@kazuna

lol...d geniuses r in Pixar, we r just playing catch-up.
glad to have helped.

a video of ur scene wld b nice.
d stills r looking good.

cheers.

@nzemkolo
ppl will join a well planned project wit a good structure and clearly defined benefits.
in ur case, it starts wit a good story and great characters.

high quality in this case doesn't refer to resolution, its d quality of ur characters and props.
ur audience is assessing u based on that, cos its all they have to go on.
take this as a personal learning project to get more experience, and discover the real-life challenges involved.

so far, ur production pipeline hasn't come across as efficient to me...dat and a lack of clearly defined benefits has kept me on d sidelines. if I was involved, id begin with completely overhauling ur xters ( that's nt practical now given how far uve gone)
I still keep an eye on ur progress tho.

keep ur spirits up bro!
cheers

@kazuna

thanx for ur input.
yeah, I know d uncanny effect...it ruined Polar Express and most of the Final Fantasy movies.
if this was for production, I wld use a custom toon shaded look.
I want to work on my realistic animation skill, my tots r if u can pull off realism, exxagerated toons bcome easier.
thanx again, n pls keep an eye on this thread.

I dabbled a bit with blender but it didn't quite cut it for me.
in Maya, to animate the swarm id simply use particles.
id create an emitter to create particles, and animate the emitter and particles to get the motion I want.
maya allows u replace the individual particles with geometry using particle instancing.
id simply replace the particles with my bee or bird model.
since they r instances of d model they wld look the same, so to avoid uniformity I wld create different sets of particles and instance them to different variations of the model.

being particles, they r subject to dynamic fields so I cld apply interesting features like turbulence, air, drag etc.
this is d basic workflow wit lots of tweaks.
Let me know if it helps.

cheers

@kingthreat

I'm ok with bluntness, but couple it with actual tangible info or suggestions and I'm sure it will b more useful.
its a thin line between criticism and mere negativism.
even stating d reasons why u think its childish will help a lot....my opinion, mind.

cheers.

wots d brief so we can better understand/ assess.


@kingthreat

I'm sure there was a better way to constructively xpress ur views...lol

@ero

I use a 2GB Radeon 7670 card, 16GB RAM.

I have a mini render farm with similar specs but lesser RAM (8GB)

if ur upgrading, there's a list of recommended cards on the autodesk site.


cheers.

will love to see ur work n trade tips

@reid
i mean the relationship between the size of a door to the size of a window.
if ur modeling a house with doors and windows, (unless ure going for a specific effect for some reason) the height of the doors should definitely take the xter that's meant to live in it, and the height of the windows are approximately half or two-thirds the height of the door.
this is closer to real world proportions, and its easier for our minds to accept them in our creations.

our different sizes must all tally across the different scene elements, its a common mistake we make...for instance, the window level of a bungalow shouldn't correspond to the window level of the first floor of another building in the same scene... that's stretching imagination a bit too much, unless u've established that different sized creatures live in them respectively.

same thing for trees, cars and basically all our different assets.

lol, lets not derail his thread.

check out http://3d.about.com/od/Creating-3D-The-CG-Pipeline/tp/Creating-Effecient-3D-Illustrations.htm

its a 2-part read with valuable tips that will aid u tremendously if u follow them.
read n give me feedback.

cheers

@nzemkolo
hang in there, its a tuff journey.

ur still breaking some basic rules, but i guess everyone follows their own learning curve.
decide on an art style and stick with it.
ur environment post, for instance, combines 3 different structural art-styles...is there a particular reason for dat?

the golden rule also is, never model wot u can texture instead.
employ that, n u'll speed up ur process significantly n reduce d challenge(s) u face.
eg. only model doors and windows if there's going to be interaction with them, or if its a close-up shot, otherwise use a texture. dats more application-friendly, and looks better.

normally u wouldn't go modeling an entire environment without guides. u would only build parts that r seen in ur particular camera shot as determined by the storyboard, dat way u'll also know the level of detail required for each element.

also work on ur proportions.
make rules considering ur proportions n b consistent across ur scenes.
for eg. there's a general ratio relating door-to-window size, house-to-tree size, person-to-house size etc.
i know its a make-believe world but ur sizes have to at least have some foundation in believable physics.

goodluck, im keeping a friendly eye on ur progress.

cheers

@reid
lol...theres a difference between the info u just gave n wot u posted earlier calling for modelers n texturers.

again, clear info is key.
post a sample sketch/pic/model showing art-style and ur responses will improve.
im swamped at the moment, but if i know more details i can make a firmer decision.

