BirksyFX

Audio to Visual Animation with Particular

2011-11-15T21:15:00.002Z

Hey folks,

here is a bit of work i did at work at Linney Design as part of my training...

It was produced using the Trapcode Particular plug-in for After Effects.

Multimedia Team - Audio to Visual Particular Animation from Linney Group on Vimeo.

'Boombox Subway'

2011-11-09T16:27:00.003Z

Hey guys,

I've been working on my boombox image over the past couple of weeks and here is the (i think) final version. There may be some tweaks soon after i recieve critique but here it is.

The purpose of this was purely to develop my Vray rendering and getting my realistic techniques up to scratch. I spent a lot of time focusing on the textures in order to get everything looking as good as possible.

I started this project with the intent to create a 50's radio in a retro interior. When i began researching i came across a boombox and straight away pictured the scenario in which i'd put it in. So i went with that idea instead.

I really enjoyed working on this one and hopefully will have more stuff coming in the near future.

Progress of 'Subway Boombox'

2011-11-05T21:55:00.004Z

This is a personal project i've been working on. It's nearly done infact, i just wanted to get it up online to get some critique. I'll give a full description and follow up about the project on completion of the project.

Til' then check it out full-res

Zbrush Sculpt - Trogladite (as my colleague keeps calling it)

2011-09-29T11:25:00.004+01:00

The design was pretty much taken from this image below...
http://vnmedia.ign.com/screenshots/warhammer/6580407.jpg

the purpose of doing this is to develop my skills in Zbrush so when certain projects at work require detailing, we won't have to mess around with topology so much. And can focus on getting the details spot on.

Sea Turtle

2011-09-21T21:33:00.002+01:00

Hi people,

just a quick post of a little 2 hour play i had with Zbrush during some training time at work. I made this purely to get re-familiar with Zbrush again.

I intend on doing more pieces in the near future when i get time.

lamborghini reventon 'black matte' finish

2011-09-07T10:57:00.002+01:00

Sorry for the delay, here's the car with a black matte finish, looking a little better. Still not perfect but progress nonetheless.

Lamborghini Reventon Update

2011-08-09T17:04:00.001+01:00

Hi guys,

well i have been busy with this project and pleased with the progression. I had an image in my mind of how i wanted the final piece to look and this is pretty much spot on. I built the traditional London town houses behind just because they felt right at the time to make. I may experiment with a nice italian backdrop but for now this is how it looks.

I mainly built this to play with 3d stereoscopic rendering, i have made this image a 3d image for use with 3d tvs where i'm currently testing it on our large 3d tv at work.

I have always wanted to make a nice cobble stone floor with 'post-rain' look, creating the puddles was a very fun part of the environment. Although this image is by no means final it's an indication of where i'm taking the project.

The lighting is still quite rough and there are some texture issues but like i say, it's not finished yet.

Keep checking back for more updates.

Lamborghini Reventon plus... cool 3d stuff :)

2011-08-05T20:51:00.005+01:00

i have been working on a Lamborghini Reventon between projects at work lately... and will be uploading my final pieces on here. For now though i have a rough progress render...

Hey guys,

also, we have 3d pc monitors, and a rather large 3d tv to produce 3d stereoscopic work on. We mainly use the big tv to show clients that visit our work and what we can create. Today though, i took a stab at the stereoscopic rendering, and would like to share with you my very first attempt... I spent some time modelling the wheels for the Lamborghini so decided as they were more complete than the rest that i would do the stereoscopic render of that...

IF YOU HAVE RED+GREEN 3D GLASSES... GET 'EM ON!....

IF NOT... BAD TIMES, BUY SOME

I love the effect it gives, by the way we use this method of the red and blue 3d to test the effect before we create the final render ready for the 3d tv.

All in all, i love my job i'm getting some great opportunities to work on some very exciting projects. I have a long way to go yet but eager to learn great new skills and progress as a designer.

I will hopefully be completing my car very soon and shortly follow up with a character animation rendered in stereoscopic 3d to show on the 3d tv at work. Plenty ideas going on up there, just gotta get them made!

If you wanna talk anything 3d drop me a message, would be good to hear about new 3d ideas and developments, let's share knowledge!

Update

2011-06-13T10:03:00.001+01:00

Hi all, just a quick post to let you know that i've settled into my job as a Multimedia Artist. I'm enjoying the job and have found my feet now. I will be looking into some personal projects shortly including visualisation and animation.

Artefact 6 - Natural & Believable Performance Animation

2011-04-27T13:51:00.008+01:00

Here's artefact 6, an adaptation of the 5th tweaked to be more 'natural' looking. The animation looks better after recieving the critique on the 5th artefact, I found it easier to tweak. The animation feels quite restricted because of my idea of the character holding the object. This said though, I'm happy with the artefacts they've shown an experimental series documenting different principles of animation. I have incorporated anticipation, exaggeration, dramatic performance and natural performance.

I didn't quite achieve what i originally set out to do with these artefacts. I think it's apparent that the third artefact was the point where I had found what I was searching for. It had drama and believable movement that matched the audio. The final 3 artefacts here don't feel to have as much success to them. I intended to create pieces that looked 'natural' but still had the 'cg' look, much like that of Pixar animations.

The artefacts as a whole to me, were successful I've learnt a lot over the 6 experimental pieces. I had adapted the attitude after the PRP written document that I had already learnt all I needed to, and the practical side would only need one piece to really experiment with. I understand now that the 6 were there so there was room for true experimentation, which lead towards the goal of achieving the knowledge sought.

My final animation was intended as the strongest piece of animation out of the artefacts. This was infact not the case, I feel although my animation looks much better than when I started; it still lacks that believable factor somehow. I feel this was a result largely because of the fruitcake object in the final 2 artefacts. Because of the nature of keyframing this object to the hands, it made the animation very difficult to tweak. I feel had I done this animation without an object clinging in the hands, possibly something he pushes along and doesn't constantly have within his hands. This however, is not an excuse for the animation as I am still happy with the outcome.

I just know that the animation would be better now I have sat back and viewed all the artefacts together, and been able to analyse it. But the important thing was, these pieces are experiments. I intended to create natural movement, which I believe I have achieved. It's just now I have the perspective of how to improve further, which I think I didn't quite have so much of before I took on the artefacts. For this, I am a better animator and will continue to look at my work in a more analytical way, and seek to improve on the quality of animation based on the key principles researched in the written aspect of this project.

Tree Stump

2011-04-24T14:34:00.002+01:00

Just a short experimentation with the Guruwire Ivy Plugin. It's really effective, it's a relatively old plug-in now but still serves its purpose very well.

Learn how here - Tutorial Link: http://www.pxleyes.com/video-tutorial/3ds-max/12362/Create-an-Ivy-Covered-Tree-Stump.html

fcuk watch

2011-04-23T10:12:00.005+01:00

Before i start my job i want to make sure my 3d skills are up to scratch so i decided to model my 'fcuk' watch.

I used the generic 'studio' setup with 3 point lighting, but with additional lights above for detailing on the reflection.

Rendered with Vray, and post-production in Photoshop.

Artefact 5

2011-04-18T12:48:00.003+01:00

For my 5th artefact, i decided i would continue to look at natural movement. The idea is that the poses and types of movement are still 'cg' looking, but believable in a way that Pixar create. i feel the animation is getting better each time and hopefully with the 6th artefact being a tweaked and perfected version of this artefact, i should have achieved a higher level of understanding as to what makes a good believable animation.

I recieved feedback from an ex-student Kane Pickerill, to tell me what he thought about the animation and how i can improve on it.

"The facial expressions are really good, looks like you really looked into that! My criticism would be the fact that it looks very static. There's only really one pose in the whole sequence. Try and put yourself in the shoes of the character, act it out - you wouldn't usually just hold your hands out for so long, his hands need to drop down, showing some response to the woman's voice. The head also moves around too much (at a really slow speed). If you want to make it look static, with bits of movement, go for more of a circular motion, and not so much rotation.
It's a good job to think a bit more about the dialogue too. Write down the whole speech, and say it over and over." - Kane Pickerill

I took this on board and have begun tweaking the animation to look better. My tutor Roma Patel also suggested that the characters position on the camera should play more of a role, using the rule of thirds. I will be looking at making the character step towards the person he is showing the cake to.

Client Project Complete

2011-04-16T09:27:00.004+01:00

Here is my completed project, both my client and I are happy with the final outcome. There's been a lot of tweaking and altering throughout the project, plenty of changes but all for the better. My client helped a great deal and has enabled me to progress more as a 3d designer. I used Alex Roman as my main inspiration for this project, the editing of the depth of field pulls is probably my favourite part... just because it looks so good when you animate the focus. I am glad to have spent more time working on the project in After Effects as i'm keen to develop my knowledge of the program.

