Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
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The brief for this unit was to transcribe source material of our own choosing and transform it into a visual form. I wanted a unique, interesting topic that would be personal to me. My father is in the process of writing a novel based on my grandfathers experience as an air gunner during World War II. The men from my grandfathers generation kept a stiff upper lip and my grandfather was always modest about his achievements. The worst social crime in the Royal Air Force was to brag. When my grandfather passed away, my father realised his memories of him were precious. Using his log book, RAF records and memories of his comments he began work on Dads Story. I realised this would be the perfect vehicle for my transcription project.
Initial Idea
My initial idea took me in a different direction from the novel. I remembered my father obtaining original footage from the pathe gazette. It featured a unique clip of anti aircraft fire hitting a bomb just after it left the fuselage. My grandfather was on board at the time.
My plan was to rip the sound from this clip and base my project on this particular air raid. However, after reviewing the novel and discussing it with my tutor, I realised there was a natural three act structure that would be more interesting and meaningful. The novel starts with a dream my grandfather had of him flying out of his body. This ultimately prompted him to join the RAF. I decided to incorporate it with this raid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkW7XTVj7AI
PRODUCTION
Modelling: Bedroom and street Environments, Character UV mapping / texturing: Environments, Character Rigging: Character Animation: Character and camera Effects simulation: Cloud dynamics Lighting: Key scene lighting Rendering: Beauty Pass Cross Hatch 1 and 2, occlusion, toon
POST PRODUCTION
Compositing: Combining render passes, Beauty passes, occlusion, toon character and environments After effects: Cloud integration Final edit / sound: Editing and exporting with sound
Screenplay
Storyboard
Visual Influence
My initial plan was to create an animation halfway between realistic and cartoon. I wanted to recreate the painterly feel Sylvain Chomet achieved in The Illusionist (2010). I also looked at the Iron Giant (1999) as the overall design incorporates the 1950s beautifully.
I was hoping to combine the painterly effect with a 1930 1940s feel, replicating the melancholy tone set by Raymond Briggs When the Wind Blows (1986).
Visual Influence
To emphasise the Britishness of my piece and further advice from my tutor, I looked into Raymond Briggs further. My storyboard was reminiscent of The Snowman (1982). Briggs animations defining characteristic are his cross hatch style, hand drawn frame by frame style. My tutor also suggested I look at a comic book series called Victor. I was surprised to find images similar to the look I wanted achieve. I realised the over arching style should be a combination of this comic book and Briggs cross hatch style.
Character Development
Character Development
Character Development
Character Development
Composition test
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmO6ZuJw3Eo
Character Development
Environment Development
Environment Development
Bedroom colour maps. I created two of these with alternating cross hatches
Environment Development
Beauty Pass 01
Environment Development
Beauty Pass 02
Environment Development
Toon Pass
Environment Development
Occlusion Pass
Environment Development
Background Pass
Environment Development
Composition
Environment Development
Environment Development
Building / Street Colour & Bump maps
Environment Development
Beauty pass
Environment Development
Fog
Environment Development
Occlusion
Environment Development
Clouds
Environment Development
Environment Development
Grandad Beauty
Environment Development
Grandad Occlusion
Environment Development
Grandad Toon
Environment Development
Environment Development
Composition
Technical Document
http://paul-lavey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/grandads-story-technical-document.html
Coming soon
Act Two and Three. My learning curve has been stratospheric for this unit. I feel much more confident around modelling and rigging a character from start to finish. I will follow the feedback I have received so far regarding the first act and add some more details to grandads bedroom to humanize it and emphasise the 40s feel. Im planning on completing the rest over the summer holidays. Im really looking forward to making the Lancaster again and putting the dynamic explosion tutorials into practice. Seeing as post production has been done already for act two, my pipeline will be as follows: Production: Modelling / mapping / rigging: Avro Lancaster, Grandad in flight gear and birds eye view environments Lighting: Key scene lighting Animation: Planes, Grandad and cameras Rendering: Beauty pass 1 and 2, Toon, Occlusion
Post Production: Compositing: Putting together renders Dynamics: Adding machine gun fire, bomb explosions Sound Edit: Adding bomb explosions and machine gun fire and music