[ARCHIVED]CAP - getting things rolling!
Posted: 03 Sep 2009, 17:40
So I had a few thoughts about the community project:-
I think it would be best structured like a real production.
We start at the beginning with quite a bit of planning and work towards the goal, only going into detail when we are sure its what we want. This may sound obvious but its pretty easy to start in the middle in 3d and work both backwards and forwards, retreading ground over and over: http://www.pigeonimpossible.com/podcast ... st-014.m4v
The production could consist of the following stages:-
0. Create a new section to the forum perhaps with sub-forums as below (called “SI Community Project 1” – yes, I am so optimistic about this I added a “1” to the forum title just so you might believe there could be a “2” or even.... a “3”...)
1. Concept
2. Story/Script
3. Storyboarding
4. Previz/Pre-Production
5. Production
6. Finishing
1. CONCEPT
The concept could clarify the main objectives, hone in on the scope of the script, what will be in it and what the story will be about:-
1. How long will it be? I suggest it lasts no more than 2 minutes. Preferably, just 60 seconds. (We’d want to finish it! And in less than a year.)
2. It has to lead up to a punchline; but it doesn’t have to be a funny punchline, it could be an epiphany/revelation, for example.
3. It is in english if there is to be dialogue. However, doing it without dialogue may be preferable.
4. It is stylised to reduce time taken on art and finishing.
5. There are no more than 3 characters. A Protagonist, an antagonist and another character (eg: the protagonists sidekick, a neutral third character, the focus of the conflict between the two characters, etc.)
6. There are no more than 5 different environments (beginning, middle and end?).
7. The things that happen could display all aspects of the SI toolset, ICE, Facerobot, although this could result in a load of contrived scenes slapped together at the expense of a decent story. (Like a hollywood blockbuster. )
8. We could try brainstorming for inspiring words on the forum for a week and then pick 3-5 words that the story must address.
9. The technical achievement for this won’t be the 10,000 orcs screaming across a bleak, stormswept landscape in full battledress, but that we finished it, ontime and it’s actually entertaining.
10. We get things running here on 15th September – when Softimage 2010 comes out.
2. STORY/SCRIPT/SHOOTING SCRIPT
Some References:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BolgBSXjxeE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCP9f0VicBE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_nTlsTK7qo (not that funny but only 1 environment, 1 character – then again, perhaps too small for a community project.)
http://pigeonimpossible.com/wordpress/ Pigeon impossible (podcast)
We could also go for a longer, broader scope (and duration) for a story but corners would have to be cut in terms of work and style. Such as many of the backgrounds being hand drawn/photoshopped/tightly cropped, still renders, etc. Close ups on characters to avoid having to do full body animations or animating more than one character per shot, having speaking characters offscreen while we see the emotions of the listener.
Further references for good approaches to “cost”(time) cutting:
http://features.cgsociety.org/story_cus ... ry_id=5239 - 2d and 3d student film
http://www.the-area.com/inhouse/videos/ ... _animation - the making of ‘9’ the movie (extensive 2d work)
If we use these limitations as tight - but not completely immovable - guidelines it should make establishing a workable script faster. The story/script would be open to everyone to contribute ideas too. A brainstorming ideas thread could get this going (with the limitations outlined as above). The best suggestions could be compiled into a single thread and into a basic structure for someone to write up as an outline script. We could open it up as a script-writing competition. (We could also extend our reach for a writer beyond the XSI/CG community).
After the script is done, we break it down into shots and compile the shooting script.
3. STORYBOARDING
If it has dialogue, we’d record it at this stage (possibly with facial capture as well) – or at least a first draft of the dialogue to accompany the storyboarding/previz; to help with timing and getting it “right”.
The storyboard would be structured around the script (obviously) and people could contribute their sketches, they don’t even have to be SI users. Once we have a storyboard movie, we can then spend a little while trying to iron out the glitches during the previz stage.
4. PREVIZ/PRE-PRODUCTION
Pre-production design and then modelling/texturing of props, sets/environments and character design occurs throughout the previz stages and can feed into the previz scenes but will spill over into the production stage. If character models get done at this early stage then they can go some way in helping the previz be more significant.
Again, we have many other communities to tap into in regards to concept art.
The previz stage involves everyone mucking in setting up some very basic takes on every shot, following the storyboard structure. Saving each one as an individual Softimage scene file. Each scene file can be saved as a “take”. So multiple versions by different individuals could be created. The ones that fit the pacing and mood the best would be accepted as the basis for the final scene creation.
5. PRODUCTION
As we progress, we begin to copy the approved previz scenes, near or finalised model files, into a new XSI project and begin full production. Character modellers, animators, texture artists, everyone contributes.
