₦airaland Forum

@ NEIKID
top marks on drive.
my point tho is this, on a project like this where the workforce is scattered/limited, one does not start actual work until there is a clear-cut action plan approved by the relevant parties.
for instance, if u post a sketch of ur proposed model, amendments/suggestions will be made at that stage, any alteration is a simpler thing to handle. at this stage where u have a half-done model, what if we decide that that is not the art style for the movie,
get my point?
i was outlining the process for the workflow, so "do any of the models" doesnt necessarily mean- start modeling, it could also mean 'start the workflow process for any of the models'.

if we want to do this well, with our limited resources, we have to be professional about it. who knows, we may all learn a thing or two.
posting a wireframe of ur model is also a better view to assess with, than what u currently have.
good job man.

@ RESICHILD
bro, the onus is on u to stimulate/recruit the workforce. maybe u could scout in similar forums or maybe post a more explicit thread targeting the specific skills u need. a 2D artist may be interested in the project just to the extent that his sketches are used- he maynt be 3D savvy, so maynt bother reading ur thread as posted under its present topic, same thing for sound, post production etc. maybe u should break it down to components and do a specialised/specific recruitment process. just a thot mate.

@ EVERYONE ELSE
are we outta steam or just tied up?

@ NEIKID
the workflow order is, first- concept art, then review, then approval, then modeling based on final approved image planes.
the project needs to have an art director to moderate/approve, or else a lot of effort will be wasted and work duplicated and(or) redone.

i appreciate the need for speed tho. lol

ok. here goes,

keep i mind that i generally like the story, the following are just my opinions.

if the purpose of this is to create a demo to source funds with, then the challenge is to employ minimum work to maximum effect.
in the story u sent, the bulk of the 'part to be animated' consists of dialogue b/w Akin and the demigod. creating and effectively lip-syncing over 5minutes of dialogue will be near-impossible at this stage, for ur scattered workforce.

i suggest the story begin with a narrator outlining most of the info u provided as background, to their accompanying action on screen. that way, we deal with just one set of audios/sound effects without bothering about lip-synching. we leave the story at the point where the warriors gather for the coup plotting and start the credits/titles- this forms the opening montage for the skit (which needs a name, by the way)

after the introduction of the titles,the scene can then open to Akin strung up on a tree. again we modify the dialogue so that its mainly playing out in his head,then we introduce the demigod who grants him remembrance.
we play a flashback, we use that to depict the coup proper,the betrayal/conviction and sentencing. quick scene flashes can achieve this.
we return to the present, where the demigod offers the deal.
Akin accepts and is whisked to the lair of Onya.
we introduce Onya, a gruesome foe,roaring and snarling- and kill the story at the onset of the first charge.


i can post an adaptation, subject to the final adoption/adaptation of the house.

c'mon guys. mo comments

@ TUNSLIKE
output is wot counts. when the team evolves to smaller task-oriented units- the software of choice will generally emerge from them, not the other way round. u wont for example, catch me doing character animation in Max or Maya when i have Motionbuilder. if that flies with my local unit or team, or can be accommodated by our workflow (thanx to .fbx format)-then setting a single software for the entire project may not be necessary.

or maybe i am just dull, but it took me 6 years 2 get to where i am at in Maya- so my Max shoes dont just have dust on them,they are cast in concrete. lol
just a suggestion tho. open to opinions,

creatively handling the challenges posed by the usage of different software platforms while retaining a single broad base is going to be part of the test.
but my suggestion is, let the decision of the software of choice be task-based and team-based; as far as it gets the job done and the team is comfortable with it.

i think this phase of the project (recruitment) is kinda slow tho. why is that, i wonder?

pls where all those smileys appear- the value of the figure is 8

i suggest a slight modification. if the project is to be mainly online, then, for evaluation purposes- as much info as possible should be posted by team members. i suggest creating a template for not just indicating strengths but also indicating with figures, on a scale of ten, where u rank urself on a particular skill.

true, it may be a self ranking, but in an industry where most people have had to be jack-of-all trades, doing practically everything by themselves- i think indicating numerically ur skill and where u will like to be employed, in order of preference, will help ur placement process.

for example-i love modeling, but if any twisted mind out there actually enjoys uv-mapping- then they are very welcome to modeling instead!
showing that preference/ranking/rating may help u further assign tasks within departments/appoint dept. heads.

a sample could be as follows, using my info:


YES to project
blog name: OKX
skills: CONCEPTUALISATION(6) PLANNING/MANAGEMENT( 2D ART(6) MODELING(7) UV PLACEMENT/TEXTURING(4) RIGGING/ANIMATION( POST PRODUTION(5)
software: 3D MAX9(4) MAYA 8(9) CORELDRAWX4( ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS3(7)
preferred department: 1ST CHOICE- ANIMATION
2ND CHOICE- MODELING
current location: port harcourt (valid for 3 wks)
email: imagix_studios@yahoo.com
phone: 0802 328 9217



an alternative/additional method employs a hands-on approach and tests the production process.

describe a character from the story.
we all submit concept art of him/her/it.
we select the final sample to be adopted.(maybe thru an opinion poll/vote)
we model him/her/it.
we create a sample animation of him/her/it based on definite instructions.
we then render and publish the final file.


