CAT essay

The Brief: 1.) Compare and contrast the aesthetic qualities of early animated films from 1920 to 1940s with animated films from 1980 to 2012. Support your claims with relevant examples and citations or references from relevant literature. 2000 words.

I seem to have ambition, but horrible at figuring out how to carry them out. For this essay I thought I'd write about Japanese animation instead of western ones, but can't come up with a decent hypothesis to support with all the material I've gathered so far.

[edit]

So the research and determining which book to grab out of the library before it closes for Christmas was about 4 days. Then I got lazy for the next week or so, just watching anime-I-mean-research, spamming 5 different series. One of them actually was of use to this essay so I won't say all that time was lost. And, hey, it was Christmas break so I can take a break yeah? Alright, after that I spent another 2, 3 days looking through online ebook and ejournal and various online articles. After that it was 4 days of painful writing to finally get a 2000 words essay that kind of supports me thesis.

Conclusion: 2k word essay, almost 2 weeks work doing nothing else but the essay.

Billy Bob log 7

This assignment was a nightmare. Bouncing Balls was a picnic in the park in comparison. There was simply no time. I was so stressed I didn't even have enough spare thoughts to document screenshot and whatnot along the progress. Just jot down mistakes and stuff for later reference.

So these are the pieces of crud I ended up with 6 hours before deadline, with a near-dead, sleep-deprived, almost-30 brain.

Billy Bob log 6

All these are due tomorrow at noon. I still have to render both animations, write up the production diary and self reflection report, burn both animation and scripting, and test them. This is worse than Bouncing Balls. If I pass it'll be great, if not I'll just have to make up the lacking grade next term.

MA3D Life log 3

I just missed my Taekwondo yellow belt qualification exam because I'm dying to try and get my Billy Bob animation to a presentable state as a whole. If I really want to do more than just animating in this program, I will need to learn ruthlessly efficient time management. I need to be a remorseless dictator to my minutes.

Billy Bob log 5

Over break must learn cinematography, storyboard, and maybe lighting. Learn or die.

Merzhad is good with timing and camera angle, and had I asked his help sooner, I'd not be restarting the obstacle animation 2 days... 3 days? No 2 days in total hours minus lectures and shower, before deadline. Tears. This assignment really flopped for me, and I need to figure out why. Other than not having any idea on camera angle and storyboard. Over complication of setting (slope, lining up fences manually, not asking for enough peer input, ...what else...)

Also been working with death face due to stress, need to drink more whiskey and loosen up. Bought Jack Daniel Honey, smells smoother than classic.

Billy Bob log 4.2

RMB on Kinovea = Track path of, eg, hand or ankle, for duration of footage. Very useful. Y no know b4?!?!!?

Fix loop feet position.

Fix Billy Bob texture. Make texture for all scene elements. Lights.

Billy Bob log 4

Test out every handle on block animation first before settling into the full animation.

Must hammer out solid storyboard. Also do fast but intense research in as short time as possible

Moving pivot point around temporarily or permanently: LINK. To set pivot point to center of geometry go to MCP on right, Transform, Move Center to Vertices or Bounding Box.

MA3D log 1

I'm stressing out a lot over Billy Bob project not going anywhere and running out of time. Last night I had a nightmare about being back on the assembly floor, but all the tools and parts have changed, and they're even more expensive now each part. And I screwed up an entire batch because everything has changed during the time I was gone trying to make this master degree work, but failed, hence back on the assembly floor.

Billy Bob log 3

When rotation function can be done either in the rig or with XSI's rotation (C) tool, use 1 or the other, never mix. Rig rot func.

Feet pose -> feet/knee position inward -> adjust body height -> torso twist -> shoulder twist ->

Never, ever, delete the last frame of a loop, and paste a copy of the first frame, after you have touched any of the handle on the last frame. If you can't remember if you did or not, just NEVER delete your last frame after splining from stepped. FUCKING NEVER.

