It has been a short while, hasn't it?

It has been a little while until my last post. Justifiable though. It was a very busy month for my last set of classes and I have taken a Leave of Absence, leaving me without an internet connection. So now that I can, an update is in order.
This month was a very, I don't want to say counter productive. I will just go with stagnant. The last month of class was more driven towards video game content and other things of that nature. As well as, and I unfortunately admit this. Motion Capture, which in no light is an art form. I will admit that it is a technical achievement and scientifically very aw inspiring. But, not an Art Form. I have made this argument as to why several times, my reasons have substance and are valid as well as justifiable. So with that said I will not clutter my blog with such nonsense.
I am really against posting this MOC class update, but I am going to either way.
Below you will find the credits list, as well as the final product for the motion capture class. I advise you not to watch it.
Any questions feel free to contact me.
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Credits
This is the COMPLETE Log of the performance and/or responsibilities of each member of the group Team Patton



Patton Tunstall-

Technical Advisor
Assistive Render Technician
Assistive Lighting Technician
Assets Provider
Team Inspiration
Comedic Material
Vile Betrayer

Matthew Fossett-

Environment Modeler
Environment Texture Artist
Lighting Technician

Harry Robbins-

Visual Effects Modeler
Co-Visual Effects Material Editor
Co-Visual Effects Designer
Tracking Technician
Cortex Template Technician

Jose Diaz-

Co-Character Shading Network Coordinator
Co-Visualization Coordinator
Assistive Environment Modeler
Validity Officer
Co-Visual Effects Designer
Editing Technician
Video Artist for Intro and Credits
Audio Editing
Post Editing Artist
Goku BlendShapes Artist
Assistive Project Supervisor
Endorphin Technician
Endorphin Rendering Technician
Pipeline/Production Assistant

Robert Quintana-

Co-Character Shading Network Coordinator
Co-Visualization Coordinator
Co-Visual Effects Designer
Co-Visual Effects Material Technician
Motion Builder-Characterization
Motion Builder-Solving
Motion Builder-Layer Animation
Motion Builder-Story
Scene Construction
Visual Effects Animator
Rendering Technician
Cinematographer
Camera Animation
Vegeta BlendShapes Artist
StoryBoard Artist
Motion Capture Choreographer
Assistive Tracking Technician
Pipeline/Production
Presenter
Project Coordination
Archive
Editing and Compostiting Assistant







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CAN is over!!!

Well, the news is in! And I have passed CAN, or more like CAN'T. I didn't pass well, but I passed.

As if I could get anymore frustrated with CAN

It is true, as if CAN could frustrate me any more than it already has. I am out of the class and it as if the class is affecting me from beyond the grave. I am trying to show my trusted class mates and email instructors for critiques on my lip sync final, and the sound is out of sync on the video. But, never the less the playblast is accurate. So, how to I explain, "Oh for some reason the lip sync is out of sync on my lip sync when I play it online, but if I show you the Quicktime on my flash drive it will be in sync." What are you serious? I look like an idiot, and I thought that it came out decent for my first one. And even showed the slightest bit of promise. But, no, CAN lives on to slap me in the face. I hope I don't fail on top of that.
I will try to post some new stuff soon. If anyone is out there.

Final Turn in on Lip Sync

Well, this is it. What you see here is my first ever lip sync and/or animation done to an audio clip. Also, it probably goes without saying that this is what I turned in as my final for the Lip Sync assignment in CAN. I don't really have anything else to add.


Thanks Sam and everyone else who gave me pep talks to help me to keep going. This class affected me, it got under my skin and hurt me a lot. Hopefully with work I can over come.
Now all I have to do is wait and hope that I passed (guffaw).
Thanks MuMu.

Final Stretch

It is the final day to work on this assignment, turn in is Saturday 24th 1am. This is what I have at this point, I am going to be touching up this one and adding the lip sync to it. With this version I will be taking some of the cluttered gestures out and adding a pose at the start so that my character can move into the lip sync. Thanks Sam for that note by the way. As well as I will be fixing some of the shaking and flashing. I have been told that I have strong poses that are working, but apparently I have cluttered it up with some keys. With that said the list of things to do for this version to be ready for turn in is as follows; Add starting pose to prelude lip sync, remove cluttering poses from head slapping gesture, try to hold the body at some points to add a natural stillness, add blinking at key points to insinuate thinking, check timing to make sure he is moving before speaking not after, add the lip movements/phonetics.
I won't lie, that is a pretty intimidating list of goals for this animation. And I would be lying if I said I will achieve all these goals or that I will get them done well. But, I can say that I sure as hell am going to try.