('we' refers to those that possess the relevant skill in a particular area and are interested in that dept. eg. if u animate and dont model, u can wait until the model is published, then u download it for ur input)

all of this will happen to a strict time frame- designed to test how ur team performs under pressure.

this will test ur teams workflow/commitment on a lesser scale and point out potential issues b4 the larger demo project. and give u, the project director, a better sense of each individuals ability and timing for the project.

just some thots. wot say the house?

mad skills man!
how long does an illustration take u 2 paint, on the average?

@ XOTHERMIK
sure theres a way around every problem/challenge. was just sharing info abt the movie- not making reference to this project.
u make sense when u talk tho, ud be an asset to the project.

@ RESICHILD
to avoid redoing work, create the story first n circulate it for critique, before proceeding to storyboard. so far, u havent employed anyone elses creativity- and we all seem to agree that the story is key.
im sure some creative input added to whatever u have can only help the final output.

i wld suggest there be order n planning to this project. questions i have are as follows:

is this to be an entirely on-line project?
what are the designated roles?
what is the art style?
what software is the backbone for the project?
who and who is on board, n what are their areas of strengths? (im sure we can all do everything.lol)

some of the above can only be resolved in a face-to-face meet, especially assigning responsibilities.

i still think posting a simple YES will help u atleast assemble ur workforce before evaluation proper.

@ JEMIT
well said, but i think we shouldnt overflog that issue.
will be nice to have u aboard, nothing helps a project like a balanced viewpoint!


Resichild, ur move!

@ RESICHILD
dude, u cant multitask on this one.
this project will keep u so busy, even ur social life will suffer- if u have one.lol
u cant work on both projects, u'd die of brain gay!, so i suggest we spread our reach farther. stick with this one, who knows, we may organize an animation exhibition next year and showcase all these arts, demos n sensitize the public and art community.

the more good quality output we have, the better for the industry.

@ TUNSLIKE
dude, i barely understand u. guess ur thots race faster than ur fingers can type.lol
just kidding bro!

photorealism and smooth animations dont necessarily equate to hits tho- remember Polar Express.
our strength will lie in originality of plot, characters that are likable and a smooth narration style that is entertaining.
Shrek and Panda score on story n xters, the animation n everything else is the topping on the cake, enhancing a good theme.

if Resichild does a good job with the story n we can characterize and storyboard it properly, then we are off to a good start!


on another note, just got the making of Transformers. it took 36hrs to render a single frame of that movie- imagine that!

@RESICHILD
mags in ur box. its the July edition of Computer Graphics World.

i like the second story best- its closer to what Nigerians would relate to. i dont think they are quite ready for all the hi- techhy stuff- maybe a gradual ease in with time.
play with suspense, u dont have to end the story. kill it at the climax and use it as a demo to source funds. personally, i think a 10 minute demo rocks- that way u can maximize ur assets to pack a greater punch.

the funding for the project we are working on came from a foreign investor, we hooked him with a 60 second demo.
cable stations have scouts looking for new material all the time, but it has to meet certain standards. certain reputable bodies call for entries of artistic materials either for reviews/critique or publishing/promoting. u can explore that too.

bottomline is- synergy or not, someone has to pick the tab!
ur project may suffer cos someone on ur team has a bonafide reason 4 a delay, an allowance of some sort helps overcome that, as well as make him answerable to the team/project. it doesnt have to be a lot, it may just be the money to purchase a reliable UPS for example.
thats why i say u need 4 ur first action phase to be- producing enough output to source funds with, before ur full production.

funding from within nigeria is also possible if u are willing to brand ur movie to promote the prospective investor.
in our case, several indicated interest- our ultimate choice was based on what/who served our long term interests the most.