Anyway, i think the project has worked out alright, there were some things that I would have liked to work out like the wine pour animation I was going to put in. It's no big problem though, i still managed to get a nice wine shot in the animation, and will develop my Realflow knowledge for the future.

I have been offered a job at Linney Design as a Multimedia Artist. I have accepted the job and start next month. I am very happy as i've been working towards the standards of Linneys since I was in my first year of college. I am very excited to start my new job and begin developing as a designer even more rapidly than I have been.

Digital Painting - Red Riding Hood

2011-03-31T12:34:00.002+01:00

Being as i have been rendering and animating i decided to take a break from animating for a while as i wait for critique on my 5th artefact...

I have been wanting to attempt some digital painting for a very long time but never bothered, i found a movie wallpaper of Red Riding Hood and thought it would be a good idea to try recreate it using my graphics tablet.

4 hours later here's the result...

Never made anything like this before so really pleased with the outcome, amazing what you can do when you're taking a break.

Client Project : Update

2011-03-30T15:43:00.002+01:00

There's been no posting lately due to rendering....

i didn't want to post chunks of the video as i would prefer you to see the final video before any break down. I am rendering my final 2 shots of the piece, so far everything apart from the wine pour shot has gone to plan.

The wine mesh is simply too high-poly and causes 3dsmax to crash, i've optimised the scene as much as i possibly can and it still crashes. The alternative was to use the render farm at HotKnife however, i didn't want to resort to such a resolution just yet...

i decided i would keep the wine still but already in the glass, it still reads the same way i wanted it to minus a slow-motion pouring simulation. At least now i've learnt more about simulating fluids in Realflow.

There have been a few hiccups with rendering, some renders had global illumination flickers on them... although i am using flicker effects for post-production, this is not the type of flicker i wanted to get.

I was given some advice from Mark at Linney Design, Mark suggested that the solution was in the mode types of the irradiance map and light cache.
To solve the problem i switched my irradiance map to 'incrementally add to current map' and the light cache to 'fly through'. This meant that the light cache only built once for the entire scene, and any detail was added within the prepasses if necessary.

Most of my shots are animated, using design theory proper shots have been rendered and with the help of depth of field focus pulls and post-production effects the final piece should look really good.

Artefact 4

2011-03-20T18:04:00.002Z

Here is my 4th artefact, for this piece i wanted to work on making more 'natural' looking movement. The idea was to keep it simple so i could make it look as if it were just a normal conversation, no exaggeration just basic movement to make it feel natural.

The sound clip is from the tv series 'Friends'. I am pleased with the piece but now it's complete i think the facial expression doesn't read properly, he's supposed to be quite bored of saying this to his friend. I think it would have looked better with a sarcastic expression with his eyes rolling.

I will be working on making the next 2 artefacts more believable in their movement, again using soundclips to animate to as i prefer this method of working.

Client Project : Update

2011-03-12T17:17:00.003Z

During my previous visit to Linneys i worked on my storyboarding for my animation.
Here is the rough storyboard scanned in, some shots will be altered according to feedback and changes during the set up process...

shot 1/ Closer shot, depth of field focus pull
shot 2/ Cut to this shot panning to the right
shot 3/ Pan forward slowly
shot 4/ Depth of field blur focus as the fire turns on
shot 5/ Close up focus shot of ovens (this shot will appear before shot 1 now, so we can show a time-lapse with the lighting)
shot 6/ Depth of field focus pull on oranges to pick up the detail in the texture
shot 7/ Cupboard closing
shot 8/ Wine pour simulation depth of field focal point on the wine (this shot is dependant on how accurate i can create the simulation)
shot 9/ Still depth of field pull between the books and the chair
shot 10/ Pain towards the top left to give direction of where the next shot is going to be
shot 11/ Slow zoom in
shot 12/ Pan forward
shot 13/ Cut to this shot, continuation from the pillows on the bed to the cushions on the sofa
shot 14/ Zoom back with depth of field focus on the living area
shot 15/ Zoom out with depth of field focus on the kitchen area

Iain showed me a good way of looking at each of my shots, almost like the rule of thirds, breaking up the image into thirds and finding the lines that run through the image. In the next shot continuing similar lines so the shots don't seem to random. Assessing the shots more as graphical content than an interior space certainly helps choosing shots easier.

The reasoning behind my storyboard is quite simple, we are going to keep the first few shots close up to the table and other objects in shot. Like Alex Roman's videos he tends to zoom in very close and use depth of field pull back to add interest... In his latest work http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJfP6QVDFGo, he suses close up shots all the way through until the last chunk of animaiton where pull-back shots were incorporated to show the actual kitchen...

The space is introduced in the background of the close-up shots to allow you to see a small amount from different angles more and more as the video goes on. I am trying to use this as inspiration for some of my shots, to make the video in this style.

There will be an audio track over the top possibly Noisia - Whiskers, it has a nice beat that would help the style of the animation...

I rendered out my first shot with a zdepth render pass to composite in After Effects.
I animated the depth of field to create the pull focus, also stylized the shot using a series of great plug-ins and effects in After Effects.

I recieved very positive feedback from Iain regarding this particular shot so i have found the style that works, and will continue to render and composite now.

Client Project : Update

2011-03-10T10:15:00.004Z

I went into Linneys yesterday for the day to continue work on my project. Whilst i was there we discussed the wall and decided the best way to do it was to just map one large texture onto the wall, so that's what we did. Also we approached the issue of the 1hr 30min render time for this particular frame, Iain suggested no bump map and make it look really good in the texture to try show a bump without the use of an actual bump map.

I'm pleased with the project, it's definately my best work so far, i was keeping back some animation from Iain which i will be posting below to show them. When i went on the trip back in college to Linneys they told us they always give their client 10% more than they expected, this way the clients happier than they thought and more often than not come back for more work. I decided to do the same and not tell them about this wine pour animation, i am now on the animation stage so i feel now is the time to show it. It's not perfect but it's as close as i can get it right now...

I spent some time yesterday with Iain showing me a good way of storyboarding my shots, and how to look at them from a graphical point of view. His method has really helped the way i look at the shots and how i now intend to shoot the animation. I'm looking forward to completing the rendering stage and getting it all into after effects... I will be adding an audio track that's suitable to the feeling of the room and depth of field animation will all be done in post-production using z-depth passes.

Client Project : Update

2011-03-05T12:16:00.004Z

I have been focusing purely on client project this week, it's going really and almost ready to start animating elements this week. I will be going into Linneys this week for a few days to work with Iain and get his input whilst i'm doing the animation so we are both happy and can make decisions quick. The project hopefully will be ready for rendering in a weeks time if all goes to plan, failing that an extra week maybe needed. Rendering is going to be a big issue as some parts of the interior are taking almost 2hours per frame.

I will be using Waverley 207 for the rendering, and also my own computer and Iain has kindly offered to render some parts out at Linneys. So hopefully spread out across these i will be able to achieve a nice final piece. Here are the renders of my work so far, i have uploaded so you can see the progress of the interior.

I am especially pleased with the appliances in the wall as they are the most photorealistic area of the project.

I'm currently waiting on feedback for the render of the seating area, it's been highlighted that the sofas are still not quite realistic yet due to the way the light bounces off it. I will be tweaking the cushions as there isn't any clear bump or detail on those. I am happy with the wall but i'm not too sure about the colours, even though i like them i'm not sure the colours compliment the room.... but i'll wait on Iain's feedback before i make any changes.

The project has been a big one, but i've had a great deal of feedback from Iain without whom the quality of this project wouldn't be ANYTHING like it is now, thanks to his constant assistance since last july helping me towards achieving a high level quality of work and understand 3d and vray realism.

prp

2011-03-04T15:43:00.002Z

I have requested that i present my 4th artefact a week late as my client project needs to be near completion for rendering in a weeks time. I have been looking for my ideas for the 4th artefact however, and feel that the remaining 3 are almost pointless.
I feel i've found all i wanted to know, at the most one more artefact could be produced just to demonstrate smoother animation techniques but this isn't really that necessary. My 3rd artefact demonstrated a good knowledge of animation, character acting and application of the principles.

The remaining artefacts are literally going to be the same sort of thing i did for my 3rd, taking a sound clip and animating towards the audio. I have used the principles and played with them enough to understand what, how and why....

My time would be better spent on the client project, doing 6 artefacts feels a bit of a waste of time. There could easily be 3 or 4 and still achieve what you want to achieve.

I will spend my time doing the same thing but in all honestly, don't feel i am going to achieve a great deal by doing so.

