Nana VFX Blog: 2010

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

show reel

Show reel from NANA GUO on Vimeo.
This is a show reel to show my works when i was study in Renmin University of China and some animation works in Teesside University Second year in UK.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

CAN lobster design (basic idea)

CAN trearment

The Treatment

Production Title: ‘The Lobster Pot’

This story is all about a world famous 3 star Michelin Chef ‘Gerard’ known for his amazing ‘Homard Cuit à l'eau’ (or to us more common folk ‘pan boiled lobster’). As Chef Gerard, who is known for normally being very cool calm collected, sets about his nights work will his reputation of serving the best lobster in all of France survive the night, or will the crafty antics of a freedom hungry lobster ruin everything??

In the being of the animation we see the outside of the restraint where all the action takes place. From here we fade into the kitchen where our main character Chef Gerard who gets an order for one of his famous dishes ‘Homard Cuit à l'eau’. Chef Gerard starts to prepare his dish; he collects his lobster and starts chopping the other ingredients which will accompany this critter in the big boiling pot. As he is chopping away the lobster slowly starts to creep away but without taking his eyes off the fast moving blade Chef Gerard drags the lobster back. Quickly Chef Gerard gets into the swing of cooking and food starts to get launched left, right and centre all landing into the pot, including the lobster, however when Chef Gerard goes over to inspect how everything is cooking he finds the lobster is gone! He scans the room and finds the lobster on the other side of the kitchen so grabs it and throws it back into pot. Next its over to the fridge for the next lot of stuff but as the door closes Chef Gerard thinks he catches sight of the lobster so quickly re opens the fridge only to find nothing there, however as he goes to close the door again he has the feeling something is on his shoulder. As Chef Gerard slowly turns his head to see what it is, he finds it’s the lobster who has again escaped from the boiling pot and with lightning fast reactions Chef Gerard once again grabs the lobster! Holding the lobster in front of his face Chef Gerard gives it an angry shake, as he does this however the lobster sticks out its claw and snips off half Chef Gerard moustache! This does not please Chef Gerard in the slightest and from a cool calm and collected chef his fuse quickly burns out and now seems set on destroying the lobster and using anything he can grab to do. Eventually he grabs the lobster and with a somewhat evil and demented look on his face he heads back to the pot, throws the lobster in and sits on the lid laughing to himself. Before too long though his face starts to turn red and smoke starts appearing from his ‘le derier‘ and with a large yelp he leaps off the pan, smashes his head amongst the hanging pans above before landing back down on the ground, amongst the chaos and mess of fruit and veg he threw around earlier, slipping over and falls flat on his face. Chef Gerard eventually roles over and, lying flat on his back still panting, stares at the ceiling . All of a sudden two eyes and claws creep over the edge of the counter and Chef Gerard sees the lobster peering down at him lying there. The anger now creeps back across Chef Gerard’s face along with a nervous twitch and his demented laughter, he leaps up off the group, grabs the lobster pins it down. He then scans along his collection of cooking knives before settling on the largest machete he owns. As he raises the machete up to the sky Chef Gerard looks into the now puppy dog eyes of the lobster. After a brief few seconds the machete starts to slowly lower back down to his side. Chef Gerard puts the machete down, smiles nicely to the lobster before reaching off screen, grabbing his meat tenderiser and finally smashes the lobster to pieces! The final shot we see is of Chef Gerard walking out the kitchen still twitching and laughing to himself as he wipes ‘Homard Cuit à l'eau’ off the specials board.

In terms of the style of the animation, we have decided to go for a Disney and Pixar type animation where by everything is smooth and seems innocent and sweet until Chef Gerard’s mood changes and everything turns slightly demented and evil. When it comes to the characters in our animation, for Chef Gerard we have looked and will be referencing such characters a Basil Faulty and the Chef from ‘The Little Mermaid’ and for the lobster we have again looked at Sebastian from ‘The little mermaid’ but we will also be referencing Bugs Bunny and the rabbit from the Pixar short ‘Presto’. In terms of sound and audio for the animation we don’t want there to be any dialog spoken so instead we are having nice calm jazz style music playing threw out but again as Chef Gerard mood changes so does the music and we plan on ending it with loud classical music where the drums are heavily banging and there is lots of symbols smashing, to really match Chef Gerard’s actions.

In order for us to work most effectively as a group we will be splitting up our project into 3 main parts, the first part being ‘Pre-Production’ followed by the ‘Animation’ and finally finish everything with the Post-Production’. Threw out this project, we will be using a number of different types of software threw out this project too including Photoshop, 3D Max and Softimage.

