4.2.09
1.2.09
Flythrough for set visualization
I put together this help Maggie get an idea of the virtual set for the shoot.
It's also an early global illumination test: 3000 photons from a single area light. I'll probably have to render the outside using FG as a separate comp layer.
Also, I'm going to have a lot of trouble with moire patterns.
It's also an early global illumination test: 3000 photons from a single area light. I'll probably have to render the outside using FG as a separate comp layer.
Also, I'm going to have a lot of trouble with moire patterns.
28.1.09
Execution
It is now the second week of execution, and this will be my final animatic. From now on, I'll be switching in production assets for my story reel. Sorta a different-name-same-story thing. Biggest difference is that I'll have actual assets to use.
I shot some test footage over the break and tried a few key and composite tests. I've scheduled my final filming for this next Thursday.
Pipeline
THESIS SCENE SHOT ELEMENT
DVD SP FCP Fusion Model
AFX Texture
Light
Rig
Animation
Film
Audio
Dynamics
I shot some test footage over the break and tried a few key and composite tests. I've scheduled my final filming for this next Thursday.
Pipeline
THESIS SCENE SHOT ELEMENT
DVD SP FCP Fusion Model
AFX Texture
Light
Rig
Animation
Film
Audio
Dynamics
9.12.08
Final
Script Tweaking
Not much has happened with the script, mostly a little dialogue-tweaking to express the story a little more strongly. I've needed to lock this down for a long time. I've gotten in contact with my strongest actress prospect, Maggie Lacey and I'm finally making some forward progress here again.
Christopher Shapes Up
I've started modeling Christopher, and I'm taking a very modularized approach using simple shapes. My hope is that this will help simplify my texturing later on. Texture projections will probably be the way to go for any logos or text that has to go onto the body.
I decided to actually model all the lens in the camera because I have an extreme close-up on the eye. It did not seem to add significantly to the render time in tests, even with full refractions and ray
I've also completed a render and composite proof of concept for the probe interior.
Non-Alternate Ending
Originally, I planned to transition from Jeanne's departing shot to the credit sequence by cross-fading from the egress hatch to the bottom of the rocket. I switched to a super wide shot of the earth from orbit because the whole launch sequence felt a lot 'faster' and more energetic than I wanted. The new ending sequence sets a much more somber mood to exit on.
However, after all the work I've already put in, I still want to use the footage in some way. The camera jiggle added way too much excitement though, so I'll cut that out.
Rocket Test
This was a test of the rocket launch sequence. The textures and lighting are looking pretty good though the final gather flickers noticeably. The background and fire need to be redone, and I still haven't added in clouds or ice/dust.
Not much has happened with the script, mostly a little dialogue-tweaking to express the story a little more strongly. I've needed to lock this down for a long time. I've gotten in contact with my strongest actress prospect, Maggie Lacey and I'm finally making some forward progress here again.
Christopher Shapes Up
I've started modeling Christopher, and I'm taking a very modularized approach using simple shapes. My hope is that this will help simplify my texturing later on. Texture projections will probably be the way to go for any logos or text that has to go onto the body.
I decided to actually model all the lens in the camera because I have an extreme close-up on the eye. It did not seem to add significantly to the render time in tests, even with full refractions and ray
I've also completed a render and composite proof of concept for the probe interior.
Non-Alternate Ending
Originally, I planned to transition from Jeanne's departing shot to the credit sequence by cross-fading from the egress hatch to the bottom of the rocket. I switched to a super wide shot of the earth from orbit because the whole launch sequence felt a lot 'faster' and more energetic than I wanted. The new ending sequence sets a much more somber mood to exit on.
However, after all the work I've already put in, I still want to use the footage in some way. The camera jiggle added way too much excitement though, so I'll cut that out.
Rocket Test
This was a test of the rocket launch sequence. The textures and lighting are looking pretty good though the final gather flickers noticeably. The background and fire need to be redone, and I still haven't added in clouds or ice/dust.
