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.