Client Project : Update

2011-02-28T09:24:00.010Z

I stopped posting this week as my client asked me to focus on modelling and texturing so i could get all elements right before i uploaded more renders. The modelling is nearly complete still tweaks and details to put in but i've spent time to make more things for the interior.

My client has been providing me more image feedbck so i can see exactly what the problems are in the interior, i must say that this sort of feedback is the most effective.

My initial intention was to use the vegetables falling into a wok slowly however, none of my renders of the veg looked real enough so my client suggested we scrap this idea and keep it simple.

I didn't tell my client about the animated element as i was going to put it in the final shot for extra effectivity. Being as i will no longer be using this here is a test render of what i was going to do....

I am really pleased with how the project is going. My client suggested that i model a clock to animate also.

Since my re-light and models have been put in i am happy that the interior looks more realistic now. I also have been asked to work on the lighting to make it more dramatic, so for now that's what i'll be working on.

Artefact 3 feedback

2011-02-26T20:29:00.002Z

I sent my animation to former Multimedia student kane Pickerill for his feedback as he now has a job as an animator.

A few things, I think you can push the poses you're going for a lot more. The statue guy for example, if you put him a little lower, and try not to make it look so ridged, maybe tilting the head and getting him to feel a bit more natural.

As for the other guy, loving the ideas you have here, and lots of changes in weight here and there. Make sure however, when you animate anything like this - that you're going from pose to pose. It's looking a little too 'floaty' at the moment. The audience watching have a better time understanding characters if you hold them in each pose for a while longer.

This has helped for when i do my next artefact which i will begin the start of the week. I am going to keep the next one simple so i can focus on these improvements before i create artefact 5. Artefact 6 is going to be the 5th one perfected, so in theory only one animation for 5 & 6 but by 6 i should have a perfected piece of animation.

client feedback

2011-02-23T12:12:00.003Z

This is some feedback provided by my client to show me how to understand the way i should be assessing my own renders...

Client Project : Update

2011-02-22T18:29:00.007Z

After recieving feedback from my client and discussing the current progress, it was agreed that the project is still too 'cg'.
I have been working on some modelling and texturing in the scene this week, but decided that a re-light was needed. I removed every light out of my scene and started again.

I used a Vray dome light with a hdri map for the main lighting solution, i then added in the Vray sun to increase the brightness to get the light coming through the windows.

At the minute i am waiting for the textures for the books which is why they're green, i left them on the computer at Linneys. Once these are back they'll look good (i promise).

I then worked on my chopping board and vegetables, i decided i would change the shape of the peppers. I scanned in the textures for all the veg, i've also made better bump and specular maps for the board. I am new to specular maps so still getting the hang of them.

These renders look a lot less 'cg' and definately more real but, they're still not as real as i'd like so i'll keep trying. There are many faults you could pick out but right now these are just renders to show the stage it's at.

It's all good progress....

Artefact 3 - Complete

2011-02-21T13:48:00.002Z

Here is my 3rd Artefact complete. The audio has been taken from 11secondclub.com
i will be producing these types of animations for the rest of the artefacts, as i have already learnt a lot from this one animation.

I feel tackling these sorts of animation means you gotta jump head first with everything, allowing you to fully understand weight, lip syncing, facial expressions, body movement etc.

I used Autodesk Maya for the animation as i prefer this program for animating as opposed to Autodesk 3dsMax.

I have enjoyed working on this one, 3 left to do.

Client Project : Bedroom Update

2011-02-18T16:42:00.004Z

I have been working on details for the bedroom part of my interior, it's pretty much finished now, there are things that need correcting on the stairs and ledge areas though. The floor i thought worked really nice like this although my client did not, i have composited it all together to get his opinion. I think this type of floor is generally rejected because you associate it with wood flooring and expect to see wood on it. I don't see any reason why this can't be a white panelled floor, i think it works well and the lines break up the room.

Artefact 3

2011-02-18T15:15:00.002Z

Here is the near final artefact, i'm happy with the result although it needs some adjustments but for my 3rd artefact i'm happy that i've achieved what i set out to do.
I wanted to demonstrate the application of all the techniques collectively to create a good strong exaggerated piece of animation. I feel the timing, arcs, expression, exaggeration, emotion, acting, drama all come together well and is probably my strongest piece of animation to date...

Artefact 3 - Character Animation Progress

2011-02-17T15:02:00.001Z

Here is an update of how the 3rd artefact is coming along. I'm pleased with it so far however it's rather jerky in areas so it's gonna need a lot of fine-tuning... but then again it isn't finished yet :)

Artefact 3 - Character Animation progress

2011-02-14T16:41:00.003Z

So i began blocking in my animation. I hate blocking the entire thing in though, so i've blocked in the first line of dialogue. This way it helps me decide where i would like to take the poses and doesn't overload me with alterations. The soundclip has been taken from November 2009 11secondclub.com archives.

I decided i wanted this guy to move dramatically just like the audio. The aim of this artefact is to achieve a level of animation that contains a certain elegance about it, something that looks worthy enough to be called 'good animation' by other animators. I think i will upload the finished product online to an animators forum to get feedback and see what opinions i can gather from it. This will lead me onto 3 more artefacts of the same nature. Hopefully by the end of these artefacts i will have demonstrated experimental pieces showing the principles of animation, then putting them all into practise. I will experiment hopefully, with different rigs for these soundcllip animations so there is variation to the visual.

Artefact 3 - Character Animation plan

2011-02-14T13:24:00.003Z

For my 3rd Artefact i will be using a sounclip taken from the archives of 11secondclub.com. I will be animating to the following dialogue...

1: I was adorable once, now, look at me.... i'm this short! fat! insecure middle-aged thing!

2:I made you short?

1:screams

I will be trying to demonstrate my understanding of character animation and show how i've developed my knowledge of good animation. This artefact seeks achieve a believable level of acting however, this is my first ever attempt at such an animation this is why it's artefact 3. I have 3 more after this to refine my acting/animation skills.

Client Project : Bathroom Update

2011-02-09T14:40:00.002Z

Here's a render of the bathroom, now placed behind the bed wall in the bedroom out of sight. This way it's actually an en-suite, not a separate bathroom.

Artefact 2 - Anticipation

2011-02-09T13:27:00.005Z

I chose to work on anticipation because it provides most of the comedy for cartoons such as looney tunes. I had previously made an animation of a character trying to kick a ball but ends up being tricked by the ball. The scene demonstrates large anticipation before the attempted impact on the ball.

I decided i would recycle this animation and exaggerate the timing and movement more so that the anticipation was clearer.

Having shown this video to Roma i didn't feel she was too happy with it therefore, i have created a second example. This is so i can demonstrate a few uses of the anticipation.
The idea behind this scene is that the character has taken the teddy bear, i realised it's quite like indiana where he's chased by the boulder. So i decided i would go with it and make it similar. The audience can make their own minds up about how he has obtained this teddy, anyhow he has it and now has the boulder rolling after him. The anticipation begins straight away where you see the ball, you're anticipating when it's going to roll down the obvious ramp. The second part of anticipation is where he begins to decide what to do. his anticipation is deciding what to do and begins to run, with an exaggerated 'typical' cartoon style get away.

I feel these are 2 good demonstrations of the principle. The next animation was going to be pose to pose vs straight ahead but i feel it's quite unnecessary as i know the methods and meanings to using each style of animation. I may go to exaggeration for my next artefact then the following 3 demonstrating good technical knowledge of all aspects of animation. I will be using sound clips for my final 3 i think this would enhance the feel of them.

Client Project : Update

2011-02-08T16:36:00.004Z

I spent the day at Linneys yesterday to work more on my client project. Having spent the day there recieving opinions and feedback of the designers there I feel extremely confident about the project and where it's heading now. Just being around the designers in a working environment helped me work better and just pull out more interesting ideas. I was also provided with 2 models which i will own up to now :)
the chair and the bookcase are both imported models. Not made by me, courtesy of Arch Vis model package.

I spent some time talking to Iain (my client) about what he would prefer, listening to his opinions of the style he wanted it to be. I feel now that i'm a lot clearer on where i'm supposed to go with this interior and pleased to have these renders to show...

(these renders are by no means final, just progress)

We have agreed the time of day should be later on in the afternoon where evening approaches, the sun begins to set and leaves a nice orangey glow in the air.
There's still work to do on these spaces, and making additions/alterations playing with textures etc. But the focus from here on is finalising modelling and then working out nice camera movements and giving the animated side some thought. I will be using motion tracking some footage onto the tv in the bedroom to give the illusion that it's actually on. I am thinking about maybe animating the pan steaming and just subtle things that will compliment the interior being used.

