Week 15 - Production Meeting Minutes

Agenda

Preparation for animatic, and fixing Character Rigs.

Discussion

1. Shotgun Updates

• Looking through Production Bible requirements. 
• Animatic- Went through each and every shot as a group, all members were present. Shots were updated on shotgun, new assets were added 
• Shotgun versions and animatic and schedules have been updated.
• Group Organisation Chart/ WBS in progress
• Budget and Production Metrics excel sheet
• Classifying the shots according to their complexity, planning 

2. Props/Env/Characters progress

• Wacom pen and tablet completed 
• Brush prop has been rigged 
• Avatar body mesh has been retopologised, currently working on face and hair.
• Lee's face rigging currently in progress, mesh is confirmed.

2. Goal: Start the new animatic soon

• Cubicle layouts have been confirmed for animatic 
• Begin texturing and lighting the environments.

4. Pending tasks : New props and the rigging of old props.

• The glove and lasso need to be rigged and ready for use by the character.
• Character sculpt for Lee, rig to be fixed.
• Rigging Avatar, continue working on hair and face mesh 
• Setting up cameras in 3d environment (Layout for animatic)
• Blocking for the clock on Lee's desk
• Virtual world interior needs to be completed.
• New Avatar mesh needs to repaint weights for rigging 

2. Eye rigging in progress

• We are still have difficulties in finding a suitable method to rig the main character the AVATAR, which will need to be done urgently.
• We have problems with the eye rig of the block as we tried using a texture, but failed to make it work. Alternate method we are trying is animating the UVs instead.
• Currently consulting Ryan's Feedback and help for rigging Avatar's eyes

Remarks

Environments for 3EM have been completed this week, we should keep on track and start on the animatic soon with all assets fixed and ready.

Week 14 - Production Meeting Minutes

Agenda

Post-viva analysis and preparation for animatic.

Discussion

1. Post-Viva Feedback

• Avatar body mesh needs to be improved, currently the topology is very messy and strange. Will have to retopologize the mesh.
• Animation tests - we need to continue working on the Avatar's rigging in order for it to deform properly. Feet, knees, shoulders and elbows have problems related to rigging as well, with joints placed in the wrong places.
• Animatic feedback - Live action animatic is edited well, but 2D animatic still feels necessary to the supervisors as they feel it will be too difficult to go straight to a 3D animatic. Also, concerns that the Live action animatic differs too greatly in terms of the location and scale to the 2D animatic.
• 2D animatic's red colours look too much like blood again - will need to be changed into multicolours or just become a black ink splotch.
• However we will go ahead with producing the animatic in full 3D - we feel it will take less time and effort to create proper characters rigs and environments than mixing 3D and 2D together as our 2D abilities are limited.
• Environment feedback - Virtual world interior is fine but still needs more details to fully give the environment a sense of human scale. More human-scaled props are needed.
• Office cubicle environment - raised some concerns about the Lee character not fitting in to the environment, as the environment looks highly realistic in comparison to the character. 

2. Goal: Start the new animatic by this week, Saturday.

• Create rigged, movable and animate-able characters to be used in the 3D animatic.
• Begin texturing and lighting the environments.

4. Pending tasks : New props and the rigging of old props.

• We realised that we needed a new prop, which is the tablet pen that Lee picks up to use in the first few shots of the film.
• The brush, glove, and lasso need to be rigged and ready for use by the character.

4. Eye rigging in progress

• Managed to get a basic, solid eye to be rigged for a cartoonish character.
• The eye is a flat plane and is very basic, which is enough for out ArtBlock character's eyes to express themselves.
• However we still have difficulties in finding a suitable method to rig the main character the AVATAR, which will need to be done urgently.
• Consult Ryan earliest by tomorrow about rigging the eye in a proper manner.

Remarks

Environments for 3EM need to be urgently completed this week, might be difficult to complete what we need for the animatic in time.