19.11.08
Animatic v6
Sorry for the lack of updates for awhile. While I developed the story I found that I was slowly shifting focus away from Christopher to the technician, and I went back to concept and began rewriting the story from synopsis. I'm finally back at what I feel is a reasonable point.
Why are you doing this, Christopher?
After doing some more research into AI, theories on human consciousness, and emergent behaviors, I've finally got a clear and simple solution to why Christopher acts the way he does. He was made to seek out intelligent alien life - that's his prime directive. Other top-level instructions include self-maintenance and survival, as well as an order to obey all human commands. He possesses a sophisticated self-monitoring process much like what we normally call a 'mind', which is undergoing a great deal of stress from day to night when humans leave. The experience of being in contact with life has been reinforced from day to day to the point that he has become accustomed to it. Christopher knows that he will have to travel for many hundred years in space before he can find another communicating lifeform and his self-maintenance mechanism seeks to minimize this mental stress by trying to stay on Earth.
Why are you doing this, Christopher?
After doing some more research into AI, theories on human consciousness, and emergent behaviors, I've finally got a clear and simple solution to why Christopher acts the way he does. He was made to seek out intelligent alien life - that's his prime directive. Other top-level instructions include self-maintenance and survival, as well as an order to obey all human commands. He possesses a sophisticated self-monitoring process much like what we normally call a 'mind', which is undergoing a great deal of stress from day to night when humans leave. The experience of being in contact with life has been reinforced from day to day to the point that he has become accustomed to it. Christopher knows that he will have to travel for many hundred years in space before he can find another communicating lifeform and his self-maintenance mechanism seeks to minimize this mental stress by trying to stay on Earth.
22.10.08
Early Task List
CASTING
Casting
- Jeanne
- Christopher (VO)
- PA (VO)
VFX
Modeling
- Int. Probe
- Ext. Probe
- Rocket
- Christopher
Matte
- Launch Pad
- Earth Orbit
- Outer Space
Texturing
UV Mapping
Texture Painting
Shading
Rigging
- Christopher
- Probe
Animation
- Christopher
Filming
- Green-screen
Audio
- Christopher
- PA
SFX
Lighting
- CG Lights
- Physical Light-matching
Rendering
- MR Optimization
- Multiple Passes
POST-PRODUCTION
Compositing
- Keying
- Masking
- Color Correction
- Lens Effects
Editing
Output
- Color Correction / Gamma
- Breakdowns
- DVD
Casting
- Jeanne
- Christopher (VO)
- PA (VO)
VFX
Modeling
- Int. Probe
- Ext. Probe
- Rocket
- Christopher
Matte
- Launch Pad
- Earth Orbit
- Outer Space
Texturing
UV Mapping
Texture Painting
Shading
Rigging
- Christopher
- Probe
Animation
- Christopher
Filming
- Green-screen
Audio
- Christopher
- PA
SFX
Lighting
- CG Lights
- Physical Light-matching
Rendering
- MR Optimization
- Multiple Passes
POST-PRODUCTION
Compositing
- Keying
- Masking
- Color Correction
- Lens Effects
Editing
Output
- Color Correction / Gamma
- Breakdowns
- DVD
Midterm Review
I've been neglecting my journal lately so I have nearly 2 weeks of work to update here.
AI Research
Researchers have broken down the problems of AI into 10 models.
1 - Deduction, reasoning, problem solving
2 - Knowledge representation
3 - Planning
4 - Learning
5 - Natural language processing
6 - Motion and manipulation
7 - Perception
8 - Social intelligence
9 - Creativity
10 - General intelligence
Without getting too into each area, #10 general intelligence poses a particularly interesting dilemma when we consider the Turing convention. For an AI to perform any of these tasks in a way nearly approximating an average human, it would require a strong proficiency in most if not all the other areas.
Blade Runner (1982)
I finally sat down and watched the movie from beginning to end. The NEXUS androids represent a philosophical question very similar to the one I'm posing here: if we create a creature with free will, emotion, and human in just about any way that matters, then what obligations do we have to ensure its happiness and well-being? What happens when we impose our will on our creations and they defy the destiny we created for them?
