VFX 2012 is Completed

This is my one of my VFX project for school.
I used Maya 2012, Foundry Nuke, Sony Vegas, and Photoshop
Music [Moonlight Sonota.By Ludwig van Beethoven]
"Disclaimer Alert"
Music is belong to Ludwig van Beethoven
2012

VFX 2012 Update In Progress

  I came a long way and I'm almost done with this project. I push myself to make this VFX look good as possible, I'm satisfied for what I did.

Render Passes and Final Render

                                                 

                                              Default 

                                                                   Ambient Occlusion   

Specular

Reflection

Shadow

Final Result

Wire Frame

Models

     All I can say that this is the most simple model I ever done, it only took a day to finish the model and the texture and 2 days for rigging. 

                                                                  

VFX Proposal 2012

Project Schedule 

Modelling: (1 week)
It takes me 2 days to make the salt and pepper ghost shakers.

Day 1: I started drawing the orthographic view and I started blocking in the model it self .

Day 2: Texturing the models

Rigging: (1 week)
This will take like about 2 days to complete the rig of both character, the reason why is that there are really easy to rig because both of them have no fingers to rig, just arm for hugging animation.

Day 3: Adding skeleton rig and controls on both models.

Day 4: weight painting the rig.

Animating: (2-3 weeks)
This  is really one of the difficult but simple to animate, it depends how I time and pose both of them.
First I posed the movements then I timed them to make a smooth animation.
Then I tweak the animation it self to have that better result.

Dynamics (1-2 weeks) 

 I'll doing my dynamics along with animation, it really depends how the animation works, like the part when the Pepper Ghost turns into dust before the Salt ghost.
The dynamics will be done by (n particles fill) to make that mesh turns into dust.

Filming: (1 weekend)
 I will be start filming this by Saturday October 13, just a Day to finish filming the footage that I need.

(Shooting locations)

                                                               



  Tracking: (1 week)
I'll be tracking the footage with Match Mover but heard that we are learning Syntheyes for tracking and roto then I'll  be using Syntheyes.
 After Tracking, I'll bring it to Maya so I can staged the animated characters and and match the lighting from the footage.

Lighting and Rendering (1 week)
I'll be setting up the render passes like the AO pass, Beauty pass, Shadow pass (alpha) and reflective pass to prepare it for the compositing process.
Rendering them if simple but I have to make sure the render will success in case if miss something.

Compositing (2 weeks)
I just have to use colour correction and and hue saturation.
Merge all the passes.
Adjust few shades of colours and lights to set the mood.


Storyboard 

Salt and Pepper hugging on top of the dinner table, they change the hugging position. The Salt shaker patting the Pepper shaker, right at that final pat Pepper turns to dust right before the Salt shaker gives the Pepper a hug. That lend the the Salt shaker alone in sadness.

                 

(It all started as a salt and pepper just standing on the table.)

(The salt shaker quickly clench before the salt is about to sneeze because of the pepper.)

(The pepper thought that the salt stopped itself from getting sneezed.)

                                                                                 
                                       (But the salt shaker take a big huff  without control.)
                                                                                 

                                                                 

(Then the salt burst out the sneeze, the sneeze were too strong that it blows the pepper shaker into dust.)
                                                                             

                                      

                      (After  sneezing, the salt shaker wonders where is the pepper shaker. )
     

(The salt shaker is left alone on the dinning table.)

                                                                               

                                                                    ANIMATIC 

       Plot: The salt shaker quickly clench before its about to sneeze because of the pepper (usually sometimes everybody sneeze because of sniffing the pepper). The salt shaker stopped the sneeze but  
its not over. Salt shaker quickly sneeze, the sneeze were too powerful enough that it blew the pepper shaker away. Then that led the salt shaker alone on the table.                                                               

Concept Arts
Both Salt and Pepper Shaker Ghost have the same design but the colour are different like the salt is white and pepper is black.