Client Project : Bedroom Update

2011-02-04T16:40:00.004Z

NEW LOOK.
After showing my client the renders of the bedroom he provided me with a lot of feedback with the type of things he did and didn't like. For this reason i decided i would change the entire look of the bedroom and make it a little more up class. I'm happy with this although it needs a lamp on the other side of the bed nearer the camera and some sort of nice ceiling light feature. I will be working on this a lot more but this is todays progress.

Client Project : Bedroom Update

2011-02-03T10:34:00.005Z

I spent yesterday working on my bedroom of the interior. I have put a wall mounted tv on the side obviously these people like Avatar... who doesn't?
So I decided to start blocking out the light and turning it down so i could prepare some nice sunset shots, this is going to be shown to my client on monday and discuss what sort of time of day they want the animation to be in. Also i will be discussing the possibility of using both daylight and night renders so we can get a feel for both types of lighting plus, it's an extra challenge. I still have a long way to go with this project but so far i think it's going well. The bedroom is obviously very dark at the minute i'm looking into some types of lighting to put into the room.
Also i made this interior a little more personal to my client by using their logo colours within the rug on the bed, and continuing this style in the bed covers but altered the colours to shades of green to support the furniture.

Client Project : Update

2011-02-01T14:42:00.009Z

I have been quiet lately just working on the client project. I decided it would be better if i could incorporate more of the interior lighting therefore i have made it seem as though it's late afternoon just as you turn your lights on in the house. The modelling phase isn't complete, but it's well on the way to completion. From there i will have the freedom to play with texturing, lighting, animating and rendering nice camera shots.

Here are some progress images of the interior...

The upstairs bathroom and bedroom aren't so strong right now, but with some work they should look pretty smart. The interior is definately coming along nicely, but still obviously not real enough. I will be working on all the details that are holding back the look of the render. I will be going into Linneys on monday for a client meeting and a day of working and recieving feedback on the project so far.

Artefact 1 - Squash and Stretch

2011-01-28T15:53:00.001Z

Bouncing Ball Test - Squash and Stretch

Evaluation:
For the first artefact i chose to experiment with the squash and stretch principle founded by Disney. This was an area i researched for my Personal Research Project essay. For this experiment i wanted to see how much squash and stretch the animator must apply to a character to make it look most effective. This obviously depends on many things in character animation, it may depend on things such as weight, shape, materials etc. For the artefact i decided i would keep it generic and use the ‘bouncing ball’ test seen in ‘Richard Williams – Animator’s Survival Kit’.
As i haven’t relied on what other people thought about an animation before i decided for this one i would use three different levels of squash and stretch. The first using a subtle amount, the second using more squash and stretch, the third ball uses an overly exaggerated amount of squash and stretch. I then put out a survey and asked questions about which was most entertaining, which looked odd, which of the balls was most like that of the animation found in cartoons.
The results came back that the first two balls using subtle amounts of squash and stretch were most effective, and ruled out the third as odd. This allowed me to understand how far the principles should be taken to. Since my initial thought was that an animation was more effective the more exaggerated the principles were, i was proved wrong by realising the more exaggerated the harder it is to watch. The audience must see the effect but it needs to be easy on the eye this has opened my eyes to the way in which the principles may be played with to get the animation looking right. I will be experimenting with other principles in the following artefacts.

Client Project : Update

2011-01-21T15:57:00.005Z

I have been working on getting some preview renders for my client so he can see my progress. I am pleased with how it looks so far however, THESE ARE STILL ROUGH RENDERS.
These previews are just to show the layout and intended models for the final piece.
The exterior shots are not going to be included in the final piece as there is only 1minute to play with and being as i am trying to sell the kitchen fittings.... there won't be much time to show the outside of the building.

Exterior shots...

The client has asked however for the entire house to be modelled, so i have been working on putting together a nice minimalist bedroom and en-suite upstairs. The style of the interior is still in development and will be altered as i go.
The current style of the interior is coming together, i will be re-modelling a seating area for the living area.

here are some of the interior renders... (ignore the reflections on the windows, theres nothing outside yet so it looks like a mirror right now)

come back soon, there's plenty more to come.

zbrush play

2011-01-14T17:11:00.002Z

I thought i would get to grips with zbrush and have a bit of a play with it as i haven't actually used it for a few years. Here is a bust sculpt i made of an old man, i didn't pay too much attention to his shoulders or back i just wanted to create a detailed face. Just a play here it is...

Client Project work update

2011-01-14T11:26:00.002Z

Having already put in a weeks worth of experience at Linneys (my client for the project), i was asked to start on my client project whilst there so i have had some time already to work on the modelling side of things. So far i have created around 50% of the modelling, the kitchen is coming along very nicely and the upstairs of the interior is currently under concept sketches.

I have been working largely on the kitchen as this is the point of the animation to sell the kitchen fittings and style. The project has changed slightly in that my client asked me to model and create an entire house rather than just a kitchen. This is a modern self-contained 2-storey house that will cater to suit a young professional couple. To create this feel i am aiming to use very elegant and smooth animations within this piece to demonstrate a lifestyle.

The animated objects are still under discussion however i have several nice ideas that i would like to include. Alex Romans Above Everything else video is pretty much everything i want to achieve in my own video. I will be using some of his techniques in terms of camera shots and the way he doesn't show much of the kitchen but ultimately manages to make it the selling point.

I will be beginning the animation in the kitchen and ending in the kitchen, i don't think it would be a good use of the 1 minute video to include any exterior shots as this would retract attention from the selling point.

I still have loads of work to do but i am very confident that the outcome will be the best i have ever achieved. The entire piece is going to be rendered in v-ray and using depth of field where necessary. Hopefully it will go to plan, this is why i started so early so i can spend a lot of time considering animated elements and camera movements.

Here is one progress shot of the kitchen however, it has been altered since this but this is where it was at. My pc is currently broken and will be repaired next week so new renders coming next week. The style of this render is temporary it was merely an experiment as to what sort of decor we could create to give the correct feel.

PRP Artefact plan of action

2011-01-12T13:06:00.001Z

The purpose of my artefacts is to prove that my research document was true in finding that over exaggerating movements, and incorporating the principles developed by Disney will create much more interesting animation than those without.

Artefact 1
For my first artefact I will create two animations demonstrating squash and stretch and how effective it is. To start the artefacts off this first one will begin by using simple squash and stretch. Using the ‘Mikey’ rig I will demonstrate how squash and stretch can help make an animated piece much more interesting and believable, even though it isn’t realistic movement. A person body doesn’t squash into itself however, when watching cartoons you don’t expect to see something real. You are entertained by the impossible, the events that unfold that couldn’t really happen. By humouring myself the animator, I aim to prove that you will find something that is unrealistic more realistic than the realistic movement. Two animations will be produced one realistic and the other unrealistic, I will then gather the focus groups in order to provide feedback via the questionnaire forms that I will present them with.

The development of this artefact will begin momentarily...

The artefacts from this point will be as follows;

Exaggeration (Artefact 2)

Anticipation (Artefact 3)

Pose to Pose vs Straight Ahead (Artefact 4)

Artefacts 5 & 6 will demonstrate a combination of the findings from all the previous artefacts. I will be using all the principles together in order to make the most effective animation possible.

Ultimately I aim to create one final artefact that proves my research document was correct in its findings, and show my development and how I have understood and used the principles of animation to my best ability.

Demo Reel

2011-01-02T20:44:00.002Z

Here's my Demo Reel of my best work for the past year. This has been created for SPP3 module as an electronic portfolio to support my mock applications.

Work Experience

2010-12-17T21:31:00.002Z

For the past 5days i've been working at Linney Design, my client for my project. It's been a great experience working alongside the other designers and learning how they approach projects. The reality is much better than i thought, i still can't see why this project is 3months long though.
The average amount of time spent on an interior there would be no longer than a week start to finish. I have no excuses for my project not to look decent. After uni i will be starting at Linneys provided all goes well.
The designers there are excellent and really know what they're doing, i've learnt some invaluable stuff from them over this week. I will be returning after xmas on the odd day to get proper feedback on the project and assist with any issues i may have.

Photo Imitation

2010-12-10T10:36:00.005Z

I found a tutorial on how to create a 3d scene using any interior image you can find. I came across a very unique looking bathroom that i wanted to model and so i used the methods from the tutorial in order to recreate the image in 3d.
THIS IMAGE IS BY NO MEANS GREAT, JUST TO PRACTISE THE MATCHING OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS POSITIONING.

Firstly i took the image i wanted and put it into photoshop, this is the image i used.

Then using the lines and contours within the room, begin to draw the lines extended through until each wall line crosses together.

Once this is done we have a mid point showing the true angles of the image. The image is then placed within 3ds max as a background image, from here you create a box and a camera. Using a combination of camera manipulations and repositioning of the box you can line up the lower walls. Then stretch the size to the height of the ceiling. From here you can just model as your room is now ready to be filled.

