Well as of yesterday my project shifted gears and is now heading in a completely new direction. Instead of creating an animated work, I'll be writing a paper that is part research paper, part discussion, and part creative writing, based on the idea of Quest Design in video game development. How did I get from point A to point B? Well here's an explanation.
The problem originated when I set out to work with DAZ Studio. The computers in the MAC labs in Knutti have the program, but they don't run optimally, and their libraries were....mixed up, so when I loaded the models I had bought, I couldn't find them. Add in the fact that my city environment was made for DAZ Studio 4 and the MAC's had DAZ Studio 3, and it was clear I wasn't going to be able to get my work done in the COMM labs. My other option was a high performance gaming PC that my father and I built and he had ordered for me as a christmas/graduation present. The problem there was the shipping was taking forever and I couldn't rely on a computer that literally wasn't here yet.
My next step was to see if my laptop could at least run the software. I figured if anything else, maybe I could get poses down and do a storyboard while waiting for the PC. The software installed and after some playtime with it and some panicking about finding my models, I got everything to work, albeit very slowly. The laptop ran the software in a very choppy fashion, making it impossible to get any real detailed work done. So I crossed off that option, still waiting for the PC.
My roommate was gracious enough to let me try his laptop with the software. Being a higher end computer, it ran everything more smoothly, until I worked in the lighting, at which point everything ran slower than my laptop did. Again realizing this option wasn't going to happen, I scratched it off the list.
Finally, my PC came in, and I immediately installed DAZ Studio 4 and began installing models. I was shocked, however, when I brought in all the characters and realized that the software ran just as choppy as on the past two systems. I brought this fact to the attention of my director, who asked me to check the RAM/CPU usage. My PC has a 8-core processor and 16GB of RAM, I figured it could handle the software no problem. As it turns out, however, the software didn't know how to allocate everything correctly (and there wasn't a way to fix that). My roommate, being fairly tech savvy, and I ran some tests and found that the CPU usage spiked whenever I tried to do anything in DAZ, while the RAM usage didn't change at all.
As a last resort option I figured that the earlier version of DAZ, DAZ 3, may have all the compatibility issues worked out and might be better at using my desktop's resources. I tried installing it, but it required a serial number, and the one DAZ provided me didn't work, not even the one my director gave me worked. Defeated at this point, I brought these issues to the attention of my director and we worked out a new plan.
The job I'm going to be attempting to get when I graduate is called a Quest Designer. There's an opening at Bethesda Softworks for the position. A Quest Designer (QD) works with the game designers, level designers, etc to create the plot points and missions that the player will complete in order to progress in the game. Not every game needs a QD (Sports games or Shooters, for example), but story-driven games and RPG's almost always have one. My project now is to write about QD's, what they do, why it's important, and also show some examples of Quest Design in popular games. Finally I'll be writing some quests of my own, in narrative form, which I can also submit with my application for the actual job.
This project requires less production work, but it will require more research and reference. The biggest advantage of this project for me is that it will be easily applied to my ideal line of work, allowing me to hopefully achieve my goal of working for Bethesda right out of graduation.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Senior Capstone Project Progress: Research Pt. 2
Due to my limited skill as an animator, I need to be able to imply a lot of the action that's going on in the short. This isn't a new idea in animation, or movie making at all. In fact, some famous directors were notorious for using clever editing to get the effects they wanted. Alfred Hitchcock for example, often would show an event, then cut to a completely different taping of an actor reacting to the event. For him, though, it was more about controlling the different aspects of his movies. What I'm looking at is using minimal actual action to convey the message.
Japanese animation, particularly older works, is the best example of using implied action. Many of the staples of the industry were actually money saving methods to cut down on production costs. Action sequences were reduced to only a few frames of animation, but the way the shots were edited and combined together made it seem like something had actually happened. Take a look at this video here, it's from the series Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, although sound effects from the game Super Smash Brothers was put in over the actual sounds:
At about the 00:26 mark, watch the punch that happens. First the blonde guy gets hit, but he only moves back about a foot, then there's a cut to a full body shot of both characters, he's still moving kinda slowly. About until he reaches the edge of the screen, then finally both characters recoil realistically, when it would take very little effort to do so. The punch itself wasn't animated, but the aftermath was, and furthermore, it was exaggerated. By putting in the beginning of the event and drawing out the end, we fill in the blanks of everything else that happened.
