Untitled Inverse Paradigm Project

[Mattykins]

BEGIN TRANSMISSION//

At 14:21 EST, 2 June 2009 NORAD began tracking fifteen (15) unidentified objects entering the airspace over the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. At 14:25 Five (5) F-22 Raptors were scrambled from Langley AFB to ident unidentified aircraft. At 14:56 all F-22 Raptors fell off Radar.

At 15:05 Air Combat Command was ordered to DEFCON 2. All other US Military Organizations were ordered to DEFCON 3.

STANDBY FOR FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS>>

//END TRANSMISSION

[Mattykins]

3D models:

1) Alien life-form
2) AH-64 Apache Helicopter
//Current WIP//
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/17064/1243393460.jpg
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/17064/1243393486.jpg
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/17064/1242967060.jpg
3) F/A-18 Hornet
4) Alien Dropship

[Mattykins]

Hey All. Consider this the kinda production blog for this so far untitled project.

I will be updating things here as I go through production. A little background into the project.

Got the greenlight on the 5th. Been working on the backend since. A general outline is up. And some concept art is being drawn up. Started digging back into Maya and relearning the platform a few days ago.

This will be shot with an HV20. (Shocking, I know). It will be a one-man band. With two actors. Maybe a little help on location. I will be doing everything on this thing. Since, I currently am unemployed - might as well put my creative muscles to work.

Programs that will be used in this bugger:

FCP
Soundtrack Pro
Maya 8.5 Unlimited
PFTrack
Nuke

And maybe some miscellaneous stuff thrown in. Either this will work great or it will fail miserably. Here's to it guys. Looking forward to seeing everyone progress.

[Mattykins]

11 May 2009//

Greenlight received. Thread made.

20 May 2009
Apache Modeling started.
General outline created.

24 May 2009
Call made to airsoft team. Soldiers secured. Outline number 2 generated.

26 May 2009
Email to film commission in search of better locations.
Email to potential crew members. General crew set. Debating wether I need more people or not.

28 May 2009
Pages locked on script.
Blue revision is now in effect.
Slight hiccup with locations. Problem with the local film commission. They don't service the area I am shooting in. Made another email today. Waiting to here back from the visitors bureau.

[Rodney V. Smith]

Mattykins: welcome back to the fray. No pressure, but you know everyone's going to be watching you to see what insanity you come up with. Insanity in a good way of course....

Good luck dude.

[ZazaCast]

Go Mattykins Go! Looking forward to it.

[Mattykins]

Haha. Thanks guys. I'll need it on this one.

I'll be shooting test footage on Wednesday. I need to first check to see if PFTrack can handle HV20 footage. I got a heads up email from a buddy of mine about HV20 rolling shutter.

I've tracked HV20 stuff successfully before. I'll have to see how far I can push it the combination before PFTrack fails to track successfully. Or the HV20 might fail me utterly in which case, I'll have to search desperately to rent another camera...

We shall see.

[stinkpot]

Haha. Thanks guys. I'll need it on this one.

I'll be shooting test footage on Wednesday. I need to first check to see if PFTrack can handle HV20 footage. I got a heads up email from a buddy of mine about HV20 rolling shutter.

I've tracked HV20 stuff successfully before. I'll have to see how far I can push it the combination before PFTrack fails to track successfully. Or the HV20 might fail me utterly in which case, I'll have to search desperately to rent another camera...

We shall see.

Hope to see the HV20 get used. Good luck on this one.

:beer:

[Mattykins]

I hope to see it used too. I don't have the money to rent something else. And by testing wednesday - I really meant Friday. I was planning on Thursday, but it is windy like you wouldn't believe. A few trees fell in the neighborhood already.

I'll run the most complicated move I've come up with thus far with the camera. Track it. Solve it. And plop in some random geometry to see if the track holds. Well, I'll know before that point. But we shall see what happens.

Currently Maya is being a PITA. I've used it for particle stuff for a long time, I jump into modeling and it becomes a whole different ball game. Not only am I having issues modeling, the program is acting up.

Shading randomly disappears on polygonal surfaces here and there. And its been crashing as though crashing were the primary purpose of Maya. I'll figure out why it's failing me.

