Task 1 - Schedule

Schedule:

As seen above, I have created a Burn-down chart in order to display the goals of my work process and whether I achieved them or not. This allowed me to plan my work accordingly throughout the assignment process. It allows me to monitor my work progress, and if my work isn't on schedule, I can then readjust the Burn-down chart to cater to that change. I chose to use a Burn-down chart because of its easy to read nature and the fact it can easily be altered to accurately represent my production process and time-frame.

Task 2 - DADA and Sophie Research

Dada Art:

Dada was an art movement during the early 20th century. Its conception was a direct result of World War 1 due to artists wanting to break away for the artistic conventions of modern capitalist society. The creation of the name, is credited to an artist named Richard Huelsenbeck stabbing a knife into a dictionary, and the knife hitting the word Dada which translates "Hobby Horse". Dada is also known as "Anti Art", due to its lack of real purpose and its reliance on spontaneity for it's creation. Due to Dada's size, it is regarded as more of a movement opposed to simply an art form.

One of Hugo Ball's Dada art works.

A prominent Dada artist is Hugo Ball. He was a artist who was a prominent head of the movement and was married to another Dada artist called Emmy Hemming. His Dada work was completed over a 2 year time span. During this time, he also worked a a journalist for several publications and this work continued after he left the Dada movement. I based my own puppet on one if his works due to its design being easy to recreate and tweak via the Blender engine. He was the largest influence on my final design due to his puppets lack of complexity, which gave me inspiration for my puppets overall design.

Sophie Taeuber-Arp is another prominent Dada artist. She was most known for her puppets that adhered to the conventions of the Dada art movement. My animation will be based on her puppet art pieces. Her work in Dada started when she met a Dada artist Jean Arp in Zurich in 1915 which sparked her interest in the movement. Their meeting began a string of collaborations which ended in 1943 when she passed away. She was most known for her puppet work, which formed one of the most well known aspects of Dada. They vary in style for the most part, with the only similarities being that they are abstract, allowing them a place in the Dada movement. Her impact was so great on the movement and art in general that she is featured on Swiss banknotes specifically the 50 Franc Note. I used some of her work to research what design I would like to make for my Animation and I found her puppets to be a large influence on my final design.

Task 3 - 3D Animation Research

Animation within Video Games:

Animation is crucial to video games and the industry as a whole. An example of an animation in video games is the jump animation. This allows the character model to jump up which would influence the gameplay of their game either positively or negatively depending on the game. For example, as seen below, is the jumping animation in Halo 5: Guardians. This benefits the game, because the jumping animations allow the player to traverse the game environment and to avoid enemy attacks. One simple animation allows for a large change to the gameplay mechanics and how the player interacts with the game world and it's inhabitants.

The importance of animation to video games in explored in an article from Gamasutra, named "The Necessity Of Interactive Animations For Games". In this article, they state many different reasons for animations role within the games industry and the medium of gaming as a whole. Their first reason is that  animation can be used as communication ("Animation is Communication") between the player and the game world, via the player character and the NPC's interaction. Another point they made was that animation allows the player to understand the thoughts of an NPC via expressions. A well animated character doesn't have to have dialogue, in order to convey their thoughts and feelings.


Brainstorming:

Upon the completion of my Dada Puppets, I began working on extra animations, in order to expand my animation skill set. As seen below is the planning for my extra animation work.

Idea 1:

My first idea is of a hero that is contracted to kill great beast's and is sent on his hardest mission yet.

Overall Narrative:

Many years ago in a world older than the bones of the shattered earth, there lived a hero named Jarvik. A legendary hero known for decimating entire armies and removing governments from power  single-handedly. He had recently returned from hunting a dangerous beast and was satisfied with his kill. He thought that his work was done, but alas, it was not to be.

He had returned to his hometown to rest having slain the beast he was contracted to kill. Before he could rest, a prominent member of the town’s community Porick arrived with a task for Jarvick. Porick had his ancient ancestral sword stolen and was distraught. It was an ancient weapon and was used by his father and his father’s father before him. It had been wielded in ancient times by the great warrior Gandon the Blue at the battle of Skanick Crag. Jarvick agreed to retrieve this weapon for a price he found suitable. With his goal set and his money pouch slightly heavier than it had been before, he set off to the mountain range where the sword could be found. Upon arriving at a tomb in the mountains called Tanrick’s Rest, he went inside in search of the blade.

