Tuesday 29 September 2015

Maya: Pipeline 1: Cartoon Character Head Modelling - In Progress

Maya 2016 has so far been problematic for me as my laptop can just about open it without crashing - so a good few hours was spent getting it to work - the next few hours was fighting to get my head around it. I have finished the main part of the head before it goes into the detailed editing. The ''huh?'' moment has passed for now.




NC: Narrative Group - Colour experimenting.

After talking extensively with the group I decided to create a few experiment colour blends, using a brush tool that is dependant on press-sensitivity with Photoshop. Within our discussion we were talking about layered backgrounds, as in a pop up book. I thought about this while experimenting with some colours. I want to look further into colour and into layered backgrounds in the style of this and the typical pop-up book style.

Monday 28 September 2015

NC: Character Project starting ideas.



NC: Understanding the Hero's Journey - James Cameron's Avatar.

Avatar
Avatar is a brilliant film, a cg masterpiece and one of my personal favourite films. In terms of the hero’s journey it starts with its ‘’Ordinary World’’. Jake, the main protagonist in this story, he is a paraplegic marine who is sent to a deadly alien world set way in the future. It is here he takes on his brother’s role as an avatar driver, his call to adventure, and he spends the first few days on this new planet being prepared to go out with his new avatar body. Proceeding this, his refusal of the call, does not actually come from Jake himself. But is actually put on his mentor Grace. Grace is the scientist in charge of the avatar program. She thinks it’s a terrible idea to allow a ‘’trigger happy marine’’ into the legs of an alien species. But reluctantly she has no choice as the military and the operation itself are supporting her operation. With this it brings us to ‘’Supernatural Aid’’ where Grace accepts her Mentorship of Jake and becomes the aid that he needed. Teaching him the new world amongst the Na’vi.

Whilst on his first outing in the avatar body, Jake is separated from the group, this is his crossing the threshold. It is these series of events that lead to the bulk of the story – which is about 3 hours of film footage.
Belly of the whale, this segment is when he is being hunted by animals and is forced to revert to survival instincts, making a torch and trying to stay alive. Neytiri rescues him and begins his Road of the trials, teaching him the ways of her people, how to hunt, catch, ride and fly. Neytiri tells Jake about her people’s deity, the goddess of the world. Ewya. However Meeting the Goddess refers to how Jake and Neytiri’s feelings grow stronger and he is torn between his duties as a human and his new life as a Na’vi. This motivate Jake and follows ‘’if you are one of us, help us’’ complex and hi becomes fully integrated into the tribe.

 Although it happens in the beginning, Quaritch offers Jake the chance to rotate home and get his legs back if he follows his command and not Grace, however this would mean he would have to betray his new people, Neytiri is now his Woman as Temptress and as the film goes on we see him follow the Na’vi way rather than his human roots.

Tragically, the film brings upon us the Death of a Mentor where Grace is wounded as they try and escape the main compound after being restricted from talking with the Na’vi anymore. Although there is no real father figure is this, Attonment with the Father can be linked to Jakes final understanding of the Na’vi people and their connection to the world around them and to Ewya their mother. He prays to Ewya for help in the upcoming battle between the Na’vi and the humans.

One of my favourite parts of the film arrives when Jake captures the Toruk Makto, the Apotheosis, in doing this it has elevated his position to a god like status with the Na’vi and they fully trust him. The Ultimate Boom proceeds with Jake leading the Na’vi into battle, rallying them to fight against the human invasion. It is here that he practically forgets his human life and becomes full integrated with the Na’vi people. As the battle progresses and looks at a loss. Brining the Rescue from without in the form of Ewya, answering Jakes prayers, and saves the Na’vi from total annihilation. The Magic Flight is upon him and his decisions in battle, being almost killed by Quaritch bring another aspect of Rescue from without when Neytiri comes to save him.


Jake then makes the decision to Cross of the return threshold and go from being human to asking Ewya to make his avatar body is only body bringing his Freedom to Live to light, when he opens his eyes he starts a new life, reborn. From here he then becomes the Master of two worlds forcing the ‘’bad’’ humans to return to earth and allowing the good humans to stay. 

Sunday 27 September 2015

NC: Character Project Influence Map

Looking at my three cards and asking Alan's advice, I started to look at modern examples of games in relation to vehicles and building or invention of a vehicle. With Wacky Races each racer has their own style of car that they have built themselves, with their own special ability and flaws. Its the same across the board with Looney Tunes racers and Mario Kart. Modern games finest. Which brings me to another concept shown in the animation 'Wreck it Ralph' a move made of video game characters. In which the two main protagonists create or invent a kart via a mini game. This is the type of concept I am leaning towards for my multi-platform game. I have a idea that either each character portrayed in my game has their ''style'' of car or that the character be it male or female can design their own car pre-race. So essentially the end design is a racing game for all platforms with the standard rules of a race - however I have to take into account my third card, that being weight, the weight of the car determines its speed. The more you put in or on the car makes the weight increase/decrease which will affect the players game play. Lets just say its a mechanic that is seen in only a few games. 


