Bone Appetite

So here is my final piece for Uni:



Bone Appetit from Simone Hunt on Vimeo.

Update on Artefact Five

Update on Artefact 5 from Simone Hunt on Vimeo.

Basically the last animation I did was pretty awful, lots of things wrong with it, people expected better of me. (Although that was two weeks of work, so not too bad in the time frame).

Anyway I've been getting some feedback from a friend of mine who used to do a bit in the industry, small animations and stuff. This piece has been re-worked 3 times. Still not 100% happy with the walk and the odd flick, but its not too bad.

I've simplified everything down, concentrating on animating one character and doing that well.

two thirds done, one third left to go.

Prezi - My Process

So got hold of Prezi and I've uploaded all my ideas and thought processes. I've not set it up into a presentation format as that was not the point of this. This was to have everything I have researched and worked towards, for the Tex Avery project, in one place. So I recommend to Just look at it in full view rather than with the arrows as that accomplishes nothing. Just press escape when done.




This has everything from my reading lists for each artefacts, failed attempts and even my first presentation ever for this project.

Artefact Four Reflection

Artifacts/Artefacts

Artifact 1: Drawing and design a huge part of Tex Avery's process.
Artifact 2: Modelling the Characters to fit the scene correctly. Technicallly needed to be able to accomplish effects created in 2d design. Ensure complete control over texture and base model before rigging.
Artifact 3: The rigging process. Using Anzovin, pushing the limits of the rig using a step by step frame sequence of Avery's Takes. Design and aesthetics are key to this process.
Artifact 4: Story Boarding. Exploring the techniques and favorite styles of Avery's Story Guys, Heck Allen and Mike Maltese. Maltese being one of the greats who's list of works include Wile E Coyote and Road Runner.
Artifact 5: A short animation piece exploring humor in animation and trying to combine the things learnt from previous Artifacts.

The more successful

So this is Another of my Artefacts, well I've added the two more successful experiments. What I've learnt is that to replicate a take using a 3D model takes a lot of control, and is all about camera angles. A lot of the time spent on this Experiment was going back, re-rigging and adding more extreme Blendshapes, but ultimately I feel it still wasn't enough. Proof is in those experiments that failed as the rig found it almost impossible to contort itself in such away, even with a rig as simple and flexible as the Anzovin Rig. I will be adding another experiment to this list, one where the limbs are more stretched and exaggerated, rather than the face and eyes. That's it, the face, eyes and tongue were the things that needed the most work as that is where the life come from.

See something like the Take above is near on impossible to accomplish without using almost a completely new character, this is literally just down to the facial side of things, the rig is able to be manipulated like that. Yet the face, mainly the jaw becomes twisted and gnarled due to the bend and lack of neck. I will be having another go, pushing the Blend shapes further seeing if that will help. 

This is from the Take I'm currently tweaking at the minute before uploading. It is one of the easier of Avery's Take to replicate due to is mainly being about stretching the limbs and body, although again the jaw is proving to be a bit more difficult. 

Drawings can hide a multitude of sins, 3D cannot.

Getting There

Sorry nearly at the point to add the finishing touches to my Animation, but this is a shot from the first scene with all three characters together

Initial Setup

Just sorting through my folders and came across this image. I think its from my initial scene set up, before animating. Its like Tex Avery meets Shaun the Sheep!

Le Update...

Add some screenshots I should have uploaded last week, but not had the chance.

Both of these shots are still in the T pose and early stages, but all rigged up using the beautiful software ANZOVIN. Amazing stuff and super simple to use, very straight forward. Will up date later with animation I am working on.

Not sure why?

Its been a while since I've uploaded anything onto here, its been a bit hectic for me. Anyway I have been doing work, and I have been able to do it all on my nice big fancy computer <-- Which has been made by me!

Farmer Model

Right I let stress and deadlines take over, and have let it for a few weeks now. So I am behind but it is my own fault, I was trying to rush things and basically just forgot my own process. The process that has worked so well for me these past few years. Anyway I am shaking it off and Ive started from kinda scratch, getting myself back on track. This is soooo much better than my last model and, I have taken the time to sketch it out properly, like this one below...

There is a clear direction for the farmer. Going to texture him and get on with the wolf.

Farmers Head update

With Head.
Think he needs to be a bit more stumpy, still quite long and boring at the minute. I've run our of time this evening so will be building my computer at home, and the I will finally be able to perhaps work at home, all being well!

Farmer Model So far

I am just kind of eye balling it at the minute, its going ok. I'll put the farmers head on in a bit. will keep updating

Sheep Test

Sheep test.
Now making the farmer character, should hoefully be finished modelling him today all being wekll and no more distractions.

Pre-Term Jitters

So been fighting off nerves for about a week now, but finally managed to rip my head out of the sand and get on with it. I am using Maya, and again somehow have managed to throw myself in at the deep end. Tried to start off as easy as possible. Get to grip with the basics again, and boy have I fallen in love with the program. Simple once you get to grips with it. I've also been blessed with the tutorials from Animation Methods on youtube. SOOOOO useful I cant even begin to describe. Anyway below is my little sheep character I'll be using. Modelled, Textured and used blend shapes, 20hrs worth of learning and work. Mind is a bit frazzled but all good now.