It's not as accurate as i wanted it to be however, i did notice that half-way through the match up had gone slightly wrong and i think the positioning of the camera was slightly off. It's my first attempt at this method so it's not too bad an effort. So here's the raw render.

Here is the render with a little colour correction.

Thank you for reading, keep checking back for more updates.

Vray Autograss

2010-12-08T18:52:00.004Z

I stumbled across this great plug-in Autograss for Vray. With just a few clicks you can achieve photo-realistic grass. I just made a plane and a few rocks and applied the autograss to the plane...

The render took a very long time however i think the reason for this was because of the variation and length of the grass. I will be using this plug-in in future but i'll use less dense grass with less detail in the blades. It's a very nice looking plug-in and i'm sure used with a bit more creativity would look stunning.

Freelance Work : Spartan Hockey

2010-12-01T08:44:00.003Z

Upon completion of the previous design the client then asked me to do another design. This time it's a little more complex, contains a lot more detail. The client luckily has good sketching skills which they wanted me to work from. This helped design time as i would have spent ages getting the wings right.
To create this design i used the pen tool and outlined the main feathers using a simulated brush stroke, giving the flicks a nice effect.
Here are the final versions...

The clients are extremely happy with the designs and there should be more work from them following this one.

Keep checking back for more updates soon...

Freelance Work : Spartan Hockey

2010-11-28T08:58:00.005Z

I was recommended by the previous client that i did the 'Clash of Warriors' tshirts for. I was asked to create the 'evolution of a hockey goalie' image.
Spartan Hockey is a service that provides training camps for hockey players based all around the UK. The client provided me with a few examples of the evolution image, i then used the standard evolution concept as my guide then tweaked the body shapes to suit this particular piece. I enjoyed making this, it's nice to see what ideas clients bring to the table when you're discussing possibilities with the design.

The client wanted the design in a series of colours; black on white, grey on black, red on white, white on black, white on grey.

More work from this client is currently being arranged. Keep checking back for more updates.

Making of Nuit Blanche by Arev Manoukian

2010-11-23T20:54:00.004Z

This is a stunning video based entirely of 3d and compositing many many layers of particles, green-screened footage, 3d models and a lot of retouching. Genius composition, truly inspirational.
I'll let you make your own minds up, take a look...

Freelance Work: Clash of the Warriors

2010-11-20T17:26:00.002Z

Just a quick post, i've been doing more tshirt design for ufc stuff this time it's for an event that's actually happening right now. It's called Clash of the Warriors and i produced a design for them, which they will be selling during the event and afterwards.

The client wanted it in 2 colours so they could produce them on white and black tshirts...

Client Project - Inspiration Board

2010-11-15T10:28:00.003Z

I have collected a mass of images that have sparked off some ideas for my client project interior. I really like the use of natural woods and white glossy materials together, particularly within a kitchen environment the contrast is very strong and makes for a more dramatic visual.

I would like to create an interior that has a very open-plan view where no matter what angles the shots are we can see into the other rooms, and also onto a second floor catwalk above. I like the use of wide-open spaces with huge windows allowing light to pour in and flood the interior with light. At the same time i will be using interior lights such as; kitchen spotlights, led displays, breakfast bar lights for example.

Natural woods being used throughout interiors give a very calming yet dramatic look to a big space. I intend to use this to compliment the sophisticated interior that i will create. It feels like a huge challenge but it's only literally a kitchen, a second room that the kitchen over looks, a 2nd floor catwalk/hallway, and some exterior detailing out of the window to add to the realism. Possibly some sort of grass area with trees or perhaps make it more simple by using concrete textures, and build a pool. This would solve any render issues that the grass may cause being as it would quickly build my poly count.

I'm happy that my client has given me a lot of space to work on this my own way, although he will have a hand in the picking and choosing during concept stage it is all my own ideas. This gives me a great opportunity to absolutely annhialate realistic rendering so as to achieve a great portfolio piece. I am going to work soo hard to make sure this is the best it can be.

Tshirt update 'Milky' from 'This is England' movie

2010-11-04T14:29:00.002Z

This is just an update to show 'Milky' from the movie 'This is England' wearing the tshirt that i designed... i was very pleased to see so many people like it.

Client Project Agreement

2010-11-04T11:20:00.001Z

Project title Modern Kitchen Sales presenter…………………….

Brief description of the business need.
• A short video to portray a single kitchen fittings style in a modern interior.
• The interior must suit the aspirational desires of the target market.
• The architecture should be clean, well textured, beautifully lit and well composed.
• A sequence of camera moves is required to show off the key design features of a)the kitchen, b)the architecture
• Animations will be required to add life to what can easily become sterile suggestions are Clock faces, timers, bubbling pans, gas flames, trees exterior to the shots, movement of doors, catches, switches.
• The sequence should move and be edited to music of a fitting style.
• The final output should be graded and well balanced.

Brief description of the multimedia products to be produced. E.g. website with database or broadcast quality format video or 3d animation of 30 seconds length etc.

The preference would be to work in 720p25, though I understand if rendertimes become an issue this may not be achievable. For high quality Vray renders, a decent size frame is needed to give clarity to textures.

Final output to be reduced from HD to DVD, or reduced further to web sizes. Consideration must be made for any text to be legible at

Learning After Effects: Stitching Tutorial

2010-11-03T15:37:00.002Z

Hi guys,

Now i have established the brief for my live client project, i am going to be learning After Effects to a very high-standard. The reason for this is because my client for my project is actually a potential future employer. I have wanted to work at Linneys since i was 16 so it would be amazing for me to get a place there after graduation. For this i need to understand After Effects to a very high standard.

So i am going to literally do as many tutorials as possible in order to actually understand how to do the cool things you see in video productions and animation etc. This is a stitching tutorial i followed this morning...

Client Project - Agreed

2010-10-30T19:55:00.002+01:00

Having had a video chat with my client, we have now agreed on a project for me to take on for my live client project. I am going to be creating an interior with a modern look. There's no limit to the amount of rooms although my client would like one minimalistic room that's open plan. I intend to use Alex Roman's Third & the Seventh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSGx4bBU9Qc as my inspiration for the render style.

My client told me that to have a video like this, it must be selling something... whatever that may be. It is my choice to say what the product is whether it be the kitchen surfaces, flooring, sofa, units even the house/apartment itself.

So there isn't a great deal of restriction which is just what i wanted, this gives me a huge amount of breathing room to unlock my creativity and create something quite spectacular. My client would like me to use After Effects with this video so we are going to focus on some animated objects in the scene. The scene is to look as though somebody just popped outside and left the house as it is... so this way we can animate allsorts of details within the interior. The fact that the interior needs to be minimal i need to find the balance between getting enough details in to make it effective but, minimal enough to be able to play with it and comply with the brief.

Some examples of the animated elements are; kitchen pans bubbling/steaming, clouds outside moving by, curtains softly swaying from the wind blowing inwards, a clockface ticking away, maybe even a modernised version of a grandfather clock...

I am going to be researching a style that fits best with the brief, also i'll be looking into the best types of camera animation so as to make it the most effective piece i've ever made.

The project will begin with a mood board from my research then initial sketches to and from my client and myself. From this stage i will be creating the interior. Being as we have now agreed on the project i can technically begin my research for it alongside the current prp.

'Judo' Jimmy Wallhead T-shirt design continued...

2010-10-30T17:16:00.003+01:00

Ok, the last entry on this, just wanted to upload the t-shirt designs being worn by Jimmy Wallhead...

Simulated Client Project - Piracy Impossible

2010-10-26T18:13:00.003+01:00

Here is my simulated client project finished and complete. I'm happy with how it turned out however, i feel if i had to do the project again i would do it differently. I was thinking maybe i would have done something of a short clip like those found at 11secondclub.com This would have allowed me to spend more time on the animation and emotion etc.

I am happy with the final piece but i wish i had more time to complete it. Rendering took around a week to complete as i had many different layers and cuts to render. The animation was done over 3weeks the final week for rendering.

'Judo' Jimmy Wallhead T-shirt design

2010-10-22T21:24:00.005+01:00

Ok after doing the tshirt from the previous post, Jimmy Wallhead competed in Kansas last week and won. Here is the video which at the start shows my design in the background as he is being introduced to the ring.

Go to the bottom of the page and click the video to play it...

http://www.freefightfever.com/Bellator32VideoRyanThomasVSJimWallhead.html

few screenshots from the fight...

Freelance Work

2010-10-16T19:15:00.005+01:00

Just an update to let you know what i'm on with.
I've been working with a company called Eazzee (http://www.eazzee.co.uk/), a clothing printing company. They approached me to create a few designs for a t-shirt for Judo Jimmy Wallhead a three-times under-21 British Judo Champion... Put simply this guy is hardcore.