and yes, the helper objects r d controls for d rig.
cheers

@reid
the Project Pinocchio models arent rigged for stretchy motions.
r u sure u were manipulating the right controls.
the xters r rigged for basic Human IK interaction.

on ur model thingy, d pertinent info wld be:
are there poly limits for the models?
will they b uv mapped?
lo res, or hi res, or any res? etc

there r tons of sites that aid artists sell their models online, most outline the entire process clearly, including their take- so its pretty transparent.
also d payoff is in dollars, cos most r foreign...u'll have to do more work/give info to get responses or patronage- in view of the available alternatives.

goodluck

@reid
u're pioneering growth so u have to thicken ur skin.
things dnt always move at d pace we'd like.
ur post is barely a day old, give it time bro. (i usually allow for abt 2 weeks)

keep ya head up n dnt lose faith.

a little more information may also improve responses.
experience has shown me that ppl rarely subscribe to sending mail to receive additional info on anything, unless from an established outfit with a proven record of integrity, profitability etc.
so give them as much info as possible at the initial contact.

post some sample models, eye candy really, but it usually helps.

alternatively, if u have clients that require 3d assets, making their needs into a competition of some sort- wit a payoff for the top entries may produce better responses/ publicity.

cheers

@unluvable
lol...guess its the shock factor.
took me this long to get my jaw off the ground!

id like to know how long each work takes....awesome!

@matthew
good points u raised...these r my thots.
so as not to misunderstand me, i believe VERY strongly in synergy and collaboration.
i have however, also come to realize that u cannot divorce urself from the surroundings u live in.
an environment that gives out measly peanuts on an irregular basis keeps u constantly on the borderline of 'want' and 'poverty'....this forces ur survival instincts to kick in.
that instinct is wot u r calling the 'all man 4 himself' syndrome.

i used to rage and get upset at the lack of synergy-minded folks, or mediocre professionals...(and while i still dont condone sloppiness), i also got to see their perspective; and that is crucial if change is to be had.

instintively, a man will fight for his survival employing any and all means HE THINKS will work, his thots not urs. in d digital domain, it will involve any means he deems necessary to stay ahead of competitors.
for some they believe it is thru hoarding tutes, info, undermining fellow colleagues or choosing to work alone, for others it is producing just wot the client is willing to pay for and no more than that, even if its a mediocre output.
arguing his logic or verbally pointing out the alternatives has rarely worked in my experience so far.

but woteva the method ur syndrome manifests, the real enemy lies in the 'why' they do it.

d simple answer is cos we r hungry and need to survive (howeva way we inteprete we can do it).

while synergy is truthfully the way forward, pioneers of the push will have to make the sacrifice of funding the realization process for the majority of the artists. the principles we build on today were sacrificially formulated by our pioneer digital grandfathers.

so...

involve un-professional artists on a funded project CONSISTENTLY and cheerfully.
be willing to absorb the cost of the learning process of ur employees while still keeping them paid.
keep ur spirits up, and wallet still open when, inspite of doing the aforementioned most people still dont appreciate ur efforts and abscond without notice.
do this for long enough, and ur well on ur way to affecting change.

our colleagues abroad have gotten basic survival needs outta d way, giving the ability to unlock creativity and push boundaries without wondering about ur leaky roof or impending fees.
excellence in our field requires time, and that is a scarce resource... cos all u have of it is spent chasing that paper, just to stay alive.

ur narrow look will not be very effective, it is the broader failings that have forced artists to narrow their focus to self. those broader issues need to be addressed or a strategy to negating their effect formulated.
while enlightenment on the obvious 'disadvantages' to ur syndrome is laudable, that alone is insufficient.

my personal strategy is to source good paying jobs and then develop crews to handle them.
sadly the jobs are few n far between, but still i can say i may have mentored a fellow or two.
at the rate im going, in the next 100 years i would have contributed to solving 0.0000004percent of the problem.

again i applaud u

@Peter
hey man...nice to see u on the other thread.
on the jack-of-all-trades thingy, its really a bummer.
but try finding willing artists for a personal learning project with no tangible payoff measured in naira.
ill be around to help u count the grey strands when next u visit ur barber....lol

even our colleagues abroad employ similar practices. they are called 'generalists' and studios especially the smaller ones constantly require generalists, so to the relatively unknown artist...its a plus to be an all-rounder.

but ur logic is largely sound.
if u do a single thing repetitively, chances r ull become very good at it.

cheers.

could u show him in different poses showing different views, it will b easier to form an impression that way.

goodjob

@salmoneus
good start. im taking the liberty to post excerpts from Robert Chang's talk on what makes good concept art.

its a long read, but even if u take it in bits n digest, it will definitely help u improve ur game.
cheers.


