Group Failings

Because i am now effectively working on my own, it has been very difficult to get any of my shots for the film 100% complete. However that being said i have tried my best and have managed to get some  do work to show. Before the group disbanded i was able to get some work from josh and harry. these were painted 2d backgrounds. I was able to composite these together and add my own work also. I had prepared a fluid simulation for a waterfall. The shot aims to show off the environment, and give the audience a sense of the time of day the film is set.

The main problem with this shot however, is that because i no longer have josh and harry to do the painting. The style used here will have to change. Instead of having 2D environments i am now having to create geometry and have a painted texture on it. To do this i have had to draft in help from outside of my group.

The good thing about this though, is that i can now include a slight camera movement. Before this would have been difficult as it would have meant adjusting the painting. But now i will just be able to look around the environment, as it will be 3D.
If i am moving the camera , i will aim to add some lens flare to the shot to help emphasise how the sun is low in the sky.

There are two other shots from the film which i have been able to work on by myself. These are shots that make use of Dynamics. This is an area that i enjoy using and have had some success with. 

In order to replicate an underwater scene i had to get the lighting correct. To create a ripple effect i made use of Caustics and light photons. I also used rigged plants with a hair system so that i could have them moving slightly,as if there was a current.

After rendering out the shot i realised that the shot is missing bubbles. I will therefore have to go back and create these. I have done something similar before so i intend to use basic geometry with soft bodies. in order to deform the shape. using dynamics i will be able to have them moving in a way that can look natural.

Industry Contacts

In order to try attempt to get people from industry to attend our degree show, and ultimately see my work. I thought it would be best to first try and get in contact with some companies that I would like to get work experience with.

When deciding which companies to get in contact with i had to look at the style and type of work each companies are producing, to see if it was something that i felt i could do, or would like to possibly be a part of.

Cinesite have always been a company which i have admired. They work on some of the biggest films in Hollywood and produce some of the best work. I have therefore decided to try and get in contact with them. To do with i first looked on their website and sent an email.











My Email Read:

Hi,

I am currently in my final year studying Animation Production at Ravensbourne. Part of our our course requires us to make a short animated film.  Myself along with everyone one else on the course are currently hard at work getting these films made. We have a number of different styles and unique stories.

We are holding a Degree Show at the College on the 12th of June. The event will showcase all of the films from our year group.

As a longtime admirer of your work, I would like to invite any members of staff who would be interested in this opportunity to come and see our work.

If you have any questions or require any further information please feel free to get in contact with me, i will be happy to answer anything i can.

Kind Regards

Richard Eglinton




I have decided to also use the same email template to send to a number of other companies.

I also chose Blue-Zoo, this was because i like the style they use for their animations. I also feel that they may be interested to see my work as the film i am currently working on has a toony style t it also. By showing my work to companies that produce similar i hope to stand better chance of attracting employers to take interest in my work. When emailing them, i chose to add that i liked their style and hoped they would appreciate the style of work that i aim to produce.

Because i have not had any replies as of yet, I have decided to try and be more direct approach in trying to contact people. To do this i have decided to use twitter. This way i will be able to get through to peoples personal accounts. This hopefully will be more effective in getting their attention. My only hope is that i do not alienate these people by being too forward. I have identified a contact a MPC. While using the discover feature on my Twitter app i found that i could search by company. To find people who may be suitable i decided to look through their tweets. In doing this i found an account called MPC-VFX. It is my hope that through this i can request contacts from MPC in  London.

Reflection on Professional Skills unit.

This unit has been a difficult one for me. Initially i was working as part of a group of 4 people on a film which would utilise everybody's uniques talents. However, i am now working on my film alone. In terms of professionalism i feel like i have tried everything possible in order to help get the film finished. It does not help things when the other members drop out. As such i have had to take  a much more hands on approach to the film. This includes taking on many more responsibilities in the production process. It is also now down to me to find suitable help in order for the film to get completed.  

