Fantastic Voyage: The Open Book Project(Episode 6)- Ferntastic Journey

Fantastic Voyage: The Making Of The Open Book Project(Episode 6)- Ferntastic Journey

The Making Of The Open Book Project(Episode 6): Ferntastic Journey by Ayunie Djohar

Fantastic Voyage: Creative Partnership Archived

This is my creative partnership archived. I feel that the more we were into this project, the more challenges we've encountered. With the facebook page I've created for the 1st years, I believe that it has been helpful for everyone, if not most. Any problems we faced was put out there and help comes from anyone who knows the solution.This has definitely expanded beyond the creative partners we were assigned for this project :) 

Creative Partnership Archived by Ayunie Djohar

THE CG ARTIST TOOLKIT: MAYA AND SUPPORTING SOFTWARE CHECKLIST

THE CG ARTIST TOOLKIT: MAYA AND SUPPORTING SOFTWARE CHECKLIST by Ayunie Djohar

THE CG ARTIST TOOLKIT: ANIMATION (Portfolio/Sketchbook)

THE CG ARTIST TOOLKIT: ANIMATION CHECKLIST by Ayunie Djohar

THE CG ARTIST TOOLKIT: ANIMATION (SKETCHBOOK SKETCHES) by Ayunie Djohar

THE CG ARTIST TOOLKIT: DRAWING (Portfolio /Sketchbook)

THE CG ARTIST TOOLKIT: DRAWING CHECKLIST by Ayunie Djohar

THE CG ARTIST TOOLKIT: DRAWING (SKETCHBOOK SKETCHES) by Ayunie Djohar

Ferntastic Indeed!

After emailing to 50 voice over artists and as I was not that willing to pay the cheapest quotation I got which was £80, FINALLY there were still people out there who were willing to do it for free. Not one, not two but THREE of them have agreed to help me :D

So here's the various narrators (including the original one) Any feedback on which voice over artist I should choose will be gladly appreciated! :)

Indeed, good things come to those who wait and I am glad I did not give up on my search! :D

Fantastic Voyage Final Animation

This is my final animation for this project. I have entitled it to be The Open Book Project (Episode 6): Ferntastic Journey

Fantastic Voyage: Sound Effects

Here's a compilation of the sound effects that I have used for my project.

Fantastic Voyage: Development

Fantastic Voyage: Developments by Ayunie Djohar

Fantastic Voyage: Digital Set Concept Art

Figure 1 was my original idea of my digital set. It was simple and quite plain.

Figure 1

After the suggestions and feedbacks given, I went to rework on the concept art for the digital set and this is the end result.

Figure 2

Fantastic Voyage Final Storyboard

Fantastic Voyage: CG Pipeline

CG Pipeline by Ayunie Djohar

Fantastic Voyage: Textures

Textures by Ayunie Djohar

Fantastic Voyage: Final Narrator's Script

Final Narrator's Script

Fantastic Voyage: Texturing of Digital Set

This are the final images of my objects after they have been textured.

Study Desk

Study Desk

Bookshelf

Bookshelf

Layout of the Room

Everything In The Digital Set

Fantastic Voyage: Book UV and Textured

Fantastic Voyage: UV Layout of Digital Set

Before I was able to place any textures on my objects in maya, I had to UV map them first. By doing so, I avoid any kind of distortion to my objects once I place the textures.

Books, Lamp, Globe, Trees and Ferns

Books, Lamp, Globe, Trees and Ferns

Wall Posters

Bookshelf

Bookshelf

Layout of the Room

Everything in the Digital Set

Fantastic Voyage Submission Disc Artwork

Cutting Edge Film Programme: Gravity (2013)

Figure 1: Movie Poster [Still Image]

Gravity (2013) is a British-American film that has been categorised under the science fiction and thriller genre. It was directed, co-written, co-produced and co-edited by Alfonso Cuarón.

The film revolves around a biomedical engineer, Dr Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalsky, a veteran astronaut, who were left stranded in space when their space shuttle, Explorer, was terribly damage by the debris caused from a Russian missile that has been used to attack a dysfunctional satellite. The disastrous strike left Stone tumbling in space, as she was detached from the space shuttle. As she drifts further and further apart, she panics and Kowalsky had to calm her down so that he could get her exact location and come to her rescue. In order to go back to Earth, they used their thruster pack and made their way to the International Space Station where a space shuttle awaits. When they finally reached their destination, another set of debris made its uninvited visit. It was after this that Ryan realized that she was on her own.

Figure 2: Debris Caused By The Russian Missile [Still Image]

Unlike the title to this film, nothing was rooted which includes the camera. By doing so, Cuarón has successfully allowed his audience experience what it is like to be in space. A film critic, David Sexton, reiterates this point when he states “The camera moves around constantly without any grounding, no up, no down, no weight, no fixed points. It’s both disorienting and engulfing, not so much a picture of what it is like to be out there in space as the very experience of it.” (Sexton, 2013)

Not only did this film makes the audience feel like they are physically in space but the emotional depth has been touched upon successfully and are relatable. What this means is that the theme of despair, loneliness and salvation are seen through Stone’s character as she faces multiple challenges throughout the film.

