Teaching Myself After Effects

So with little knowledge I had of After Effects I set out to make a scene that is going to be in my advert. For a first time it's not too bad, and I've tried to remember animation basics. Its actually really fiddly, but once you get it, you're sorted. I know it can be better and less basic cartoony but be gentle its my first time. I like it because once the giant velcro balls attach, Octi slows down and it looks heavey, exactly the feel I wanted.
Weaves in and out, collects the big black 100 then ends up collecting a load more and starts getting weighed down.

Gonna finsih the Slithering scene tonight and hopefully put it all together tomorrow, going to try adding a fast blur effect to the slithering scene.

Arena Animation

This is a quick over look of the arena, in the advert I'm going to show them floating up from the floor, gonna be awesome. My advert is I think all about the power and impact of it, its not very subtle.

Spinning olympics

So this is test number one for a simple olympic design, it just spins but its short and sweet and straight to the point. Which I like but I have a few more things still left up my sleeve, for the design of this, once I've finished all the sketches i'll upload them onto here.

Olympic Branding

Thinking about making my own brand for my fantasy olympics, which is to be held in 3024. I was just gaining inspiration from past designs and posters. Most important bit is the five rings. Branding is a major part in this advert and I think I derailed a bit going off into each story. I've come up with a more advert based idea, rather than an episode. Anyway here are some of the designs I'm being inspire by;

 Unfortunately the 2012 olympic poster didnt make it on here because I just don't like it. It's not a likable image, and I don't feel inspired or excited for the olympics when I see it. Also the simpson reference makes me dislike it further. Oh well tomorrow I will have my own design, I will make it to my preferences and see if I can portray the mood of hope and that feeling of togetherness, those are elements that I think are important elements for the olympics.
Wish me Luck.

Blinking Slithards

This is my first initial test for my blinking slithard was Just practicing with the layers and timing. Its only a rough little movie ,But you get the jist.

The Arena

 So here is a quick little arena I made in 3ds max, not sure how to replicate this in After effects. It won't be as glossy or reflective, it will have move of a cartoonish feel. Although I might have the 3d balls from this scene, and add points on them, so the audience knows that each equals points, though not sure how in going to show that these weighted. We'll see!

Above From the start line, below a close up of the 50 point ball.

The Contestants

Here are the main 3 contestants I am going to have in my advert:

Slithards

These slithering creatures main strength in Burball is the fact they're so snake like and can just slide to the point balls it wants. It weaves in and out collecting as many points before the finish line.

Three times Gold champion in the past two decades, collecting a handful of silver and bronze medals along the way.

They're one to watch out for as a flick of they're tail can send a bunch of weighted balls your way.






Octi

The mass point collector, spreading its 8 limbs out at the perfect moment accumulating as many points as possible betore the finish. Its light weight body keeping it from being to heavy to the touch the floor, enforcing the fact that it has never been desqualified.

Has never gotten less than 2nd place in the past two olympics, although if they get third its a gaunrantee you'll never see them again!

They maybe quiet, but they are quick calculators and may just beat you past the finish with all the points.




Gelatinous Blob

There has been a lot of controversy over the past few centuries with these guys, as they couldn't wear a uniform. They hadn't figured out a suit that could fit they're gluppy bodies. It wasn't till the past three olympics they were allowed to participate, as one of their leading scientists discovered a way to make the suit so elasticated it almost mimicked the structure of their own bodies.

There is an obvious natural talent that these guys posses, yet they can't seem to break into the silver medal league, always given bronze or even being disqualified. No one can forget the disqualifiction of 3016 olympic game, it was down to just one spec of blob that let the side down.

Anyway although they haven't won gold, they are considered one of the top three comptetors in the universe.


They each have a small profile as I am considering adding a small portion into my advert. Stuff like the year they were born and they're strengths and medals. Maybe I'm still 50/50, it just depends on how much time I have left over in my 30 second add. Anyway tomorrow i will upload the deasigns for the arena.

Character Sketches and Ideas

So here are the sketches to my Fantasy Olympics adverts. It is designs and ideas for each of my characters involved in Burball, each one with their own traits and strengths for the game.

Fred

I know the latest thing I should be uploading onto here is all my sketches for the fantasy Olympics project but I'm going to do that later once I have a new graphics tablet, mines no longer being picked up by my computer, very annoying. Anyway I created this last night for a poorly someone, recently been in hospital to remove a large aneurysm, which the family called Fred.
This is kind of how I picture him, if I had a working graphics tablet it would be a lot better with more detail, but there is only so much you can do with a mouse.
I'm gonna have to invest in one today, oh well bye bye money

It is FINISHED!!

