Just managed to buy a house and turns out the moving date s in the middle of the assignment. 15th of February to be exact. This means working hard and trying to up and shift my whole life too. I'm not going to lie, I'm enjoying the move and its a great new house but could do with it not being in the middle of the assignment.
Work is going much slower due to this shift however, most of the work that I can do is done. I'm in charge of lighting but until my group give me the modelled and textured scenes I cannot light. Hopefully I'll be moved by then.
Saturday, 26 February 2011
Thursday, 24 February 2011
Putting it into After Effects
so I have put all the green screen shots we are using into After Effects and have keyed out the green screen. This was a much longer process than I thought. The main reason for this was because the green was not evenly lit. I had to keep adding layer masks to key out the green.
The other problem was the white tracking markers. I had to add tiny layer masks on top of each one and then make sure it kept covered through out the whole clip. This took a long time because there were about eight on each clip and there are about six or seven clips. On one clip there are sixteen markers and they move because the camera moves so I had to make sure they kept covered by animating the masks. Here is a screen shot of an example of all the masks.
There was a shot that we were going to use of me walking away from the screen. I was wearing black converse shoes and this was the scene:
The next task is to track the footage where the camera is moving.
The other problem was the white tracking markers. I had to add tiny layer masks on top of each one and then make sure it kept covered through out the whole clip. This took a long time because there were about eight on each clip and there are about six or seven clips. On one clip there are sixteen markers and they move because the camera moves so I had to make sure they kept covered by animating the masks. Here is a screen shot of an example of all the masks.
There was a shot that we were going to use of me walking away from the screen. I was wearing black converse shoes and this was the scene:
When I tried to key out the green, half the shoes were keyed out as well. Apart from layer masking it frame by frame there was no way to get around it. I tried using colour range rather than keylight but that didn't work as the grey and white from the shoes started disappearing. In the end I just had to scrap the shot. It was the only one that wouldn't work and we were advised when we shot it that it may not work anyway.
It has taken me about three days to fully key out the green and tracking markers. It took a lot of focus and the masking was the most aggravating thing I have had to do.
The next task is to track the footage where the camera is moving.
Thursday, 17 February 2011
The clips
So after we filmed we had loads of footage. We had to shoot the live footage about three times due to people not turning up or the footage being out of focus. The point is it has taken a long time. I have gone through all the clips that we wanted and changed the ones with the green screen into Apple pro res 422(HQ) and taken out the sound. This has enabled me to put it into final cut pro and start to work out how the overall thing is going to look.
Deon made a low res compilation of the scenes so we have a rough idea of what it is going to look like with a few effects added in. It was kind of a waste of time me doing it if Deon went and did it anyway but at least once it is composited then I can just drop it into place and then render the whole footage out.
The next task for me is to take out the green screen.
Deon made a low res compilation of the scenes so we have a rough idea of what it is going to look like with a few effects added in. It was kind of a waste of time me doing it if Deon went and did it anyway but at least once it is composited then I can just drop it into place and then render the whole footage out.
The next task for me is to take out the green screen.
Friday, 11 February 2011
Filming
The green screen room is definitely great fun.
On the first day we were shown how to set up the green screen with tracking marks for motion tracking and was explained why these are important. They are so the software can track the movement in comparison to the object so when the CG is added, it is easier to match the motion.
We were all taught about the camera and the lighting in the green screen room as well and how this is vitally important for the CG artist to know so they can match the settings exactly. This makes it look professional rather than jumpy and oddly lit. Without these aspects recorded and used then the live action and CG will not blend together properly.
We were told about how important wearing the right colour clothing so that it will not reflect the green of the screen. This will make it really hard to cut out the green on after effects.
We had an idea of what we wanted to do now so it was time for me to get into costume and start filming.
I was supposed to be in a "fantasy land" so I had to wear clothes that I usually wouldn't wear and keep looking around.
I dont quite know how I ended up in the Little Miss Muffet role but it was a lot harder than I thought. It was really tempting to keep looking into the camera but I had to keep looking around and pretend the camera wasn't there. It was supposed to look quite dream like so most of the time I look like Im staring into space. It was hard to use with the green screen because I literally had nothing to look at. We had to work within a very short space as well. We couldn't key out the floor so had to not show the shoes. There were also shadows on the screen and lights hanging down so we only had a couple of metres to work between.