This three themes are present in a particular scene where she sits in the space shuttle’s cockpit, losing all her faith when she is not able to get it running to travel to the Chinese Base. She sits there, crying (despair) and turns off the lights and the radio when the Chinese counterpart did not understand her (loneliness). As she drifts herself to sleep, her subconscious mind had her think of Kowalsky who encourages her to be strong and she has to have the will to survive(salvation). Geoffrey Macnab, a film critic, summarises this point accurately when he mentions “It was simply to tell a story about human beings dealing with adversity.” (Macnab, 2013)

Figure 3: Dr Stone Crying [Still Image]

Figure 4: Dr Stone Hallucinating [Still Image]

Like the captivating visuals, the sounds played an important role in making it very believable. Kate Erbland summarises the masterpiece precisely when she says ”An absolute technical marvel in every way possible – from cinematography to special effects to sound design to score, all of Gravity’s technical parts work together in perfect harmony for maximum effectiveness when it comes to both the look and the feel of the film.” (Erbland, 2013)

List of Illustrations:

Figure 1 Gravity (2013) [Poster] at http://www.myreviews.it/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/100x140-drift.jpg (Accessed on 16 April 2014)

Figure 2 Debris Caused By The Russian Missile (2013) [Still Image] at https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/front-media/assets/18/e8/94/f3/Gravity_472_16.jpg (Accessed on 16 April 2014)

Figure 3 Dr Stone Crying (2013) [Still Image] at http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2013/10/14/Gravity.jpg (Accessed on 16 April 2014)

Figure 4 Dr Stone Hallucinating (2013) [Still Image] at http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/f46GwvQHmOs/0.jpg (Accessed on 16 April 2014)

List of Bibliography:

Erbland, Kate (2013) Gravity Review At: http://filmschoolrejects.com/reviews/gravity-review.php (Accessed on 16 April 2014)

Macnab, Geoffrey (2013) Gravity Review At: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/gravity-review-sandra-bullock-space-epic-makes-other-blockbusters-look-leaden-8927020.html (Accessed on 16 April 2014)

Sexton, David (2013) Gravity Film Review At: http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/film/gravity-starring-george-clooney-and-sandra-bullock--film-review-8928399.html (Accessed on 16 April 2014)

Animation Showreel_Updated

Here's the updated showreel, with all the necessary practices included.

Animation: Bouncing Ball

This was another animation that I needed to add to my showreel, and hence, I have made it digitally and made it more presentable.

Animation: Bowling Ball

This is another animation exercise that I have decided to do digitally so I can add it to my showreel.

Basic Walk Cycle

Taking the advice I was given during the showreel presentation, I have decided to revisit the basic walk cycle which I would be adding to my showreel. This has been done digitally so that it would fit my showreel nicely.

Visual Effects: Render Layers (Mental Ray & Matte Passes)

Setting Up The Render Layers In Maya

Bringing The Layers From Maya To Photoshop

Plugging In The Matte Layers Under The Channels In Photoshop

Final Image Composited In Photoshop

Visual Effects: Depth Of Field

Before Any Camera Settings Were Changed In Maya

Depth Of Field In Maya
Cons: Too Long To Render, Grainy Effect

The final render that has been composited in Photoshop and After Effects used images from Maya's render layers- The Beauty Pass And The Depth of Field Pass.

Depth Of Field In Photoshop, with Luminance added to the Alpha Channel
Pros: Faster To Composite, More Control over the noise
Cons: Single Image Composite

Depth Of Field In After Effects
Pros: Applicable For An Image Sequence

Another method from Maya is by using render passes from the render settings. To do this, the camera depth from the tab passes under the render settings is associated to the layer named depth of field under the render layers (Channel Settings).

Settings

Depth Of Field Using Camera Depth
Pros: More Accurate In Comparison To Using Luminance Pass

Visual Effects: Render Layers (Software Rendering)

Composited in Photoshop With A Single Render Pass From Maya

Multiple Render Layers, Each Having Different Attributes

The Different Passes From Maya Composited In Photoshop

Final Image From The Compositing In Photoshop

Compositing In After Effects

Visual Effects: Stereo Camera Rigs in Photoshop & After Effects

Method 1: Rendering Stereo From Maya

Before Any Settings were changed in Maya

Adding The Distance And Calculations

Rendered Stereo Image From Maya

Method 2: Compositing in Photoshop

Compositing In Photoshop

Changing The Layer's Blending Mode To Achieve Final Result

Final Composited Image From Photoshop

Method 3: Compositing In After Effects

Using Set Channels Effects

Using 3D Glasses Effects

  The Outcome Of Using Different Effects In After Effects

Fantastic Voyage: Wordings' Refinements

I've decided to add a bit of texture to my words that folds out to give it an extra edge of realism because it was too plain and too clean when there was not any.

Fantastic Voyage: Room(Digital Set) Refinements

For my digital set, I've gone to texture the bookshelf, added a glass texture to my window surface and shadows to the scene.

Currently, the glass seems to be too reflective and it looks more like a mirror. I am correcting that and in terms of the overall lighting, I am quite satisfied with it.