http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/ A blog by liutpry en http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/12/talking-walls-and-cryptic-messages.html My animation is set in an unoccupied room, in as well as unknown location, owned by an unknown organisation. The room itself is completely unoccupied apart from my characters as well as the holographic objects placed in the room by my characters unknown observers. Creating the backgrounds is one of the last things I am doing in my animation, as well as now that I have finished the lip syncing as well as character animation its time to turn my attention towards my characters surroundings. The Image above shows the progression of the very simple background build. That comprises of three layers, the plain white background, the actual light grey walled background as well as ultimately a gradient layer made in Photoshop as well as saved as a transparent PNG. In the image above, you can see how this non-Flash based Gradient effect really helps lift the characters from the background, as well as also softens the background layer helping build a perceptive. In this image you can also see that I kept the Portal inspired marks as well as writing on the walls, to help show that this room has been lived in as well as that maybe there where people in there before my characters. Some of these markings also provide clues towards both the characters fates as well as the purpose behind the secretive Unknown Observers. Such as one wall marking showing a stick figure being burnt while being watched by camera like eyes (image below), hinting towards this rooms “Big Brother” style experimentation. (Above) Cropped as well as Magnified freeze frame of one of the past residents hidden warnings ________________________________________________________________________________ Posted in Animation, Final Major Project, FMP Direction, Mock-Ups, Script & Narration http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/12/talking-walls-and-cryptic-messages.html Sun, 12 Apr 2009 12:41:57 -0400 liutpry http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/07/oddball-research-double-post.html Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack Trailer This rather obscure piece of design research is a trailer on behalf of some new multiplayer maps on behalf of the Xbox 360 game Halo 3, made by Bungie Studios. The trailer itself may not look stylistically great, with its “copy as well as paste” mash-up appearance, which was done deliberately to mock shopping channel style advertisements. Which gives the trailer a great sense of self mocking humor. What I really liked about this is  its utilize of sound effects. Soon I shall require to start concidering how I create as well as edit in the sound effects on behalf of my animation. Althought I do not personally desire to take this “Cheesy” sound effects route, this trailer is a good as well as fun exsample of one done well. Using comical as well as cheesy sound effects as well as voice acting to help set the pace as well as contiune to develope the low budget advertisment spoof. Posted in Design Direction, Design Research, Final Major Project, Video Links, Web Links http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/07/oddball-research-double-post.html Tue, 07 Apr 2009 06:29:47 -0400 liutpry http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/07/cardboard-characters-the-next-phase.html Rodney “The Slacker” as well as Steve “The Normal Guy” Mini Cardboard Cutout Mock-ups Steve “The Normal Guy” Mini Cardboard Cutout Mock-up The rather low quality photographs (dam lighting) above, show two quick mock-ups I created, to test out material on behalf of the cardboard cut-outs I am planning on making on behalf of the my display at the Final Major Project Show. The two mini cut-outs created here are made from corrugated cardboard (Rodney) as well as mount board (Steve), with the image stuck on using Sticker paper. The character images I used to create them are of two of my early animation builds, with Steve “The Normal Guy” still having one of his early horn colouration designs (current design has completely dark Grey horns, rather than just dark Grey tips, shown here, which made him look like a red Pikachu). Out of the two materials the mount board currently works much better, as its strong, sturdy, easy to cut as well as matches the white paper boarder around the character. While the corrugated cardboard was much harder to cut, was easy to bend, showed its corrugation through the sticker paper, gained jagged as well as frayed edges as well as started to dog-ear. Therefore from this little experiment Mount board seems to be the best contender on behalf of cut-out material. Posted in Character Design, Design Direction, Final Major Project, FMP Direction, Mock-Ups, The Show http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/07/cardboard-characters-the-next-phase.html Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:40:25 -0400 liutpry http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/05/halfway-there-or-is-it.html Experimental Cup Holder: Epsiode One - Cake Midway Render Above it a low quality render (made twice as low quality by YouTube), of my Web Series pilot animation, Experimental Cup Holder: Epsiode One - Cake. Here it shows how far I