So this is it, weeks of work and thought, and I'm actually quite proud of it. It runs quite smoothly, if pieces are moved or fall it looks realistic, there is no flicker or real issues, the music almost fits in and the reflective material isnt too over powering. I'm very happy with it to be honest, best piece of work I have done in a long time. The hours spent I cant even begin to calculate, weeks of 11 hour shifts, making sure it was right.


If I'm honest I dont want it to get marked, I didnt want to hand it in. I didn't create it to be marked or graded . Initially I created it to learn, but by the end of it I was making it out of pure enjoyment. I didnt mind working on it for hours on end and being a bit of a perfectionist about it, because everytime i completed a few seconds of it I smiled. How cheesey is that??? But its true, maybe this area of work is my future, I am heading in the right direction.

The Chess Plyer

It is now complete, weeks of staring at a computer screen and now I am able to present a 3 minute animation, with a sound track and effects. This is my 1st ever animation, it is the 1st time I have ever made a soundtrack and it is also the 1st time I have successfully used 3ds Max, After effects, Premiere, and LMMS. I can't even begin to calculate how many hours this took me to do, but I couldn't be happier with it. I can honestly say i have grown with this animation, I have learnt so many different techniques and skills, along with appreciation for a fast computer to render and all those muscians out there that make their own music. This project has also enforced my dream of working as a concept artist, I have been very aware of how my ideas have developed, even during the actual animating stage ideas have expanded. My skills were limited to ideas and sketching, but now seeing this creation I can begin considering 3d animation a skill in my repetore. I will be honest I am glad it is over, this project has been my life for a good while now and I feel a little creatively drained. This may not be the funniest or best animation of the group but it is mine, I got across all the points I wanted and sketched out previously in my storyboard (which I still need to upload), I created my pieces from scratch I designed my own functional arm, and I created a personality for my robots. even though it needs tweaks here and there, and as I improve my skills I'll be able to create even better material, I couldn't be happier I achieved what I set out to do, and for the 1st time I did it within the time frame.

My Sketch book shows how my mind thinks, and also shows the process of my ideas, I get it from reading books, watching films aswell as trying to play chess myself (with the threat of the board being thrown at me). It is also obvious to see how the ideas on paper expanded when I actually begun my aniamtion too. Yet like a good concept artist I kept the feel and theme as I had first planned and designed. It has shown me the importance of the concept artist, how crucial that initial stage is. I hope if I carry on working like this throughout my years here at university I can create a fantastic portfolio that shows my love of inspiration and ideas, and then be able to follow them through.

The animation will be uploaded this evening for all to see, with sound and everything.
Hope you enjoy it

My Network

There we go, finally finished and figured out, its only a basic overview of my network, I think had I added anymore it would have gotten too complex and this is just a representation, not too in depth. It gives you a good understanding of where my networks lie and how spread out it is, I can push it further, if needed too.
This excercise really helped give me an understanding that if I explored this concept of networking, it would be very beneficial to me.
Well halfway through the essay i have been reserching and understanding, and even trying to learn ways of expanding my network further. Using things like conferences, art exhibitions, and just interviewing people who genuinely inspire me. I don't want to contact companies just for an assignment, I want to do it in a way that is useful to me and my network. Just going around begging for a job is not how I plan to do this. I might want to become a free lance artist which seems to be the normal route in this industry, so therefore interviewing people who have successfully been doing this for a while, will be so very very useful. The more knowledge I have about this the stronger the outcome i feel.

The Frustrations Begin

Finally managed to incoporate the sliding text within the animation rather than as too seperate scenes, means that there is more flow within the sequence. I also thought I best start getting the hands frustrated, I did alot of playing around like tapping, slapping each other but all were too much to begin with, those things should start happening later. So I just chose to have the hands trying to tempt the computer with the white pawn. Computer still loading hand gets impatient and hits it. So thus begins the frustrations.

I'm in the middle of re doing the animation, I've gotten rid of the old hideous wood flooring too, swapped it for a nicer wood and colour. I've also been able to get rid of that flick finger at the beginning of the aniamtion, aswell as shortening the beginning. Although be shortening the beginning sequence of things means I have to start re doing the music too. Oh well need it done right, otherwise they'd be no point!