New Year, New Side Project

Ahh the new years. Fresh powder, fresh outlook, bright days, bright future, and utter freedom.

Im finally free of CATO. I enjoyed my stay for everything it was worth, but its definitly refreshing to finally after so many years, just go to a well paying and good job, and go home and not worry about homework or the final next week.

However, i dropped out yes, this by no mens means ive quit. Quite the opposite in fact, the move was to pursue early career goals. So heres my New Years Goals for 2008:

1. Develop a prototype of ProjectX
2. Solidify the design doc
3. Prepare a pitch, both conference and elevator type
4. Pitch my game concept to publishers

While this may sound like great fun... i still need to practice my skills in animation and presentation. So with all thsi extra free time on my hands, ive decided to undertake a Machinima project. Ill however be using the Source Engine as its what im most familiar with.

ill announce what im doing for practice as i put up small segment here and whatnot, and its a clip called "Garbage Day!!", to which the clip ill be mimicking using Gman and Barney can be found here: http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=i7gIpuIVE3k

Ill keep posted as developments follow. once the practice 1min clip is completed, ill be immediately following up production on a more serious more dramatic scene. Ive been told the last scene from Blade Runner would be cool, but well have to see.


If you STILL visit here and you STILL care, keep watching this blog. new developments at least on a weekly basis :)

WIP6 - Much More [Rendered]

A couple things here and there changed since the last WIP yesterday, some suggestions by Nathan and Orrie who have been helping me along since i started with this, and to them i owe a gigantic "Thank you" while i may not have been able to interpret everything they've suggested (or even gotten around to some) this was one GIANT learning experience for:
1. Perseverance
2. Deadlines
3. Eye for Animation Quality
4. Maintaining a schedual
5. Dedication
6. lots and lots of hard work

Im defintiely alot wiser now thanks to this competition setup by AnimWatch.com and the direction of Nathan, Orrie, and my instructor Graeme Morris.

And i also got to thank the same three people for the character models im using, i dont think ive mentioned it until now and for that i feel bad, haha
Eric Model © Graeme Morris
Eric Rig © Nathan Hibberd
Gyro © Orrie Walls

I plan to continue this craft called 'Animation' for my future career in the Games Industry.

WIP5 - Much more

Animation is basically done, jsut needs some tweaking, though im unaware of how much more time i can dedicate to the actual animation aspect of this, it needs more of a set (or not, whatever, just some lighting will do) and needs an entire day to render (or at least a good chunk of a day), and its to be submitted by Saturday in its entirety.

Check out my competition: http://www.animwatch.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1129

WIP4 - Much More

Focused alot of my attention today on Gyro this time. I hope when i walk away and come back to it later on tonight ill still be convinced that there is some personality behind him now.
Next step is to flash out the rest of the scene, the deadline draws nigh, and id like to submit the full thing, smooth or not. If i can get it fnished before the deadline, so much the better.

To bad too because i wanted to add some Sysflex clothing action on Eric, :\

WIP3 - Much More

WHOA triple update for this day. Yet another Playblast.

Anyways, some updates to the "Much More" animation, including a reaction for Gyro, an idle animation for him too, and animated the second shot. Unfortunately it is only the same length as the previous, and i had no access to headphones either, so i ended it here as im also running short on time again. Always fun and satisfying :)

FINAL - Take and Run

Probably wont revisit this one, besides a few rough drawings, i dont think it turned out to bad at all. The motion works, the zip, the stretch, the cartoony factor, the sound effects may be a bit loud but hey thats cartoon for you /excuse, the antic, the stagger, everything looks fine to me, and works for me. The only thing i do wish is that some people didn;t screw with the gamma during my capturing :\ Horay for not noticing stuff until last minute.

WIP2 - Much More

Test Capture of my entry to AnimClips. Lacks any motion in Igor (Gyro, compliments of Orrie Walls) and any motion in the good Doctor played by Eric, in the second shot (compliments of Graeme Morris and Nathan Hibberd).

First capture, first WIP in 3D.

WIP1 - AnimClips Challenge #1 - Storyboard

My AnimClips Challenge entry. This is the storyboard.
It was made with ToonBoom Storyboard Pro, new software i thought would be fun to learn.

This storyboard is the absolute epitome of "Rough". But whatever, only i need to be able to read it absolutely clear.

Want to see the bigger version than this puny thumbnail of a movie? Click here for the 720x540 Version


Im not sure if ill continue to use Storyboard Pro, not a huge fan of its drawing tools, it SCREAMS "I want photoshop tools" instead it gives you MS paint tools with an Illustrator twist. The Pen Pressure functionality for WACOM tablets doesn;t even work, but whatever, ill post my review of the software later.

WIP2 - First 3D Voice Synch

Lots of major changes, but lots of little ones still need to be looked at.
Also, ah haha, pretend for a moment, the 'boobs' inquestion are lopsided, i didn;t even ntoice his hands were that off-set at the end until now :)

WIP1 - First Lip Synch

My first lip synch animation, ever.

Quote is from Harold and Kumar go to White Castle.