Week 11 - Production Meeting Minutes

Agenda

Review of in-progress and completed tasks for supervisor consultation and feedback

Discussion

1.Backlog of many tasks (Artblock re-design, Shotgun integration, Lee and Avatar character Rigs need to be fixed, Environment Modelling) 

• During CPD on Tuesday, spend time to design and model the Artblock. Aim to complete a concrete design by tomorrow.
• 3AP ASG 2 to be done by Bervyn for now. Shotgun schedule will also be redone by Bervyn to be more presentable during our upcoming Viva. Detailed planning will be done until the Final Viva.
•  For the AVATAR character rig, Zhifang just needs more time to readjust and reassemble to suit the new character design.
• LEE character mesh needed to completed by Xin Jie, to be finished by this week.
• Virtual Arena Environment modelling to be started on by Xin Jie.

2. Discuss and seek feedback (Live action animatic, Rigging and Character/Environment Meshes)

• During CPD consult teachers on how the live action animatic turned out, before finalising and starting on the finalised animatic.
• Xin Jie to ask and consult Jim tomorrow about broken IK arm rig for LEE character, and quickly find a fix.
• Zhifang will need to consult Jim on how to re-assemble the rig for the new character design. 

3. Glove prop 3D mesh incomplete

• Start glove design from scratch, keep it simple and new.

4. Goal :  to start the animation tests and updated animatic by next week.

• Walk cycle of AVATAR test animation to be completed by next week. 
• Eventually completing Sitting animation for LEE, and Punching animation for ARTBLOCK.
• We will need fixed character body rigs, for the AVATAR character first.
• Basemesh of AVATAR character to be fixed by next week, as soon as the rig is finished.
• Animatic to be updated next week according to the feedback used from the live animatic.

Remarks

Produciton meeting day changed to Monday

Tasks Accomplished

Live action animatic, waiting for feedback

Lasso asset completed in final

Brush asset almost done, still needs to be UV'd and textured

Block character has been started on

Basic AVATAR mesh

Basic LEE mesh

LEE face-sculpting has begun

To-do

- AVATAR and LEE Rig to be urgently fixed

- Rig for the ARTBLOCK to be created

- Basemeshes for LEE and ARTBLOCK to be completed

- Environment basemesh for Virtual world to be started

- Revised Animatic to be completed

- Prop GLOVE to be modelled

- UV and texturing (LEE, ARTBLOCK, AVATAR, VIRTUAL env, VIRTUAL ext. env, OFFICE env, BRUSH prop, GLOVE prop)

Week 7 - Production Meeting

Tasks Accomplished

Completed updated character design

Created Lasso and Brush in Maya
Revised environment sketches done

Slight changes to the script  

To-do

- Script and story  
More clarity in showing that he is an artist at work. 

Ending feels a little cheapDo the actions of the art block clearly show it's intentions, and convey our message clearly? 

- Research
Compile reference pictures for particle effects and environmental effects into a reference reel

-Shot List is needed for live action video 

- Characters Design

Artblock (doesn't necessarily fit in with the environment and theme)

Colour tests with the environment

- Prop Design
Hand tool needs to be confirmed, simpler design

- Environmental 

Continue to create more sketches  

Week 6 - Production Meeting

Tasks Accomplished

Passed the first milestone
Completed first draft of animatic
Prop Designs completed
 Cubicle confirmed 
 

 

To-do

- Script and story 
 More clarity in showing that he is an artist at work. 
Change how the hand tool functions and works, make all tools consistently "futuristic" or "primitive"
Do the actions of the art block clearly show it's intentions, and convey our message clearly? 


- Characters Design

Revise character designs for Avatar (looks too similar to Lee in real life)

Aftblock (doesn't necessarily fit in with the environment and theme)

- Prop Design
Hand tool and the brush tool are out of place, seem to function wildly differently
Virtual world props should also emphasize the setting.