Food for thought. That said, Roy Batty's death scene was actually very influential when I started writing Christopher's final soliloquy. It was a moment when you profoundly felt the humanity of a villainous character that had, up to that point, seemed monstrously un-human.
Bicentennial Man (1999)
This basically told the story of an android who becomes a human over the course of 200 years of contact with different generations of the Martin family. The 10 problems of AI are demonstrated very clearly as his character develops, and it is very thought provoking as the line between the android and humans gets more and more indistinct.
Fluids
I started experimenting with fluids, particularly cloud, ocean, and smoke effects. They'll be necessary for the rocket launch sequence. I found an interesting launch sequence in the 2nd part of Shinkai Makoto's 5cm Per Second anthology with some participating media effects I would like to crib away.
Other Production Issues
After playing with my own voice in the animatic, I'm thinking a small chorus effect might give Christopher that 'robot' voice he needs. My worry is that he might start to sound androgynous or even legion. I might need a sound engineer for all my sound effects and to help record. The ambient noise of the computer room was alright since the set is full of computers and machinery anyway, but I need to add sounds of people outside so it doesn't feel so empty.
I need to get in touch with my musician again now that my material's starting to shape up. If that falls through, I can always arrange some Chopin and play it myself.
Ben Fox got in contact with Maggie Lacey, an actress he'd worked with before, for me. I'm nearly ready to send off the preliminary script, and get a screen test from her. Ben also offered to help translate my vision into actor-speak and work with her during filming. I've talked to Bora about her setup for green-screen and I've been asking around after a DP.
AI Research
Researchers have broken down the problems of AI into 10 models.
1 - Deduction, reasoning, problem solving
2 - Knowledge representation
3 - Planning
4 - Learning
5 - Natural language processing
6 - Motion and manipulation
7 - Perception
8 - Social intelligence
9 - Creativity
10 - General intelligence
Without getting too into each area, #10 general intelligence poses a particularly interesting dilemma when we consider the Turing convention. For an AI to perform any of these tasks in a way nearly approximating an average human, it would require a strong proficiency in most if not all the other areas.
Blade Runner (1982)
I finally sat down and watched the movie from beginning to end. The NEXUS androids represent a philosophical question very similar to the one I'm posing here: if we create a creature with free will, emotion, and human in just about any way that matters, then what obligations do we have to ensure its happiness and well-being? What happens when we impose our will on our creations and they defy the destiny we created for them?
Food for thought. That said, Roy Batty's death scene was actually very influential when I started writing Christopher's final soliloquy. It was a moment when you profoundly felt the humanity of a villainous character that had, up to that point, seemed monstrously un-human.
Bicentennial Man (1999)
This basically told the story of an android who becomes a human over the course of 200 years of contact with different generations of the Martin family. The 10 problems of AI are demonstrated very clearly as his character develops, and it is very thought provoking as the line between the android and humans gets more and more indistinct.
Fluids
I started experimenting with fluids, particularly cloud, ocean, and smoke effects. They'll be necessary for the rocket launch sequence. I found an interesting launch sequence in the 2nd part of Shinkai Makoto's 5cm Per Second anthology with some participating media effects I would like to crib away.
Other Production Issues
After playing with my own voice in the animatic, I'm thinking a small chorus effect might give Christopher that 'robot' voice he needs. My worry is that he might start to sound androgynous or even legion. I might need a sound engineer for all my sound effects and to help record. The ambient noise of the computer room was alright since the set is full of computers and machinery anyway, but I need to add sounds of people outside so it doesn't feel so empty.
I need to get in touch with my musician again now that my material's starting to shape up. If that falls through, I can always arrange some Chopin and play it myself.
Ben Fox got in contact with Maggie Lacey, an actress he'd worked with before, for me. I'm nearly ready to send off the preliminary script, and get a screen test from her. Ben also offered to help translate my vision into actor-speak and work with her during filming. I've talked to Bora about her setup for green-screen and I've been asking around after a DP.
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