Below are some photos from filming in the studio. They were all taken by Dom or Lily:
This is me and Sarah trying to work out the shot and the markers on the floor show the distance we had to work between.
This is all of us helping out and trying to use our brains to think of ways to get me to spin. In the end we used a wheelie chair.
This is us trying to film my feet walking. This was an issue because I had grey shoes which matched the floor. Lily leant me her shoes but she had green laces so I don't know how it will turn out.
Filming in the studio was challenging but good fun. We managed to film all the footage in a day and got quite a lot to play around with. Ill find out if it has been successful when I try and key out the green.
We still need to film the other footage where I am not in a colourful dress and in front of a green screen. This is going to be filmed within the uni but we need to find a location. We also need to book out a proper camera because no one owns one of a good quality.
On the first day we were shown how to set up the green screen with tracking marks for motion tracking and was explained why these are important. They are so the software can track the movement in comparison to the object so when the CG is added, it is easier to match the motion.
We were all taught about the camera and the lighting in the green screen room as well and how this is vitally important for the CG artist to know so they can match the settings exactly. This makes it look professional rather than jumpy and oddly lit. Without these aspects recorded and used then the live action and CG will not blend together properly.
We were told about how important wearing the right colour clothing so that it will not reflect the green of the screen. This will make it really hard to cut out the green on after effects.
We had an idea of what we wanted to do now so it was time for me to get into costume and start filming.
I was supposed to be in a "fantasy land" so I had to wear clothes that I usually wouldn't wear and keep looking around.
I dont quite know how I ended up in the Little Miss Muffet role but it was a lot harder than I thought. It was really tempting to keep looking into the camera but I had to keep looking around and pretend the camera wasn't there. It was supposed to look quite dream like so most of the time I look like Im staring into space. It was hard to use with the green screen because I literally had nothing to look at. We had to work within a very short space as well. We couldn't key out the floor so had to not show the shoes. There were also shadows on the screen and lights hanging down so we only had a couple of metres to work between.
Below are some photos from filming in the studio. They were all taken by Dom or Lily:
This is me and Sarah trying to work out the shot and the markers on the floor show the distance we had to work between.
This is all of us helping out and trying to use our brains to think of ways to get me to spin. In the end we used a wheelie chair.
This is us trying to film my feet walking. This was an issue because I had grey shoes which matched the floor. Lily leant me her shoes but she had green laces so I don't know how it will turn out.
Filming in the studio was challenging but good fun. We managed to film all the footage in a day and got quite a lot to play around with. Ill find out if it has been successful when I try and key out the green.
We still need to film the other footage where I am not in a colourful dress and in front of a green screen. This is going to be filmed within the uni but we need to find a location. We also need to book out a proper camera because no one owns one of a good quality.
Thursday, 10 February 2011
Conflict
So I positioned the idea to the group and they liked it. They laughed at me at first but then after a little bit of explaining they got what I was thinking and decided to go with the idea.
Of course the idea I had was just a basis and no way a finish idea so the next thing was to brainstorm and make it better. We decided that the spider could be metaphorical and actually be a person. Little Miss Muffet would still be scared of him just like I am scared of spiders.
During the brainstorm there was some division within the group. Mainly when some were discussing one idea and developing it and others were discussing another idea so we were not together as one. When we got sorted and all on the same page, we discussed one idea. We began to develop it and draw storyboards. I then mentioned to the group that maybe getting a bit too complicated when the mention of jumping between floors of the Ravensbourne building occurred. I personally thought that it was better to do something simple but do it well than to do something amazing that we were going to struggle with within eight weeks and probably not do it to industry standard. After a bit more arguing and conflict, it was the end of the day and nothing had been agreed.
What we had agreed on though was to draw out separate storyboards per idea and then post them to the rest of the group. If it wasn't on the group messages by the morning then the idea would be scraped (because we were due to film it the next day). We would then take all the storyboards that had made it and incorporate them into one good but simple story.
These are the storyboards I posted:
I will admit, its not the most imaginative story, nor the best looking pictures and storyboards I have ever seen but at least they got done.
It turned out that no one else posted any other storyboards that night. However, Dom, Sarah, Lily and Ash had been chatting online and had come up with another really good idea that was then developed. It was too late to complete the storyboards by the morning but we all really liked the idea and thought that we should go with it. Sarah did some preliminary storyboards quickly in the morning before we were due to film.
