.

Animatic 3

I have been working on an improved animatic using After Effects to allow me to move parts at different times and to give a more 3-dimensional feel. I have experimented with cameras and it is a lot nearer to what I am after.

Tree Design

I developed my favourite designs for the tree. Although I prefer the drawing of the tall a-symmetric tree I think the willow design would work best with my story. I then developed the design from various angles.

Tree Design

I researched colours for my tree and tried drawing various styled plum trees, first rough then more detailed and incorporating the colours.

I like different aspects of each of them; the mossy clumps of leaves and simple branches of the bottom left, the twisted trunk and roots of bottom right, simple willow like structure of top right, the simple textures of top left, and the roots of the second from top left.

Rocky Mound Colour

I tried a few different colour schemes, creating different surfaces such as rock, grass, mud and moss. I am not happy with any of them but it has allowed me to see what is possible. The first image is the original gray scaled mound.

Clay Mound

I developed my designs for the rocky mound using clay, keeping in mind the path that the boy will take up and down it.