Just another set back.

[Mattykins]

Well the weather impeded yet another test of the HV20 verses PFTrack. It was great this morning. I did some work around the house. While I was vaccuming, a huge storm blew in and then the rest of the day was rainy, windy, and thunderstormy.

Tomorrow will be the day where I test the HV20 out.

The first outline is practically done. Well, working draft I guess. There is a lot of work to be done in the coming month and change. Talking about at least 3 to 4 vehicle models. One alien model. A ton of particle effects. And then a final scene that I really have no idea how to tackle yet.

I've been drawing out general conceptual art. And slowly but surely modeling in Maya. I am considering doing a video podcast type deal as it comes along. Maybe I will when I put the HV20 up against PFTrack and see how they play together.

That is all for today anyways.

[Mattykins]

Motion Tracking Nightmare:

Okay, so today I shot a little test with the HV20 finally. I remembered how terrible the workflow is...

Basically, I am going from HV20, to FCP, to AE (to remove the pulldown), to PFTrack, then to Maya, then to Nuke.

The break in the line comes when PFTrack is involved. I've run my most complex camera moves. And none of them solve right. Which means, I need to figure out how to manually track (which I don't know how to do) or I need to scrap any shot that I can't handle with my limited knowledge in PFTrack. (Which would kinda suck)

I don't know if my shot is too complex, or my limited knowledge in PFTrack is hindering me, or the HV20's rolling shutter is making complex tracking impossible. I still need to figure this out.

That's today's update.

[Mattykins]

3D modeling is coming slowly. Mostly tutorial work yet. But I am getting the hang of it.

Found a work-a-round for the tracking. Shot altercations mostly. If the tech won't work for you - change the game-plan. So, game-plan, consider yourself changed.

Mostly stabilizing some shots. Locking some others down. Calming some camera moves. Killing some crazy shots. I think in the end, everything will turn out for the better.

On the plus side - PFTrack is doing a killer job with the HV20 on easier shots. I am going to do a full blown test late next week with PFTrack and a composite. As a proof of concept.

The script took a heavy change yesterday. Rewriting. The opening of the film wasn't working with the current set of characters, so I put in two different ones, making a different dynamic. I think it will work much better.

On the front page, I listed out the 3D models you are going to become acquainted with over the coming weeks.

That's all I got.

[Bro. Stephen]

Wow. Sounds interesting. Can't wait to see it.

[Bro. Stephen]

good luck.

[Mattykins]

Thanks man, it's really kicking my butt right now. A lot of work to get done - and not much time to do it.

Updated with a current WIP of the Apache. That was todays work.

[Mattykins]

Made a call today to a buddy of mine, and he is working on getting me some soldiers. Airsoft team located in Ithaca, NY.

Making a call to the city of Utica tomorrow to start pushing film permits. Tentative shoot day is the 6th of June.

[Mattykins]

Updated renders of the wireframe apache.

Something funky happened with mental ray when it output these new ones. I am tired - and don't feel like fixing it now. But a general WIP.

Other updates added.

[Mattykins]

Well, here's the deal.

I won't make it for this fest. Too much to do and too little time to do it in. There was a scheduling issue with the cast, and I could push shooting back a week but post couldn't have been done in a weeks time.

So, this baby is still getting shot. Going into principal photography in July. Modeling will continue as scheduled and some general particle construction will happen before then.

Post through till August. And posting online then. So I guess I'll make a thread in the User Film's section later.

Sorry I can't make this one guys, the project just became to big to do in a month. I'd rather take my time on it and make it as great as I can, than rush a production that will come out looking half-done.

[Rodney V. Smith]

Damn dude, that sucks. Guess we'll have to wait to see your masterpiece. Make sure to keep us appraised dude.

[ramsaur]

welcome dude! hope you can complete, would like to see what you rig up!

edit: well after reading the post, I'd still like to see what you rig up entering the fest or not.

[Mattykins]

Eh. It's for the better. I'll have a lot more time to work on it. I'll totally keep everyone in the loop on this one. I'll make a user film thread sometime next week as we get closer.

But it should still be a fun short.