- Environmental sketches                        

Current world too abstract, need elements that help with lighting (pockets of light) 
Looks either more like photoshop (more windows, dialog boxes), or more imaginative (more fantastical, striking elements)

Week 5 - Production Meeting

Tasks Accomplished

Finalized Environmental Sketches

Confirmed Art Block Design

Finished rough of Expressions and Poses

Scale Comparison and Props Confirmed

Rough Storyboard (with timing and audio list) completed

To-do

Prepare slides for Presentation

Update progress on Shotgun

(Shotlist - optional after revision of Animatic)

Complete Storyboard                              (Done by Xin Jie)

Fit storyboards into Animatic                    (Done by Bervyn)

- Character Design

Complete Line and Colour of Poses and Expressions.       (Done by Bervyn/Zhi Fang)

- Prop Design

Virtual world prop design turnarounds                            (Done by Zhi Fang)

by 22/5/15

*(consult teachers on new designs, scale comparison)

- Environmental sketches                        

Colour schemes to be confirmed  (Done by Zhi Fang)

by 19/5/15

Slides Preparations for Presentation  -  Week 6

Schedule Updates on websites 

Week 4 - Production Meeting Minutes

Tasks Accomplished

Redone script, completed first pass of storyboards

Character Turnarounds complete

Environment shoebox view completed - Virtual World and Office Interior

Studio Interior Props sketched out

To-do

- Characters Design

Art Block final design                                      (Done by Xin Jie)

Rough out facial expressions and poses        (Done by Bervyn)

by 19/5/16

*(consult teachers on new designs, scale comparison)

- Prop Design
 Painter "Weapon" designs                               (Done by Xin Jie)

Virtual world prop design                              (Done by Zhi Fang)

by 17/5/15

*(consult teachers on new designs, scale comparison)

- Begin Animatic

 Redone storyboard roughs with new script / Begin editing with props  (Done by Bervyn)
by 18/5/15

- Environmental sketches                        

Colour schemes to be confirmed  (Done by Zhi Fang)

by 19/5/15

Week 3 - Production Meeting Minutes

Tasks Accomplished

Draft of script 95%, Character, Environment, and Prop designs needed to fully complete Draft

Blocked out Office environment in Maya

Main Character Design, Avatar Character basic design confirmed

To-do

- Characters Design

Art Block final design                                      (Done by Xin Jie)

Rough out facial expressions and poses        (Done by Bervyn)

by 13/5/16

*(consult teachers on new designs, scale comparison)

- Prop Design
 Painter "Weapon" designs                               (Done by Xin Jie)

Studio Interior prop design                              (Done by Zhi Fang)

by 10/5/15

- Begin Animatic

First storyboard pass of all shots                    (Done by Bervyn)

by 7/5/16

- Environment Blocking in 3D

Studio Interior further 3D blocking                  (Done by Zhi Fang)

Studio Exterior sketches

by 13/5/16

- Environmental sketches                        

Imaginary Photoshop environment sketches  (Done by Xin Jie)

by 9/5/15

- Cubicle Decorations (3AP)                          (All members)

Week 2 - Production Meeting

Tasks Accomplished

-Approval gained from supervisors for Deadline idea

-Used Shotgun (creating shot lists and asset lists)

-Storybeats for first draft confirmed 

-Confirmed design for Main Character (Lee)

-Recieved feedback for Environment Design from Karen

-Completed lighting and composition tests for first few shots

To-do

- Draft of script by 3/5/16  (Done by Bervyn)

*(seek feedback for Script by the end of Week 3)

- Characters Design (Sketches)

Avatar x1        (Done by Xin Jie)

by 29/4/16

*(seek Jim's approval for before Modeling 3CR)

- Environments, Rough Blocking in 3D   (Done by Zhi Fang)

Studio Environment

*(note 3EM requires outdoor environment)

- Environmental sketches   (Done by Xin Jie)

External studio environment

Imaginary Photoshop environment 

- Cubicle Decorations (3AP)  (All members)