Anyway, he needed a new t-shirt before his fight over in Kansas (which he just won). And i was asked to create the designs for it. Here are the designs i created...

Both the print company, Judo Jimmy himself, and all of his team were very pleased with the designs and all are going to be wearing the tshirts during events and also socially.
Obviously this is a great opportunity for my portfolio, so i'm just waiting on photos of Jimmy wearing the tshirt to officially sign off the project as complete for myself.

I am now working on more tshirt designs for Fightforce UK creating tshirts that will be sold at their events.

Following this i will be working on the Roughhouse gym tshirts, equally as good a opportunity as the Judo Jimmy design as the Roughhouse guys are extremely well known, including Judo Jimmy Wallhead and Dan Hardy.

I'll be updating with progress of how these are going.

Now clearly, this is consuming some of my time but rest assured the uni work is priority and i'm more than ontop of things.

3rd year - 1st post back

2010-10-10T08:51:00.002+01:00

Finally got some internet access.

Well this year i'm feeling pretty positive about the Simulated Client Brief. I'm going to post my (10-years old drawings) storyboards and show my development once the project is complete.
To be honest i was panicking a little at the start trying to come up with an idea that was going to work. I came up with an idea that was far too complicated, but after simplifying it i am very enthusiatic about getting it done.

I chose to illustrate digital piracy rather than inform, as i want to create pieces now that are going to go nicely in my demo reel... i decided a spoof character animation was the way forward.

My idea is that a character is browsing the internet for a dvd he wants, he then realises it's actually a pre-order and not available til December! he then downloads illegally but not without consequence. A warning sign appears informing him that he has 60seconds until the computer will self-destruct. The piece is based around him trying to stop this countdown and through this showing he is regretting downloading now, but for obvious reasons.

I want to build on anticipation, dramatic expression and body-movement, especially given that the entire animation my character will be sat down. Sort of a self-challenge to see if i can make it work without having to run about the room and complicate it. But that's what it's all about if you don't try, you don't know.

I look forward to posting my progress.

Ancient Titles

2010-09-23T16:40:00.003+01:00

Here is some more tutorial work again from http://www.videocopilot.net, a highly recommended website for AfterEffects training. It's pretty cool using a cloudy effect to create light streaks, i learnt quite a bit on this tutorial. Although to recreate things totally from scratch would need a good few more watches :P

Making Progress

2010-09-23T10:30:00.002+01:00

I have talking with my contact at Linneys (CLIENT PROJECT) and have been offered some work in-between term dates. There is a strong chance i'm going to be working over there during the christmas holidays.
Being as Linneys is a Multimedia company, they spend a lot of time working with After Effects putting together 3D and final pieces. For this reason i have to gain a better understanding of AfterEffects and improve my skills so i fit the job role better.

I have been on http://videocopilot.net/ tutorials, this is the bible of AfterEffects. The one place that teaches every cool aspect of the program and explains every miniscule detail. I have just completed a tutorial to create Smoke Trails. Now it's just a tutorial followed but from this one tutorial alone, i have found out many cool ways to manipulate the timing and randomisation of particles. How to edit the position of the entire particle system in an efficient way, how to work with 3D space within AfterEffects and tweak the camera for a more dynamic shot. The list goes on... so my plan is to keep on these tutorials every chance i get and expand my knowledge along with character animation and visualisation... BUSY BUSY

Animation : Mikey & The Ball

2010-09-18T20:54:00.004+01:00

Now i'm happy with the progress of my Visualisation work, i have gone back to do some animation for demo reel purposes. From my research and checking out many demo reels of other animators, they tend to show loads of short and sweet animations to demonstrate anticipation, timing, walk cycles, acting, lip syncing etc. This is my short to demonstrate anticipation with humour. I think it's obvious what was going to happen but it doesn't necessarily mean it isn't nice to watch. I'm pleased with this and hopefully will continue to make more short pieces like this.

Food Preparation Scene

2010-09-14T10:26:00.004+01:00

I wanted to create a 3d piece using food so i could experiment with creating realistic food. I am pleased with my concept and have learnt plenty of new little things about uv mapping. This is also my first 3d piece using Zdepth, giving a depth of field lens effect.

I'd like to call it complete but there are always changes to make to all scenes. I may tweak and add to this scene in the future.

Comments and critique encouraged.

Client Work

2010-09-04T15:38:00.006+01:00

Just an update to show what i've been upto as there hasn't been much 3d work produced this past few weeks.

I'm part of a kickboxing club named 'PKA Kickboxing', and they needed some leaflets designing that were a bit more up to date and better looking to advertise the group.
I spent a few days passing files to and from the client to confirm they were happy with each element of the designs. The leaflet was to be an A5 leaflet with designs for both front and back.

Here are the leaflets front and back design.

I recieved payment of kickboxing equipment in exchange for the designs. The client was very happy with them which is the main thing.

Animation

2010-09-01T14:52:00.002+01:00

I have been trying to create a few mini animations but at the minute i'm finding it really difficult to start the animation. Having blocked in the basics i lose faith in how the animation is looking and give up on it. I think i need to create some basic clips as opposed to trying to make really cool animated shorts as i'm not at that level right now.
I think i will stick to animate character to audio clips for now to help me with my prp being as that is how i'm going to be creating my artefacts.

Animation

2010-08-17T12:26:00.002+01:00

I am keen on creating an animated short. When reading some of the Animators Survival Kit by Richard Williams, i found a piece where he mentioned he realised the importance of the body language in a piece of animation only when he worked with an alien rig that had no mouth. So from this somehow he had to demonstrate true emotion to the audience via body movement, this restriction obviously meant a lot of planning and consideration with how to go about creating the emotion whilst the character is doing other things.

I would like to take some time to experiment with different types of animation and progress by doing. So i aim to create a few small short animations before i go back to uni for the 3rd year. Hopefully this will help my level of skill for when i begin my prp project.

Character Animation

2010-08-17T10:09:00.002+01:00

I realise that during my being on a roll with visualisation projects, animation has taken a bit of a hit. Being as i want an impressive prp project i decided i should pick up some animation again.

I went online searching for some random audio clips that i hadn't seenput into practise in any films i have seen. This way i don't know how the characters look and therefore all ideas i come up with will be entirely my own. I wanted something quite quirky and found this small clip to work with...

I realise the lip sync isn't the best but i was kinda focusing on the body animation more than anything. The idea is that the character on the right just got a job and the guy on the left is the boss. Now he's explaining the rules of the company and it seems almost like a telling off to the employee, until the end when he realises the boss does have a nicer side.

Clio Black Touchup

2010-08-13T17:14:00.003+01:00

A slightly photoshopped version of the clio in black.

just for a bit of a brighter finish.

I have also made a few tweaks and additions such as the petrol cap and indicator light. I have put on showroom plates also as these renders are going to be put on turbosquid.com so i can sell this model.

Renault Clio Sport : Textured

2010-08-13T14:53:00.003+01:00

So after my last post i went back to the model and made a few minor tweaks and created a few basic seats in the interior to make it more realistic. I went online and found a few tutorials on rendering cars and the best way to create a studio lighting setup, something similar to magazine images. I created a studio setup and used Vray to render the scene.
I decided i would render a few colours as i couldn't make my mind up as to which colour was my favourite. And when there didn't have to be a choice i thought i would just upload a few renders in different colours.

I'm happy with how it's turned out considering this was just 9 days worth of work and not really working on it every single day. It's more photorealistic than any other project i've made so for that i feel i've achieved a newer stage of realism with my work.

Renault Clio Sport

2010-08-11T21:50:00.003+01:00

So over the past week i put my spare time to practise and decided i was going to make a car for my portfolio. I chose the Renault Clio Sport as i love the shape of them and the side doors look so cool and quite tricky to do. So as well as it being a car i liked the look of it was also a car i felt would be challenging to create. To be honest i think i've made a good enough job of it to be identified what it is (without the Renault badges :P)

Here's what i have so far...

There are more tweaks to be made to the model itself and i need to spend some time detailing up the lights but i'm pretty pleased with the model and more renders are to come once i get it into Vray on my pc. I am going to create a studio lighting setup to try create renders that are as real as i can achieve.

Lobby additions

2010-08-04T12:10:00.003+01:00

I have made a few minor additions to the scene. I included a spotlight above each door frame to provide a little extra light to catch the details of the door. Also for more realism i created some door numbers for the doors. There is a small half-moon table at the side of the sofa for extra detail and a few small candles on the other table. I have sent this off for critique to my my contact at Linneys. When i recieve feedback it'll be altered and i'll repost.