Secondly, I looked at my two cards, vehicles and construction as the secondary words are invention and building. The history of the car and its invention and how in modern day that has taken to the world. I was thinking of the concept of LEGO, building blocks that can be moved because of the wheels - or things like Mechanix toys models that have little motors in them that allow them to move after construction. 


Friday 25 September 2015

NC: Narrative Group Link and progress.

http://dreason479.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/crescent-moon-studios-link-to-blog.html

Dan has been busy updating our group blog you can find our new studio blog through his post. Be sure to give us a follow and have a look at our progression.

Wednesday 23 September 2015

NC: Narrative group Logo design.

So just to get us of on a run with our blog - we have created our first logo design. It's simple and to the point. Using the crescent as a ''C'' to start the studio name Crescent Moon Studio.

Tuesday 22 September 2015

NC: Narrative personal research.

NC : Narrative Group update.

As a group we have been discussing studio names and we have come up with Crescent Moon Studios as out main title. I have made a studio blog but it is under construction and will be becoming live by the end of the week hopefully. 

The chosen font face for this is the second from bottom - Blakely Light. So our designs will be around that.

Year 2 : Narritive and Character Brief - Card selection.

During the project briefing we were given a set of three cards that are going to be the base for our two minute animated short which will be completed by our group. They are as followed.
 Metric Montage is our style in which our camera needs to move in our animation. ''In the Circus'' is our environment where it is set and the them is ''Fate''. Now this is a very interesting set of cards and have sparked many ideas and concepts from the three of us already. So as a group we have decided to go off and do our own research on each of the cards. I will be posting this after. I am very excited for this project as I have a strong narrative/storytelling background and my head is swimming with ideas.

The second part of the briefing was on the Character design project which we will be doing on the side. The three cards that I have acquired are not what I first thought would be any where near interesting. But I hope that I can get my head around that and bring to life a brilliant game concept and a character selection to follow. My cards are:  

A few ideas are in the mix thanks to a conversation I had with Alan. So lets see how this transpires.

Its going to be a long term but lets get stuck in!

Sunday 13 September 2015

More from out Narrative group - Year 2

After reading Phil's comment we discussed it further: 
  • Daniel Reason
    11/09/2015 00:03
    Daniel Reason
    I agree with what Phil said, to be honest. Something like "Electric Sprites" or "Dark Sprites" or something else along them lines would be quite cool.
  • Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
    11/09/2015 00:06
    Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
    Mhm
    I think Dark sprites is a little too..... Dark XD we need something that doesnt say we are dark and gloomy, Electric is awesome but that is just taking Phil's idea XD
  • Daniel Reason
    11/09/2015 00:09
    Daniel Reason
    Haha yeah. Was just another example.
  • Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
    11/09/2015 00:11
    Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
    how about Hidden Sprites, or Crescent Sprites or errrr something colonthree emoticon
    Lunar Sprites
    just putting words infront of Sprite to see if they sound good :4
    :3*
    • Daniel Reason
      11/09/2015 00:18
      Daniel Reason
      Haha. I think the idea of thinking of those sort of words is the good way to go about it, but not making it too childish.
    • Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
      11/09/2015 00:22
      Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
      I'm trying to give it adult meaning without making it seem dark and dreiry lol
    • Daniel Reason
      11/09/2015 00:24
      Daniel Reason
      Fire Sprite? Water Sprite? Thunder Sprite? Quite a lot of possibilities.
    • Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
      11/09/2015 00:26
      Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
      True
      How about elemental sprite? As its a combo of all of them?
    • Daniel Reason
      11/09/2015 00:27
      Daniel Reason
      Even things like types of metal could work. For example: Golden Sprite, Iron Sprite, Silver Sprite....
    • Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
      11/09/2015 00:58
      Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
      Oooohhhh they all sound good
    • Friday
    • Lewis Maddison
      11/09/2015 10:02
      Lewis Maddison
      I like thé idea of crescent sprite. As you know we stay up all night to work... Crescent moons grin emoticon or just go for something simple that rings a bell. Kind of like bad robot did.
  • Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
    11/09/2015 11:54
    Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
    Crescent Moon Studios has a nice ring to it.
  • Lewis Maddison
    11/09/2015 11:55
    Lewis Maddison
    Yeah that sounds pretty good, plus the logo for that wouldnt be too difficult to design
  • Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
    11/09/2015 11:56
    Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
    Nope it wouldn't
  • Daniel Reason
    11/09/2015 13:33
    Daniel Reason
    I agree too. grin emoticon
  • Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
    11/09/2015 13:48
    Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
    So we all in agreement? Crescent Moon Studios? And our reason is we all work under the light of the moon as we don't sleep xD
  • Lewis Maddison
    11/09/2015 15:29
    Lewis Maddison
    I will agree to that. tongue emoticon
  • Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
    11/09/2015 15:30
    Julia Wolf-Girl Mason
    Right then xD I'll redo the fonts and see how it looks xD
  • Daniel Reason
    11/09/2015 15:53
    Daniel Reason
    Sounds good to me. grin emoticon