Upon entering this ancient tomb, the reanimated skeletons and zombified denizens of the tomb rose in an attempt to stop Jarvick from fulfilling his quest. He fought his way down the vast tomb killing the inhabitants and leaving nothing behind. He finally found the pedestal upon which the blade of old has been laid. Upon his hand making contact with the blade, the ground sank down and a vast beast rose from the depression where the pedestal once stood. The beast was humanoid in physicality and wielded a great sword which had serrated edges. Jarvick drew his blade and the battle began. The monster swung his great sword upon which Jarvick parried. Jarvick feigned an attack on the creatures left arm only to swing for the right, cutting it clean off. Enraged, the creature swung his blade once more, only for Jarvick to counter riposte and kill the creature. He grabbed the ancestral sword and was once again on his way. On his way back to his village, his path was blocked by a creature as tall as a tower and built like a tank. He had no choice but to kill it. He slew the great beast after many hours of combat and returned back to town. Upon arriving, he found Porick who thanked Jarvick profusely and retreated to his home. However, something was amiss. Jarvick rushed to Poricks house to find him, holding the sword and pointing it at his armour clad son. It had turned out that his son was entitled to the family sword due to reaching adulthood and in spite, Porick hid it in the ancient Fane of Tanrick’s rest. In anger at being deceived, Jarvick beat Porick into submission. Finally cowed, Porick apologised and gave his son his birth right. Jarvick’s task has been completed.

Idea 2:

My second idea is that a prison ship is boarded by criminals and are taken to be added to a large criminal empire.

Overall Narrative:

Due to increasing criminal activity, the galactic police force has cracked down on crime. As a result, many prison ships have been created to hold such a large influx of captured criminals. Such is the increase in criminal capture, that a large prison ship called the Vantage is created to hold the galaxy’s most dangerous criminals. Having gained Intel on this ship, the galaxy’s most feared crime lords conspire to take the ship and annex the captured criminals into their own personal empires. To do this, they have paid off half of the prison guard who are told to strike when the time is right. Their orders are very specific, free the prisoners from their holding cells, and help them fend off the other half of the prison guard. When all opposition has been defeated, they are to signal a pirate warship which will then arrive at the prison ship, and the prisoners and the guards will be picked up and transported to the capital pirate ship for debriefing. Upon the jobs completion they are promised riches beyond their most grandiose dreams and places within the crime lord’s empires upper hierarchies. The main story begins when the ship is in deep space and the corrupt guards begin their plot to take over. If their mission is a success, the crime lords will have the galaxy’s most dangerous criminals within their organisations, and as a result, the galaxy’s police force will be outmatched in every way and criminal activity will see a height of which has never been seen before.

The plot begins with the assembled captains of the prison guard journeying to the criminal stronghold of Darv Enrak. They have been summoned by the galaxy’s most prominent crime lords to discuss a lucrative job that will set them up for life. Upon arriving, they are led into a chamber where the lords are waiting. They reveal that they know of the Vantage’s existence and that they have an offer to make. Their empires of crime and deceit have been badly affected by the crackdown on crime and the Vantage holds the galaxy’s most dangerous criminals. If the criminals are to be set free and saved, they would be able to make up the work force of their empires allowing for the damage done to their wealth to be reversed. In return, they are to be paid 50 million credits each and will named among the high lords of the criminal empires. To complete this task, they are to dispatch all non-corrupt guards upon the ship and too then set the prisoners free. Once this done, a warship will be sent to pick them up and transport will be given to the capital ship. Once there, their pay will be given out and their new status of high lords will be given out.

Idea 3:

My third Idea is of a Dystopian City that is ruled by ancient families who's ancestry dates directly back to the Egyptian era and as such, culture is styled after the ancient Egyptian empires, however technology is futuristic with space travel being the norm.