Another great example can be found in the series DURARARA! Take a look:
There's a good bit of build up, but pay attention at the 1:02 mark. The fist and the guy's face make contact and instantly the camera cuts to the back of the crowd as the guy flies (comically losing everything but his socks and underwear) into the street. We get extremely little followthrough on the blonde guy's part, since the action is focused on the target's flight. As the target lands, look back at the crowd, there's no movement at all, they're frozen in time. It's because the animators want you as a viewer to be only paying attention to the guy who just got punched out of his clothes. This isn't a bad thing, since it saves the animators time and therefore their employers money. I'm only pointing out how a lot of effort is put into not putting effort into animated works, since it's easy to imply action.
I intend to use these, as well as many other examples, when working on my project. By implying action, I can cut down on the work I have to do without compromising the quality of the final work itself.
Japanese animation, particularly older works, is the best example of using implied action. Many of the staples of the industry were actually money saving methods to cut down on production costs. Action sequences were reduced to only a few frames of animation, but the way the shots were edited and combined together made it seem like something had actually happened. Take a look at this video here, it's from the series Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, although sound effects from the game Super Smash Brothers was put in over the actual sounds:
At about the 00:26 mark, watch the punch that happens. First the blonde guy gets hit, but he only moves back about a foot, then there's a cut to a full body shot of both characters, he's still moving kinda slowly. About until he reaches the edge of the screen, then finally both characters recoil realistically, when it would take very little effort to do so. The punch itself wasn't animated, but the aftermath was, and furthermore, it was exaggerated. By putting in the beginning of the event and drawing out the end, we fill in the blanks of everything else that happened.
Another great example can be found in the series DURARARA! Take a look:
There's a good bit of build up, but pay attention at the 1:02 mark. The fist and the guy's face make contact and instantly the camera cuts to the back of the crowd as the guy flies (comically losing everything but his socks and underwear) into the street. We get extremely little followthrough on the blonde guy's part, since the action is focused on the target's flight. As the target lands, look back at the crowd, there's no movement at all, they're frozen in time. It's because the animators want you as a viewer to be only paying attention to the guy who just got punched out of his clothes. This isn't a bad thing, since it saves the animators time and therefore their employers money. I'm only pointing out how a lot of effort is put into not putting effort into animated works, since it's easy to imply action.
I intend to use these, as well as many other examples, when working on my project. By implying action, I can cut down on the work I have to do without compromising the quality of the final work itself.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Senior Capstone Project Progress: Pre-Production (cont.)
Recently I've been looking into DaZ tutorials to get myself acquainted with the interface of the software. I downloaded the newest version of DaZ studio and began toying with the features. Looking back I'm glad I decided to try it out first. The new interface is very different from the one used in Kevin's Animation class. Thankfully, the necessities are relatively the same in both versions.
In looking for tutorials, I found that one skill I was completely lacking in was lighting. We covered it very minimally in the class, and never really got to put the ideas into practice. Knowing I'll be doing lighting in my work, I looked into it and found a very in-depth tutorial on the basics of lighting along with some handy tricks to make the process easier. You can check out the tutorial here.
I've also been busy finding different sound effects to use in the short. Finding specific sounds (like combat armor scraping on concrete) has been very difficult, but I've still got some ideas as to where I can find suitable sounds. Most of my sound effects are being pulled from either FreeSound.org or from the GarageBand sound library. I'll also have to record some very minor voice work and work with it in either GarageBand or Soundtrack Pro to filter it correctly.
In looking for tutorials, I found that one skill I was completely lacking in was lighting. We covered it very minimally in the class, and never really got to put the ideas into practice. Knowing I'll be doing lighting in my work, I looked into it and found a very in-depth tutorial on the basics of lighting along with some handy tricks to make the process easier. You can check out the tutorial here.
I've also been busy finding different sound effects to use in the short. Finding specific sounds (like combat armor scraping on concrete) has been very difficult, but I've still got some ideas as to where I can find suitable sounds. Most of my sound effects are being pulled from either FreeSound.org or from the GarageBand sound library. I'll also have to record some very minor voice work and work with it in either GarageBand or Soundtrack Pro to filter it correctly.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Senior Capstone Cultural Response: Sweeney Todd
This past Saturday I was fortunate enough to be among the crowd at the first showing of Shepherd's Musical Deparment's rendition of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. In this post I'll go over my experience.