I actually drank to relieve stress. Jack Daniels.

Billy Bob log 2

My gods... it's just a simple running cycle, but why can't I get it to look right?!

Made a lot of mistakes, one of them being reluctant to get a tutor/lecturer to critique what I have so far because I think it's not enough to look at. That would've save me hours of messing around alone. Gotta keep asking myself, "What's more important? Your learning, or your pride?" On a small plus side, after hearing my report of problems, he said I did a pretty good job cleaning the mess up, but not good enough to avoid starting over.

• Mistake 1: Did not start by moving/rotating hips. Started with legs then feet.
• Mistake 2: Adjusted frame number in Dope Sheet but only scaled the second half, for unfathomable reason. End up with lots of x.5 frames.
• Mistake 3: Did not get tutor to critique.
• Mistake 4: ... damn, I forgot just now.

Tutor/lecturer (y'know, we just call 'em professors in the U.S., but nooooo, not the English. They have many names.) recommended approach:

• Set translation key frames across floor (z-axis in my case) using that anchor thing.
• Set all in Stepped mode in F-Curve.
• Pose hip movement and rotation.
• Pose legs only.
• Pose "shoulder" rotation.
• Remove animation from that anchor thing, thus resetting everything back to origin point, but keeping animation on everything.
• Render to Flipbook and cross reference time and pace against reference videos, and calculate frame range for the run speed I want.
• Scale in Ripple mode in Dope Sheet, still in Stepped mode, to frame range of my choice.
• Spline, start refining from the hip out, doing feet, and eyes and eyebrows last.

Unrelated-ly, doing this project made me found out what C Walk is, and now I really want to learn them. I like the music. It looks cool and really fun. Unlike break dancing, I don't have to use my wrist and hands in C Walk, thus protecting them from harm, which is important because I need my hands not only for work, trade, leisure, but also lots of other, important stuff. What stuff? Stuff inappropriate for scholastic progress log blog.

You dirty, dirty minded people.....

...

Haven't been able to wake up as early as I should, can, want to. 8:20 isn't early when I slept at 1am. I need to keep sleep down to 6 hours only.

Python scripting

It's taking rather depressingly long to do these python assignments that are basically fill-in-the-blanks scripting. The fact that I zoned out during 1 of the class when he was going over random, math, and elif only added to this confusion and time consumed. But I got creative with the display messages. Fueled by a whispering thoughts of murdering something out of frustration.

It took me almost 11 hours to finish this little scripting assignment. Granted there were lots of small breaks, eating, and some talking to people, but still. That's a lot of time. I don't hate it, python scripting is very fascinating and even beautiful when I finally understood how it's doing what it does. Like magic almost.

Harvard referencing guide for academic writing

From BU's student online learning resource pages. Probably won't have access to after graduation, but might need in future, so copying here:

An auto-ref-generator site: http://www.neilstoolbox.com/bibliography-creator/index.htm

Main Page: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/library
Reference Page: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/library/how-to/citing-refs-harvard.html

CG conference, event, etc. notes

I'm going to try and keep notes on what CG conference and events are out there. I probably will also note some traditional art, and comic/anime conventions that could be nice to attend. In this blog post. Should be sticky, but don't know how.

• SIGGRAPH: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIGGRAPH
• SIGGRAPH Asia: http://www.siggraph.org/asia2012
• Film festival: http://www.annecy.org/annecy-2013/festival/presentation-festival

Lecture quote

"... and we'll go over and hijack the BA lab so we have 20 extra machines for render..." Because we're Masters, bitches.

"Take breaks! Socialize! Have personal lives! This is not a job, guys! Oh and here's 2 essays to think about over the break, project, and practices for this program. k bye relax and have fun!" AHAHAHAHA. O_O#. Need: Haste spell on self, Slow Time on rest of world, or 30 hr/Day. Failing all, need Pheonix Down/stimpak/medi-gel.

