Week 1: Digital Skills Development
For Character Design, I have drawn simple shapes to help develop my two monsters in 2D and 3D.
In studying After Effects, I remember my previous experience and had developed a 15 second animation based in space.
I have drawn and studied Maya throughout the summer so I'm confident that I will finish the work without struggling.
Week 2: Digital Skills Development
I have finished researching artefacts and have imported the pictures onto Photoshop to begin to drawing out the front, side and top layers for Maya next week.
The second task was for me was to draw poses, shapes and expressions to create my two monsters. I found it difficult to express at first, but frequent drawing led me into finishing the turn-a-round sheets. Lately, I had references and practice from the Pinterest website.
The third task involves I had to improve my first After Effects project's speed. The next one was manipulating shape layers and solids into animated colour strips into like abstract art.
Week 3: Digital Skills Development
I was modelling my three artefacts for Prop Design in Maya. I chose to make a vase, a wardrobe and a radio. For Character Design, I'm doing a head and arm slam animations. It is difficult for me, but researching from books helps me with my confidence. My third project for After Effects involves more art than technical. I have to design the robot scene of my own settings.
Week 4: Digital Skills Development
In Prop Design, I found it difficult to build my vase, radio and wardrobe properly. But I've improved when I researched online and asked for help in my lectures. My 3D models are ready. I just need to add the textures. Then I'm rigging a happy and angry pose on a zombie for Maya practice. I'm already loving Character Design than I did the first time. I've explored more on emotions connected to the poses and understood on making the head drag and the fist slam animations on Flash.
The forth After Effects project has been inspiring. I've learned the simple ways of drawing out and colouring layouts for 2D cartoons.
Week 5: Digital Skills Development
I have nearly finished developing the UV mapping on my three artefacts. They were hard, but I have learned to improvise. They should have their textures soon. In Character Design, I have enjoyed rigging the zombie on Maya with happy and angry poses. Now I have already finished making the heavy and light zombie poses. I just need to improve my head animation drawings because the movement is clunky. I have nearly completed the raindrop effect on the forth After Effects project. Now I'm tasked with creating a 15-30 second scene of a UFO flying over Lincoln. I have made multiple ideas for my scene to be developed into a movie feel.
Week 6: Digital Skills Development
The UV mapping is finished on one artefact and a half: the radio and the wardrobe. The textures are linked to the orignial photographs that I modelled from. It is difficult and I have made mistakes. But I am learning exceptionally well. For my zombie poses, my tutor helped me improve the camera shots and line of action on my angry, happy, light and heavy poses. My next homework is to make the zombie pull the heavy cube with rope.
After Effects had become more complicated since I was told to do the puppet animation I wasn't aware of. I had to start over on the 2D cartoon, leaving the camera left to set on.
I have finished gathering ideas from tutorials online for my final After Effects project. I'm adding explosions, smoke, fire from the UFO's cannon fire.
The essay involves us writing about what our roles are in animation, what company do we want to work for and why for our careers. I have finished the short paragraph about me wanting to work as a 3D animator at Pixar Animation Studios.
Week 7: Digital Skills Development
In Character Design, I've done my pose of the zombie pulling the heavy cube with rope i constructed on Maya. My three artefacts are finally linked with the textures. However, there are still imperfections such as the radio is made of three parts instead of extruding. The designs from UV mapping are left on so I must correct the bugs before rendering. The lecture this week I taught how to bump my textures' details on Hypershade.
The essay is more of a report on Powerpoint based on short paragraphs and pictures. I have chosen to be with a group that represents animation studio. We were discussing on making a showreel on 2.5D that's based on a fairytale or something. We were trying to understand the business, the product and the profit in order to convince our tutor soon for the future. I didn't understand because the classroom is so noisy.
I have finished compositing the smoke, the explosions, fire and the lasers on my final After Effects project. I just need to animate the spaceship on Maya and import it. Then I'll have to time the effects out on my footage.
Week 8: Digital Skills Development
I was really nervous about the deadline so I'm determind to finish the work before the 24th of November. I have managed to set up the stage and lighting for my wardrobe on Maya. The remade radio is ready so I had to recreate the textures on Photoshop. The vase had to be remade, including the UV mapping.
Our next tutorial for the zombie is to practice on animating on Maya. I'm going to try it out on my poses so that I would have a clearer understanding on animating, overlaying, motion flow and anticipation.
After Effects has been interesting. I've learned to fix and render out the 2D cartoon. I had to change the images into PNGs so that they can become footages. I made some mistakes on the other movies' rendering so I'm changing them to Quicktime and H.264.