                                                           

Reference             

    

    
                                    (I got the inspiration from that photo of the salt and pepper)

(Instead of using regular solid black and white texture, I'll be using granite texture instead because it will make it more realistic crafted object)
                                                                                 
Lighting and Colour reference
                                        
                                        

                (I want that dim lighting for the atmosphere to give that late night dinner feeling )


Video Reference

                                                                  (Skip to 1:01)

That's  how I got the idea to make the dust particle effect and I think (n particles fill) with it and make is disappear into thin air. But I heard there is other way without using (n particles fill) by using ramp shaders.

Vfx Update 2011

As you can see this photos of unfinished product,
the process are slowly getting in progress. There many challenges that I experience in terms of schedules and time. I learn many things from this course that I've taken in terms of lighting , modeling ,tracking , composition , and rendering. They are fun but they have different of characteristic of challenges.    

 The philosophical thing I've learn  is"screwing up is not a bad thing , its a learning experience". I really learn something from screwing up most of my life and I end up in the bright side.

The very bottom picture was the actual single render for the vfx project. I did play around with colour correct and the grain node

  This one was the fake one , the colour pass was  
   missing but it will be there soon.  

                                      Now this one is the complete and real VFX that Ive done.
I Finally done it, originally the lightning struck the car but i replace it with harp instead for simple reason but there is also i use harp because its an heavenly instrument. I never got to present this in class because of render problem but finally its over, I felt prod of myself after doing this project just for 2 months.
If you want to watch it in HD please click the link bellow,
http://vimeo.com/27944746

Raiden VFX Project

Plot
  When Benji drove home from work, he parked his car on the front of his garage. While getting off his car, his little sister were playing with a mystical hammer of thunder. She start swinging her hammer and pointing it on Benji's car. Suddenly his sister just summon an huge lightning with her mighty hammer and hit his car. The car is destroyed and burned making Benji drop his jaw.

Production

 
 This project will be shot and direct by Benji. It will take 15 to 16 weeks over all, it will be challenging and exciting for Benji to work on this pitch. Hopefully this VFX project will make it to the demo reels and recognize his work for his for his new career.




Reference

 

      This a good example as lightning effect, it its too powerful for a a real life footage. Just like the space tutorial that i checked from the Q drive (the space tutorial lecture 06) the way they make the tracker beam that hold the ship were made from particle, maybe i can use this technic for my lightning effects or i can composite it in Nuke.   

 Here is another really good example for car explosion, actually this video inspires me, because this is what really comes out from my head.  In this video you can see the the dynamic effects of bit and pieces of the car right after the lightning hits the car. Also Just like the first video the lightning will be run as particle or composite it in Nuke.

Props  and supplies

Props for the VFX is very important in the project. This includes 2010 Toyota Corolla XE Sedan, a Thor Lightning Hammer replica. 
Good thing I have some of them , really cheep and easy 
to spot them on the local stores. 
It is a big help to make my project look presentable and watchable.                        







Location 

The location will take place on the front of my driveway of my house. I just want to make it like a peaceful neighborhood feeling with car explosion will bring humor and appealing , if the audience are into action film. 

Ideas

The CG part of the VFX is when my little sister struck lightning and hit the car. I have to model the car itself and model bits and pieces for the blasted and destroyed effect right after the lightning hits the car. Bits a pieces will fly off by dynamics rigid body.

 That blue print of Toyota Corolla is way different than my actual car , in fact that blue print is 2006 Toyota Corolla. The one i own is 2010 Toyota Corolla. I can change the feature and make it look like the same exact model of my car.

Camera Set up Plan


 The car for all of this shot will be CG , because its really hard to match the real life car and CG .

                      Right before striking a lightning on the car, the camera will be behind the character while facing the car. Then the camera will move dolly to the left to make that cool parallax view.  Then it will cut to the next shot.

                                      This shot will basically the the anticipation shot. The camera will move dolly zoom to make that feel that she is ready to summon the lightning, inspired shot by Alfred Hitchcock . then cut again to the next shot

                       This will me the reaction shot and one of the main part of the VFX, it will be a steady shot but we all know there's no intense feeling for this shot. But when when it comes in Nuke, I'll basically add the camera shake node to feel that you are there. The shot should me wide and bigger for this one because for the camera shake effect.