Unfortunately the pitch itself did not obtain much interest and students that said they would be willing to work on the film pulled out as we were about to start the production. From the very start we didn't have the numbers that would be necessary to produce work quickly. Despite the low level of interest my brother and I decided to carry on with the production with the hope of achieving stunning results even though the odds were stacked against us. I started work immediately and completed the room interior as well as the exterior in the first term. I also made it my business to model the necessary props needed for specific scenes as well as concepts for the main character. Progress was good and the quality of work was pleasing. I also found time to complete work for other groups which consisted mainly of concept work, character design, character sheets, and matte paintings. During the pre production phase I was amazed at the quantity of work that I had produced considering that I was working for three groups simultaneously.
The story itself was relatively simple, however, the character was always going to be our Achilles heel. I had little knowledge in character modeling and topology. I had to learn character modeling from scratch because the student who was going to help us in this area defected at the beginning of the project. I made it my business to research the area of character creation and observed tutorials and images that focused on character modeling. I concerned myself with creating the torso, legs and arms for the character as well as the clothing. Considering I had no previous experience in character modeling I believe that the results are more than adequate for the film. I never imagined that the character would turn out the way it did. At times it was fairly difficult but I put a lot of love and time into the character. I always had an image of what Frank would look like in his environment and I strove to accomplish the model to the best of my abilities. I must say looking at the character now makes me realise how far I have come since the start of this project.
The story was heavily influenced from various classic noir films so the lighting in the film would play an important role in setting the mood and evoking some sort of emotional response in the viewer. Lighting was something I had been researching for my dissertation as it has a profound effect on the storytelling process. Lighting was something I had been relatively good at when creating 2d images in photoshop. However, I needed to become proficient as a lighting artist in the 3d arena as well. I acquired an account with digital tutors early on in the production process to refine my modeling skills. I thought it would be a good idea to learn the basics of lighting and locate the tools necessary for any lighting arrangement. Chris wanted an adequate amount of lights which would help illuminate individual scenes accordingly. Primarily I would be using area lights with linear decay to simulate real world lighting. The interior itself would comprise of warm tungsten lights from the lamp shades and cold blue tones from the hotel sign outside. It was important to get a balanced lighting effect so that it would not be jarring on the eye. The contrast between the warm and cold tones would help convey the emotional struggle that Frank faces as he prepares for his next hit.
I had always wanted to improve my lighting skills and techniques to improve the visual look of my work. When I created the initial room setup I placed lights in the necessary positions to illuminate the scene. However, when I began to render the individual scenes I realized the importance of theatrical lighting. I found that in many of the shots I needed to reposition lights and change their intensity values and falloff to get the best results. My lighting techniques are now far better not only from looking at various tutorials but working on a film that was very dependent on its lighting setup. A lot of it was trail and error, but I am confident I can take these new found skills and apply them when working in the industry.
Texturing the various surfaces in the interior and the exterior were an area that I was looking forward to but had no prior knowledge. Again I used various tutorial sites to better understand the methods of applying textures to surfaces. Texturing was another area with which I wanted to persevere in. If I wanted to improve the visual look of my images ready for the industry I needed to practice normal mapping and texturing. Patience allowed me to really experiment and try out new techniques that would hopefully inform the audience and make the content more appealing. After a lot of trial and error and constant uv tests I manage to become quite adept in applying realistic textures to certain surfaces. Although the textures are sometimes simple it is remarkable how small texture variations and indications can make a huge difference to the look of an object, especially in 3d. When I leave college I hope to become a concept artist and modeler for ether films or games. Obtaining these new techniques will vastly improve my work. I still need to explore the benefits of automatic mapping that will make texturing easier and more professional. I hope to learn this over the next few weeks.
There have been a few setbacks during production, all of which were related to the character and the lack of knowledge in this area. Although there were some issues when creating the character in maya they were largely solved as Chris and I agreed that we would have to share responsibility with Frank's construction. The modeling took a little bit longer than expected, however, the model was more than satisfactory for our needs. Many of the problems, however
were due to the fact that very few people understood how the rigging process worked. My brother made a very good attempt at rigging, however, it was not good enough to suite the movements of the character. We needed someone with good rigging skills to come up with a model that would be workable. Unfortunately time and time again we were let down by the very students who professed to have the knowledge to produce good rigs. This hampered production severely as we sought the advice and skills of various students. There were also problems due to to backwards incompatibility with more updated versions of Maya. This caused many problems when trying to import files other students had done. We also required blend shapes for the character that would benefit the animation process as we attempted to give Frank facial expressions. There were a lot of problems when trying attach these blends to the rig. Some students had problems with their software that hampered production and could not be avoided. In the end we did manage to acquire a completed rig, however, it did have its limitations as as the rig could not be moved in certain poses. Despite the limitations of the rig I did persevere with the animation process. Because of the lack of knowledge and professionalism of some students Chris and I had to accept that the film would not take on its original format. Instead we decided to make a 30 second piece which would hopefully show our skills as filmmakers.
Once I recieved the rig I must say I was not happy with the level of movement that was currently available. However, I had to accept this and create some sort of animation that would be good enough to tell what story we could in the circumstances. I never regarded myself as an animator when I applied to this course. However, I knew that it would expose me to the skills, techniques and software needed for the industry. But looking at the animation I have achieved, I am pleased with the results despite not being an experienced animator. Some of the animation at times appeared stilted or rigid, however by constantly playblasting my work I was able eventually able to produce some good locomotion. The animation is by no means perfect, but should give a sense of the characters state of mind. I can take these skills however and apply them to future projects if the need arises.
Aside from completing the film, looking back on all the work I have produced I can really see a massive improvement in the quality of my work, both in a visual and theatrical sense. I believe I can now use the many skills I have obtained over the last year to benefit the needs of employers in the industry. Working on the film was at some points difficult and there were occasions when I felt let down by other students, however, I think my brother and I have achieved enormous amounts of work despite the setbacks and lack of tuition. We kept at the task in hand and we have produced work that we are very proud of. Unfortunately we were not able to finish the whole film initially intended but it should show our strengths as filmmakers. Now it is just a case of rendering the last few shots and compositing them ready for the degree show.