My final After Effects project is progressing quickly. I have finally finish animating the spaceship on Maya for the first time and imported it onto the footage. I just had an epiphany that the footage should have a REC icon like a camera recording and static at the end. I found some tutorials so I'll be making them soon.
Week 9: Production
The extension has allowed me enough time to finish everything in the modules. For Prop Design, I have finished writing and displaying all the references and the final renders of the three artefacts on PDFs. This includes the research and the three walkthroughs. I am proud to have learn about Maya and hope to do more in the future.
For After Effects, all six movies have been rendered and finalised. The written paragraph for the final scene and the Youtube tutorials are displayed on a Word page for reference.
For Character Design, I have organised my monster development images into a long PDF, including the zombie poses. The 2D animations are a bit clunky, but they are good inspirations for making the zombies on Maya push, jump and stand up. It was good practice for me. I enjoyed it.
Week 10: Layout Design & Character Animation
I have double checked the work before handing the three separate modules in just in time for the deadline. Today, we have had our lecture about the new module that goes on until next year. I'm going to start drawing out the thumbnails so I can capture my two monster characters' poses that flow with their dialogue, movement and emotions.
Week 11: Animation Business Case Study
I completed my presentation on my career plan about what I will do when I graduate from Uni. I spoke about it out loud to my classmates and kept speech notes so I know what to say without glancing at the screen. My tutor thought it was well structured, even though I was nervous. I was happy to finish it.
For Layout Design, I had to draw out ten perspective drawings based on the short story "The Little Match Seller". I find it an interesting experience to visualise things from the script.
For Character Animation, I was given an audio file to begin constructing my character animation in 2D. I began by drawing out thumbnails from what I heard on the audio file. Then I researched the Animator's Survival Kit to find movement ideas for my project.
Week 12: Layout Design & Character Animation
For Layout Design, I have created the ten perspective drawings and chose Layout 7 & 9 for the out and interior set of the street and alleyway. I'll be painting them to display the solid clarity in the art. I have made drawing plans on how I'm going to build my set on Maya. Next, I'm going to write out a short paragraph that connects the layout with Norway and the writer.
For Character Design, I'm drawing and breaking down the pose drawings that act accordingly to the audio file. Then I'm overlaying the drawings with emotions and details on Photoshop and Flipbook so they can synchronise with the phrases of the audio file.
Week 15: Layout Design & Character Animation
I have began constructing the props of my Layout Design after completing the set. I used my two finished concept arts as a guide to plan out my 3D models, including the storyboard for the camera.
The Character Animation is looking and sounding good. I worked out the lip synch and planned out the body language with the soundtrack.
Sound Design isn't too complex for me because I'm familiar with Premiere Pro. I've learned how to use the Zoom device. I want to make jokes with my voice and sound effects that go with them.
Lighting is a very interesting subject. I'm glad I'm learning this because I want to understand how to make my characters alive. It was hard at first, I managed to paint my first scene.
ZBrush is really incredible and not too hard to learn. I definitely would use this program to decorate my 3D models back and forth for Maya to render later.
Week 16: Layout Design & Character Animation
My Layout Design props have finally been built except the lamppost and have begun mapping out the UVs. The textures will be painted out on Photoshop like a clarity cartoon. The walkthrough is almost finished.
My Character Animation has the secondary voice's poses planned out, including the lip synch and secondary movement for Premiere Pro to edit the scene shots.
I have collected and finished editing different water sounds that lasts 30 seconds. It sounds like a bubbling cauldron. My classmate and me have already finished making an audio file of a cafe that lasts about a minute.
I have finished painting my first lighting assignment and handed it in to my tutor. I wouldn't call it perfect because it's my first time. The second assignment involves learning lighting on Maya. I could use this for my Layout Design.
In ZBrush, I've learned about normal and displacement maps that make skin lifelike on 3D models.
Week 17: Layout Design & Character Animation
The textures are finally complete and placed onto the 3D models. I'm setting up the lightings for the house windows, the lampposts and the main spotlight for the moon.
Both characters' secondary motion in-between are finalised in a smooth arc. The lip synch should be easy to do next because I recorded myself mouthing the entire audio file.
Week 18: Layout Design & Character Animation
The lighting in the project was slow. I struggled to make the light behind the window planes come out. I was told it wasn't needed. Plus, the walkthroughs was hard to do because there were at least 300 pages on PowerPoint.
With great difficulty, I managed to redo my two characters' flowing movement to stop them 'glitching'. I've done the lip synching by recording myself and drawing out the lip shapes frame by frame. It shall be made into a 20 second scene soon.
Week 19: Layout Design & Character Animation
My Layout Design's lighting has the baby blue spotlight bounce off the windows that make deep blue. The lampposts have a heavenly glow of warmth that blends with the mood of the New Year. To be frank, I find it frustrating this process took so long to make. Next time, I'll make my 3D more simple.