[edit] I noticed there are fellow classmates who come not too early before class, and leaves at a reasonable hour at night (7, 8pm), do their work quietly in their spot without walking around much, and get distinction marks. So it's possible. Task and time management. But I won't do what they do, because it's not that relaxing for me in my flat. Too much noise. I'll keep staying late night in the studio.
~~~

Finished handing in pre production report. That was a report on research, character sheet, time allocation planning chart, color and light design, storyboard, etc. Took surprisingly long. Also because I spent some time playing Skyrim this week, which I now realize need to be skimmed down or I'll suffer very soon.

Yesterday one of our main lecturer told us what's up there, and we were all pretty much in disbelieve. Probably especially for the ones like me who has no prior experience with 3D and/or animation whatsoever. It just feel so overwhelming from all the lectures the things we need to look at, practice, explore. We might be able to grab a drink on campus with people in our own class, but going out to socialize with other, equally busy, media department, is another big extra effort. At least for me, who don't actually like socializing or talking a lot to begin with. It's like I have to become masters in our trades, smooth politicians, and inventive theorists all together at the same time, in 1 year. I have to enjoy the training and acting, and not do the thing I actually enjoy, to be enjoyable. ...?

Billy Bob log 1.9

Billy Bob log 1.75

Billy Bob log 1.5

Record of Youtube vid referenced during pre production research, need proper Harvard Ref later(tomorrow or Friday) for pre-pro hand-in Mon. Remember to include all vid shot by self, perhaps need to credit whoever in the vids.

• Example of storyboard/animatic 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvR6wuMW6gs
• Example of storyboard/animatic 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4ekzThzjj0
• Example of storyboard/animatic 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmpmkV5b5qM
• Loop idea 1 - Taekwondo kick pose: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNOmkW0BU7k
• Loop idea 2 - archery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdKYG1099ug
• Loop idea 3 - Hip Pop C-walk(Crip walk): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8CcBMvTPGM
•        C-walk 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2TSy0Z5qTE
• Obstacle idea 1 - obstacle course, army: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHVGgP0UZ48
•       army 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XJu-2E7RT4

Loop and Obstacle idea 4 - running a race

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDec0zBlQ7M
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkrNaz4RgWI
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsEWucFFUMI
• feet motion rear view http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mED-ACLBZ7o
• perfect side view slo-mo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrOgDCZ4GUo
• hitting the wall 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKf1eTzmK14
• hitting the wall 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ9BbN_rgwY

ref vid from self:

• Taekwondo 1 https://www.dropbox.com/s/y38csz6kuff8pko/M2U00910.MPG
• Taekwondo 2
• Archery 1~4 https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fokpw8vmrrk8xce/j8o8S5sip0
• armless crawl 1
• armless floor -> stand on feet 1, 2

Either mind map or write out reasons why came up with each idea, why discard, how character sheet effect later choice.

Lighting and color research:
old master landscape painter list: http://www.artcyclopedia.com/subjects/Landscapes.html

Billy Bob log 1

We've been given this character made by our program head, Saf, and have the option of either designing a vehicle for him, or create two animation clips for him. I decided to do the animation clips - one running loop animation, and one 15-second clip showing Bob negotiating an obstacle.

First part of this project is pre-production, for which we should hand in the following:

• Thumbnail sketches
• A variety of scenarios and ideas in which Billy Bob will be animated to
• Reference footage, with an appropriate level of examination with regards to particular frames considered a Keyframes or in-between
• The subtext of the shot
• Accents or areas in the audio you are keen to hit or exploit for entertainment purposes
• The camera’s framing of the character and the environment (Cinematography).
• Thumbnails exploring different body dynamics and acting choices
• A storyboard or animatic
• Production Planning (Gantt Charts)
