THE ONE
Academic Animation Project
Role: Main modeler, Scene designer
Date: Oct-Dec, 2017
Since beginning my 3d journey in this field, the course introduced me to 3d software and techniques. Based on what we learn throughout the semester, my dedication to the work and motivation to grow have led me to produce exceptional projects and experiences with teammates.
INTRODUCTION
Mission and Roles
In this project, I’ve had the great fortune to work as several roles in this truly inspiring project to create a short film of an animated video. As a team of 4, we committed to the generated concept through exploring various thematic animation examples online.
BEGINNING BACKGROUND
I started sketching out the storyboard to describe the character's storylines scene by scene. With each character multiple views illustrated, I was attempting to demonstrate how the figure would look like in 2D, so that it would be easier to translate the conceptual sketches to 3D.
According to the project doability, the team discussed the pros & cons, then we decided to adjust the animation design flexibly within a given short period of pipeline time.
PROCESS
challenges & solutions
DRIVEN GOALS
The animation should have a clear theme, the actions in the plot should be well scripted and reasonable to attract attention and or the resonance of the people. The overall goal is to have the short film easily to understand to the audience and bridge an emotional connection between real people and fictional characters.
Before the animation process began, the team and I would set up a few meetings to propose the settings, character, and plot for each scene, in our self-developed creative animation project.
TAKE OPPORTUNITY
In order to construct a fluent and comprehensive story for the audience, we thought about the doability of shaping our own made characters and the feasibility of the animated functions to the team.
Later on, each student is allowed to use the second individual assignment whose requirement is to be realistic or PBR (physically based render), in the later group project’s use. I considered this as an opportunity to start the project ahead and it is beneficial not only to myself but also for the team as well. Therefore, I was using Maya to build the cafe scene and park scene (figure on the right) in 3 dimensional from scratch.
REFLECTION
The Background
After finished this animation project, I am amazed by how the Maya software empowers the modelers to create as many photorealistic objects as they wish, how the Imagineers could dive freely into the open space of infinite creativity. By using Maya and some references from the internet, I was able to create 3 dimensional object from a cube to a light bulb, the lamppost, and even the entire scene of the park and cafe. Altogether, to adapt with the plot of “The One”. Therefore, my two scenes made them myself for assignment two were all able to be applied in the project. Though, I think there are still many potential modeling skills for me to explore.
The process of making an animated film needs lots of decision-making and considerations. So, good communication within the team and cooperation are particularly significant. According to the feedback from the teaching assistant, in order to achieve modeling and animating the facial expression of the character; the team might need to re-consider how to redesign the figure so that it would be easier for the whole team to operate in the Maya 2017 software. Hence, we decided to change the faces of the characters from making a head on top of the half cardiac body shifted to a half heart-shaped figure directly. And, the result of the change has a better cartoon look and different facial expressions were capable to implement sufficiently to represent the character’s emotion in various stages. The flexibility to change accordingly for the purpose of developing the project to a higher level should be included in the range of a designer’s capabilities.