@ XOTHERMILK
well spoken


i think all who are interested in the project should maybe indicate in this post by a YES.

that would be YES for me, if u are willing to accept me in a more advisory capacity. am bogged down at the moment but can spare whateva asset(s) i possess.

lol.
this is what lack of info causes. if u wish to showcase 3D in Nigeria by merely completing a project- thats easy. u cld prob'ly do that single-handedly.
however, if you wish to make an artistic statement and wow ur audience- thats another thing entirely.

the question is, which is it? my bad!but i thot it was the second.

i went 'technical' with those movies because of ur reviews. less is more, and it takes a great deal of skill and planning to pull a complex movie and make it look simple. the things that make a hit movie are usually subliminal-just hiding beneath the surface. send me ur addy and i will mail u a digital mag that deals with the making of Kung Fu Panda. when u understand what goes into just creating a lovable, hit character like the Panda- u will get my point.

of course, we are not going to compete with the big studios for technology- but u have to make allowances for the improved digital players available today. u dont want ur movie to suck when viewed HD.so rendering specs is an issue. a render farm with lo spec computers is possible.

besides, if i am being a wet blanket- pulling the plug at the first 'discouragement' (if thats what u think i am), hardly inspires confidence for the rest of your team; cos if the project kicks off- believe me, there are granite walls waiting ahead of u!

resichild:
Anyway, i see clearly that i made a move i thought people were just generally afraid to make.Thats not the reason at all, the problem is everyone who's quite good thinks he knows too much.Instead of lending the knowledge, we all try to show ourselves.

did i sound like i was showing myself? i thot not, but i need second opinions.

the move u made while commendable, isnt original. every graphic site eventually boils down to some variation of the same synergy theme, believe me- i have been there. they generally fizzle out because most people lack the foundation of discipline and staying power inspite of what they say. those that stay,like me- need to know certain things for sure.

and all u needed to say concerning your production pipeline was that u didnt want to post ur plan in a public forum.see? communication.lol

u need loopholes pointed out to you so u can fill them. i am not interested in running u down and fyi- have a project i have been working on with my team for 14 months now. completion estimated for 2nd week in january. its an animated folktale series.

dont feel threatened or discouraged- in my own twisted way, i am actually trying to help u bro.

and by the way, it is the complexity of the plot which in turn affects the storyboarding, xterization etc, and that is what determines the duration of the production, not how long u want the movie to last.

two different 30 min animations can take significantly different times to produce based on the respective stories u are working on.
the question is, do u have a story that u have time-analysed for production timelines to arrive at your 3-4 week schedule?
u didnt sound like u had.

significant facts like that are what u need to post.
most of the evaluation of the project will need to be done online so u need to give more info bro!

Cheers

a little education here. again i seek not to offend but to enlighten.
kung fu panda was begun in 2003, and it took a team of 300 artists at dreamworks to pull it off. what u seem to regard as sparse landscape is the artstyle of the movie.while i agree that it doesnt necessarily have to take ages to produce a movie,time,- wisely invested makes all the difference between a shoddy job or not.and there are no shortcuts.

Dreamworks use HP machines in their render farm, specifically HP xw9400s with dual core AMD Opteron processors and more recently HP xw8600s with quad-core Intel Xeon processors, yet the movie, kung fu panda took 24 million hours to render on the studios approximately 6000 cores.Shrek took 5 million hours.
again, u may not go so intense, but some facts should put things in better perspective and make u read a bit deeper, and plan better and more realistically. a 3-4 week 30min movie will look like just that- a hastily assembled movie, suitable for posting on youtube- but certainly not the kind of stuff you are talking about making a significant impact with.

and u are an unknown factor, so theres no reason for any of us to trust u with our time on a project, until u show us u know ur onions-and that is what any kind of outlined plan will show.why would posting a plan make us think u havent a clue?wasnt asking for loads of details, but you are trying to recruit professionals who value their time- so, make us believe in the project.

PS. feel free to outline any areas of weakness, thats the only way the project will succeed- with people synergizing to maximize their collective strengths.

Good luck

letting people know wot they are getting in for and setting realistic time frames doesnt constitute as discouragement, on the contrary- it ensures commitment. no offense, but i wouldnt submit to your project cos it smacks of amateurish enthusiasm. show us a well thought out schedule/plan/work flow, and maybe the kind of people you really need will show some serious interest. work is easy, its the planning that separates a good project from a poor one.all our time is valuable, so if you are going to spearhead this- do your homework, study production pipelines, and sound like u know wot u are talking about-or you will have chaos at your meetings, with everyone throwing great ideas around and no one to moderate or control the creative flow. again, no offense meant.

u are very welcome, glad i could help.who knows, i may someday need directions in germany- then u can repay the favor!