Overall Narrative:

It is the 25th century, and world culture is based of the ancient Egyptian empire. This is due, to the ruling families being direct descendants of Cleopatra and her dynasty. Proud of their heritage and their ancestors impact on world history, they model society itself on Egyptian culture in order to increase their impact on world history and surpass Cleopatra herself. However, not everyone is happy with this emphasis on Egyptian culture. A group of rebels from different backgrounds decide that they want to overthrow the ruling families and restore freedom for all cultures. It begins one summer night when the head of the ruling families, visits London in order to enforce their rule there. They have been losing support from the other ruling families, and they need their resources to continue their world order. As such, the presence of the head families leader is required to keep the rabble in line. Learning of this visit, the rebels decide to assassinate the patriarch of the ruling family and ensure confusion within the upper classes ranks.

They begin by sending their best men into the house of lords, where the patriarch is presenting a speech to the assembled MP's. The assassins shoot the patriarch in the head, which instantly kills him. In retaliation, the bodyguards kill the assassins, but not before they send a signal to the other troops stationed in London, and upon hearing the patriarch is dead, they begin their attacks on the national military stationed there. Since there weapons are well in advance of ours, lasers and mechs are the norm in this type of conflict which leads to mass destruction of many buildings, reducing the majority of London to a smoking pile of rubble. Hearing about whats happened, the other members of the head family, send reinforcements which quickly eliminate the rebels. The 3D animation would follow this assault in greater detail.

Mood Board's:

Idea 1:

Idea 2:

Idea 3:

Task 4 - Puppet Build

To start my 3D animation, I found one of Sophie's puppets to serve as inspiration, and then based my own design off hers. As seen below, is the puppet that will inspire the design of my own animation. 

I chose this puppet, due to its humanoid shape and its interesting design despite its simplistic creation.

I began by creating the basic body for my animation, which I could use as a template to add more sophisticated design additions such as limbs, clothing or even equipment. My basic design is somewhat identical to Sophie's, however from this stage I plan to add more additions of my own.

Upon creating the basic body for the puppet, I began creating limbs for it as well and more advanced shapes for the body. As seen, I have given the puppet 4 arms which gives it an abstract design, which adheres to the principles of Dada. I have also added in a ring to the body, in add to the abstract nature of the animations design. 

With the animations overall shape added, I began applying coloured textures to the model. Adhering to the abstract nature of Dada, I gave my puppet a multitude of different colours giving it the abstract feel associated with the Dada movement. I did this by adding in textures and using the colour tab to alter the colour of different sections of my puppets body. I used a variety of colours for my puppet, because I felt it represented the abstract nature of the Dada movement.

Now that my puppets/characters had been completed, I then began work on more advanced animation, is this case, a space battle. To do this, I shall utilise Blender in order to create my animation. As seen below, are the screenshots of my animations construction process. 

This is the first texture for my space station textures. I aimed to create a different colour texture for each tower, in order to prevent repetition and give the tower a unique aesthetic design. This would allow for the space station to maintain its own identity in regards to its physical attributes allowing it to be differentiated from the other space stations that are planned to be added to the animation. As of writing, I plan to add more tower's, in order to give the space station a greater sense of scale. The goal of adding the textures to my towers, is to give the station a metallic physical appearance. 

The second tower Material.

The third tower Material

The Fourth Tower Material

The first station and space ship as seen in object mode. The goal is to eventually add multiple space stations, with a large fleet of space ships.

The first ship and space station as seen when using Cycles Render. As can be seen, the space station has been given colour, in order to give it a unique aesthetic feel and differentiate it from the other space station that are planned to be made.

A far off view of the space station, space ship, and the large background, which has been given a black texture, in order to make it look like a space vacuum.

A Robot Head I created as a side project, to be added to my main animation at a later date. I animated the robots mouth to change colour and then added an audio file over it, in order to give the robots the appearance of speaking.

As seen above, are the textures I used in order to create and change the colours for my robots mouth. I added a mix shader and then chose two diffuse sub-shaders. I used these to create my two colours and then used the Fac feature to change the colour per key-frame in order to produce the talking texture change.

Task 5 - Puppet Rig

Puppet Rigging

Upon the colours being added to my Puppet Animation, I began adding Bone Armatures to the limbs of the puppet, in order to give the puppet more complexity when animated. Bone Armatures were added to the arms, legs and head. Upon their creation, I entered pose mode in order to test the movement of the limbs and wire-frame mode, to adjust the armatures place within the limbs. I then gave the puppet a spine, should my animation call for more complexity. A spine would allow the puppet to fold if need be. I then extruded my bone armatures for the puppets limbs from the spine, in order to give the puppet a full skeleton. Once all the needed armatures were created, the bones were joined to the puppets body. This was made easier, by putting the bone into x-ray mode, which allowed me to see the bones, even in object mode. Upon all armatures being joined, the puppet rigging was complete. 

