woop woop

Evening all its been a fun filled and action packed week so far.

We have Mr Bear pretty much ready for rigging.. Im going to have to have a low poly rig of about 2000 run a higher res version of him.. SO heres a Video Of Mr Bear with different texture maps on him.... Colour to Bump To Diffuse to Specular Colour to Specular Roll Off. ..... :) ive made The tree,Radio, Basket,Ranger,Tin,Football,Rubber duck models so far. But the Uv's are layed so i can deal with textures later.. over the next week or so im going to be focusing on the Bears rig as it has so much to animate i have to get a good rig for everything especially facial action.

Heres a few Snap Shots of mr Bear with textures :) and just to clarify...that horrible line you can see is because the model is in two pieces..that line wont exist when the model has been joined :)


No Colour









Colour Map









Delicate Bump Map











Specular Colour










Specular Roll off









Diffuse Map
















Soon in a days time mr bears other items :)

A ok

alls well here in camp Claw.... no posts yet.its been a solid week of work and structure what with dissertations and modelling and Uving etc. screens up in a few days

Evening all

Well its not really the evening...More like afternoon...why didnt anyone tell me about the clocks going back..how annoyed was i waking up and seeing i could still sleep for another hour.

Anyways. Modelling has begun, heres a few screens...we are going for top of the range production models here....in other words. if they look good...they are good. Heres a shot of a radio and a version of Mr Bear the rest of the scenery is coming along nicely to

Radio is Uved and Mr Bear will be once i finish him.

Mic Check...1..2...1.2....2.....1.2..1.2..

well guys...its been a busy week...at the moments im on the coffee...drawings the image planes to start modeling le bear...in the meantime this week a few friends have approached me asking if i can make them some music for...a game/mod that one is making....and a short film that another is making...here is the track to one of the games...il put a link up about it when they have a site going but heres the track to listen to :)

Alive!

Well readers..i just remembered something... Heres an animation i did for CG Talks Mini animation challenge...so go take a look :)

Leica loopy loo

evening all so ..yes...the leica reel is done....some of the drawings towards the end are...useless...and shameful but ....hey. the dancings good..take a look :) the two tracks of music in this video will be used in the final version...the first track is made by my good friend David Allen and the second is mine. well hope you enjoy it :) next....the animatic.

3AM

Hey everybody...Its 3am..... just to let the readers know, im still here and working on it the project.

We have just hit the 100 thumbnails barrier..again......who knew dance routines take alot of drawings? oh well. its been a long week...Dissertation is coming as is Buisness Plan...Video and Pictures soon :)

theresa Bear in them woods :O

and so....status at the moment with Project claw is..Storyboards are done and just cleaning them up for friday.

going by an old Proverb..or saying a good teacher once told me.

KISS ... :O K eep I t S imple S tupid

iam only one guy..one animator and so the premise of the story should be centered around what animation i can conjure.

So....we have a picnic basket in a clearing "HEY GUYS LETS GO DOWN TO THE LAKE" you hear off screen...

in the bushes you hear sniffing and grunting..Mr bear pops his head up...sees the picnic basket left unattended..and wanders on down...checking to see if no ones about he begins to rummage.....Football...nope......sun cream...nope...throwing these objects behind him looking for food as he goes.... Radio....nope....

as it lands it turns on... " Good morning to everyone out there on this beautiful sunny day!" Mr Bear shocked..turns around confused where the noise is coming from...seeing the radio..he carefully walks over.... "whats the weather out there like Rachel?" "Well Chris its a hot 30 degrees out there" Mr Bear Smells it..its not food "Wow thats great..and now...the BeeToast Boyz" (cue song) Mr Bear Licks it......nope definitely not food..he then taps it with his claw.... (STATIC)....MR Bear not liking the music jumps....and roars at the radio......the radio tunes itself to another song....a song that Mr Bear stops and listens to...as if possessed slowly to the beat.

Mr Bear starts tapping his feet....nodding his head....wiggling....then doing a little simple dance......then as the music begins to take to....he does some extreme break dancing....back flips and all..... the song finished (song length only a 1:06) finishing in a pose...he opens his eyes only to see two ppl at a hedge staring at him in awe....and confusion....Mr bear begins to walk backwards to the forest..upon halfway there...Mr bear stops..walks back to the Picnic site and grabs the radio..carefully walking back to the forest on his way.

Moral of the story...actually no im gonna let you guys figure it out..its my story...my film...you take what you want from it :)

Next update ..soon

War

So another week has come and gone........heres an update on whats been going on. Firstly Thumbnails/some concept art has been done. amongst the planning for dissertation and other stuff..so heres some stuff

In Chronological order and sorry i have not scanned these in..but as always god damn scanner is being a little loopy

anyways!


just skeletal Work on a Lion learn whats beneath to know what is above.


again same principal.

Some of the drawings of Lions

dont ask me why but i did one half in pencil the other in charcoal....meh


"yawn"


just a small group of the character in the "supposed film"

Heres what my computer room wall looks like at the moment hehe



thumbnails...and then some.


BUT HERES THE BAD NEWS

after much thought and deliberation....This short is to be shelved...or rather put on hold..Theres now a new story....not as complex...but allows for much more character animation.
sure you may think..oh its just another one of those stories BUT.......Truth be told. i need something to get my teeth into and animate the hell out of. Clawing to Fame has not been thrown away...more like hibernating. When the time comes it will begin again. i will work on it after this last year of Uni in my own time if it allows.

I usually think of a project to big for myself to make. Come to think about it. there are at this minute 2 Shoe boxes of ideas and thumbnails on the old shelf behind me which is where this will no lay to rest for a while.