DRAW YOUR CIRCLE, ELLIPSE OR WHATEVER SHAPE U WANT TO FRAME STUFF INSIDE. SELECT THE OBJECT U WANT FRAMED, GO TO THE 'EFFECTS' MENU, CLICK ON 'POWER CLIP', A SUB MENU APPEARS, CLICK ON 'PLACE INSIDE CONTAINER', AN ARROW THEN APPEARS ON YOUR CURSOR POSITION. CLICK ON THE ELLIPSE OR CIRCLE AND THE OBJECT IS PLACED INSIDE IT. U CAN THEN EDIT ITS POSITION WITHIN THE CIRCLE BY REACCESSING THE POWERCLIP MENU, AND CLICKING ON 'EDIT CONTENTS', OR SIMPLY HOLDING DOWN 'CTRL' WHILE U CLICK ON THE CIRCLE OR ELLIPSE.

brothers should know the relevant sections to post their crap. this aint the dating zone dude.

let it go guys, roaches die hard!
unfortunately there are loads of guys like paulodinho, have even had someone brag at me with something I did but didn't sign.
there will always be lowlifes in the industry- i think he has either learnt a lesson or will be more careful in future.

@ pc guru
yep! am dead serious. i first came across the painting when studying Luis Royo's work. the guys a legend, has done the cover pages for a million digital mags.
u can see where he signed off the work- enhanced in red in my post.u can even just google the guy!
the second illustration (HYBRIDFURY) is by an artist known as Rook. he posted it on his blog page. u can check out http://rook-over-here..com/.

am done with this dude, he SUCKS!

@ paulodinho
to have a mentor is okay, but to claim someone elses work and dare make it public- offends me on two levels. first, it shows a total disregard for the art, and second it implies that u assume ur audience is un-informed, and frankly thats insulting.
the first image is one of the works of Luis Royo, check out www.luisroyo.com or his gallery- i dont know the second illustration (prob'ly claimed as well), the third is a work from Wen M, check out her work on www.deviantart.com.
dude, u piss me off. some of us actually study these people!!

PS. Royo's trademark signature is signed close to the ladys legs. u probably also missed that.

@ jamari
why dont u let Lafem declare for himself if he feels slighted by Tunslikes comments.
to the best of my understanding, i dont think Tunslike dissed/knocked his work. he iterated what it takes to create an animation. the graphics forum isnt about pampering ones ego- this is where professionals tell it like it is. we have to draw the line between ass kissing, constructive, and destructive criticism- besides everything said is the posters opinion and not necessarily truth.
Critics, both fair and unfair are what drive the industry to excel.

@ Lafem
good try. great that u acknowledge u can only get better from here.

THE FIRST POSTER ASKED WOT PEOPLE THOT OF HIS DESIGN, N SOMEONE RESPONDED WACKY. IF RESPONSES TICK U OFF, DONT ASK 4 THEM- I DONT EVEN THINK WACKY IS AN INSULT, I THINK RESPONSES GOT A BIT UGLY AFTER THE 'EMPTY BARREL' THINGY, AND THAT WAS PERSONAL- ATLEAST WACKY REFERRED TO THE WORK, NOT THE PERSON. I DO AGREE TO NO DISSING IN HERE, BUT WE SHOULD ALSO DEVELOPE A THICKER SKIN AND A SENSE OF HUMOR- THE WORLD OUT THERE IS A LOT MORE BRUTAL. I HAVE HAD CRITICS MERCILESSLY SHRED MY WORK- GUESS WOT? IT MOTIVATED ME TO DO BETTER!
AT THE FIRST POSTER, SINCE U ASKED, I THINK ITS JUST A COLLECTION OF IMAGES WITH NO REAL HARMONY A.K.A- WACKY. LOL!

LAGOS CREW CAN ALSO ORGANISE THEMSELVES, IF THEY NEED TO, THEY CAN LIAISE WITH THE ABJ FOLKS . I THINK ITS STILL OK IF THE PROJECT WORKS AT A ZONAL LEVEL

should finish 2mrw.

oops.kinda large.

haven't quite figured out wot he does, but it definitely involves the knife.

@ LADOY: everything u need is online.
will keep u posted on the meet date. if u show up, u just might find u may be relevant in many other fields. 3d world is a vast one.
thanx man
i

thanx 4 the responses, guys.
i'll compile all those who have indicated an interest, and schedule a meet asap- prob'ly the first week in july.
most of you are in lagos, so thats where it will prob'ly hold.
any other interested ppl should also holla here or at the e-mail addy i provided.

thanx again guys.

HEY!!
WHATEVA HAPPENED TO THIS PROJECT?

2BUFF?! WHERE ARE U?!!!!

dude, unless u have dough to burn- i think u should do a lot mo personal research b4 u make the leap. theres a lot of material u can download off the web.by going thru the materials, u will find out where ur interest/talent lies. every aspect of the multimedia domain has awesome potential if backed by passion and drive.

discova what interests u the most

e-mail: imagix_studios@yahoo.com
0802 328 9217 (Okey)

PS: the work was done using Maya, but the work platform accepts Max, Cinema 4D, and any other software that outputs .fbx format