" Character design consists of different elements, and you should master them all if you want to be a good character designer.

The most essential and basic element is conveying the personality of the character. You need to study how different facial features, facial contours, hairstyles, body shapes, clothing...etc contribute to the overall "vibe" of the character. For example, let's say you have two female characters--one is a young military officer in civilian clothes--she's home visiting her family, the other is the same age--a tomboy from next door who grew up with 3 brothers. Now, both have something about them that makes them different from the average female--something a bit more masculine, but how do you differentiate them in design so we can immediately tell which is the military officer and which is the tomboy? You have to consider their life experiences, what they went through, how their lifestyles dictate how they dress, carry themselves, groom, and affect their facial expressions. And let's say they are both supposed to be attractive, how would you design them so they aren't just typical attractive females, but also convey their backgrounds and personality so we can see something in them that expresses their strength and character? And how would growing up with 3 brothers be different from having gone through military training with a bunch of macho guys? How would all of this be reflected in the visual design of these two characters?

The second element is logic and common sense. You must understand how and why people dress the way they do, why uniforms must function a certain way, or why armors must articulate a certain way. Don't design some sexy chick wearing skimpy outfits if she lives in a very cold area--that's one of the most common mistakes that shallow artists make. Yes, sex sells, but you don't have to be at that level of crassness in order to convey sexiness.

Same thing with hairstyles. Think about what the character does for a living and for hobbies. Would long hair even be practical or safe? Would long hair even be allowed? Would long bangs be distracting for the job/hobby if it constantly falls in front of the person's eyes?

Other things involving long painted nails, wearing high-heels, and various other ridiculous female character designs I've seen that's completely inappropriate for who the character is--they are all part of the common sense/logic problem. All concept artists that put female warrior/soldiers in combat outfits that involves high-heels need to be smacked upside the head.

The third element is aesthetics. I don't mean aesthetics only in attractiveness, but even in how unattractive a character needs to be in order to convey what the character needs to be in the story. If a villain is very attractive, that would be a very different vibe from a villain that is only average looking, like a typical Joe Blow who could vanish into the crowd, or a ugly mofo who would give children nightmares. The understanding of what makes for a beautiful or hideous looking character, and all the range in-between is a very important set of knowledge. There are many professional artists out there who seems to be incapable of depicting exactly the correct range when asked to do so, because they have chosen a very limited range of stylistic vocabulary when they formulated their specific stylization choice, or they simply don't know how to differentiate between minor changes in attractive levels. So if the client asks for a character that's "mildly attractive," would you know how to nail the exact range of attractiveness? What if you are asked to depict a character that's drop dead gorgeous, but there's something slightly awry about the face--something ineffable but noticeable? Would you know how to convey that in the character design?

The fourth element is stylization. From very cartoony to very realistic and all the range in-between. You must consider the tone of the IP you're working on. It is mature? Children-friendly? Horror genre? Fantasy? Sci-fi? Drama? Sexual? How does the IP's genre and target audience influence your stylization choices? It is a very complex subject and not enough people understand enough about it.

If I describe a style that rely on large round eyes, small noses and mouths, round facial contours, idealized cuteness, larger than normal proportioned heads compared to real people, long legs, slender waists, and so on, what would you think of? What if I told you what I described can form drastically different styles using the same set of parameters as I just described? Think about it--Disney and anime/manga both use those same set of stylistic parameters, but they are drastically different--so different that you would never mistake them from each other. So what actually makes those two styles so different if they can be described with the same set of attributes? What about Hanna Barbara? Warner Bros? Don Bluth?

Stylization also involves production concerns. What medium are you designing for? Games? Movies? Feature Animation? TV animation? Comic books? Different mediums have different production requirements, and you must understand them or else you'll run into problems, such as creating unnecessarily complicated characters that cannot be conveyed properly in low-polygon format for a video game. If the IP will generate products in different mediums, will your design translate well across all different mediums?

Stylization also involves knowing your target audience. What culture is the product aimed for? What age range? What's the dominant sex of the target audience? Will the product be localized into other languages and in other countries/cultures? Would your designs have universal appeal across cultures?

And after you combine all these elements, you'll get a general overview that will inform you whether your designs actually fit the IP you're working on.

