Some lessons learned ...

Overall, I'm pleased with my final piece. I still see flaws and can keep working on it forever, but I think I'm better off taking what I've learned from this project and applying it to future work.

Firstly, I took the opportunity to try and add some humor. I made the characters a little sillier, especially the flamingo, with some fun angles and camera shots. I need to push exageration ... which brings me to modeling and rigging.

I ran into problems with my models and rigging didn't always cooperate. I was pleased they actually worked, but my next character will need to be more flexible with better facial rigging.

Animation will take many, many years to learn and I'll work on smaller, less complicated pieces to improve. However, I think my timing has improved as well as layering and offsetting motion. The tails and bodies of both birds added some nice balance and counter balance to their movement.

It's been a great opportunity to learn, improve and do the best that I can.

DONE!

I've completed my thesis, rendered, edited and delivered to Kathy at CADA. Here are some small files for review via dial-up in the back woods of MA or VT.... I have smaller sections below ... but here is the whole thing at about 10MB. The other files are about 1MB.

FINAL EDIT:
http://d10234246.serv63.ixwebhosting.com/downloads/sm_DebScott_final.mov

DEE PUSH:
http://d10234246.serv63.ixwebhosting.com/downloads/DeePush_sm.mov

LEG BOUNCE
http://d10234246.serv63.ixwebhosting.com/downloads/BounceLeg2_sm.mov

More to follow, but I'm off to put a DVD in the mail for Tuesday delivery.

The Horror!

Rosa is horrified that the Fakes have been "killed".
Improvments - going for less spliney, shortened the middle which dragged a bit in the original. Added subtle body movement.
Shut the mouth earlier. Expression is the same as original.

I really like that sinking feeling you get when her body moves down a bit. It happens in two spots.

http://d10234246.serv63.ixwebhosting.com/downloads/300_SUMHorror.mov.qt

Hopefully this is working, I had a slow internet connection this AM.

Rosa Snub

http://d10234246.serv63.ixwebhosting.com/downloads/200_SUMRosaFace_snub.mov.qt

This is one of the few scenes I felt I got right in the original.
I like the expression, the body language, the humor with the tail ... the only changes I made were the background and I lowered the camera angle. Not only do we see more of the wings but the haughty look increases as the camera is that much more beneath her -- literally and figuratively.

And FWIW, this was the scene that gave Rosa eyelids. I needed that aloof look ... so created & rigged them in a day following some online tutorial that thankfully worked like a charm. At some point AFTER this is all over I'll rig real eyes with aims and controls.

Render test with Blur

http://d10234246.serv63.ixwebhosting.com/downloads/Blur_Dee.mov

Well that was successful. I'll be sure to use that when rendering the flying sequences.
I used the default settings.

Dee Pushing the rake.

Here's a render to show how the background blends into the Image Plane. This was using David's suggestion of adding a ramp shader to the transparency of the the ground texture. I like the warm light, but have to check the concrete texture on the top portion of the wall.



Here's the QT. I *might* stretch it out to slow it down a bit. Might try a blur but am not sure.

http://d10234246.serv63.ixwebhosting.com/downloads/245_SUM_DeePush.ma.qt

Dee Intro Alternative

http://d10234246.serv63.ixwebhosting.com/downloads/201_SUM_DeeIntro4.mov.qt

I rather like this intro for a number of reasons. First, it just works better.
Secondly, I like the way it's the opposite of Rosa's intro. She pops up, Dee flies down.

Thirdly ... I think I'll use this landing technique when she flies over to the flamingos and use something similar when she flies over to the shovel.. I always felt it was difficult to see her flying over from the birdbath - basically going from very small to large in the fore ground.

Either way, I think this works nicely as an intro.

Dee Intro revisited.

http://d10234246.serv63.ixwebhosting.com/downloads/201_SUM_DeeIntro3.mov.qt

Goal: Add more flit-flit movement, improve wing flapping, adjust feet grabbing and letting go.

Reference book - Tezuka School of Animation Vol. 2 Animals in motion.
Osamu Tezuka & Tezuka Productions very helpful book on animal movement including small birds.

I'll be posting Dee in Flight QT this evening.
This is when she flies to the flamingo.

Leg Bounce
- Fakes have fallen down and Dee comes to sit on one of the legs.
Rosa watches and decides she like Dee.

http://d10234246.serv63.ixwebhosting.com/downloads/315_LegBounce.mov.qt

Improved animation:
Faster tempo, more balance on Dee's part, better expression/Connection on Rosa's part.

http://64.17.142.111/downloads/101_SUM_lookAround1.mov.qt

Opening scene over the wall. Working on pace and sharper movement.

http://64.17.142.111/downloads/201_SUM_WalkAround5.ma.qt

Walk_On revisited.

Working on weight, timing, and balance, as well as trying to add a bit of character (excited!)

http://64.17.142.111/downloads/201_SUM_WalkAround3.ma.qt

This clip has Rosa walking in to meet the Fakes.

The goal was to show an elegant neck and awkward feet.
Emotionally, Rosa is excited to meet the Fakes and her neck directs the motion as she enters the garden.
I tried to vary the pace and even offer a hop at the end with a little hang time to give a feeling of lightness and added some quick steps to show excitement. I think the weight looks OK, need to tweak some sliding on the contact spots.

Added secondary animation in the tail, wings, head and beak.

Need to add lights, shadow and color correct - I want the fakes to stand out a little more, they're competing with the background. But I like this scene. I may try it with Dee as a foreground element watching Rosa enter the scene.