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5.1 FMP

Week5：Thesis themes and animations

Cultural Hybridization in the Film

The blending of many civilizations and the subsequent creation of new cultural forms is referred to as “cultural hybridity.”  Some see cultural hybridity as a completely new kind of culture that emerges through recent connections with other civilizations. But there has been a lot of discussion about cultural hybridity.

  • Cultural hybridisation can perhaps be used in my animated short film, I have always been interested in the traditional culture of exorcism, and I will further explore how to make this theme to be presented in animation
  1. the importance of the title, as the questions in our paper should drive your research and structure your paper.
  2. all the different and relevant factors need to be identified. Setting up sub-theses requires enough practical examples to support our theories
  • Survey research
    This paper will take cultural mixing in film and use the literature and the work of experts in the field as a basis for analysis. A different perspective distinguishes cultural mixing from homogenisatio

Cultural hybridisation is the combination of two different cultures to form a new form, there are many films of cultural hybridisation such as Singin’ in the Rain, Kill Bill, and the Disney Adaptation series, most of which are based on cultural elements for cultural exchange, learning and application.

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Collaborative Unit

Week4：Progress of the project and avatars

In this lesson we learned about Avatars:

What are Avatars?
The avatar represents this user.

What is your PFP?
We showed our avatars together and I used a WeChat avatar 🙂

What is the role of avatars in digital spaces?
Avatars can reveal aspects of people’s preferences, personalities, etc.

  • In class，we wrote about the difficulties we had in working in groups. It is a challenge to make short films in a uniform style. On the one hand, everyone likes different styles so we need to be well coordinated, on the other hand, the 3D built scenes and the 2D flat characters need to be combined and careful consideration has to be given when making the models and materials for the scenes.

Brief summary：

  • During the week our group decided on a division of labour and implemented it.

Laboratory scene design and modelling

Design concept

  • A sci-fi, dark and cool room with various experimental equipment, an anti-utopian biochemistry lab, the frameless exhibition hall inspired me to try to design the four walls of the lab as mirrors to give the space a feeling of infinite extension.
Japanese Capsule Apartments
  • It is also inspired by the Japanese capsule flat design, where people maintain basic living in extremely cramped places in order to save space, further reminiscent of one of the Black Mirror episodes where everyone lives in a virtual world, constantly participating in talent shows to create entertainment value dishes to survive. Both are reflections on the phenomenon of over pursuing virtual worlds at the expense of real life.

Models

Study of the fabrication of wires

  • There are two ways to create a wire:

1.Make a set of curves and then click on sweep mesh.

2. First create a line, then create a circular piece, the diameter of which will be the diameter of the pipe, align the centre of the piece with the end of the line and click on the wire mesh from curve in the wire tool.

  • Learning to create light atmospheres, I wanted to create blue-green tones, referring to the images on the moodboard, and first built a 3D draft to experiment with different lightings.
referenc
3D sketches
The process of adjusting the light

Several different types of lighting were used here

1. Top light

2. Hidden lights at the bottom of each container

3. lights parallel to the video line, on the left and right side of the subject, towards the subject

Material settings

And changed the material of the brain container to transparent, so that we can preview the effect of the light passing through the container

Categories
Collaborative Unit

Week3: Discussing about ideas

  • We invited teammate from special effects to join our group in a collaborative meeting and decided choice the theme “Utopia and dystopia”.
Dystopian references
  • We are going to produce a short film combining visual effects, glitch art and green screen filming.

This week we worked together to define the plot of the short film, inspired by the Matrix and love, death, robots.

  • A distinction between anti-utopia and utopia through the virtual world and the real world.

Storyline: In an anti-utopian world where humans have lost their bodies and their brains are trapped in containers, unable to experience life in a real way, and the antithesis is to experience the good in real life.

Different materials are used for the brain
Thermal imaging map
Thermogram of people in different moods
  • The initial idea of a utopian world: the happiness in everyday life, such as taking a bite of pizza, calling friends and laughing together, a couple meeting and hugging.

(Here we will need special effects to create the characters: e.g. the characters get in a good mood their body temperature rises, their body colour changes to warm tones, etc.)

  • This part of the scene is modelled, we will use green screen and act out the required movements, then the special effects will be created by a team of special effects professionals.
Glitch Art
  • During the week we discussed with sara the ideas and progress of the group. Sara gave us great advice!

For example, to consider how to combine 3D with the required 2D effects, and provided us with great references for this. Sarah also helped us with some technical issues. For example, the issue of booking the green screen classroom

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Collaborative Unit

Week1：Introduction to the Cooperation Unit

In this course we learnt what a collaborative project is and identified what kind of work needs to be submitted. We saw a lot of work from previous collaborative projects and learned about the workflow of different disciplines, which not only broadened my horizons but also gave me inspiration for my choice of topic.


Among the following topics I was interested in ‘a feeling moment’.

The reason why I am interested in this subject is that there are many unforgettable moments in life. Feeling happy moments and feeling sad moments are all part of life. Sometimes I wish time would stop at a beautiful moment. I would like to create a series of scenes where people are happy in their lives and it would be great to work with a visual effects professional.:)

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4.1 project 1 Advanced and Experimental 3D computer Animation Techniques 1

Week5：Machine arm

This week we learnt some skills about binding, including parent-child set relationships and binding bones through groups. There are a lot of details to look at in the binding process, such as freezing objects first, aligning centre points and most importantly, clearly distinguishing hierarchical relationships. This has helped me very much in the process of making my robot arm. This week I have done some refinement of my robot arm model and tried to create a surface material for the arm.

