Evaluation

Proposal

Final major project title: “pay attention 007”

My area of interest is CG effect for TV and film. I would like to work on the team that takes all the footage and along with the script makes and composites in all the special effects. Shot like a scene from a film it will be a “James bond” “Qs laboratory” kind of shot with gadgets and weapon testing. This will be realized in a playable HD video scene. I want to do it in this format to let me have a full scenes worth of work and with the exception of some prop making I will not have to do a lot of work out side of my area of interest meaning less time filming, directing, acting ect. This project will let me have a environment were because there in the same environment throughout I can use many effects and still be able to give them the attention they need. I plan to film this in one of the workshops in college meaning that I will have a set and that I will be able to use the best cameras available and shoot the best quality I can. As well as the technical side of trying these new skills out and making them blend together the is the opportunity to deconstruct film effects and breakdown the way the professionally done. Along with the final video there will be some kind of physical prop or props (most probably the ones used for the effects) that will be displayed with the video in the exhibition as if it was a real films preview.


Final Major Project Evaluation


From this Project I was hoping to get a wider SFX/VFX knowledge, building my own props gave me an understanding of, how much all the materials, adhesives and chemicals for models and final pieces cost. I also learned how to use a nice range of materials including specifically the ones used in industry as well as the amount of time it takes to make props from the sculpting stage right up to final painting including all the setting times.

I also wanted to get a more professional insight into the health and safety of SFX and filming, a couple risk assessments for filming and after several cuts, a couple adhesive accidents and eye full of plastic shavings I think I understand some of the unexpected risks as well as the obvious ones.

I feel I finally perfected my workflow, file organization and backing up as well as maximizing my productivity will behind the scene renders and render layers.

As with every project I do I try to learn new skills in After Effects like Motion tracking, colour correction, set matt etc. I also tried a couple add-ons for After Effects that were supposed to help with the corrections and blending like colorista, though I found it easier and got better results from using a combination of adjustment layers with multiple effects working in tangent.
As always try to improve me existing skills one of the ways I did this was not to take “perfect” shots, I didn’t make my alignments in the original images perfectly parallel because of this it meant I could just used square and line selection and it gave interesting pixel burs I hat ton match just like in moving image.

Originally I was going to film the set in one continuous pass and have my actors working away in 3 separate levels different distances from the camera and green screen pout the window for a virtual set extension were I could have another actor weapon testing.

I decided I wanted a specific room because it contained all the elements I needed for my shot, booking this room was hard to do as the room was two conjoining room and I needed both to give me filming space.

I also had a lot of problems with finding actors starting with simply not knowing were to get people to work for free and not knowing when I would be able to get the room. After I found some places I could not find anyone who fit the part.

Another problem with my project is motion tracking, pushing the dolly on the track manually cant give the shot a steady moving pace to map in Maya, there is a certain amount that you can manually motion track in After Effects but I didn’t want to risk this. I decided to use a motor to keep a steady pace, I decided to make my own motion control but while I was building it someone suggested using the lego unfortunately it was not available the day I wanted to film.

My final piece if formatted like a show reel, showing before and after still shots and video turntable of my 3d models fading from wireframe/ clay render to the textured model. The video shows all the VFX elements that would have been in the one shot I had planned to make.

I have decided to put more time props to make them presentable for the show because there is quite a difference between what looks good on screen in passing and what looks good in person.

I have made stills that can be printed and displayed for the end of year show, I will also make more after I hand this in so that there is a grater selection of which to display.As my work is, it could go on the show reel but I hope to get more work done and do a recut to put in the show reel with some more of my work to be in the show.

From this project I got a better understanding of SFX/VFX and an insight into the workings of how every part of the film process is done, I feel I have learned all the partial knowledge I can from this project and any thing else would have to come from “real” world experience. Though this projects research I also got a better understanding of my place.

I would with the skills I have now used any room in the college as I could now make any of them work as I am no longer restricted buy the “actually” environment. As well as getting actual actors so that I could have made an actual scene even though in industry I will be realizing the final piece not making it from the ground up. I would have liked to build my own motion controller or at least tried out how versatile the lego is in that job. It also would have been nice to see my sound design work fully realized even if I was aiming for a subtle overlookable style.

Over all I am happy with the work I have done and the level of skills I have at the end. Mostly form the research I have done I am now more confident in leaving education and entering the industry. Like every project there are a hundred extra thing is would like to have done but I will now do those in my own time and add to my portfolio. From this project I have the final set of skills I need for my area of work and I know not only know that there is never an end to learning but im happy with were I am on the scale.