These are just some of the things you must consider as a character concept artist. There are more, but I think this is already plenty enough for you to chew on for the next few of years of your artistic development. "

an update on the scene


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD3-lTWg4Ho

or maybe we r too busy reading n watching tutes to respond to d thread

the link is http://projectpinocchio.autodesk.com/
u sign in wit ur autodesk id, or follow the procedure for getting one.

the technology will b pulled by the end of September so its a limited time thing.
i dunno about you, but having access to flawlessly skinned, rigged xters with an extensive range of expressions and phonemes for speech is a pretty handy asset.

worst case, they can form the basis for ur tweaks to personalize as u like.
u can edit the texture file in ur paint app of choice, to further make them distinct to u.

i think its an awesome freebie from autodesk.
i use it a lot for xters that r extras, so i focus on modeling just those that have specific facial features.

check it out n feedback.

seriously xplore motionbuilder as soon as u can, the real time engine makes animating flow more intuitively.
besides they developed d .fbx technology way back when they were called kaydara before alias acquired them.
they developed the human ik system and were the basis for ur physique n CAT in max when autodesk acquired alias.
so u can imagine wot their native software will b capable of.

cheers

@salmoneus
lol....i could darken them if u think it will aid d animation.
well, like reid pointed out, my focus was on the animation not d xters.
later on in the story, i even introduce superman, spidey n d hulk...lol
was just utilizing xters i had, to improve my game.

besides all the xters arent original.

Autodesk have this Pinocchio Project where u can create a buncha diff xters from a buncha presets.
u can then chose to download the assets (including morph targets) if u like and tweak to taste.
that eliminated extensive modeling and knocked off quite a bit of time for me.
it normally takes me about 2 weeks to fully develop a single xter, from conceptualization to full rigging of d textured model.

@reid
break down the scenes n ull see not a lot is really happening.
just a basic run that i tweak for diff xters, walkcycles and minor acting.
polishing the animation is where d bulk of d work is.
the scenes dat show close up interaction between xters is still in blocking stage.

nah, max depresses me...lol, i think like a mayan.
i back n forth tween maya n motionbuilder.
every xter animator should try out motionbuilder at least once....its awesome, n with Autodesk acquiring everything, the integration with max n maya is seamless.

@reid
i mean assessing how d body moves in response to the kick or recoil from firing a shotgun.
trying to decide if i over- or under-exaggerated d motion.

although being a short scene, i may get away with it.

filling in some missing scenes.
assessing the body mechanics of a shotgun recoil.
the muzzle flash will b post-produced in AE


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sv5beys9MU

as it is a test, i didnt bother with the environment.
will post my progress as i populate the scene.

bro, its too early for the critics to see ur work.
there are loads of magazines that u can research with, as reference material.

u r ur own first critic, place ur design beside ur reference material(s) then decide if its ready for the public critique.
hopefully, u'll get my point.

goodluck on ur journey.

@yox

well, u nailed dat one.

end of discussion...lol


as regards d marketing thing, I'm not officially one...but like urself, dwindling resources and an earful of jargon from d so-called professionals forced my active participation in dat field.


I'm a digital artist like urself, focusing on animation...but like most creatives, I made d error of thinking d 'brilliance' I saw in my work was apparent to all, and dat it was all I needed to make money.

I suggestd a proficient marketer cos most true creatives lack and indeed have little patience for commerce n its strange rules.
I have a friend who spends as much time as he needs to perfect a logo to HIS satisfaction rather than d clients, much to d clients frustration- who would have been satisfied waaaay back wit his 3rd draft!
needless to say, he was always borderline broke.

the above is a summary of my xperience several years later, and a coin or two richer....lol

cheers

well, dis will b my last response along dis line....so it doesn't look like we r arguing (which isn't d purpose of d thread)

don't reinvent d wheel.
it took a whole load of talentd chaps a lot of years to condense their accumulated xperience into broad guidelines to facilitate production.

learn those procedures.

there r hard n fast rules if u want an effective production pipeline, d only flexibility is in their interpretation which u will adapt to suit ur unique environmnt. but as an example, no studio director will b applauded for trashing a fully modelled xter for any reason. woteva issues it has shd hav been addressed at d paper stage.

unless ur project has an unlimited budget and no deadlines.

on maya being industry standard, dats debatable, but not d point.

we cnt birth d industry in nigeria witout a sense of professionalism and d willingness to research.
d birth process is d culmination of a gestation period....dis is dat period for us.

our colleagues abroad, at times spend years just researching an idea or developing d technology to xpress an idea. I raise dis point just to illustrate wot xcellence requires. in ur case, it would start with a total redesign of ur characters wit a focus on appeal.
again, dis is cos u dare say u r gunnin for disney standard, research n find out y most disney xters r endearing.
first is the appeal of a good story, then d appeal of great xters.

we can continue dis correspondence in private.

again, goodluck n cheers.

well, u get my general gist, and I didn't mean just modeling.

if u r tweaking a xter after skinning, its a question of know-how. I have neva come across a xter that can't b skinned using d various methods available..to d xtent dat ur trashing d xter.


well, woteva works for u...and like I said goodluck.