Interior alterations

2010-08-01T20:18:00.002+01:00

So here is the interior i created with the latest tweaks. This version has not been photoshopped yet, i sent this off to Iain for critique.

Visualisation Update

2010-07-31T22:36:00.003+01:00

Back to the previous post regarding the interior i am working on. I went through with creating the lobby idea, for those of you who haven't read the previous posts this is my 3rd attempt which has been approved of this time.

Still needs some work but i'm working on it and will have another update coming soon. I am going to be tweaking the hallway in the background and include more natural light by creating a balcony. The balcony idea was suggested to me by both Iain at Linneys, and Imogen on the course. Being as two people thought this would be a good change to the interior i am going to get on with just that. With more natural light and wider walls it'll create a huge opening and the illusion there is plenty more back at the end of the halls.

Character Animation : Summer Update

2010-07-31T22:31:00.002+01:00

A few weeks ago i decided to work on some lip syncing to get back into some animation. Having neglected character animation because of the visualisation work i was doing i realised i need to catch up, being as prp is not far away. Here is a lip sync i did using a sound clip from Braveheart, William Wallace is speaking.

I intend to create the body animation for this piece and perhaps put together a little video with an environment in. For now i'm going to read Richard Williams Animation survival guide book being as i feel i need to get clued up so i can achieve my prp as i intend to.

2010-07-25T22:12:00.003+01:00

Since my last post i have been discussing the interior task with Iain (contact at Linney). I have been having trouble coming up with a good enough idea until i finally came up with the idea of creating a hotel lobby. Hopefully this being my 3rd attempt will impress and turn out to be the best of the 3. I'll be uploading any decent progress whilst i work on it. Short and sweet.

Also very happy to say that i recieved a 1st for the 2nd year of uni :D

Progression update

2010-07-17T22:04:00.002+01:00

Just an update of where i'm at...

After recieving feedback on the 2nd interior I am back to the drawing board to create a different interior for the sofas. I'm slowly grasping a better understanding of interior design and how to produce nice looking interior renders. I'm quite excited as a possible job maybe on the cards so i'm trying my best to set myself up for after graduation.
I am recieving some great advice everytime i send off one of my renders, it's going really well. A good productive summer so far, just as i wanted. I am going to be putting a few more days in at Hot Knife over the next few weeks, i have done 5 full days work there so far.
I'm going to keep documenting my 3d test attempts so keep checking back if you're following.

3d update

2010-07-15T21:33:00.002+01:00

ok so after some research into interior design and planning the new interior for the sofa, i have developed my ideas and created this piece. I've sent it off to Iain at Linneys for critique. I am going to keep posting my progress throughout this process of tests and assistance throughout the year. I will be using Linneys for my client project so this is my way of reaching the standard needed to complete the project to a good standard.
I am happy with how this has turned out but i will post the next version after tweaks depending on the critique i recieve back.

Please view in FULL-SCREEN

Feel free to leave your own critique all feedback is good feedback...

e-mail: ant_birks_09@hotmail.co.uk

thanks guys.

3d progression

2010-07-05T10:20:00.004+01:00

As stated in my previous post, i have been completing tasks set by the company i wish to work for after graduation. I am being assisted by one of the main guys (Iain) at the company by critiquing my work for me every step of the way. This is really helping me fast get to the standard i'm working towards.

I'm going to keep updating my progress over the summer of all the tasks i'm doing. I have been set a task to create a sofa. I was sent the images of the sofa that i had to model. Once i modelled the sofa i then created an interior which i thought suited the style of the sofa. This is still a work in progress back and forth with feedback but getting closer to achieving the standard i'm aiming for.

I am going to research interior design to grasp a better understanding on what makes good design. I have also been advised by Iain to go and understand colour, lighting, camera position, composition all that makes an interior image look so good.

I feel i'm starting to get familiar with having to scrap what you've made and re work something. I suppose this is what makes a good designer, knowing when to admit your work isn't what you thought and just start again. I'm feeling really positive about this work i'm doing and think that by the time i return for my 3rd year of uni i will have a great understanding for visualisation.

Also because of this overload of visualisation, my character animation has taken a bit of a hit. So i think after this piece i am going to pick up a rigged character and make a short animation to practise with so i don't lose touch on the other areas of virtual environments.

Update

2010-06-27T17:58:00.003+01:00

Being as i've been very quiet lately i thought i'd do a post to show why. I'm currently doing a series of 'tests' set by my client project client Linneys. I am currently learning vray and being sent tasks in order to increase my skill level. So far it's going well.
Here is the first task set, the kitchen model was sent to me untextured and unlit. My task was to texture this kitchen and light it(which by the way is a very hard kitchen to light). So here is my result i sent back to them after many attempts.

As i said before the models were provided. I did the texturing, lighting and rendering.

I'm currently working on a 2nd task involving a very nice classic sofa and an interior in which it's situated, which has been designed to compliment the sofa style. I intend to get upto Linneys standard so by graduation i can apply for a job there and hopefully start my career in the field i really love doing.

For now that's it, any developments will be posted.

vray interior

2010-06-07T14:09:00.004+01:00

ok so i decided to start my first interior project using Vray. Here is my outcome...

I'm pleased with how it looks but it's not realistic yet. I will spend some time learning the settings in order to make it realistic.
I have my client project confirmed so this is in effort to get my Vray skills upto realistic in time for that.

Work Experience / Potential Client Project

2010-06-04T21:54:00.002+01:00

Just a quick update to what i've been upto. I am currently working with Hot Knife Digital Media working alongside Simon Wallett contributing to various projects. I have only done 2 days this week and i am going to continue to put some days in each week over the summer. I have been trying to find myself a client project and as it happens my first choice maybe the one i get to use. I contacted Linney design group based in Mansfield a large design company. It's to be confirmed but i should be working with Linney for my client project working on 3 interior scenes rendered with Vray for 3dsMax. I have been to Linneys for a chat to discuss the client project and was told they use Vray on all their renders. I have also been offered 1weeks work experience in-house in July. So i'm going to expand my Vray knowledge and get learning some lighting tecniques in order to achieve realism in my renders.

I have been following a tutorial to work on lighting and rendering using Vray.
Here's my first test

I'm going to develop my skills all through the summer but i aim to achieve a realistic standard by the end of summer. Providing i learn from the right places i'm sure i can make this happen.

Keep checking back i'm going to be posting plenty over the summer!

Samsung ST-1000

2010-06-03T14:48:00.003+01:00

I am currently working at Hot Knife Digital Media in town. As part of one of the client briefs they required a very specific model of Samsung camera. I was given the task of modelling a high-res version of this camera.

Here's the model...

It's probably not perfect but as close as i could get it.

Show me ya' moves

2010-05-29T11:17:00.001+01:00

Just having a go with a different type of rig to see what theyre capable of. Decided to do a short Michael Jackson style dance routine.

A touch of Venice

2010-05-25T13:56:00.002+01:00

I have been sketching out architectural details from venice images i have collected over the past few weeks. Yesterday i decided to get started on creating a 3d scene of Venice. I have been working non-stop on this since yesterday and have now finished it. I've wanted to create a scene like this for a long time now and have been reading up on how to make it as realistic as possible. I feel this is a semi-realistic image not quite photo-realistic but i'll get there.

Made entirely in 3dsMax
Photoshop for touching up textures

Airport Complete

2010-05-17T17:02:00.001+01:00

I completed this project a week ago but only just had the time to upload it.
There are some problems with a few renders but because of crashing and errors i was not able to fix these issues. I'm not overly pleased with this project as I think i'm capable of much better.

Here it is...

Another Character Animation

2010-05-15T19:33:00.002+01:00

Here is another animation i spent a few hours playing with earlier. I wanted to start looking at more lip syncing with hand gestures and slowly work my way up perfecting this style before full body animation. I am hoping to get plenty of these short clips done over the summer to help me gain a better understanding of animating characters, along with this i am reading many many books and online material to learn more each day.

Here is the clip....

Audio Clip: The Matrix - Cypher

Back to Maya

2010-05-14T20:52:00.003+01:00

Ok so now the work is done, i'm switching back to Maya to get practising animation. I just downloaded a rig from 11secondclub.com and had a little play with it here is my try at a bit of lip syncing in Maya....

Character Animation : Complete

2010-05-14T18:43:00.002+01:00

I have finally completed the character animation.
Check it out, feel free to leave feedback.

Sketch development

2010-04-23T19:27:00.005+01:00

I have been trying to get better at sketching lately and decided that i was going to get a sketchbook and stick to doing a sketch every two days at least. I really need to get better at drawing from imagination, but for now i'm drawing from observation.
Being as i have loads of renders going on at the minute, i'm using my waiting time to increase my skills in other areas.
Here a the drawings i have done so far...