• Lighting and colour design
• Mind maps

Creating a character sheet for a character actually is very helpful to creating an organized focus on what kind of action this character might do for the loop, and how he will react to any given obstacles. So I made this for Billy Bob as part of pre-production. Learning from Bouncing Balls' biggest mistake, this time I will spend effort into solidifying a storyboard before starting to animate anything in Softimage. Because, even though there isn't much time to spend on creating a storyboard, there is even less time to waste on changing minds half way through like I did with Bouncing Balls.

Alex and another guy from the Taekwondo society kindly let me filmed them doing kicks for the loop animation.... which I scratched in the end... sorry guys! All the demonstrators in the Archery society also kindly let me filmed them demonstrating firing different types of bows, which I also scratched for the loop animation. James from my class helped me filmed myself trying to get up from the ground as reference.

This is a tight program. A few days of slacking really hurt very quickly. I have another problem on my mind that isn't completely school related too. Old problem that I just can't seem to fix, even with a clean slate. It's been two months. At least, I can, and must, focus on graduating honorably. Prove I can get something done right.

Scripting - python

Named after Monty Python.

• http://nccastaff.bournemouth.ac.uk/sbell/publications/
• http://www.python.org/

Assignment 2 - Billy Bob

I choose animation over modeling for this one because modeling is more possible to do on my own, out side this program (I think...), than animation. We also started compositing lessons. It's almost like collage, except fancier. It's 'painting' a picture, in a way, so I quite like it. But I won't 'major' in that, so to speak, just it's a good extra skill to have other than animating. Still, it's not an easy thing to learn. Everything always makes sense when the lecturer is talking you through, but as soon as I was on my own, I don't know what to do with anything anymore.

Oh, there's also math and programing class, and moving image theory lectures. Those I just do my best to keep paying attention because I know there is little chance that I will make time to read their lecture notes. It's pretty much impossible unless you never do anything else other than sleep and eat the most basic food. Which I don't... even a recluse like me would go with my classmates for a drink or a movie occasionally.

[edit]

List of research material

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1571302/
  
• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Muybridge_runner.jpg
  

Bouncin Ballz log 7

Final animation footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76gSnz2zEBI Now to do the paperwork part, package it, and hand it in.

[edit] Yeah! FINISHED!!! My first ever animation in any-D!

Big learning experience. Also found out a bit too late that production diary isn't what I thought it is.

Bouncin' Ballz log 5

Problem 1: Did not finalize story board before attempting to start animating.
Result: Changed back and forth 3, 4 times the actions of Emotional ball, which enters the scene first, and happens to be linked to the actions of both Heavy and Light balls, resulting in domino effects in time synch between... well everything else that came after the Emotional ball.

Problem 2: Having the hardest ball to animate link and trigger the animation of everything else in the scene.
Result: Every change made cascades forward in time and offsets everything else.

Problem 3: Not used to asking for critique anymore (surprised, 4 year art school can wash off).
Result: Not getting feedback and improvement as much as possible.

Thoughts: I'm an idiot.

Classmates who've helped me:

• April
• Jaime
• Merzhad
• Arthur
• Magnus
• Kat
• I'm forgetting someone right now...

Bouncin' Ballz log 4

I did something somewhere along and now everything happening after Heavy is out of sync - the trap door going through Light, Light rebounding off thin air, etc. I can't find out what or where. Murder.

Bouncin' Ballz scrn log 3

Another screenshot. Changed the lights in the scene into spot and point light for more dramatic scene, and a dim back lit for spacial feel. Changed small ball path, and scratched the drunken ball idea. Emotions now = investigative to scared (I think). Still no rotation, some translation, erroneous bounce curve everywhere. Light ball too helium-like for a beach ball. Rebound curve from trap door incorrect.

Bouncin Ballz scrn log 2

F Curve editor, Dope Sheet