I think u need a lot of help, advice n study...but I'm nt sure this is d best forum for that.

besides its not like u asked my opinion....lol

I guess by positive, u mean constructive. negative reviews can also b good if constructive.

I don't know d clients brief so I can't say much about the design itself, overall id say its catchy but d message isn't very clear.

forget that u know d clients line of business, to d uninformed it is not clear from d design. d same design could apply equally to a restaurant, food seasoning, or a cook promoting new recipes.

include something dat makes d clients message clearer and distinct to d client...text or an image.

I read d flyer and I'm still guessing abt wot Testify is...a product, or a service provider?
using d same fonts and fontsize for 'test' and 'testify' is a bit confusing, and I'm wondering y d two-colour style in 'testify'....is it a compound word coined from 2 names, or how d brand wants to b written always? if it is d brand style, then no other text should share the same style/font.

the primary aim is to provide clear info, good graphics just enhances the process.
the above r just my opinions, mind.

good job. good luck

@nzemkolo
lol...did say u were gunning for disney standard, then u must also study disney procedures.

let me give some unsolicited advice/tips.

create concept art for ALL your characters AND props first.
all ur corrections and amendments should be done at the paper stage, not at d modeling stage.
dont tell someone to model from their skull witout the guideline of concept art showcasing artstyle.
that will definitely lead to wasted man-hours.

create a bio-sheet for ur characters and an expression sheet showing the anticipated xpressions for ur diff xters, in line with their personalities.
something needs to guide ur modeler for blendshapes.

make decisions about the level of control u want over ur rigs. do this at the planning stage. that way u wont b dropping xters after creation. it will also determine how many blendshapes u will need.

before u move a single vertice, ur project should already b alive and properly planned on paper.
im assuming ur story is tight and has been properly storyboarded.

goodluck.

lol...funny

art is really subjective to the individual and putting a fixed value on an artform is tricky.
clients pay for 'perceived value' of the logo, not the actual graphic itself.

the challenge is to work on the clients perception of the value of the work, and no single method is guaranteed to work.
it is usually a combo of:

pricing (some clients equate cost with quality, others do not)
appeal of the work itself (remember wot appeals to one person may not appeal equally to another)
charisma of the artist/ ability to sweet-talk or bamboozle d client (very essential especially if self-employed, or in a small firm where direct contact with the client is inevitable)
list and caliber of previous jobs done (an impressive portfolio tilts the scales in ur favour. some clients will like to brag abt using the same designers as certain successful brands, others may not)
ambiance of the design environment etc. (the picture of a successful artist may endear u to some clients, while it may make others feel ur 'overcharging' because uve 'arrived')

relying on the quality of the work alone to unlock a clients wallet may be a hard task, rather, assess the client and employ an arsenal of methods aimed at his mind. thats wot controls his wallet.

@yoxtheprof
truth is, ud b surprised that some client wld rather pay 30k for ur first design than the second.
its in the perception, not the work alone.

get a professional marketer and ud b surprised at wot ppl will b willing to pay for.

@acidosis
i think u deserve 2 logos man

what OS r u running?
32 or 64 bit?

reinstall Visual C++ redistributable package for a 32 bit or 64 bit depending on wot ur running.
since ur having the issue currently, install a different version to the one u currently have.

keep us posted, altho the technology or programming section may provide more helpful responses.

there r tons of tweaking to be done (as usual)
however im open to comments n critique....hopefully constructive ones.

attached is a ruff take of scenes 1-15 to assess continuity. no sound tho
im having to do d sound masself (not my strong suit) but sometimes assessing a clip is easier without the distraction of sound, in my opinion.

im curious to know if d plot is evident without the aid of dialogue.

so...pls watch n comment.

most of the character animation was done in Motionbuilder n shipped to Maya.
the total work so far has taken about 3 weeks, working on and off.
my focus was on d animation not modeling or rendering...i used mental ray with very basic settings.
i want to run thru the whole story first, then polish d scenes.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BqjBfk-IZc&feature=youtu.be

the following is from a personal short im working on.
see storyboard attached.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTbvUSFIyvs&feature=youtu.be