Character Animation : Change of look (update)

2010-04-20T20:06:00.002+01:00

It's been a while since i last posted anything due to many hours of finalising works ready to render. Having said that whilst setting up renders for my character animation i realised it was going to take nearly 600 hours of rendering to fully render out. With this in mind it was impossible to have to attempt this alongside airport and board games. I spoke to Andy Love who advised me to alter the overall look of my animation from realistic to cartoony. This was apparent to him from the start as he had told me it wouldn't look right to have a cartoony character in a realistic environment. Needless to say i have learnt the harder way that he was right :P
I now have a new style and have the chance to integrate ink n paint textures as i wanted to do from the start. I now have an actual cartoon style. The render has 2 passes and i am glad that the realistic files didn't work out as i feel more happy with this version.

Here is just a still image from the animation...

Character Animation : Back To Red

2010-03-15T17:39:00.003Z

After a suggestion made by Imogen to change my characters outfit to red i decided to go along with it and change it. Red stands out more and looks more pleasing in the shot. Not only has his colour changed, the storyline is going to be altered slightly. Instead of him using a rope to climb up i thought it would be more effective to use a gun. This makes the animation look so much better and allows me to add a comedic effect to set the scene for the animation.

I would quite like to make it look believeable but at the same time not to take a 4-inch superhero too seriously :P I may upload some videos to youtube when i get enough time to do so (because of the filesizes). I am quite keen to just upload some screenshots until the video is complete so it's more effective to watch all the way through the 1st time.

I'm ahead on time at the minute so i'm going to use that opportunity to make sure all my work is detailed and try find any alterations to be made. The airport project is very near completion and over the easter holidays i think i will complete it ready for rendering.

Character Animation : Progress render

2010-03-13T10:10:00.003Z

Ok so i don't want to show any of my animation to anybody as i was a few marks off an A in the previous project. I think if Andy doesn't see any of it then hopefully i can surprise him and others with the quality of animation (Fingers Crossed).

I thought i would upload this image of my character in the scene so you can get an idea of how it'll look. There will be a lot of playing around in After Effects in order to do colour correction, perhaps try some effects to get a cartoony look from it. I am pleased with how it's looking my first scene is already complete, we have a long time left so i am hoping to make it really exciting and experimental with different animation techniques.

Airport Development : Waiting / Bar progress

2010-03-13T10:06:00.004Z

I have almost completed my waiting room, I have yet to put up some big screens, wallpaper patterns, plant details, canvas prints and perhaps a few other things i have yet to decide on. I am going to complete the entire project ready for rendering within the next 2-3 weeks.

There's a reason i need to get the project done so soon because each frame in the departures section takes half an hour on my laptop. I am hoping if i render on the computers in waverley building will be a lot quicker. It's not essential as i'm allowing over a month for rendering and post production.

Visualisation : Airport Departures Progress

2010-03-10T21:00:00.005Z

I was quite reluctant to post anything but decided to just get on with it as it's all progress. I've been working on the waiting room within my departures section of the airport. This is where the end of the animation will be. I have been working on the lighting for the seating area although it's not finished yet or fully lit i wanted to do a few renders of it's current state. I'm very pleased with how it's going and want to get it complete by next month as i think thats rather realistic with the speed in which i'm progressing.

I need plenty time to render because now it's getting heavily lit and details are coming in the render times are amazingly large. I need to allow this wide gap of time from easter to render and do post production in After Effects to piece together the video and do colour corrections, light effects and general editing.

It's looking semi-realistic which is pretty good although when i'm finished hopefully after the post production it should look slighty more realistic when i've tweaked it. To compare it to previous work i'm happy with how it's coming, and i've noticed my project management is getting so much better.

Deadlines are no longer a scary problem as i'm allowing plenty time to do the final renderings. The airport is coming along at a rapid speed and it should look really good at the end.

That's all for now over the next few days I will be working on some character animation and blocking in my first scene so fingers crossed i'll post a blocking video shortly.

Character Animation : Storyboards

2010-03-08T19:52:00.006Z

Ok so i spent a few days drawing up my storyboards and thinking how my ideas would look on paper. I am really happy with the storyline and think the narrative is strong, there are so many challenging aspects included which is why i've made it this way. I want to take this opportunity to make something i've not done before such as pulling, pushing, swinging, climbing, particles, jumping, running... sooo much more. Just all aspects of everyday life dramatically exhaggerated within one animation. I'm quite excited to get started on it so i'm going to make a start this week and put together my first scene and block in all the major movements and get the timing right. Once i've done that i'm going to go in and spend a long time tweaking and refining the inbetween frames.

href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZmfB4axhvtE/S5VY3ldPXTI/AAAAAAAAAjk/lUBbsEIfzUQ/s1600-h/1.png">

Character Animation

2010-03-03T20:30:00.004Z

I've now put my character into my kitchen scene ready to animate. I am going to sketch out some storyboards and explore my ideas before i begin. I think the character looks quite fitting in the kitchen, i wasn't sure if it would look right but it looks ok at the minute. I intend to make the animation quite cartoony and i am going to spend some time watching cartoons and gathering ideas for the animation.

lip sync attempt

2010-03-01T15:26:00.002Z

First ever lip sync attempt. Admitedly sloppy and rushed but i'm going to play with this on my own character and hopefully make it very convincing. This is Andy Love's character rig provided during the seminar to play with.

Airport Progress

2010-03-01T15:12:00.003Z

While my animation renders i thought i would do a quick post to show the progress i've made on the shopping centre in my airport. I'm pleased with it so far, i have done all the basic exterior details and just need to put some objects inside the shops for when the camera passes the doorways. I was considering perhaps mapping a texture of the shop onto a plane to save on memory and rendering time, but i am going to see what i can get away with.
I have used existing shop names that people will be familiar with to help identify the area as a shopping centre straight away. I am going to work at the departing waiting room after as i want it to look very special. The final animation will end here so i need to make sure that it's worth the way and definately the best room. Although it's nice to have work on the go i am looking forward to getting this finished.

Airport Development : Waiting / Bar Sketch

2010-02-27T19:02:00.003Z

Whilst i was at work today it was pretty quiet so i decided to make a little sketch of how i want my waiting room / bar to look. I really like the idea of having a few mini levels where seats can be and small spotlights in the edges to continue the theme throughout. I was also thinking of quite dark and sophisticated perhaps for the decor.
I realise it's not great but a basic sketch to get an idea of how i intend to make it look...

BirksyFX

Audio to Visual Animation with Particular

'Boombox Subway'

Progress of 'Subway Boombox'

Zbrush Sculpt - Trogladite (as my colleague keeps calling it)

Sea Turtle

lamborghini reventon 'black matte' finish

Lamborghini Reventon *Update*

Lamborghini Reventon plus... cool 3d stuff :)

Update

Artefact 6 - Natural & Believable Performance Animation

Tree Stump

fcuk watch

Artefact 5

Client Project Complete

Digital Painting - Red Riding Hood

Client Project : Update

Artefact 4

Client Project : Update

Client Project : Update

Client Project : Update

prp

Client Project : Update

Artefact 3 feedback

client feedback

Client Project : Update

Artefact 3 - Complete

Client Project : Bedroom Update

Artefact 3

Artefact 3 - Character Animation Progress

Artefact 3 - Character Animation progress

Artefact 3 - Character Animation plan

Client Project : Bathroom Update

Artefact 2 - Anticipation

Client Project : Update

Client Project : Bedroom Update

Client Project : Bedroom Update

Client Project : Update

Artefact 1 - Squash and Stretch

Client Project : Update

zbrush play

Client Project work update

PRP Artefact plan of action

Demo Reel

Work Experience

Photo Imitation

Vray Autograss

Freelance Work : Spartan Hockey

Freelance Work : Spartan Hockey

Making of Nuit Blanche by Arev Manoukian

Freelance Work: Clash of the Warriors

Client Project - Inspiration Board

Tshirt update 'Milky' from 'This is England' movie

Client Project Agreement

Learning After Effects: Stitching Tutorial

Client Project - Agreed

'Judo' Jimmy Wallhead T-shirt design continued...

Simulated Client Project - Piracy Impossible

'Judo' Jimmy Wallhead T-shirt design

Freelance Work

3rd year - 1st post back

Ancient Titles

Making Progress

Animation : Mikey & The Ball

Food Preparation Scene

Client Work

Animation

Animation

Character Animation

Clio Black Touchup

Renault Clio Sport : Textured

Renault Clio Sport

Lobby additions

Interior alterations

Visualisation Update

Character Animation : Summer Update

Progression update

3d update

3d progression

Update

Lamborghini Reventon Update