have got, at the end of having started it just over a week ago, reaching the midway section of my script. This first half shown above, is still also far from completed, some of the animation needs tweaking (especially on behalf of The Slacker, Rodney), the opening titles still require to be designed, sound effects require to be added as well as none at all of the backgrounds have yet to be drawn. In addition some of the audio needs cleaning up, especially the computer voice. I showed the SWF file version of this in my Mid-Point Crit, as well as the reception I recived was very positive. People liked these characters much better than my last designs as well as their voices. The only citisisum was that maybe the characters needed more detail, like colour as well as shading, Which shall be added in the image as well as Poster work I shall be doing once I finnish animating this pilot. Posted in Animation, Final Major Project, FMP Critical Analysis, FMP Direction, Hand In, Mock-Ups, Video Links http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/05/halfway-there-or-is-it.html Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:13:13 -0400 liutpry http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/04/design-frag.html The Villain: General Frag - Original Designs 1 as well as 2 The Images above show the development of my “villainous” character General Frag, as I built his Flash Animation character model, who has been one of the an estimated all designed characters in my small collection, as well as the an estimated all successful. From Design One (top left) I was really happy with the Blue, Gray as well as Red colour scheme, large grinning mouth as well as its amphibious appearance, as did all of the people I showed it to. However the round headed design as well as the “testicle” shaped anger lines between his eyes, was letting the character down. So at the end of sketching out some new designs in my Sketch book I settled on the more Goat like faced design seen in Image Two (top right), as well as the class mates I showed it to came to an agreement it was a much better design, as well as really helped manufacture him look like a villainous military leader (mainly because of the fact that of his big Sargent/General like chin). However I was not happy with his lower body, as in spite of the fact that I liked the armored shoes as well as cap, I felt he looked to thin as well as “teenage”, as well as that his design could be pushed even further, So I came up with Design Three (below)… The Villain: General Frag - Design 3 This Snake/Slug like body I feel really helps break him apart from the other characters, as well as really shows him as the an estimated all “Alien”. It also (especially in my concept art) gives him some more age, as well as overpowering “bulk”, both physically as well as in the way his character has a presence. The Snake/Slug like body (which is slightly different again in my current Animation version, not shown here) was slightly inspired by Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars, who is also a powerful, villainous leader.  However it was also thought up as I tried to manufacture him seem even more aquatic. Despite his new found bulk, he shall still be a very mobile as well as even fast moving character (like a Hippo), who’s bloodthirsty military mind as well as brute strength still makes him a very dangerous foe, both off as well as on the battlefield. Note: The Designs above are from the designs which are to be used in my Animation part of my brief. Therefore they lack much detail as well as shading. Posted in Animation, Character Design, Design Direction, Final Major Project, FMP Critical Analysis, Mock-Ups, Web Links http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/04/design-frag.html Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:09:30 -0400 liutpry http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/04/meet-the-characters-second-look.html The Cast - Animation Builds The Image above shows my third (and final) wave of character designs, to be used as the Flash character models on behalf of my animation. Here on behalf of the an estimated all part I have broken free from the “round head, short body” structure which all my characters originally shared, as well as broken them up into more varied designs as well as body forms with only The Slacker as well as The Normal Guy keeping similar shapes to the originals. In Addition to the shape shifts I have added more details, as well as colours into these character designs. Such as The Normal Guy, Steve, now having a tail as well as dark Grey wing membranes as well as horns. While The Slacker, Rodney, has a bigger mouth, smaller eyes as well as ears as well as The Hero, Captain Butterman, has longer arms as well as is now constantly levitating in the air. The biggest design changes have been The Stupid Guy, Ottar,  being taller, wearing a bib as well as more teeage looking, as well as The Villain, General Frag, who as stataed before now as a serpentine body as well as a Goat like head. I am very happy with these current designs, but shall contiune to tweeks afew things as I start to animate as well as latter as I start to produce more deatils drawings of them on behalf of my Character Profiles as well as posters. Posted in Animation, Character Design, Design