I added my first bone armature, which I then entered in pose mode and then rotated in order to test if  they would move properly for the animation process.

A spine was added, in order to extrude the bone armatures from, which would give the puppet a full spine. 

As can be seen, the rigging didn't go entirely to plan, which began to be sorted during the skinning process.

Puppet Skinning

Once the rigging of the puppet was complete, the puppets skinning began. The puppet has to have its vertex groups open. By doing so, a specific bone armature can be selected, and the part of the body its joined to can be seen via using the A key to select all joined parts of the body assigned to that armature. By doing this, the parts attached to a certain armature can be seen by the modeller, allowing for any parts not needed to be separated from that armature. As can be see below, this is the process I undertook in order to smooth out the animations for my puppet. 

In this screenshot, the body parts armature 12 are attached to, are highlighted via using the vertex group option of Blender. This can be used to unassign bone armatures from parts of the body that they should be attached to. This allows for smoother animations.

Task 6 - Storyboard

(*note) The colours of the arms are hard to see

In order to plan out my storyboard, I decided to create a storyboard to plan out the possible animations I could do. As seen below is the basic storyboard I created. I used PowerPoint to create my boxes and the stick figures within them. Due to the basic nature of Power Point, I was unable to provide a detailed model for each pose, so I settled for stick figures. I decided to aim for 5 separate animations for my puppet, should I have the time. The five animations I chose to aim for where walking, running, jumping, lunging and spinning as seen above. I felt that they were animations that ranged in complexity that I felt could accurately represent my experience with 3D animation. I created the storyboard, in order to give myself an idea of how I wish to animate my Dada puppet. I chose power-point to complete my story board, due to its easy to use nature.

Walking:

The first animation I chose for my storyboard was the walking animation. I chose this because the walking animation is arguably the most well known, and would demonstrate that I know how to complete basic animations. Also, puppets are generally made to walk in real life for various reasons, for example, if they were to be used in a play, they would be made to walk for the narrative.

Running: 

I chose running as my second animation due to it being a variation of running. This would allow me to complete this particular animation more quickly, due to the fact I can simply speed up the walking animation.

Jumping:

I chose this as my third animation because I felt jumping was the natural successor to walking and running. My puppets legs cannot bend due to their design, so I believe that the jumping animation would be much simpler than it would be normally.

Lunging:

I chose to start with more complex animation for my fourth one. I decided to go with lunging. I felt this would be appropriate due to the fact having four arms on my puppet will give it a better lunging animation and it may improve the complexity of my overall puppet animation.

Spinning:

I chose spinning for my final animation. I did this because that animation is easy to carry out and is complex enough to demonstrate my knowledge when it comes to 3D animation. It also will be bolstered by my puppets multiple limbs, will will fill out the screen and give the animation more depth.

Task 7 - Legal and Ethical

Legal and Ethical Issues:

In this section of my blog, I shall aim to highlight any Legal and Ethical issues that may be presented when creating my 3D animation.

If I am creating my animation, I have to be careful to avoid offending certain groups of people. Assets for an animation could offend if designed in a way that attack different cultures, races, ethnicity, religions etc. For example, if a character is being designed, they should not adhere to stereotypes. An example of this would be if I were to design an Italian character for an animation. If they had a high pitched voice, were constantly wearing a chefs outfit and made pasta jokes every other minute, it would be stereotypical and racist. The Ethics of the animation would be compromised and multiple ethical issues would arise.

If I were to implement such a stereotypical portrayal, this would create ethical issues.

Legally, an animation has to adhere to certain legal obligations. For example, copyright could come into play if assets within an animation copy other trademarked work. An example of this would be if I designed a model that was trade marked in order to animate, the owners of that brand could seek legal action to gain a part of any profit. This would be highly damaging to those who breached the copyright and this is best avoided at all costs due to the legal implications of copyright.

Copyright has to be adhered too, lest you want a legal battle you are not likely to win.