After exhausting efforts, I have finally managed to finish editing my two movie scenes into a single clip and handed it in. I have found this session incredible and hope to do more in my future career, including character design.
The second task was for me was to draw poses, shapes and expressions to create my two monsters. I found it difficult to express at first, but frequent drawing led me into finishing the turn-a-round sheets. Lately, I had references and practice from the Pinterest website.
The third task involves I had to improve my first After Effects project's speed. The next one was manipulating shape layers and solids into animated colour strips into like abstract art.
Week 3: Digital Skills Development
I was modelling my three artefacts for Prop Design in Maya. I chose to make a vase, a wardrobe and a radio. For Character Design, I'm doing a head and arm slam animations. It is difficult for me, but researching from books helps me with my confidence. My third project for After Effects involves more art than technical. I have to design the robot scene of my own settings.
Week 4: Digital Skills Development
In Prop Design, I found it difficult to build my vase, radio and wardrobe properly. But I've improved when I researched online and asked for help in my lectures. My 3D models are ready. I just need to add the textures. Then I'm rigging a happy and angry pose on a zombie for Maya practice. I'm already loving Character Design than I did the first time. I've explored more on emotions connected to the poses and understood on making the head drag and the fist slam animations on Flash.
The forth After Effects project has been inspiring. I've learned the simple ways of drawing out and colouring layouts for 2D cartoons.
Week 5: Digital Skills Development
I have nearly finished developing the UV mapping on my three artefacts. They were hard, but I have learned to improvise. They should have their textures soon. In Character Design, I have enjoyed rigging the zombie on Maya with happy and angry poses. Now I have already finished making the heavy and light zombie poses. I just need to improve my head animation drawings because the movement is clunky. I have nearly completed the raindrop effect on the forth After Effects project. Now I'm tasked with creating a 15-30 second scene of a UFO flying over Lincoln. I have made multiple ideas for my scene to be developed into a movie feel.
Week 6: Digital Skills Development
The UV mapping is finished on one artefact and a half: the radio and the wardrobe. The textures are linked to the orignial photographs that I modelled from. It is difficult and I have made mistakes. But I am learning exceptionally well. For my zombie poses, my tutor helped me improve the camera shots and line of action on my angry, happy, light and heavy poses. My next homework is to make the zombie pull the heavy cube with rope.
After Effects had become more complicated since I was told to do the puppet animation I wasn't aware of. I had to start over on the 2D cartoon, leaving the camera left to set on.
I have finished gathering ideas from tutorials online for my final After Effects project. I'm adding explosions, smoke, fire from the UFO's cannon fire.
The essay involves us writing about what our roles are in animation, what company do we want to work for and why for our careers. I have finished the short paragraph about me wanting to work as a 3D animator at Pixar Animation Studios.
Week 7: Digital Skills Development
In Character Design, I've done my pose of the zombie pulling the heavy cube with rope i constructed on Maya. My three artefacts are finally linked with the textures. However, there are still imperfections such as the radio is made of three parts instead of extruding. The designs from UV mapping are left on so I must correct the bugs before rendering. The lecture this week I taught how to bump my textures' details on Hypershade.
The essay is more of a report on Powerpoint based on short paragraphs and pictures. I have chosen to be with a group that represents animation studio. We were discussing on making a showreel on 2.5D that's based on a fairytale or something. We were trying to understand the business, the product and the profit in order to convince our tutor soon for the future. I didn't understand because the classroom is so noisy.
I have finished compositing the smoke, the explosions, fire and the lasers on my final After Effects project. I just need to animate the spaceship on Maya and import it. Then I'll have to time the effects out on my footage.
Week 8: Digital Skills Development
I was really nervous about the deadline so I'm determind to finish the work before the 24th of November. I have managed to set up the stage and lighting for my wardrobe on Maya. The remade radio is ready so I had to recreate the textures on Photoshop. The vase had to be remade, including the UV mapping.
Our next tutorial for the zombie is to practice on animating on Maya. I'm going to try it out on my poses so that I would have a clearer understanding on animating, overlaying, motion flow and anticipation.
After Effects has been interesting. I've learned to fix and render out the 2D cartoon. I had to change the images into PNGs so that they can become footages. I made some mistakes on the other movies' rendering so I'm changing them to Quicktime and H.264.
My final After Effects project is progressing quickly. I have finally finish animating the spaceship on Maya for the first time and imported it onto the footage. I just had an epiphany that the footage should have a REC icon like a camera recording and static at the end. I found some tutorials so I'll be making them soon.