It was a bit of a stressful couple of days but everything we wanted to do got done. Over the couple of days, we also split as a team and reconciled as a team so hopefully can move forward.
Of course the idea I had was just a basis and no way a finish idea so the next thing was to brainstorm and make it better. We decided that the spider could be metaphorical and actually be a person. Little Miss Muffet would still be scared of him just like I am scared of spiders.
During the brainstorm there was some division within the group. Mainly when some were discussing one idea and developing it and others were discussing another idea so we were not together as one. When we got sorted and all on the same page, we discussed one idea. We began to develop it and draw storyboards. I then mentioned to the group that maybe getting a bit too complicated when the mention of jumping between floors of the Ravensbourne building occurred. I personally thought that it was better to do something simple but do it well than to do something amazing that we were going to struggle with within eight weeks and probably not do it to industry standard. After a bit more arguing and conflict, it was the end of the day and nothing had been agreed.
What we had agreed on though was to draw out separate storyboards per idea and then post them to the rest of the group. If it wasn't on the group messages by the morning then the idea would be scraped (because we were due to film it the next day). We would then take all the storyboards that had made it and incorporate them into one good but simple story.
These are the storyboards I posted:
It turned out that no one else posted any other storyboards that night. However, Dom, Sarah, Lily and Ash had been chatting online and had come up with another really good idea that was then developed. It was too late to complete the storyboards by the morning but we all really liked the idea and thought that we should go with it. Sarah did some preliminary storyboards quickly in the morning before we were due to film.
It was a bit of a stressful couple of days but everything we wanted to do got done. Over the couple of days, we also split as a team and reconciled as a team so hopefully can move forward.
Friday, 4 February 2011
Eureka!
So I have been trying to think of an idea for what we could do for this project. The hardest part has been trying to think of an idea within the constraints of the studio with the green screen.
Now I will be the first one to admit that I am awful at writing stories and thinking of story lines. This has made it very hard to think of ideas because I first had to think of a story. I came up with an ingenious idea. Instead of creating a whole new story that could be amazing or equally rubbish, I will recreate and revamp a existing story.
I think it is very hard to tell a story within minutes or even seconds so I starting thinking of short stories that I could use. This led me to nursery rhymes. They tell a short story within four or more lines from beginning to end.
Whilst thinking about which nursery rhyme to use, I had to keep the CG aspect in mind. I also had to make it good so a revamp and modernisation of the rhyme will be a must!
The best one that I thought of was Little Miss Muffet. The spider could be completely CG and that way we could make it as terrifying as possible. This would definitely need a tug into this century but would also fit within the constraints of the studio.
My idea was to have a CG background and make it really surreal and almost Tim Burtonesque. Then a girl sitting down eating something a little tastier than "curds and whey" so I thought maybe a Big Mac meal. Then I thought of this massive CG spider coming up over her shoulder and scaring her, making her throw her food on the floor and run away.
This idea is simple and hopefully would look effective. I think the idea could be improved still though but it would fit the brief and be quite fun to do. It would also be interesting trying to modernise such an old nursery rhyme and probably not one many would have thought of doing.
I just have to position this to the group and see what they think.
Now I will be the first one to admit that I am awful at writing stories and thinking of story lines. This has made it very hard to think of ideas because I first had to think of a story. I came up with an ingenious idea. Instead of creating a whole new story that could be amazing or equally rubbish, I will recreate and revamp a existing story.
I think it is very hard to tell a story within minutes or even seconds so I starting thinking of short stories that I could use. This led me to nursery rhymes. They tell a short story within four or more lines from beginning to end.
Whilst thinking about which nursery rhyme to use, I had to keep the CG aspect in mind. I also had to make it good so a revamp and modernisation of the rhyme will be a must!
The best one that I thought of was Little Miss Muffet. The spider could be completely CG and that way we could make it as terrifying as possible. This would definitely need a tug into this century but would also fit within the constraints of the studio.
My idea was to have a CG background and make it really surreal and almost Tim Burtonesque. Then a girl sitting down eating something a little tastier than "curds and whey" so I thought maybe a Big Mac meal. Then I thought of this massive CG spider coming up over her shoulder and scaring her, making her throw her food on the floor and run away.
This idea is simple and hopefully would look effective. I think the idea could be improved still though but it would fit the brief and be quite fun to do. It would also be interesting trying to modernise such an old nursery rhyme and probably not one many would have thought of doing.
I just have to position this to the group and see what they think.
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