Still having a lot of trouble reading and understanding Dope Sheet, and especially F Curve and how those curves relate back to the movement of their objects.

Note: Time each bounce of 3 heavy ball reference video; average them; input data to Heavy Ball. Ref to consider = bowling ball and bocce ball.

Same for light ball. Ref to consider = basket ball, soccer ball.

Look for ref vid of ball falling from suspension, preferably from trap door or other removable ground.

Will need to record ball falling with ground extracted from beneath it.

Material

Today in class we learned about - materials!!!

Let's see how much of it I'll remember tomorrow

[edit] Material and lighting, and modeling, more interesting to me than animating. Mostly because I can understand the previous three through my fine arts background, but animation is entirely new, and nothing I do is working the way I envisioned it as. So far animating this very first project = frustration. Given time to get used to... everything, should smooth out the frustration.

Bouncing Ball Diary 2

We're supposed to keep log, diary, and record every details of what we tried, how things worked/didn't work for us, and... some other stuff. Makes total sense, 'cept I often forget to write thought process down until my mind's a hundred miles off from the last time I wrote anything down.

===

Overall Objective: Bounce at least 2 out of 3 balls; 1 Heavy, 1 Light, 1 portray
emotion and changes emotion.
Problem: Need for storyboard simplification, time shortage.
Current Progress: Restarted 4th time.

Objective: ball 3, bounce in Z, off a vertical wall, mimicking drunkenness.
Problem: everything. Solution Found:

Took almost 30min to find out how to cut a piece off an object and make it a separate object : Create -> Poly Mesh -> Extract Poly (delete)

After 1st Ever 3D Model, 1st Ever 3D Animation

After successfully completing modeling something, we've now moved onto animating something. During class we were given a whip-thing to animate, as if it's a willow branch waving in the wind. As we were all Ooh-ing at the demo vid on screen, the lecturer said, "Now do that on your screen. You have 20 minutes, go!"

My willow branched looked like a tentacle monster undergoing seizure.

Then we had a dog character turning his head. Lecturer told us to make the transition smoother.

My dog looked like his neck snapped mysteriously half way.

Before Monday was over I was already questioning what the Hell I was doing there, and how the Hell am I ever going to graduate as an Animator.

Now our first animation assignment is ye O' Bouncin' Ballz. Here's what I've got setup so far. Should also draw out a storyboard.

References for production record:
• http://www.physics.hku.hk/~phys0607/lectures/chap05.html
• http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=waves+of+balls+bouncing+time+distance&view=detail&id=AAD38A3B9C91D3F21301BBAC7235718CD26D8FC8&FORM=IDFRIR
• https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8jlevdzkr66mgpd/06O--wkc9l
• https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10100545588265538
• http://youtu.be/RTJrvnKNwyU
• https://www.dropbox.com/sh/fctlq3azti4xyxc/PN90vtg0eS/Bouncing%20Balls#f:MVI_3018.MOV
• http://youtu.be/I7IEBm8ZH7s
• http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF5F0358ECA93FFAB

From Joy to ... a Different Kind of Joy.

1.5 hours ago I was bouncing with joy at having finished my first 3D model. Now I'm limping from my first black toe after an ill-connected kick at a Tae Kwon Do lesson. And I still have to cycle back home, in the dark, in the rain. But I'm still joyful, because I'm finally doing something else I've always wanted to do - martial arts.

SoftImage

Asides from a bunch of other lectures, we started getting used to SoftImage, and learning how to model in it. Trying to do a simple Colt .45 single action modeling exercise, and every other simple operation going wrong. Like swirly candy cane birail, insane extrude, explosive transform... . Days later, and I'm still working on it. Behind the whole group by 1 exercise, 1 assignment, and an exponentially growing reading list that I haven't touched.

[edit] To make this log book more log-like:

Started Sunday, finished Wednesday night, with lectures during the weekday, of course. First ever finished 3D model. Next side goal is to finish that lion-thing from this summer. Or put a body under Aristotle's head in ZBrush.

Second Chance

It would be interesting to have a progress log book to examine at the end of this 1 year master's degree program. To see where and how far I will have traveled in this unique window of opportunity to switch career.