Grow Garden with Python in XSI

project pitched

Made and pitched my technical and master project all together (we all did) on time afterall. Figured this is a real chance to do something that I honestly want to see happen, or at least pitch it, instead of just working for other people as I've done constantly for the 6 years since graduating college, I did just that. I thought it was a silly idea, a silly dream of a naive soul that can't sober up. So I was so nervous on that stage, putting a piece of what I truly cared about out there, I couldn't speak fluidly, remember what was on the slide, or which slide I was on. It was a disaster.

Fortunately, tutors gave me practical feedback of what to research more on, what to take a look at, how much of this silly idea would possibly be doable by me. There is a LOT more research to be done, as soon as possible. But at least I wasn't shred to pieces and told go make a new idea.

More surprisingly, I got more suggestion of resources to look at, and voicing of encouragement from fellow classmates. I guess it's not as horrible an idea as I thought it is. Most surprising of all, someone else joined up to do my idea. It is a frightening concept to realize your idea is to be put into action, and you're the one making decisions on how it'll happen. Having never led before, I'm real nervous about screwing up and dragging someone else down with any mistake. Can't have any slacks now.

This program will soon come to an end, and I will face life full on once again. Before that happens I will take buffer provided by the protective school environment, and endure what may come with pursuing an ideal I truly care for.

......

Museum visualization, so far, seems like a lot of craft, and data representation - sometimes not even in detail - and no or scarce art or story. Game trailer and assets have stories, but the looks all feel similar to each other, like nobody wants to try and do something new (other than thatgamecompany). Heritage preservation is definitely government sponsored and not often. ...... Why can't I be content just doing simply game stuff? Stupid. Have to make a decision what I want to be doing 7 years from now.

Focusing down

I want to do something that can be in a game. But I really want to do something natural/botanical science related. But I can't figure out what that might be, for my master project. Perhaps game environment is a way to combine both? Been trying to finish both Scripting and Compositing early so I can focus on this pitch, but that didn't work. Now I have to come up with a pitch today and tomorrow. I was hoping to visit museums when I go back to NYC next week to see what kind of exhibitions they're putting up that involves 3D animation/modeling.

Some museums that might:

• Intrepid
• AMNH
• NYBG
• MoMA
• Bronx Zoo
• ...

Museum visualization <-- that's the key word. Have to put away Scripting and Compositing for now and get this researched.

Man I don't know... what if what I want to do is just a silly waste of time that'll never become anything anyway?

...

Doing research in the library all day. Noticed: 3D World magazine used to be feared as the art magazine of "foreign language" and kept at awed distance when I go pick up ImagineFX on the next shelf. Now I browse the contents and realize I know 80% of what the article is on, and the other 20% is just different program names.

How NCCA has speed-morphed my library....

Research for Master Project

Ideally both the work being done for Personal Inquiry and Technical Production will compliment and become elements in your final Master Project. The problem is I'm not sure exactly what I want to do for my Master Project. I have a lot of doubt and hesitation because I have very limited skills so a big learning project for me might be another classmate's weekend exercise. Talking with tutors, they recommended that I just pitch my dream castle, and they'll help me trim it down to something doable but pushing at the same time. In other words, I'll have to trust them, and jump over the side of Grand Canyon. Last time I trusted a mentor it wasn't a happy ending at all, but that was ancient history, I'm old enough to put that behind me.

That said, I always craved games, and felt sparked by the (sort of) wholesome beauty of environments like Fallout 3, Skyrim; and the unique attack animations in DA:O, so I thought I'd like to do game animations. But most importantly I wanted to go into games because I believe if you put the right information into games, they can be a much more powerful teaching tool. I remember learning English and Mediterranean geography from games (the latter probably landed me my first job, who knows). I'm also fascinated by the natural world and animal, and wondered if it was possible to combine the information behind a museum or a documentary into a game that is still interesting to play. Like a good movie that is based in history, it could spark interest and desire to learn in young people. It was said The Gladiator sparked a renewed interest in Roman history. And personally I became interested in a genre I was never interested enough to explore (sci-fi, space, shooter) from just 1 game (serie), Mass Effect. This idea feels like it's probably really unpopular, and nobody will want to play that kind of game without some good action woven into it.

If I'm supposed to do something I'm really interested in, how am I supposed to turn that crazy idea into a physical project? I'm stuck. I'm flipping through 3D magazines and random online journal in the library, hoping to come up with a direction in the next few days. Time is precious in this program. Actually, time is precious, period.

Compositing assignment. Doing exercise during class when the tutor is there to talk things over for you it's easy and actually fun. Doing assignment alone after the classes have been over for about 1 month is like lost at sea. I have a bit less than 5 months at this second chance of making something of myself. I gotta focus and do whatever it takes to learn what I can. In other words I probably will start staying real late in the lab everyday again. The bed is just too tempting back in the flat.



This tracking marker I heard is a bitch to remove cleanly. I haven't gotten to it. I haven't even gotten to comping the reflection or the shadow of the CG robot in yet.

ref and tut for group proj; some misc

katana designs
3D total texture dvds

http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/training.php?pid=1128&autoplay=1

http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/training.php?pid=107&autoplay=1

http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/training.php?pid=479&autoplay=1

dust cloud effect in Softimage

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/12/19/raiders-of-the-lost-ark-in-black-and-white-the-way-steven-soderbergh-likes-it/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koyaanisqatsi

photo reference and analytic drawing tutorials.

End of Group Project et all.

The Group Project ended 11 days ago, and it felt like a month ago. I should've known better than to distrust the tutors' warning that Term 2 would have been the busiest of all terms. Instead, I took on a mural design volunteer project for a local school playground, another volunteer project to do 8 illustrations for a Director flatmate's short film. These are on top of the Moving Image Theory critical essay assignment, and the MA3D Group Project. I thought it would be all be fine if I can just get the drawing stuff out of the way in the beginning before the Group Project heats up. I was naive...

Group Project didn't heat up, it Big Banged in nanoseconds after our groups formed. Long (and tearful) story short, I ended up structuring and typing the entire 2500 word essay within 20 hours. I never knew I could write that much that fast... . Then the animal murals took me 4 nights of little sleep, over 2.5 weeks to finish. Then the 8 illustrations had to be done towards the end of the Group Project, resulting in 3 nights of zero sleep and not going back to the flat except for shower (or not even). Then 7 hours sleep, then again no sleep.

By the time the group project was finished, and I was typing up the Production Report, I would open my eyes realizing I had fallen asleep, but my hands were still typing nonsense on the screen... so the Individual Hand-in definitely suffered from lack of substance.

All that said, the Group Project experience had been stressful at time during the making, but after finishing and seeing the final product, I can't be happier to have been part of this team, this project, done what I did (wish I could've done faster, thus done more variety). The animators were amazing, they knew their stuff, and translated it into 3D wonderfully within just 3 days. The character modeler really turned that 2D cartoonish style into 3D well without losing the 2D cartoon characteristic. Without going into more details and write another essay, I basically learned a lot since everything I did was new, and I remembered the beauty of working in a group project such as At Freedom's Door and this one. There are power in number, in a group that's passionate about the project and working together to make it happen. Good stuff comes out of that. That said, since it was difficult for me to hide stress whenever I got it, I hope other team members don't think I hate them or something, hahaha... because it was usually from frustration with myself - my lack of speed and skills in each tasks I was given to do.

Still can't show the actual animated video because it's supposed to be entered for BFX.