Character Narration

Character Narrration from Jack Vanes on Vimeo.

Final Project

Final Project from Jack Vanes on Vimeo.

Final project process

Dynamic simulation
I used this smoke video and integrated it into the composition.

I added dynamic smoke into the end of the sequence. I've also added some colour correction because the capacity level made the smoke too clear.

Applying Animated elements to footage
I rendered out the current composition and imported the video into 3DS Max so that I could animate the lighter according to the hand. I used key-framing animation and went through every frame to make sure that the lighter fitted well into the rotoscoped hand.
I've also added a mental ray material so that the lighter appears more realistic.

Rotoscoping

Tracking
I tracked the hand from the original footage. I decided to use the stripes from the jacket sleeve as a track point since I thought it was the most distinctive. I tracked the hand coming off the screen and applied the tracking motion to a still image of the lighter, so that the hand appears to be picking up the lighter.

Animated mask
I created an animated mask to cut out the hands of the original footage. This needed to be done so that the hand appeared as if it was part of the still image I put as a background in the animation. I made a different mask for each section of the hand. This way it would be easier to manipulate.

Chroma-keying
A few changes have been made from the planned project. I decided to use stock footage in terms of chroma-keying.

I used this stock footage of a female pointing out with a stick. I chroma-keyed the female into the computer screen so that she appears to be directing the rotoscoped hand to coming out of the screen and placing the lighter on the desk.

Character Turn around Sheet/Model Sheet

Turn around sheets are mainly used so that animators can get an idea of what the character looks like from every angle. I decided to use 90 degree angles for this character as the 3 quarter perspective can easily be inferred based on the character's design.

This sheet has the fundamental appearance, pose and proportion of the character.

Character Emotions

Lighter

I've used 3DS Max to model a 3D lighter using photographic reference. I will use it in my project because it will be easy to manipulate and get any specific angle that I want if needed.

I imported the 3D model into Photoshop so that it can be put into After Effects. This is because After Effects doesn't read any files that 3DS Max can export. 

I've also lost some of the texturing to the lighter but it's only a trivial issue since it still fits its original design idea. 

Second Character Animation

Here is William in his apartment with the puppet on the table. This is the part where the narration will fit in. I used a song about depression and the apartment is dark to fit William's personality.

Second Character Animation from Jack Vanes on Vimeo.

Osbert Parker

Osbert Parker uses cutouts of stock footage, usually from neo-noir films and integrates them to stop motion. His work is very playful and he has received a lot of rewards for it.

In this project, we decided to use cutouts on a real model car to simulate Osbert's work with the chase scene in one of his movies.
Similar to Osbert, we used cut outs of footage and applied them to the scene.

I did the cutouts with the two men walking at the beginning. If I had more time, I would've been more precise with the cutouts but unfortunately, time was of the essence and there were too many cutouts.
Group Project from Jack Vanes on Vimeo.

Progress

I recorded a video using a Canon DSLR camera to obtain top quality footage. The video includes me holding a cigarette pressing down on a key and then acting as if grabbing the lighter, so I would be acting the parts for the project.  However I made a mistake while recording this video and didn't realise until afterwards. The lower right area is surrounded by wire and could be a problem with the chroma-keyed person appearing there.

To avoid re-recording, I took a picture of a desk that lacks any visible wires in the lower right area, then I put it into After Effects. I masked out the monitor and keyboard from the original footage and applied them to the photo to make it appear as if the monitor and keyboard is actually on the image. There was also a wire overlapping the monitor  which could not be masked out. So I used the spot healing tool in Photoshop to make the wire disappear from the screen.

Rotoscoping
In addition, I've recorded my hand which appears to be coming out of the screen, holding an object (which will be the lighter) and then giving it to the character before disappearing back into the screen.
I took note of the lighting and shadows in the room and did my best to match it up with the shadows on the rotoscoped hand.


Rotoscope from Jack Vanes on Vimeo.

Character environment concept

I was thinking that William could live in a dark run down apartment to replicate his depression. I think the environment works in two ways since darkness also indicates evil, so it also shows the evilness of his manipulative puppet. 

Motion capture

For this project, we worked in a group to put together a motion capture animation. We chose to do a dance movement as it was something that we thought would work well.


Here is the tutorial I used for mapping out the motion points and applying them to a character for motion builder.

Here is my test on motion capture. The legs were extremely buggy.


Motion Capture test from Jack Vanes on Vimeo.

Here is the final video.

Motion Capture from Jack Vanes on Vimeo.

Project idea

This project involves a hand with a cigar pressing a keyboard. Then a rotoscoped hand holding a lighter comes out of the screen and gives a chroma-keyed person a lighter. The chroma-keyed person then walks and gives the lighter to the computer user, who takes it off him. Smoke will then appear on screen to indicate the cigar has been lit.

This project will involve animated mask of the hand and screen, dynamic cigar smoke, chroma-keying, and tracking.