And just to make sure I give credit where credit is due, here are the notes that I received from Sam Ewing on the previous post.
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Hey Trooper,
I've taken a look at Dailies 2 lip-sync animation "Cage", and, as you've asked for comments, here they are. (If you don't mind I'll make these brief, knowing you have a deadline to deal with. And please remember that these are just ideas, with which you can agree or not, as your artistic spirit and good taste dictates. You're on the right track... Trust yourself.)
I suggest you start the scene before he begins to speak... give the audience a look at his expression and what he thinks before he says it.
Generally, it feels a little floaty. Add some snap, ie. move faster between the key poses. Also, as the line is given in a quiet manner, I would attempt to make him even more still; don't neglect the power of inactivity. This will add contrast when he does move, ie. slaps head, makes cage of hands, etc.
Try a blink when he changes eye direction. Check your copy of The Illusion of Life and see what Frank and Ollie have to recomend about this. By the way, I liked it that he closes his eyes while he speaks at one point, adds an effortlessness and naturalness to the delivery of his line.
Fix the pop when he hits his head. You had that working in a previous edition, so I figure it's an easy fix.
Perhaps bring his hands together sooner to make the cage. Again, let your audience see before they hear?
Have fun. Thanks for the chance to look at your work.
Regards,
Sam
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Thanks Sam

Update on the Dailies 2 post

Couldn't sleep and made a dent in the revisions that I mentioned earlier. Yeah. I think there is a huge difference now. Might actually be able to make this work.

Dailies2

This is maybe pass 2.5, I have been experimenting with the timing more and some poses. After going over this play blast I have decided to remove the accent he motions when speaking "they work." I will not sacrifice fluidity for gestural poses, especially those that are flashing about. Later today I will be removing them and fine tune what I already have. Make sure it is working. Than I move on to animating the lips and getting the phonetics in. Hopefully this will work out the way I am planning, that way I may actually be able to pass this class. Maybe, perhaps even with a decent animation. And my first lip sync at that.

Dailies

This is my second pass on the lip sync animation, not exactly a completed second pass. I am missing a some breakdowns and anticipations at the end of the animation. This is due to me working straight ahead on the breaks and anticipations. I am actually enjoying working on this.
As far as the scene goes, I wanted the setting to match the backstory that I was told to write but. I am told that the scene is too busy. So what I am going to do is hide the geometry of the scene and turn in just the character standing. And later ask my VFX/Lighting guy Patton Tunstall to light the scene and render it for me. But, for now this is what I got.

Pose Test

This is a pose test for for my first lip sync, it is the last assignment of CAN (character animation).
So yeah, the clip is from the great television show, "The Office." Voice: Steve Carell, a little insight though. The backstory and characterization of the bug character. He is a 40 year old dude who is a huge dork working at best buy. A total bum, lazy and sarcastic.

Sam Ewing: Notes

This is the real thing right here people, a critique from Sam Ewing on the last post. A direct copy from an email from him nothing was changed. I wish that I could have gotten a hold of this before I turned the garbage in, but alas we learn and move on.

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Just in case I fail to post my comment at rtqstudios page, I will copy them here for you.
Hey Trooper,
It's a funny idea, I like it. May I comment on three of your poses?
1) When he pulls back with hand to face. Move hand out of the way so we can see his expression better.
2) When he looks into the bowl and we cannot see his face. Perhaps a good place for a funny pose distorted by the water? Also, this pose seems held too long.
3) Last poses with his head down... you have him bow directly towards camera, flattening everything. Turn him a bit. Or, lose these poses all together and finish with something unexpected. Dead fish dangling from his fingers, turns and flushes him down the toilet with extreme dignity? or perhaps it wasn't dead after all and starts wiggling again? Or?
Good Luck,
Sam
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How Unfortunate

I can't express how tired I am of this class and how I can't wait to be finished with it. I am in disbelief of how my work has been affected by my time in this class. Emotionally it has been difficult for me to deal with the class, my confidence did take a hit. But, I have spoken with my mentor several times over the course of this class and with his help I have been able to overcome. I cannot say the same for the product of my turn-ins for this class. I have come to terms with the current endeavors that I have been faced with this month, and have decided to endure and work through it. Hopefully I can make it past this class and move on. Than I will be able to resume my fruitful learning of animation and it's practice. Rather than having to sift through the unhappy ramblings of the miserable instructors and their confining and regimented animation assignments.
Hopefully I can make it through this class and move on.
With that said and vented, and feeling much better, this is what I will be turning in for the final for this assignment. It is awful, but ironically enough I see some things in it that I can smile at.
Critiques are greatly appreciated and wish me luck in passing what has truly been a test of my devotion to animation.