First I'll go over the visual aspects. Visually the play wasn't particularly striking, but the costumes and set design all worked well in conveying the atmosphere. Many of the set pieces were used for multiple settings, which broke the immersion for me at different points. The pieces were very large however, so it made sense that they'd be hard to move around, or fit other pieces off stage to bring in. The costumes used color vividly, and communicated the idea of life itself, as was demonstrated in the second act as many of the townspeople wore clothes with little or no color. As Sweeney and Mrs Lovett came into their fortunes and their lives took off, the rest of the townsfolk seemed to have their lives drained from them. The makeup for Sweeney's sunken in features as well as the dirt on many of the poorer folk did an excellent job in adding depth and realism to their looks. The actors all looked their parts very well, being cast into roles that really complimented each performers' traits. All in all the visuals were well put together and they added a nice level of dreariness to the play.
The sound of the play, being a musical/operatic sort of production is easily the most important factor. For the most part the sung pieces and music all came through clearly, and the instruments worked with the voices to create a unique sound that often left me with chills. The use of an exceptionally loud train whistle at various points to emphasize moments of insanity in the play was disorienting and it made me jump every time. My only real complaint was the chorus voices. When the chorus would sing, I had trouble understanding what the lyrics were. Only when key members sung on their own did the words become clear, but otherwise it all got muddled. I'm not sure if it was because of the sound equipment or if it was due to the combination of the pitches, tones, and volumes, but either way it made a couple of the smaller plot points a little harder to understand.
I didn't want to spend time going over the story, because unless the director decides to make significant changes to it (in this case they did not) the story will not change. Sweeney Todd is Sweeney Todd. I had actually never seen the play (or the movie) before. I had a wonderful time, though, and thoroughly enjoyed the production. I'd encourage anyone who enjoys theater, musical theater, or dark humor to look into this show. But be ready for that train whistle.
First I'll go over the visual aspects. Visually the play wasn't particularly striking, but the costumes and set design all worked well in conveying the atmosphere. Many of the set pieces were used for multiple settings, which broke the immersion for me at different points. The pieces were very large however, so it made sense that they'd be hard to move around, or fit other pieces off stage to bring in. The costumes used color vividly, and communicated the idea of life itself, as was demonstrated in the second act as many of the townspeople wore clothes with little or no color. As Sweeney and Mrs Lovett came into their fortunes and their lives took off, the rest of the townsfolk seemed to have their lives drained from them. The makeup for Sweeney's sunken in features as well as the dirt on many of the poorer folk did an excellent job in adding depth and realism to their looks. The actors all looked their parts very well, being cast into roles that really complimented each performers' traits. All in all the visuals were well put together and they added a nice level of dreariness to the play.
The sound of the play, being a musical/operatic sort of production is easily the most important factor. For the most part the sung pieces and music all came through clearly, and the instruments worked with the voices to create a unique sound that often left me with chills. The use of an exceptionally loud train whistle at various points to emphasize moments of insanity in the play was disorienting and it made me jump every time. My only real complaint was the chorus voices. When the chorus would sing, I had trouble understanding what the lyrics were. Only when key members sung on their own did the words become clear, but otherwise it all got muddled. I'm not sure if it was because of the sound equipment or if it was due to the combination of the pitches, tones, and volumes, but either way it made a couple of the smaller plot points a little harder to understand.
I didn't want to spend time going over the story, because unless the director decides to make significant changes to it (in this case they did not) the story will not change. Sweeney Todd is Sweeney Todd. I had actually never seen the play (or the movie) before. I had a wonderful time, though, and thoroughly enjoyed the production. I'd encourage anyone who enjoys theater, musical theater, or dark humor to look into this show. But be ready for that train whistle.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Senior Capstone Project Progress: Pre-Production
I finally came around to buying the models and props that I needed for my animation project. In this blog, I'll go over my items and why I chose them.
