Mark Johnson - "CHOW BABY"

Mark, maybe I missed it or just to lazy to go back and read the whole thread... but what programs are you using...

Can't wait to see the finished clip... or short... that is if you make it a wmv.... think I got that right file... been stuck in California on my sisters old pc...
 
Gary,

I'm using Studio Max and ElectricImage for my 3D animation. For move-matching footage I'll either use Boujou or SynthEyes. For compositing I'm using AfterEffects.
 
Really, this 3D stuff is awesome and just goes into a totally different dimension from what everybody else is doing! And I know that it takes A LOT of hard work and dedication to master all these tools! So, good luck and thanx for sharing!
 
One of the things that is so appealling to me about this project is the fact that it requires some serious corner-cutting and efficient use of time (not to mention tricks of the trade). If I had a serious bankroll and a stable of animators it would be no challenge to do some great 3D FX. However, this is your basic no-budget one-man project and I don't have the luxury of time or assistant animators. I love it. It's sort of akin to the whole indie spirit that so many people here are infected with. You gotta figure out how to tell your story without all the tools, time or help that the big boys play with. Sometimes, the integrity of the story with the talent and resourcefulness of the artist allows gold to really be spun from straw. When I saw Jack's "SHED" I stopped and had to sit down. There is more talent and soul in that little short than most of the crap that plays at my local multiplex. God bless talent and vision. There's a lot of both to be found here in this community and as far as I can see, the angel to a-hole index around here is very high indeed.
 
Mark, I got to stop by and give you some props! I just noticed this thread and I also noticed that your from San Jose too. If I would of known I could of dropped by and give you an extra hand. Good stuff and can't wait to see it!

We should collaborate one day.
 
Hey BlueSpider! Thanks for stopping by. Did you ever get a Northern Cali DVX/HVX group mobilized? I would love to hang with you any time, man. You come up with a project and you can count me and my equipment in on it.
 
Vislaw from my understanding render times are big, what's your take on this?
What is your workflow plan? Working with proxie renders and throwing the final render some days before the deadline?
 
You are correct, Steve, that render time is usually the major bottleneck in serious 3D effects work. I was reading an interview with John Knoll concerning CARS and he said that a couple scenes had render times in the neighborhood of several days even on their high-power workstations. At 24 frames per second that is a *****. The reality, though, is that there are a lot of work-arounds and ways to deal with the problem. I've got a small render farm of five machines and that helps, of course.

The biggest advantage comes from figuring out how to do the snake renders in ElectricImage. I'm able to get decent looking frames with render times down around 20 or 30 seconds that would be several minutes in Max. A lot of people in the FX community look down their nose at EI because they don't understand how to work it into their pipeline properly. In fact, speaking of John Knoll, I just noticed this quote of his that is on the EI web site: "Electric Image is my secret weapon. ... I regularly handle scenes with several million polygons and the new OpenGL performance improvements are really welcome." http://eitechnologygroup.com/

Finally, you are correct that it helps to do all of the setup as wire-frame or non-shadow/non-blur previews. I'm always impatient, though, and find myself sending files for final render simply because I just like to have that full-rendered frame to look at. On a 6-minute short I can stand the inefficiency. If this were a longer prodution it would be necessary to do all of the setup first and then send the final renders as batch files.

Thanks for the post and the interest in the project!

If you find the FX side of things interesting you might like to look at the WIP thread for Brandon's "Smuggler's Ransom" where I'm adding a helicopter and changing a daylight scene to night: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=64854&page=16
 
Thanks for the answer, I should check on Electric Image software. Your render-farm is a key factor in your project.
 
Hey Steve,

I plan to get to Cyprus and Greece next year. Maybe I can buy you a couple glasses of Ouzo when I'm there!
 
Greece? Hey I just saw Steve lives in Greece! Hey Mark, when you're down here, count me in on the little alcoholic exhibition you're planning!
 
your an amazing CG artist Vis, I would love to work with you on the live action Dragonball Z short I'm in development on now if your interested. ( I'm sure I could make it worth your while my friend )
 
Heh, Mark if it is your first time here you will be amazed. Thanks for the offer. Just start saving because things are expensive here!! :)

Greetings Versus-Gianni.
 
Thanks R.L.! I sent you a PM regarding your project.

Steve and VersuS: When I was in high school we hosted a Greek Cypriot exchange student for a year who has become part of the family. Tomas got his degree in Athens and has done very well as a developer on the island of Cyprus. For years he has been after me to come to Greece and after all the visits he's made here I really am overdue for a trip. Meeting you guys here is even more motivation to come over and I promise you that my plans will include getting together with you guys.
 
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