Week 9: Production
The extension has allowed me enough time to finish everything in the modules. For Prop Design, I have finished writing and displaying all the references and the final renders of the three artefacts on PDFs. This includes the research and the three walkthroughs. I am proud to have learn about Maya and hope to do more in the future.
For After Effects, all six movies have been rendered and finalised. The written paragraph for the final scene and the Youtube tutorials are displayed on a Word page for reference.
For Character Design, I have organised my monster development images into a long PDF, including the zombie poses. The 2D animations are a bit clunky, but they are good inspirations for making the zombies on Maya push, jump and stand up. It was good practice for me. I enjoyed it.
Week 10: Layout Design & Character Animation
I have double checked the work before handing the three separate modules in just in time for the deadline. Today, we have had our lecture about the new module that goes on until next year. I'm going to start drawing out the thumbnails so I can capture my two monster characters' poses that flow with their dialogue, movement and emotions.
Week 11: Animation Business Case Study
I completed my presentation on my career plan about what I will do when I graduate from Uni. I spoke about it out loud to my classmates and kept speech notes so I know what to say without glancing at the screen. My tutor thought it was well structured, even though I was nervous. I was happy to finish it.
For Layout Design, I had to draw out ten perspective drawings based on the short story "The Little Match Seller". I find it an interesting experience to visualise things from the script.
For Character Animation, I was given an audio file to begin constructing my character animation in 2D. I began by drawing out thumbnails from what I heard on the audio file. Then I researched the Animator's Survival Kit to find movement ideas for my project.
Week 12: Layout Design & Character Animation
For Layout Design, I have created the ten perspective drawings and chose Layout 7 & 9 for the out and interior set of the street and alleyway. I'll be painting them to display the solid clarity in the art. I have made drawing plans on how I'm going to build my set on Maya. Next, I'm going to write out a short paragraph that connects the layout with Norway and the writer.
For Character Design, I'm drawing and breaking down the pose drawings that act accordingly to the audio file. Then I'm overlaying the drawings with emotions and details on Photoshop and Flipbook so they can synchronise with the phrases of the audio file.
Week 15: Layout Design & Character Animation
I have began constructing the props of my Layout Design after completing the set. I used my two finished concept arts as a guide to plan out my 3D models, including the storyboard for the camera.
The Character Animation is looking and sounding good. I worked out the lip synch and planned out the body language with the soundtrack.
Sound Design isn't too complex for me because I'm familiar with Premiere Pro. I've learned how to use the Zoom device. I want to make jokes with my voice and sound effects that go with them.
Lighting is a very interesting subject. I'm glad I'm learning this because I want to understand how to make my characters alive. It was hard at first, I managed to paint my first scene.
ZBrush is really incredible and not too hard to learn. I definitely would use this program to decorate my 3D models back and forth for Maya to render later.
Week 16: Layout Design & Character Animation
My Layout Design props have finally been built except the lamppost and have begun mapping out the UVs. The textures will be painted out on Photoshop like a clarity cartoon. The walkthrough is almost finished.
My Character Animation has the secondary voice's poses planned out, including the lip synch and secondary movement for Premiere Pro to edit the scene shots.
I have collected and finished editing different water sounds that lasts 30 seconds. It sounds like a bubbling cauldron. My classmate and me have already finished making an audio file of a cafe that lasts about a minute.
I have finished painting my first lighting assignment and handed it in to my tutor. I wouldn't call it perfect because it's my first time. The second assignment involves learning lighting on Maya. I could use this for my Layout Design.
In ZBrush, I've learned about normal and displacement maps that make skin lifelike on 3D models.
Week 17: Layout Design & Character Animation
The textures are finally complete and placed onto the 3D models. I'm setting up the lightings for the house windows, the lampposts and the main spotlight for the moon.
Both characters' secondary motion in-between are finalised in a smooth arc. The lip synch should be easy to do next because I recorded myself mouthing the entire audio file.
Week 18: Layout Design & Character Animation
The lighting in the project was slow. I struggled to make the light behind the window planes come out. I was told it wasn't needed. Plus, the walkthroughs was hard to do because there were at least 300 pages on PowerPoint.
With great difficulty, I managed to redo my two characters' flowing movement to stop them 'glitching'. I've done the lip synching by recording myself and drawing out the lip shapes frame by frame. It shall be made into a 20 second scene soon.
Week 19: Layout Design & Character Animation
My Layout Design's lighting has the baby blue spotlight bounce off the windows that make deep blue. The lampposts have a heavenly glow of warmth that blends with the mood of the New Year. To be frank, I find it frustrating this process took so long to make. Next time, I'll make my 3D more simple.
After exhausting efforts, I have finally managed to finish editing my two movie scenes into a single clip and handed it in. I have found this session incredible and hope to do more in my future career, including character design.