To begin with, some explanation of what I'm doing. Gist Echno: Sector 1 is the title of my animation. It takes place in the city the title is named for. The city housed the headquarters of a advanced weapons technology firm called Aegis Technologies. In trying to develop AI-based robotic infantry, the company instead unleashed a mechanical army whose primary target is humanity. Several years have passed since the initial fighting, and the city is barren. A few pockets of humans still struggle to survive, and the short will tell a quick story of one man.
To summarize, the animation involves advanced weaponry, a dystopian city, a post-apocalyptic setting, and robots. To accomplish these parameters, I did a considerable amount of research, budgeting, and planning. Sadly some of that went out the window when it came time to buy, but I think the decisions I made on the fly will inevitably keep the project going and allow for more creativity later on.
First we'll go over the setting, Gist Echno itself. The city's design is very modern, with a futuristic Japanese feel to it. It embodies the ideas of efficiency in the cities design over the visual appeal, but this in turn gives the city its own unique look. The product itself is linked here and here's a picture of what part of the city will look like:
Next I'll go over character models. A problem I was coming across was trying to find a way to get multiple characters in my project without going horribly over budget. Thankfully I found some items that gave me simple solutions. The way this project will work is there is a male model, we'll call him Bob for now. Now Bob is, for all intents and purposes, naked when you bring him into the software, so you need to give him clothes. In this case, I went with advanced combat armor. Linked here and shown here:
Now this armor is pretty impressive, and it comes with a few different color variants and helmet mods. Considering that I can bring in multiple Bob's and dress them up differently, I can have a lot of different characters all based off of Bob. So Bob can look like a couple of different guys, but none of it really looks very machine like. Thankfully, I found a variant made for this armor setup, linked here and shown below:
Bit of a difference with this one right? The pack also came with three other variants, so using just Bob as a base, I can make an entire robot army. I felt like among all of the models I'd have available, this one would be the easiest to write as a machine with the right sound effects and mannerisms.
There were other options for this project, but I think I picked the best ones not only for this project, but also for later projects, which is just as important in this case because I'm paying for the items!
By combining the futuristic setting with the advanced and machine-looking combat armors, I will achieve the feel and ambiance that I set out to with this project.
To begin with, some explanation of what I'm doing. Gist Echno: Sector 1 is the title of my animation. It takes place in the city the title is named for. The city housed the headquarters of a advanced weapons technology firm called Aegis Technologies. In trying to develop AI-based robotic infantry, the company instead unleashed a mechanical army whose primary target is humanity. Several years have passed since the initial fighting, and the city is barren. A few pockets of humans still struggle to survive, and the short will tell a quick story of one man.
To summarize, the animation involves advanced weaponry, a dystopian city, a post-apocalyptic setting, and robots. To accomplish these parameters, I did a considerable amount of research, budgeting, and planning. Sadly some of that went out the window when it came time to buy, but I think the decisions I made on the fly will inevitably keep the project going and allow for more creativity later on.
First we'll go over the setting, Gist Echno itself. The city's design is very modern, with a futuristic Japanese feel to it. It embodies the ideas of efficiency in the cities design over the visual appeal, but this in turn gives the city its own unique look. The product itself is linked here and here's a picture of what part of the city will look like:
Next I'll go over character models. A problem I was coming across was trying to find a way to get multiple characters in my project without going horribly over budget. Thankfully I found some items that gave me simple solutions. The way this project will work is there is a male model, we'll call him Bob for now. Now Bob is, for all intents and purposes, naked when you bring him into the software, so you need to give him clothes. In this case, I went with advanced combat armor. Linked here and shown here:
Now this armor is pretty impressive, and it comes with a few different color variants and helmet mods. Considering that I can bring in multiple Bob's and dress them up differently, I can have a lot of different characters all based off of Bob. So Bob can look like a couple of different guys, but none of it really looks very machine like. Thankfully, I found a variant made for this armor setup, linked here and shown below:
Bit of a difference with this one right? The pack also came with three other variants, so using just Bob as a base, I can make an entire robot army. I felt like among all of the models I'd have available, this one would be the easiest to write as a machine with the right sound effects and mannerisms.
There were other options for this project, but I think I picked the best ones not only for this project, but also for later projects, which is just as important in this case because I'm paying for the items!
By combining the futuristic setting with the advanced and machine-looking combat armors, I will achieve the feel and ambiance that I set out to with this project.
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