Categories
4.1 project 1 Advanced and Experimental 3D computer Animation Techniques 1

Week4：Manipulator

This week we continued to add some detail to the original robotic arm. And learned how to quickly name the model for easy binding of the bones. I also made the upper arm of the robot arm.As well as learning to make hydraulic rods, this technique can be used in many ways！

The shoulder part of the upper arm

Categories
4.1 project 1 Advanced and Experimental 3D computer Animation Techniques 1

Week3: Manipulator

In this week we worked on the articulation of the wrist and the sketching of the robot arm, for which I searched for many reference images.

I have referred to the structure of a mechanical prosthesis and found that the design of the robotic arm conforms to the musculature of the human upper arm, with particular emphasis on the position of the joints.

We learned a fast and efficient way to create mechanical surfaces

  • When a smooth mechanical surface has some sharp twists and turns, we can use the inset edge loop tool.This tool helps us to add looped edges to the turn more quickly
  • The five fingers of the robot were created with reference to the skeletal and muscular structure of the hand, paying attention to the angle and position of each finger, and k-keyframing the fingers repeatedly to prevent them from going through the mould.

We also animated the fingers holding the ball, first assigning hierarchical relationships to the fingers and then creating different movements of the five fingers by adjusting the movement curves.

and here are my preliminary designs for the robot arm. I tried to use what I learned to make the small arm of a robotic arm. I want to make a robot arm that is not too over the top and there is a lot of room for refinement in the current model. :）

Categories
4.1 project 1 5.1 FMP Advanced and Experimental 3D computer Animation Techniques 1

Week4: Preview video of changes and character design

After directing a new version of the split shot, I made the following adjustments in this version

Firstly, the overall speed has been reduced so that each key shot stays for 1-2s longer.

Changed the multi-distance shots in the first act from pushing close to the camera to rotating shots. Maintaining the character in the top right visual centre, first having the trees in the scene obscure the main character, then slowly changing the camera angle to bring the main character out.

Secondly I noticed that the split shot had to be timed to take into account the continuity of the action, with two different angles for the same action shot.

Then I optimised the shot, for example, in this scene, the character is repositioned to the third of the frame, with the whole body in the visual centre.

Finally I sketched the design of the monster character, inspired by Nuo-myeon, which has a dragon like mask with a red and green colour scheme, the story takes place in the New Year and the dragon is a representative of the zodiac, so I designed the character’s head as a Nuo-myeon dragon mask.

Categories
4.1 project 1 5.1 FMP Advanced and Experimental 3D computer Animation Techniques 1

Week3：3D Preview Video

This week I created a 3D split preview of the film，and there are some tweaks from the previous week’s static 3D subplot.

Compared to static storyboards, dynamic split-screening focuses more on the movement of the camera, the timing of pushing the camera closer and further away, how the camera follows the character’s movement, etc. Here are some of the important points I learned about split-screen design during the production process.

Crossing the axis
In this shot the girl’s character appears on the left side, after which the shot keeps her on the left and the monster on the right side of the girl. The camera also stays to the right of both characters

Movement curve
The movement of the lantern is designed so that the glowing lantern moves in an S-shaped curve and the lantern is the only warm glowing object in a cool colour scheme.


The characters are always on the left side of the camera in order not to overstep the axis, for example in this shot the little girl appears from the left side of the camera when chasing the lantern

Next some details of the production process

The first scene, in which the girl chases the lantern, is shown alone in the woods in a distant advancing shot to give context.

The girl’s lantern flies away and the girl makes a wish

The lantern is blown by a strong wind and is about to fall

Girl following the lantern and run into a cave.

Coming inside the cave, the huge monster looks down on her

The girl is terrified, but the monster gently fixes the lantern

As the lanterns are released, the camera follows them into the sky, looking down to see the warmth of the light on their happy faces.

The sky is full of lanterns and theirs rises slowly. (End)

Categories
4.1 project 1 5.1 FMP Advanced and Experimental 3D computer Animation Techniques 1 Maya

Wek2: 3D storyboard

Story plot：

  • There is a monster with a terrible mask live in the foreast and people were afraid of him. During Chinese New Year, a little girl was alone to release the lantern in the forseast, she make a wish to latern that not to be alone anymore. When the lantern fly to the sky, a strong wind suddenly blew and the lantern almost going to fall. The little girl chased the lantern and accidẹntally walked into the monster’s residence. The monster made the girl frightened at first, but the monster is actually very nice and fixes the lantern，finally they fly the lantern together.
I ended up picking one of the stories to create a 3D storyboard.(Read in top-to-bottom order)

Production process

  1. The corresponding scenes were first built: the forest, the scary and mysterious cave, and the room where the monster lives

The forest：The forest is in cool colours, a cold winter’s night when a little girl flies a lantern alone.

The cave：

The entrance to the cave is designed in the shape of a monster’s mouth and the protagonist, a little girl, runs the cave after the hole in the wall, which leads to the monster’s home.

The monster’s room: The walls of the room are covered with various masks. The roof is hung with lanterns and is a room with warm tones.

2.Set up the camera after building the scene:

In the design process I applied the principles of split-screen design that I had learned in class, placing the main characters and important objects in the visual centre，and used various shots in conjunction with the rhythm of the plot, such as medium close shot, medium shot, full-length shot.

Last step, I layout of all individual shots on the same page:)