So that's my thoughts. (Sorry for the long ramble!)
Lets discuss this!!
I think it would be best structured like a real production.
We start at the beginning with quite a bit of planning and work towards the goal, only going into detail when we are sure its what we want. This may sound obvious but its pretty easy to start in the middle in 3d and work both backwards and forwards, retreading ground over and over: http://www.pigeonimpossible.com/podcast ... st-014.m4v
The production could consist of the following stages:-
0. Create a new section to the forum perhaps with sub-forums as below (called “SI Community Project 1” – yes, I am so optimistic about this I added a “1” to the forum title just so you might believe there could be a “2” or even.... a “3”...)
1. Concept
2. Story/Script
3. Storyboarding
4. Previz/Pre-Production
5. Production
6. Finishing
1. CONCEPT
The concept could clarify the main objectives, hone in on the scope of the script, what will be in it and what the story will be about:-
1. How long will it be? I suggest it lasts no more than 2 minutes. Preferably, just 60 seconds. (We’d want to finish it! And in less than a year.)
2. It has to lead up to a punchline; but it doesn’t have to be a funny punchline, it could be an epiphany/revelation, for example.
3. It is in english if there is to be dialogue. However, doing it without dialogue may be preferable.
4. It is stylised to reduce time taken on art and finishing.
5. There are no more than 3 characters. A Protagonist, an antagonist and another character (eg: the protagonists sidekick, a neutral third character, the focus of the conflict between the two characters, etc.)
6. There are no more than 5 different environments (beginning, middle and end?).
7. The things that happen could display all aspects of the SI toolset, ICE, Facerobot, although this could result in a load of contrived scenes slapped together at the expense of a decent story. (Like a hollywood blockbuster. )
8. We could try brainstorming for inspiring words on the forum for a week and then pick 3-5 words that the story must address.
9. The technical achievement for this won’t be the 10,000 orcs screaming across a bleak, stormswept landscape in full battledress, but that we finished it, ontime and it’s actually entertaining.
10. We get things running here on 15th September – when Softimage 2010 comes out.
2. STORY/SCRIPT/SHOOTING SCRIPT
Some References:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BolgBSXjxeE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCP9f0VicBE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_nTlsTK7qo (not that funny but only 1 environment, 1 character – then again, perhaps too small for a community project.)
http://pigeonimpossible.com/wordpress/ Pigeon impossible (podcast)
We could also go for a longer, broader scope (and duration) for a story but corners would have to be cut in terms of work and style. Such as many of the backgrounds being hand drawn/photoshopped/tightly cropped, still renders, etc. Close ups on characters to avoid having to do full body animations or animating more than one character per shot, having speaking characters offscreen while we see the emotions of the listener.
Further references for good approaches to “cost”(time) cutting:
http://features.cgsociety.org/story_cus ... ry_id=5239 - 2d and 3d student film
http://www.the-area.com/inhouse/videos/ ... _animation - the making of ‘9’ the movie (extensive 2d work)
If we use these limitations as tight - but not completely immovable - guidelines it should make establishing a workable script faster. The story/script would be open to everyone to contribute ideas too. A brainstorming ideas thread could get this going (with the limitations outlined as above). The best suggestions could be compiled into a single thread and into a basic structure for someone to write up as an outline script. We could open it up as a script-writing competition. (We could also extend our reach for a writer beyond the XSI/CG community).
After the script is done, we break it down into shots and compile the shooting script.
3. STORYBOARDING
If it has dialogue, we’d record it at this stage (possibly with facial capture as well) – or at least a first draft of the dialogue to accompany the storyboarding/previz; to help with timing and getting it “right”.
The storyboard would be structured around the script (obviously) and people could contribute their sketches, they don’t even have to be SI users. Once we have a storyboard movie, we can then spend a little while trying to iron out the glitches during the previz stage.
4. PREVIZ/PRE-PRODUCTION
Pre-production design and then modelling/texturing of props, sets/environments and character design occurs throughout the previz stages and can feed into the previz scenes but will spill over into the production stage. If character models get done at this early stage then they can go some way in helping the previz be more significant.
Again, we have many other communities to tap into in regards to concept art.
The previz stage involves everyone mucking in setting up some very basic takes on every shot, following the storyboard structure. Saving each one as an individual Softimage scene file. Each scene file can be saved as a “take”. So multiple versions by different individuals could be created. The ones that fit the pacing and mood the best would be accepted as the basis for the final scene creation.
5. PRODUCTION
As we progress, we begin to copy the approved previz scenes, near or finalised model files, into a new XSI project and begin full production. Character modellers, animators, texture artists, everyone contributes.
So that's my thoughts. (Sorry for the long ramble!)
Lets discuss this!!