June 20, 2017 : Ad Wizards – Title Card
The new short is wrapping up, about a week before the deadline. The last few days has been spent putting things together. One of these tasks is creating a title card. After numerous drafts, below is the end result:
I usually sketch ideas out early on in production, and this time around was no exception. However with this project, I became enamored with a particular style and theme. Below was one of these iterations:
I liked the interplay between the ‘A’ and ‘W’ as well as the ‘A’ looking like a wizard hat. However, this design proved too clunky and inconsistent due to the presence of the other ‘A’. Since I enjoyed this early design, it took a while to finally discard it – which sadly meant I spent more time on it than I should have. Â There were a few other factors that helped me realize this was the right decision so ultimately I am happy with the final result.
posted by Pi Visuals at 12:55 am
Tags: Ad WizardsComment
May 28, 2017 : Rig Improvements – Shoulder Tapering
With every new project, I try to improve my production pipeline. This includes updating my characters’ rig. This time around, I made several improvements. One alteration I have used extensively has been with the shoulders.
For a while now, my characters have had separated arms – meaning they are not connected to the torso. I did this for a few reasons. Visually, I like the cartoon look it creates. But I also like the flexibility it provides while animating – shoulder deformations can be very difficult (and limiting).
The downside to this feature has been the cylindrical looking shoulders, which often gave the character a more ‘guarded’ or ‘on-edge’ look:
With the current project, I created a morph that tapered the shoulders to give them a more slanted look as the arms proceeded upward:
I created a morph rather than adjusting the model directly because I wanted the flexibility of turning the tapering on and off depending on the angle of the character relative to the camera (not to mention anything in between).
The change was pretty minor, but I really like the resulting ascetic. There are a few other changes made to the rig, and I hope to cover those in future posts.
posted by Pi Visuals at 2:55 am
Tags: Ad WizardsComment
May 16, 2017 : Voicing Choice Regret?
I could have voiced the character below (obviously on the left) but opted to have another do it. After looking at some early renders, part of me is regretting this choice.
For the record, the recorded voice is awesome. I just would have gotten an extra kick out of animating this character in my voice. It’s a bit selfish so I don’t really regret my decision. I just figured it would allow for a nice, quick update.
posted by Pi Visuals at 1:11 am
Tags: Ad WizardsComment
May 6, 2017 : Milestones Reached
Production for the new short is moving along, although time to work on it is currently limited. Fortunately, I expect things to lighten up in about a week, which will allow significantly more time to devote toward the project. Below is a screenshot within Lightwave of one of the recently finished sequences:
The project is divided into three mini-episodes, and animation for the first is nearly complete. While I still need to do a good amount of After Effects and Post-Production on Episode One, I plan on delaying that part and jumping into Episode Two in a few days. Some design work and audio recording/ editing still need to take place before animation can begin, but I hope to get that out of the way within the week.
posted by Pi Visuals at 12:32 am
Tags: Ad WizardsComment
April 18, 2017 : Been Too Long
Yes, I know… I know. It’s been nearly a month since my last post. Rest assured, it hasn’t been due to laziness. Things have been super hectic; and while I’ve wanted to post quick updates on Production of the new short, I just haven’t had much time. That said, here’s a little tidbit:
Things are moving along – although due to other commitments, not quite as quickly as I’d liked. Most of my time is spent on animation, but I am also doing some Storyboarding and Audio recording/ editing. I hope things will start to free up, allowing for more dedicated time on the short (as well as posts).
posted by Pi Visuals at 8:27 pm
Tags: Ad WizardsComment
March 19, 2017 : Production Under Way… Sorta
It’s two weeks later than I wanted, but Production has started on the new short. Although, it’s worth pointing out several Pre-Production items still need to get completed. Over the past week, I have been alternating between the two phases.
One of the checklist items finished up early this week was set design. Surfacing is still getting tweaked, but I took a screenshot of the scene within Lightwave.
Animation hasn’t kicked off yet, but I have storyboarded and should begin facial animation soon. With Pre-Production winding down, I hope Production will really kick into high gear the next few days.
posted by Pi Visuals at 1:43 am
Tags: Ad WizardsComment
March 14, 2017 : Happy Pi Day!
Things have been pretty hectic lately (hence the lack of posts), but I still have to make sure to wish everybody a Happy Pi Day!
Whether you’re soaking in the warm sun or digging yourself out of the snow, be sure to take a few minutes to appreciate all that Pi has done to make your life better.
Moving forward, I hope to post some updates with the latest short. Things are moving forward – although perhaps not quite as fast as I’d like (but does it ever?). Â That said, stay tuned.
posted by Pi Visuals at 12:05 am
Tags: PiComment
February 25, 2017 : Character Designing, Modeling, And Rigging… Oh My!
Pre-Production is moving along; and while animation won’t start by March 1st like originally hoped, it hasn’t been due to a lack of effort. A good amount of time was spent the past few weeks on the design, modeling, and rigging for one of the main characters. Below is a quick render:
The look is along the lines of my other characters, but there are several differences with the new rig. There are still a few things to tweak, but I’m liking where it’s headed. Below is the schematic view:
This rig has more bones and target nulls than I’ve ever used, and these additions will improve the overall animation. The other main character is nearly complete as well. After that, it’s set design.
posted by Pi Visuals at 1:02 am
Tags: Ad WizardsComment
February 10, 2017 : Watch Out! Samurai Jack Is Upon Us (Almost)
Adult Swim recently announced the premiere date for Samurai Jack… via bumper of course. The awesomeness starts March 11! I didn’t realize this season, which is only ten episodes, will conclude the series. I’d prefer to see more episodes of Jack (or anything Genndy related), but I’m definitely stoked the series will get the send off it deserves. Below is the trailer for the new season:
From the trailer, it’s pretty obvious these new episodes will be darker than the original, kid-friendly version. However, that information has already been stated in numerous articles and interviews. Some have expressed concern about this darker material; and while I can see their point, I have faith in Genndy that we will get the Samurai Jack ending everybody deserves.
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:44 pm
Tags: Genndy Tartakovsky , Samurai JackComment
February 2, 2017 : In The Midst Of Pre-Production
Despite my better judgement, I’ve decided to move forward with creating a new animated project. Writing has been complete for quite some time; and while I like the concept very much, things are pretty hectic at the moment. Therefore, meeting deadlines could be tricky. We’ll see how that goes.
In the meantime, I am currently in pre-production – which is mostly designing characters and sets. As usual, I am trying to do a few things differently compared to previous projects. This time around, the major change is with the rig. This has required plenty of testing, along with bouncing some ideas off of and getting input from UrbanExile.
An acceptable Proof Of Concept has been created, and I’m happy with it. The next step is Character Design, and the new rig will require some additional assets to be completed in Illustrator. The preliminary goal is to start animating in March, preferably early in the month. Whether that happens remains to be seen.
posted by Pi Visuals at 7:13 pm
Tags: Ad WizardsComment