Got to finish this by monday

I have to finish this by Monday and I have to be honest I don't feel that it is going very well. It is carrying on a lot better than the other animations for this class that I have had to produce. But, I don't feel like I am achieving anything.
Well, anyways. This is an updated playblast for the Emotional Change assignment. I have been playing with the timing a lot and I feel that I am getting closer to something that I will be able to work with and get the idea across. Added a few more poses and adding more anticipations and breakdowns. Tuning some holds and arcs. Here is what I got and I will post what I turn in.


Is anyone out there?
I have been thinking lately, I know why I like to write. I feel like someone is listening.

PoseTest

I am currently in a course called CAN Character Animation. It goes without saying that the class has been making me absolutely miserable, because of all the dry work that I have to do. But, the assignment that I am working on currently it actually pretty nice. Why? Because it is actual character animation. The assignment is called an Emotional Change which is in fact what it is.
The scenario that I chose is the character discovering his fish dead, I chose this one because my sister's and I's fish died 2 weeks ago.
So, this is my Pose Test. Mainly Keys, a few breaks and a bit of an ease and out foundation. The rest of the scene is blocked.
Pose Test.

New Stuff coming soon I promise

Whether or not anyone has been reading or viewing this blog and looking at my material. I have been without an internet connection for a few days and have been rather busy with school work and class schedule. But, I will be either posting class animations. Or will be posting drawings soon.
Considering my current level of disappointment concerning my work in this class I might just post pone posting until I have new personal work updates.
Thanks, whoever is listening.

A few sketches

These are some caricatures that I did. The first is my girlfriend and the second is my mom.

Quick break post

I was taking a break from working on my Rigging Final Project to do a little sketch.
I have been feeling like doing cartooney stuff lately, I don't know why.
So this is just a caricature of me I guess...

A little update on some stuff

I started sketching these two drawings. One is a caricature of my girlfriend in a Tyrannosaurus Rex costume, and the other is caricature of my girlfriend and I in size relation.
I am trying a new method, where I am going to do the base sketches on paper and than finish them in Photoshop.

little update

Well, this month my class is a single whole month course, Character Rigging (CRI). Basically what I am doing this month is creating a skeletal structure to enable a 3D model the ability to be animated. Not really anything for me to post on here. But, I have been working on other stuff. Not actual animation or artwork, but getting back to reading, writing and doing supplementary studying. Maybe I can get to one of my pencil tests in the works and post it later.

The Final PRM Post

This is the actual final post of my work for my digital sculpt in production modeling.

Final post for Production Modeling

These are the renders of the digital sculpture.

Quick Post, couldn't sleep

Rather than sleep I though I might work a little bit on the sculpt.

New Digital Scultpting Update

This is another update on the digital sculpture that I am doing for my Production Modeling class.
Sorry, to say that I have not been working on my animation for the past couple of days. Haven't been sleeping very well, and have been trying to make sure that I don't get behind on my current class. Oh well, I will get to it.

Another working update

So this is just another update about my work
this is month in Production Modeling.
The bust is working, and the mouse is done.

Working Update

Ok, so there is a lot in this post. The first images are of a blockout basic shape and gestural proportions of a human skull. I have not finished this yet and will be working on this with the current of the class. It is a organic model of me . The next is a Render of the Hard Surface model that I am close to finishing and is due on Tuesday. So that pretty much wraps up the Production Modeling update.
The last image is a little side project I am working on goofing off with my girlfriend. It is a parody piece of the Transformers character Bumble-Bee. It is supposed to be a girl ( loosely based off of my girlfriend ) if she was actually the guardian character Bumble-Bee. Complete with the insignia of the original character. It is pretty fun to take an existing character and totally flip it and play with it. Like the cannon changes of a character in development.
And finally, it cant be seen here. But, I have added a few frames to the animation exercise from earlier and I hope to have another video update by next week. Trying to get at least a few frames in a day if not the whole hour.

