To be completely cliche... HELP!

[Hannibleking]

Ok, first of all yes I am a novice when it comes to visual effects. My experience is that I have created models for games (as mods). So I have some expierence ,but I cannot do anything near the film worthy visual effects. But I just want to test myself to see if I can really do this. what im trying for is a large ufo/stardestroyer type thing hovering over a stock footage city(Dallas). So really I just need it to hover... wobble side to side, up and down a bit. Then if I can do that, to further test myself have it moving. To give you an idea of what I want said craft to do, take a look at Halo director Neill Blomkamp's short Alive in Joburg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNReejO7Zu8). So take out the cabels and thats basically what im going for. So any thoughts... comments on how I could go about this?

[Anhar Miah]

Sounds like a basic model composited to live footage, it sould be moderately easy to do.

(1) Get reference images of your object to be model (UFO)
(2) If possible draw up sketches of what your object will look like.
(3) Model it in what ever 3d application you feel comfortable with
(4) Make a short animation, if its a locked off Shot then your in luck since you will not need to camera match the footage, if the camera moves then you will need to use camera tracking software (or manually hand track)

Render in passes, if you have reflective materials then try use projection mapping (not sure my self on this one) and the usual methods of matching CG objects with real world scence (there is a bunch of tutorials on this topic out on the net, seacrh for them).

Then just composite in your compositor of choice AE, Combustion or Shake.

http://www.dbki.de/tutorials/eng/compositing/composit.htm

http://www.rethinkfx.com/tutorials/compmax.htm

http://www.digitalartform.com/archives/2005/10/compositing_pre.html

http://www.fx.clemson.edu/~erodrig/dpa/cpsc815/project3.htm (somewhat related)

[Gord.T]

If you have created models for games I do not see any problem at all. I know halo well. 1 & 2. I'ts just a matter of proper software. Please read around for software dowload suggestions as these have been posted in as recently as the past two days. There are also many tips flying around if you dig a little.
Bear in mind some people hesitate to respond when they are constantly repeating themselves. :) You'll be fine.

[Gord.T]

How did you make out Hannibleking? And yes you can do it no problem. Again it's just a software choice. If you need more info getting started please feel free to PM me. Be glad to help out.

[Hannibleking]

Well Ive been looking through diffrent modeling software. But I did find some reference photos and I've been working on some sketches. So ill see where it takes me. I say this with all ernesty when I say thanks for all the advice and encourging words. And yes I'm sure ill be bugging you with questions. Heres one refrence photo. http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g2/keyboard55/spaceship.jpg

[Rich Lee]

Another option...depending on the stock footage/platethat you will be using...

This could just be a painted element...the very first shot in the "alive in joberg" short could very have been a matte painted element...

Unless your going to have a ship that has a change in its perspective as it travels through frame...

why beat yourself up making it a 3d model? why not find some good images as reference and create yourself a nice little painted element in photoshop that can be comped in.

Just an option..again it all depends on your stock footage/plate.

[oneinfiniteloop]

Another option...depending on the stock footage/platethat you will be using...

This could just be a painted element...the very first shot in the "alive in joberg" short could very have been a matte painted element...

Unless your going to have a ship that has a change in its perspective as it travels through frame...

why beat yourself up making it a 3d model? why not find some good images as reference and create yourself a nice little painted element in photoshop that can be comped in.

Just an option..again it all depends on your stock footage/plate.

And to take this lovely tip one step further, if you need a slight camera move you can do some camera mapping/projection on the matte painting of the ship and background plate. It'll give it some depth and a sense of parallax, helping to further sell the shot.

[Hannibleking]

Ok, help time. I need a link if possible for a tutorial (for maya) on how to create a ufo. Nothing to complicated. Because ive been making a few basic models in maya trying to get the hang of it, and its taking a little longer than I thought but still it seems less and less daunting the more I mess around. Also it was probably obvious from the Alive in Joburg video that what I was going for was a spaceship more like this from the show V.http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/b/b3/V_Mothership.jpg

[Anhar Miah]

That could be done by simply starting of with a lathe function (use a photo shot at showing it side on) then simply make a spline that follows the contour then lathe.

After this you can go into the polygons and add more deatails where needed, then UV map more textures.

Learn to model not just to model "X" (X being the thing in question) because then you will learn only how to model that thing and not the actual skills needed to model in general.

[Gord.T]

I've always loved UFO's. Still buggin to do a short on that. When I first got the trial 3dsmax it was UFO baby. Spline and Lathe. The red wire mesh looked like a work of art. Wish I still had it. Was pretty proud. 2 hard drive crashes later it's all gone but man I love those things.

a.k.a how bout an update. What software are you using, where are you at so far...