THANKS FOR READING

Update within the next two days with the New idea..that is not going to change and will be made. :) hold tight hehe

First day Blues

Well..the first day of uni kicked off. Walked there and back..9.4 miles overall ;) not bad. no idea why im mentioning this BUT!

the unveiling of the story as promised is today.im gona shove some sketches with this to. Just need to get a feel fora style today

ANYWAY..as always when i begin a project.....and seeing as this is the last major project, things tend to change...so bare with me.

Now project Claw does not stand for anything in particular, mainly a possible clue to the title of the Animation.

Clawing to Fame seems to fit the bill at the moment..But like i said....change.

Story in a sentence....an Underestimated young man in a family of winners is fed up and tries to follow in their footsteps, but a rare talent is discovered that makes him Unique.

I did have this elaborate entrance in to...im going to scan in the Thumbnails i ve done and set up a leica reel within the week. But first i really want to focus on the concept art. Get all the loose ends tied up so i can get cracking.

The story in Detail
Set in Rome during the Gladiator days an Animal trainer named Finius comes from a long line of famous gladiators.. His Dad...his Granddad....his Great granddad and so on. Feeling somewhat worthless, Finius keeps asking the Arena master (Augustus) if he can join in a fight. Augustus being a proud entertainer dismisses him calling him Puny and not worth his time. Finius returns to his old job...in his little dungeon area where he looks after the Famous lion (im playing around with the name FURIOUS or FURIES) now Furious is the only Lion in the history of the Arena to never loose a fight, Furious loves this, He loves the attention he gets...the crowd chant his name when in the arena. But sometimes Furious can get a little bit big headed seeing every opportunity to scare someone or knock someone down...or even worse... as a win.

so much so that furious has a wall in his cell thats got a sort of Tally marks upon the wall (think of the marks that fighter pilots put on the side of their planes in the wars to show how many enemies they have gunned down.

well on this particular day Furious returns from a good fight..proudly walks in...marks his wall...and is about to have a nap when Finius bursts into the room yelling about how Augustus wont let him compete in the games. Gesturing to the pictures upon the wall of his Fathers before him........sobbing a little upon the table while Furious just tries to sleep. Finius jumps up "Dad wouldnt take this" he psyches him self up... "Dad would march straight in there with a spear and shield and show this city what hes made of" Furious sensing another win sticks his foot out through the gaps in his cell and trips Finius as he passes making him land into a pile of Armour or something (dirty togas?) Finius looks up wondering what happened...seeing Furious mark his wall with another notch. Finius gets up angry and flustered "great! now your taking a pop at me! just cos i dont have big muscles and broad shoulders doesnt mean im not brave like those gladiators out there! Im Brave!!!!" Furious watches a spider dangling down from the ceiling..bored....until it comes level with his face and blows the spider onto Finius..

a small pause as Finius looks down upon his chest and yells scared....stumbles backwards again into the toga bin or something else... Furious again his marking his wall with another Notch..

Finius looks out of the bin angry.. "Right then! Bath Time!"

Furious....not liking baths....quickly turns away hiding in the corner of the room or scratcing at the walls for a way out.

As finius walks up to the cell...turning the key in the lock a loud knock can be heard behind him at the door....
"Finius open up!!"
Finius opens the door from the other side of the room
"oh augustus what do you want"
"Look m'boy ive had it ive simply had it! That cat of yours has got to go!" Furious overhearing this looks at the key still in the lock......and secretly gets out...."What why? hes doing good isnt he?"
"Yes he is! Too good. Nobody wants to fight him anymore because he always wins!"
"oh i see..well ...Augustus..what exactly do you mean by *got to go*"
Furious comes to the side of the oblivious Finius..so he can stare up at Augustus.
"Well im sory to say that he may have to be put daa daa daa...dadaaadaa"
Augustus spotting furious about to leap at him.
"DOWN!" Yells Finius as he hits the Lion atop his head. Turning back towards Augustus who thought the Down was for him is under the table.
"Look Augustus im a lil busy at the moment can you come back later?" as Finius Grabs the dazed Lion by the tail begins to pull him into the direction of a door marked Baths.
Augustus slowly stands confused that this puny man just man handled a fully grown lion walks slowly to the baths door. Hearing splashes with roaring and the occasional " oh come on you big baby its only water!! Augustus slowly looks through the door amazed at what he is seeing.......
some cogs flicker in his head and he says "Finius! your going to be the most famous man in Rome!" Shocked and stunned..Finius stops what hes doing..as does Furious... The classic pose of a lion tamer with a chair and a lion on his hind legs....This then turns into a poster....and followed by The End...

Clawing For Fame Copyright Christopher James Rees 2007


Some sketches to be posted tomorrow as now i am Tired and its getting a wee bit late.

Anyway thats the story. Please lemme know what you think..how i could skim..or add etc.. Cheers for reading though :) i know its a big post but yeah:) thanks

Well........its the eve of the beginning. Tomorrow Uni begins again and its time to get back into the swing of the things. the story has been sitting in my thoughts for the whole summer and my trusty notepads are full of notes.

i wont deny this is my biggest and most ambitious project. alot to make in so little time but. well...if i manage my time well then im sure i can pull this through.

Thumbnails have been done and are currently all upon the walls of my Lab (i call it a lab lol when actually its an office...Dexter had one...so am i :P

some funky sketches have been done aswell. il be showing uploading a few of the best tomorrow and the details of the story aswell :)

The Birth of an Idea

Hi there readers.

This blog is all about the progress of a Student Film. Im a 3D Animator in Swansea Institute in my Final year and ..well. i want to create something Beautiful for all to watch and enjoy.

over the coming days/weeks/months i hope to show you some of the ideas/plots/models/animations etc and well.. just say what you want about them....Criticise however you feel like.

i wont give much away about the Story other than....the Projects Name... Claw.