This is a bit of a pose test

I have been trying to animate for at least an hour every night, as apart of an exercise and keeping myself physically in touch with animation rather than just constantly reading about it and studying it. But, not actually doing it. This is not the first 2D animation that I have done. The twelve that I did in my 2D course are posted on my youTube page. (youtube.com/user/rtqstudios)
This is again just a pencil test of the poses and what might be a couple breakdowns here and there. It is projected to be about 4 seconds long, currently on 3's it is only roughly a second. So, that should paint a picture as to how much I have left. I have planned to do it on 1's. currently it is Pose to Pose, but for certain points like secondary motion and overlap it is Straight ahead. I have been working on this for a little under a week. which is not even accurate given the time during the day I spend working on it. School gets in the way. I would say as it stands, without considering time to scan the damn frames in and convert the video. It is roughly only about 2 hours worth of work.

PRM so far

Well this PRM class is killing me, I get so bored modeling. This is do on Thursday and this is what I got so far.

Critique notes from Sam

The following is a copy of the critique notes provided by my animation mentor Sam Ewing, who is a 2D animation course director at Full Sail University. These notes are in no way edited or changed. It is a direct copy and paste of the email he sent me. In regards to a request I put in for him to critique my FOA final project animation.
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Hey Robert,
I looked at "Well, how unfortunate" and I don't believe it's as bad as you say. Okay, a couple of things crossed my mind as I watched it.
I would like to suggest fewer cuts or no cuts at all. I don't think you need to add excitement with these frantic cuts at this point (especially as he opens up). Seems to me this is a time to let your audience get comfortable and get to know what they are looking at. Something is being revealed here, satisfy audience curiosity.
Also, more overlap on the "legs" as they are opened, take your time there and let us see it happening, it looks interesting and now you have to make entertaining. Maybe the little guy has some slight difficulty with one of his legs? Building empathy and adding humour.
The flying seems pretty good, nice path of action. If, as it seems, he uses his "legs" as wings, then please add more flap to them. More stroke, perhaps as if he were under water?
The ending I found felt too rushed. You have his "leg" and his antenna structure doing their business at the same time. Overlap demands that we do one thing at a time. Also, I may as well mention it, why have him crash at all? Why not end with him in flight? More beautiful and positive.
That's all I really saw that's worth mentioning at this point.
Keep up the good work, Robert.
Regards,
Sam
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I would just like to add, thank you very much Sam for all of your help. And your continuing efforts to helping me and mentoring me in becoming an animator. I appreciate it to a unfathomable degree. I hope that you can continue to check out the progress on my blog and that I can continue meeting with you.
Thanks

Sketches and Notes for Modeling Project

This month I in PRM (ProMod), which is an advanced modeling class. Where I will be modeling a high resolution and to scale 3D model of my Wacom Intuos 3 mouse.

Well, how unfortunate.

I am sad to say that this is the animation that I turned in.

5:40 am Update

Well, I noticed that I didn't have leg overlap and offset. So this is what I got and now I am going to curve tweaks.

4:00 am

Alright here we go. This is what I got. I'm gonna start curve tweaking now.


I am in no way proud of this, I feel like a "hack" HollyWood animator that the
Golden Age animators would talk garbage about.

Quick Update

I posted an update just a bit earlier, and went back to work. So, I thought before I take a break to rest and eat before I get back to it that I would post again what has been done in that time.
I refined the weight and timing of the last of the earlier post and I have begun working on the flight path. Adding arcs and giving it character.

Progress Update Final Day

Okay, so the animation is due tomorrow at 12:00 noon. Since my post yesterday this is what I have got. Today I am going to try and get a strong position on the tail end of the animation. And than try to touch up as much as I can before I turn it in.

Oh yeah

And by the way, I am finished with CFM. So here is my final comp.

GO TIME!

Okay, so the situation as it stands currently is...
It is Friday night, the FOA final is due Monday at 12:00 noon.
And this is what I got to start with, and finish by than.

First Pass part1 Pose Test

Critique Revision Update

Well, I got to work on the critique points for FOA. And I fixed the technical problems I had with my poses. Now I am going to begin adding new keys and looking at the orientation of my original keys. As well as checking whether or not the ones I have will stay.
So yeah, now it is just about reviewing what I have and adding to it. I am going to start working on my Breakdowns and any contacts that I am missing, once the keys are finally done of course.
Than after that it is on to adding a bit of personality to the Orb, from there curve tweaks and final polishes. I just hope that I will be able to get all of that done in time, hopefully I can given that the deadline has been bumped to next Monday.

Tunnel Parallax Project

This is the collection of the previously posted images that were compostited together to create the final tunnel prarallx project. Along with the script that was used to make it. Error messages showed up when I did the screen grab, but you get the idea.

CFM post

This is a Compostiting Fundamentals post. For my Tunnel Parallax Project, the images that were composited.