Initially there was a specific style that we were going to make the film around. But due to the circumstances, i have had to adapt the film based around the resources i have available. The most important change has been the transition from using 2D painted background to now having to build a 3D environment. This will mean more texturing and lighting is needed.

The plus side to me now working on the film alone, is that i can do what i want to do. there were times in the production process and even in the process of marketing the film that the group would disagree on certain aspects. If i can get the film finished i will be extremely proud of myself and hopefully the final product. This will be the most rewarding thing to me.

As i'm now responsible for a lot more the film it is important that i can stick to deadlines. Once i identify help for the project i will also have to arrange a schedule for these people to stick to. As i am still trying to find the help i have not been able to arrange a work schedule for them yet. However  it is my hope that i can get most if not all of the Modeling and scenes set up before the end of March. This will then give me the whole of April to work with animators to get the required shots finished. After April i will then have till the 25th of May, to composite the film and make it look as good as possible.

To help organise my time i have and will continue to use Google Calender.

Marketing

When deciding the target audience for the project it was important to take into consideration all elements of the film. The overall look of the film would most likely appeal to all ages. Animation is often associated with children and this film is no exception. Because the film includes, what i consider to be innocent characters the film could be enjoyed by all ages. Children would enjoy the characters and scenery, and even the jokes to some degree. There is a overall moral which i am trying to get across in the film, Which is along the lines of staying cool under pressure and not rushing into things, because ultimately it could hurt you. Adults and people who enjoy animation will hopefully appreciate the style and overall feel of the animation. It will be important to get people around college interested in the project.

To try and reach my audience, i have created a poster which will be put up around the college to try and drum up some buzz around the film. 

The Poster was drawn by Josh before he decide to quit the project. However i like the design and i feel it really shows off a good element of the film. Including the characters. Which would hopefully help raise interest.

Initially we were just planning on using another image. 

And i may even still use it as well. However i am more inclined to use the one that includes scenery, just because its more stylized and shows more of the film.

The simpler design may be useful also, as i could be seen as more mysterious. The lack of anything but the characters, could drive people to want to know more and therefore see the film.

To further increase awareness i have made a website for the film. http://foolsgoldanimation.weebly.com
The site include a synopsis as well as images. I have also included a short Bio for Myself as well as listing contact information. It is my hope that at the degree show i will be able to give out cards which show the web address. This will hopefully help me and the film get more attention. And maybe help me gain some work experience. If Companies can see what i can do they may wish for me to come and work for them, ( thats the hope anyway...)

While researching how other films have been marketed in the past, i decided to look at some of the most popular animated film that have been out recently. Pixar's Toy Story was an obvious choice due to its popularity. They must have done something right seen as they made Millions of Dollars from their film.
When designing my website, i tried to include similar thing to their website.
http://www.disney.co.uk/toy-story/toy-story-3.jsp#movies/toystory-3

I also looked at how Pixar are marketing their new film Brave. Two of the main ways which they are now getting information out to their target market is by using Twitter and Facebook. Both sites have Millions of users and by utilise these resources they are able to get followers to see the latest trailers, pictures and here all the latest news. This helps audiences feel involved in the film and will subsequently encourage them to go and see the film at the cinema.

http://twitter.com/#!/upcomingpixar  

I aim to follow suit. To do this i will be creating  a twitter account for my film. From this i will then try and get as many people following as possible. I currently follow a number of people from the animation industry and it is my aim to make them aware of me and my work. I'm hoping that my film will be enough to at least get them to be aware of me. If this does happen, hopefully they may then take the time to look at my showreel and any other work i may have.

Individual Contract

In order to manage the work needed for the project it was important to commit myself to the group. The best way to do this was to create a contract for each individual in the Group.

Listed, are the job roles that i have been doing as well as those still do do. The contract gives me jobs all the way untill hand in.


Due to the rest of my group dropping out, i am now having to do alot more of the work needed. We are now not using the painted backgrounds. As there is no one to do this. Instead i will be having to make a 3d environment.

I have had to seek help from elsewhere in order to help me attemp to finish the film.