ATRG Evolution- Group One Basic

So this is what I've created so far for the Client project - ATRG. I've got a basic walk cycle up, all I need to do is set up the transitions between evolutionary levels and background scenery. I've made the rest and they're just sat waiting to be uploaded into a walk cycle on After Effects. Hopefully should have this and the Catalogue project done by latest next week. Giving me a good few weeks to concentarte solely on my Research Project. I got some more books, two through the post yesterday; "The Art of Hotel Transylvania" and "What's so Funny". Also bought "Monsters in Films", "Character Mentor" and "Fantasy Art Workshop" These last three books are just for general purposes rather than for the Research Project. I am also slowly making my way through the Tex Avery Book, I writing notes in it as I go along, just small summaries and useful quotes bit of knowledge and references to certain small animations, it helps so I dont have to keep re reading it and can progress through it quicker, I've also realised in the back are two long interviews with Avery himsef, excited to read what he has to say.
Anyway reading a side, back to finsihing off these other two smaller projects.

The Horrifying Rant!

So I know i said I'd write a blog about my internal project yesterday, but I actually was very productive in another project, my Research Project.
After spending a good time reading what is expected of me in the 3000-4000 words research paper, and what is necessary in such a paper, I've come to realise that there are not enough words for what I want to talk about. I thought it would be a in depth discussion, but apparently not the case. The extra section like 'background to research', 'research methodology' and 'description of proposed practice' can surely be merged into other areas. Why waste entire sections for this headings when it is a creative course, I'd understand more if it were a soical/science dissitations, as then it is obviously advantageous. But by giving entire sections away means having to write more than just a few sentences and writing something more substantial to justify having it as a section, right?
I don't know, maybe my lack of experience is showing, but there is not much logic behind it, yet others have done it in the past. Although with this is mind, after reading the example given to us as reference from someone last year, their discusson section was mostly pictures?!! They too didn't have enough to space to write. Maybe I'm being too optimistic in what I intend to write and will be glad to have so few words.
Anyway least I have a structure in place and a topic that interestes me. In fact I went to see 'Hotel Transylvania' yesterday. Good film, not great, but definitely would watch and enjoy it again.

In terms of animation I actually expected more extreme poses, it was great what they accomplished don't get me wrong, but it didnt have the wild takes I was expecting after reading some of the articles that Genndy Tartakovsky wanted it to be like the wild Warner Bros. and Tex Avery Cartoons.

They've done an awesome job at finally a new way to animate, rather then try and copy the kingpins Pixar. Its very much like Tex's work in the grand era of Walt Disney. Animation needs a fresh perspective, I know the picture above shows some extraggeration, but it wasnt like that all the way through the film, in fact some of the extreme emotions didnt really show till towards the end , which i dont understand as dracula had plenty bursts of rage since the beginning of the film. I would love to have seen it pushed more.

In fact that is what my finally year is all about, pushing the limits of animation. Tartakovsky's team had to re program and script how the rigs and models would morph so as to make it smooth and not crumpled or disfigured in a horrific mess. I'm not sure how I'm going to go about doing it, but I know they used Maya. so thats what I intend to learn today, wish me luck.

Weird I know...

Due to the workload I've not had chnace to upload anything onto my blog for a while. So... Sorry for that. Well I've managed to complete a presentation and handed in my first essay. Also had a big realisation as to how hard it is to read and write. Due to not having done it in a while, it has been a real hinderance, but i keep telling myself practice will make perfect. Im currently trying to read Tex Avery: King of Cartoons by Joe Adamson, really interesting but takes me three reads of the same page to actually get it and make it stick which as you can imagine being very very tidious.

Anyway I'm determined to do it, especially as its the only thing that is going to help towards my research project.

Here is my presentation for my Research Project:

Avery Presentation from simone Hunt on Vimeo.

Then we have the designs and idea for my enterpanerial idea, it is for my Context 3 essay. Hard as i quickly gave myself a crash course in business and investors, along with the inner workings of 3d technology, kinect and Infra Red lights and sensors.

Not bad considering I had no idea what Infra Red even was let alone how the sensors work together, and IR Light or what use the RGB Camera is to a Kinect. Anyway I did it and I'm quite chuffed with my little self. It could possibly wipe out keyboards and the mouse, who knows.

Slight Change

So I've looked at the bearded man so much I don't know how to improve it, I think I'm going to have to give it a break for a whole.

So with that in mind I've started my essay properly, not just the research and quotations for it. Forgot how hard writing was, spent nearly all day just doing the introduction, September I hope is going to be a long month. 4000 words here I come!

 

This is my mood and inspiration board for my essay. I'm going to get it done!

I ain't no Chicken

Well since I've started blogging again, I've actually drawn something, rather than sat there thinking about it! It was a good idea to start again, and in France I have complete peace of mind. Anyway I've been drawing away on the Procreate app and have come up with these 6 designs:

After asking others opinions, number 3 was clearly out of the running, it was also my least favourite of the bunch, but it was my first attempt at a chicken, as I designed the others I got better and better until I finally finished with number 4 /5, my favourite is number 4 with four and 2 being a close 2nd and 3rd. Although he only reason why others liked number 2 was for the beak so I might transfer that over to number 4. I liked number 5 until someone said it looked too much like a cockerel, which is true, a fat one at that.

I think number four is the one I'm definitely going for, it's a cartoon without being too over the top, but there is still some humour there in the design. It also resembles the Magic flute (my real chicken). I'm going to start animating it today, just the walk cycle see if I can get the hang of their walk.

It won't be in colour in the actual animation, I'm keeping it simple!