Direction, Final Major Project, FMP Direction, Mock-Ups http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/04/meet-the-characters-second-look.html Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:28:26 -0400 liutpry http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/04/cats-mice-and-david-oreilly.html David O’Reilly, “Please Say Something This rather long 10 minute short animation by David O’Reilly (above), made on behalf of a very interesting observe on behalf of my project, not because of the fact that of the very simplistic character design, but rather its stylistic direction as well as utilize of sound. What I really liked about it was how it was “filmed” from a CCTV cameras point of view, making it feel like “Big Brother” is watching these two characters. This “being watched” elements is something my animation is heavy in, as unknown to them the characters are being observe as well as studied by not only an unseen presence in the animation but also, to an extent,  the audience. This directional choice is something I may look into including. Posted in Design Direction, Design Research, Final Major Project, Video Links, Web Links http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/04/cats-mice-and-david-oreilly.html Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:29:26 -0400 liutpry http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/04/pulling-faces-in-flash.html General Frag - Facial Mock-ups The Images above show some of my facial expression experimentation I have been doing while starting to animate “Experimental Cup Holder: Episode One - Cake”.   These are based on some of the rough concept art sketches I have been doing, as well as are to help me with my lip-syncing as well as expression as I animate, using them as templates. I have only made these templates on behalf of General Frag as well as Ottar (its meant to be spelt with a A), because of the fact that they are two of the an estimated all seen as well as expressionable characters. Note: “Experimental Cup Holder: Episode One - Cake”, is the name I have decided to stick with on behalf of the time being on behalf of my web series as It only only stands out, but is also plays on the series random as well as exsperimental nature as well as story.  Posted in Animation, Character Design, FiddzyDesign, Mock-Ups http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/04/04/pulling-faces-in-flash.html Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:35:55 -0400 liutpry http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/03/23/know-your-guest-list-names.html I am now thinking about giving my 5 characters actual names, thus below are some of my suggestions, the ones in Bold being my favorites… The Villain: Lord Bloodtooth, General Frag, General O’malley, General Apocaliptica, Vince, Lord Newt, Lord Blood Newt, Supreme Carnage Master Omega The Stupid One: Otter, Ottar, Stewie, Ralf The Hero: Captain Excellento, Captain Traffic, Butterman, The Yellow Nighthawk, Captain Awesome, The Road Enforcer The Slacker: Tom, Grif, Rodney, “Whatever”, Troll, Leo, Wayne The Normal Guy: Flame Abomination, Elemental Steve, Nick the Necromancer, “Necro”, Stan, Inferno Fury Steve, Apocalyptic Steve, Matt from Crimson Comics Posted in Character Design, Final Major Project, Script & Narration http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/03/23/know-your-guest-list-names.html Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:52:16 -0400 liutpry http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/03/20/designing-an-empty-room.html As I continue to re-design by predominant characters I have also started work on designing the room they shall be in. My Animation is set within a sealed room, in an unknown location. The Characters themselves have no idea where they are as well as its hinted in the narration they have been there on behalf of at least a day or so already. The room is set to be an unoccupied room, with nothing but my characters as well as some security cameras within it. The mythology behind the room is that is owned by a super secret organisation, used to test these dramatically different characters social behaviour as well as psychology (although both you as well as them never find this out in the animation I shall show, in spite of the fact that it is hinted at). Therefore I desire the room to feel like a kid of lab, as well as also feel rather futuristic. The Designs below show different versions of the same room… The Room - Clean Design The Room - Dirty Design I am still undecided whether I desire it to be a clean or dirty room, in spite of the fact that I do know I wish it to be rectangular. The Clean room, makes it look more like a well jog as well as new futuristic lab, while the dirty one lets be more playful yet makes it look more jog down as well as lived in (even though these characters have only been their on behalf of a day or so). The third image below is a rough scale mock-up with the characters (dare in mid my picture is only half the room), the characters shown is the now unused design on behalf of the Normal Guy. The Room - Size Test Posted in Design Direction, Final Major Project, Mock-Ups http://liutpry.recordtrades.com/2009/03/20/designing-an-empty-room.html Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:47:22 -0400 liutpry