Transmission ))) 6.22.09

Following another one of VideoCopilot's excellent tutorials, I did this as a test the other day. I've always enjoyed lighting and rendering in 3D, I've just never been that skilled at it. The tutorial teaches you how to fake global illumination using an array of omni lights. The end result is a simulated GI look, without the heavy render times. This was a fun test.

Fake GI test from Animation Cosmic on Vimeo.

Transmission ))) 6.18.09

Check out this clip from Duncan Jones' Moon. I was privileged enough to see an advanced screening of the flick this Monday and I very much enjoyed it.

This is a pretty fantastic movie for animators to watch. Sam Rockwell does a really tremendous job in the film and while the above clip is not the best display of Sam's talents, he does do some nice and interesting things in it.

Let's look at them with our animation/acting spectacles, shall we?

+ At the beginning, Sam is trying to sell Gerty on letting him out to investigate the outer shell. He's also slightly distracted with the tool in his hand and the leaky pipe. Later, the negotiation between Sam's desire to get outside and Gerty's stalwart denial of the request causes Sam's attention to fully commit. He stands up, looks Gerty right the....screen, puts his hand on his hip and gives hit is all. And it works.

This is a nice moment to keep in mind when animating an exchange between two characters of different wants. As the negotiation extends and desires are not met, the negotiator's commit more fully.

+It's always a good idea to tilt the head of your character. Even a simple head tilt can loosen up a character. Look how extremely canted Rockwell tilts his head around the 21 second mark. I don't know if I would ever think to tilt a character's head that far in an animation when delivering dialogue, but look at how well it works in this moment. Sam's intention is not to intimidate Gerty into getting what he wants, so he avoids being aggressive towards him. I think this crazy head tilt helps reinforce that. He leans into Gerty, but he keeps his head tilted as not to be too aggressive. When a puppy tilts his head to you it's cute and disarming, not aggressive, right? Weird analogy, I know, but roll with it.

+As a physical action, the secondary action that Sam performs as he's folding the tool and putting it in his pocket is very nice. It's not just a simple "put tool away" action. The tool is giving him some resistance and the extra effort is reflective throughout the body. That little crook of the neck and head as he finally folds the tool is a nice little flourish.

+Another great bit of physical action is the way Sam stands up from his kneeling/seated position. It's a very labored, unusual, and unique method of standing up. He doesn't just stand up, he starts to rise and braces heavily with the right arm on the ledge and shoulder on the wall. At one point, he almost uses his head to help get himself stable. It's a painful, deliberate action that keeps the character true to what the audience knows of him from prior scenes (trying to keep this spoiler free). :)

+The last shot. Now, we don't know if Sam is trying avoid stepping on something out of frame, but look how he crosses passed Gerty. He's way up against the wall almost as if he feels guilty for convincing Gerty to let him out. He knows he's pushed Gerty into doing something he didn't want to do, so he doesn't flaunt it or get too close to Gerty as if not to be insulting. It's a neat little thing there.

If you get a chance to see the movie, I highly suggest it. I can't wait to watch it again just to study more of Rockwell's VERY solid acting. Highly recommended.

Stay tooned!

Transmission ))) 6.16.09

I put this demo together tonight.  Have a look-see!

Demo 6/16 from Animation Cosmic on Vimeo.

Transmission ))) 6.3.09

So E3 is in full-swing right now and already it's been a helluva show. Titles I was already excited about are looking even better and other announcements have completely surprised me.

To start, the titles that have me GEEKED. Purchases for sure.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves This may be the game I'm looking forward to most. I loved, loved, loved the first game and the sequel is looking to be even more of the same. Attention paid to character and story is always good. :)

Assassin's Creed II I realize not everyone felt this way, but I thoroughly enjoyed the first title. Not perfect and flawed in some very real ways, but the elements that worked, worked VERY well. It seems Ubi has taken complaints to heart and is addressing all the issues that hampered a great idea the first time out. Looking forward to this one FOR SURE.

God of War III How could this NOT be a purchase? Even if there's nothing new to the game and it's just a prettier version of 2, I'll be happy.

Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time I adore the R&C series. Insomniac always gets my money.

The Last Guardian Team Ico strikes again! Ico and Shadow of the Colossus were brilliant and the vids for this title evoke the same feelings in me as those first two titles. PURCHASED!

Splinter Cell: Conviction I played the first one. I enjoyed it. It was hard. I haven't played one since, but Conviction just looks too cool to ignore.

Final Fantasy XIII I'm not a huge fan of JRPGs and I seem to only play FF games to get from one beautifully rendered cut-scene to the next. I'll probably buy this, put up with the awful script, and just enjoy the effort put up on screen.

Other nice surprises??

I've never played Rock Band and I probably never will. Not because I dislike these types of games, I just don't have $170 to toss around and don't have space to house a mini band's worth of instruments. So the most enjoyment I'll get out of The Beatles release is out of this trailer. Good thing it's just SO DAMN GOOD.

I'm not a Star Wars guy at all. AT ALL. I don't have a PC, don't play PC games, and I won't ever play this one. The trailer, however? Beautifully done.

Other thoughts? Well, the motion control craze has finally hit all makers. Project Natal looks interesting, as does Sony's effort, but the same rules apply to them as they do to Nintendo. It's only revolutionary when someone takes the time and effort to develop it. Otherwise, it's just waggle on a different system. Hopefully, people like Peter Molyneux will take advantage of this tech.

With so much to see at this year's show, I'm certain everyone has a unique list of favorites. I know it might seem foolish to leave out some very other high-profile titles like Modern Warfare 2 and Mass Effect 2, but since I've never played their predecessors (even though I own Mass Effect 1; should probably play that) I can't get TRULY excited about them....just yet.

Transmission ))) 5.31.09

Just a page of doodles.  More to come.  Stay tooned.

Transmission ))) 5.29.09

I love the style in this piece. Looks like something MK12 would produce.

"A Kiss From Tokyo" Theatrical trailer from Stephane coedel on Vimeo.

Transmission ))) 5.29.09

UPDATE: Now on Apple in succulent HD.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/toystory3/

The teaser for Toy Story 3 is now online!

Toy Story 3

Transmission ))) 5.19.09

One part animation, one part space. Enjoy!!

Construction of an animated character by James Baxter from David Nethery on Vimeo.

Galactic Center of Milky Way Rises over Texas Star Party from William Castleman on Vimeo.

Transmission ))) 5.17.09

I just can't get over the spectacular-ness of this image.  Yes, that's your space shuttle Atlantis passing in front of your sun as seen from your home planet, Earth.  Brilliant.  Check out Thierry's site for more.

Transmission ))) 5.12.09

I'm recycling someone else's blog post (Victor Navone's), but I really enjoyed this short. Well done, Nelson Boles.

This one time... from nelson boles on Vimeo.

Transmission ))) 5.6.09

Here's a test animation from work. Nothing special. Blam!

Stance Test from Animation Cosmic on Vimeo.

Transmission ))) 4.16.09

For those interested in what I had for lunch, you can now follow me on twitter!

http://twitter.com/AnimationCosmic 

Stay tooned!

Transmission ))) 4.9.09

Untitled from Animation Cosmic on Vimeo.

Here's a character test I did some time ago.  This was one of a few exploratory animations to discover the character's attitude.  We didn't go in this direction in the end, but it was fun to work on.  

Transmission ))) 4.2.09

Untitled from Animation Cosmic on Vimeo.

Here's a very quick walk test I did a little while back.

Transmission ))) 2.18.09

So I started painting things again...