All in all although our idea may be large, we have the skills amongst us as a group and the organisational power to complete everything we set out to do to a high standard. We plan on distributing all the jobs through each section of the project evenly so that we are effective in completing very good work and by the end of it all we plan on producing a well polished and enjoyable final animation.

Write By Chris Lingard

Monday, November 29, 2010

SPB

For more details about SPB stage 1 works please click here SPB

CAN Group members

AVE IDEA

This is the first time to publish blog for AVE here, below will include 7 parts for : ICA requirement, my basic idea, CG environment, characters, objective, research and timeline.

1 ICA requirement

Advanced Visual Effects (AVE) v1.0

ICA Assignment: ‘Cyclops Digital FX showreel’

Main Learning Outcomes

1. Extend the students' 3D visual effects knowledge.

2. Promote the construction of complex and multi-layered 3D visual and special effects.

3. Provide students with an opportunity to create a portfolio of industry standard work that demonstrates that they can complete difficult 3D visual and special effects.

4. Analyse, compare and contrast creative visual production problems.

5. Construct and design appropriate practical methods and solutions to industry acceptable standards.

6. Create imagery as specified in an industry standard brief to achieve a wide range of effects.

7. Appraise work-using language common to the industry.

In Detail:

Create a short piece of complex visual effects work over the course of an academic year between 20-25 seconds in length. You must design a piece of work which shows a person stood, perhaps trapped or struggling above a chasm, a huge hole, lift shaft, or terrifying drop. Work of this kind is featured in everything from pop promos to feature films.

2My basic idea for AVE (storyline)

The story will describes a girl`s beautiful dream, it’s a beautiful emerald dream, for where is an emerald forest, a peaceful, beautiful, harmonious, happy laughter and cheerful voices place. The girl dance, jump, fly, running for freedom and happiness with her swing (like angel`s). But suddenly, the swing is disappearing when the girl is flying play with the spirits. She begins to falling down rapidly, Then the girl wake up scared sit up with the alarm clock goes off. That`s just a beautiful dream.

3Characters

A: the actress for a beauty girl dressing like angel

B: the CG little beauty spirits.

4CG environment

An emerald forest with big trees, beautiful flowers, green lights flash and lots of little spirits. The feel of the forest is peaceful, beautiful, harmonious, happy laughter and cheerful voices place, it will let people feel it is an another world, far away from our life and world.

5Objective and Technical

I want to make an excellent 3D visual effects work using my imagination and the ability of software use. And improve my ability of problem solved like, concept, technology, and communication and so on. For the software I will use maybe XSI,3DS MAX,VUE,BOUJOU,AE,PREMIRE,NUKE.

6Research

The environment of dream, forest

The tutorials: particles, compositing, vue, nuke, green screen.

FYP Specification

Final Year Project Specification

Name: Nana Guo
Student No: J9112050
Course: BA Computer Animation
Supervisor: Sabrina Schmid

Project Title: Galeno&Genie

Idea

A businessman came back with an Aladdin lamp. He singing and dancing happily when he comes to the house. He thought Aladdin Genie could satisfy all his wishes and dreams. Like the Aladdin legend. He went to the bathroom took a shower before he rub and wish that he wants to get lots of money. He got a horror illusion. First he hardly rubbed the lamp. Then some smoke rushed out, and beat him so hard. He shook the lamp, just want to get rid of the smoke, but a mass fire came out burned his hair. He stepped on the lamp, and then the house began to shake and the floor into pieces. He feels frightened. Suddenly he wakes up and found he is faced to a mirror and brushing his teeth.

Project Objective

I will be producing a short animation film approximately 120-180 seconds

• To create a stylish and high level short animation film

• To practice my software skills and learn more production workflow.
• To learn more the knowledge of character animation and effects animation
• The short animation will be used to show my ability in animation and demonstrate my knowledge of 3D software applications and production workflow.

• The short animation will be designed to compete with other animators at international animation festivals.

• The short animation will be used on my show reel and in my portfolio to help me find a good job.

Scope

• The shot animation duration 120-180 seconds

• 3D animation (finished product) with 2 characters and 2 scenes

• With a soundtrack

• The shot animation including : story development ,story outline, research, storyboard, character and scenes design, animatic, modeling, texture, rigging, animation, rendering, compositing, etc

• Software used: Photoshop, Toom boom storyboard, Soft image xsi, Z-brush, 3ds max, Vue, Premiere, After Effect

SCHEDULE

Schedule start: 27th October schedule ends: 4th of April

October

• Research and story

• Moodboard

November

• Character and environment concepts

• storyboard and Animatic

• Modeling scene

December
• Modeling character and environment
• texture

January
•Rigging and texture

• Light setup

February
• Animation

March
• Rendering