Week 4 - Greenlight Production Meeting

Agenda

-Updated Animatic show to Ryan & Borko

- By Week 6, we aim for all assets to be ready to go & ready for animation key framing
- By next week 3D animatic should be completed.

Task Distribution 

 Celine 

• Continuing on Scene 6 & 7 (Scenes with dragon)- To be completed and adjusted by next week
• Paint weights for whole of Lee rig (after Kai completes UVs)

  Kai 

• Adding details to Lee's hand & hair texture as there is a closeup shot for Lee typing on keyboard
• Taking colour script
• Cubicle lighting

 Bervyn

• Completed Dragon mesh UV, rig & some render tests  
• Shotgun assets updated, versioning  
• Panel drawings texture
• Mesh edits on environment
• Block Projectile & barrier (completed) 

 Zhi Fang

• Adjusting render layers & settings, lighting, tweaking textures & bevelling & adding more details to meshes in virtual world
• Will implement changes into the Final Virtual World environment.

Discussion

1.Character Amendments

• Removal of Avatar & Lee's goatee
  
• Removal of jacket yellow stripe from both characters   
• Adding of Frog Logo onto Lee's jacket texture
  

2. Lighting of Virtual World (edits to colour script first)

• The virtual world glow could start out as a neutral blue/green colour and turn orange or a warmer colour when the Block appears (to signify danger)
• The hanging lamps could be hidden as they have no current use,

3. The Dragon

• There is some issue with the Dragon rig being animated onto a curve,
  will check with Ryan

4. The Block projectiles

• The projectiles and the barrier will be made up of smaller blocks with a shading setting similar to the Block's.
• They will grow in reference to the Training Holograms in Catching Fire's Katniss scene.

4. Special effects 

• Made a list of special effects such as:
• Glove design
• Final Painting
• How the Block forms from paint
• Paint strokes

Remarks

• Will leave the previous old 2d things such as
  the grey artblock concept art, Lee and Avatar designs.
  
  
  

  
  
   

Week 3 - Greenlight Production Meeting

Agenda

-POC redone: Virtual World Environment and Avatar Model will be the new focus

-Virtual Environment textures will be updated and organised

-Avatar receives mesh update and rig fix
-Dragon design

Task Distribution 

 Celine 

• Continuing on 3D Layouts for Scene 5 and 6 (Avatar and brush only)
• Painting weights for ArtBlock (after UV adjustment)

 Kai 

• Adding details to Virtual World textures/UVs
• Adjusting lights and render look of V.W. environment

 Bervyn

• Modeling Dragon (Priority by Monday)
• Rough layouts in spare time,

 Zhi Fang

• Checking on V.W. Render and ensuring all textures load in for 3D layout use
• Bevel some edges of V.W. objects to make it less flat looking

Discussion

1. Script & Storyboard adjustments

• Action scenes with the new Dragon has been storyboarded out

2. Avatar update /consult/

•  Avatar's jacket clips into hand, assuming it is a paint weight issue.
  We will consult Ryan/Jim about this (Layouts is still possible in meantime)
• Avatar's shoes and glasses mesh were made sharper
• His eyes were given a slight iris colour gradient
• Lenses can be considered for glasses (with transparency)

3.  Rough Texture for Lee is completed /hiatus/

• Paint weights cannot be transferred from textured mesh to untextured mesh

4. Virtual World Environment 

• Reference/Panels designs confirmed and added into Virtual World (reference images: wiremesh drawings on panels will be textured on later)
• Some objects on Floating platform will be beveled to make it look less flat

5. Artblock Rendered look

• UVs are adjusted accordingly by Zhifang and Kai such that the size of numbers on the Block are not too big and flow downwards.
• Block and the body texture will be rendered separately

6. Work In Progress Tasks

• 3D Animatic (Celine)
  • Layout Scene 2, 3, 4 completed
• Rig Lasso is halfway done & Glove is in the midst of rigging
• (Glove rig put off until SFX is confirmed)
• Need to research on posters to add to cubicle /hiatus/
• Need to change lighting for cubicle room /hiatus
• Finalise texture for Artblock (colour)
• 2D cubicle design will be done AFTER 3D model lighting has been adjusted

Remarks

Will have weekly checkups on Virtual World / Avatar POC with Ryan and Borko

(contactable through email as well)

Special effects will be considered after fixes (around week 6 or later)

Including:
-Animated electricity in circuits of panels in V.W. done in after effects on an animation layer
-Reference panels/canvas to be rendered seperately so glow can be adjusted
-

• Note that renders will be split into Foreground, Midground and Animation/Characters (guided by Borko)
• This is so seperate adjusting of layers can be done (with VFX too) and saves time on rendering
• 1.Mental ray will render semi-realism with weathered textures
• 2.toon shader will be rendered separately

Week 2- Greenlight Production Meeting

Agenda

-Special effects help 

-New thumbnails & story adjustments 

-Confirmation of new character 

-Art Block design changes 

Task Distribution 

 Celine 

• Helps us with new thumbnails for story with updated fight scenes 
• Layouts still in progress
• Updating ShotGun
• Rigging Glove

 Kai 

• Currently doing Dragon designs
• Fixing 2D designs

 Bervyn

• Currently doing layouts
• Modelling Dragon
• Art Block colour is almost complete 

 Zhi Fang

• Currently doing texturing for Lee
• Finished Lee
• Will look at VW later on 

Discussion

1. Script & Storyboard adjustments

•  Currently still adjusting our action sequences 
• Thumbnails done by this week by Celine
• Gathered more references for action sequence 

2. Rigs have been checked 

•  Avatar's facial rig controls have been fixed 

3.  UVs for Lee are completed 

• Expressions complete
• Texturing in progress

4. Work In Progress Tasks

• 3D Animatic (Celine & Bervyn)
  • Layouts are completed till scene 2
• Rig Lasso is halfway done & Glove is in the midst of rigging 
• 3D virtual world panels yet to start
• Need to research on posters to add to cubicle 
• Need to change lighting for cubicle room
• New dragon designs by Kai 
• Research for new Artblock pixelised design & moving texture
• Testing of colours of Artblock 
• 2D cubicle design will be done AFTER 3D model lighting has been adjusted

Remarks

Will consult Borko and Ryan this Wednesday 

Week 1- Greenlight Production Meeting

Agenda

Green lit assets & work review 

We are happy that our project has been green lit! 

Xin Jie has left for intern & we have recruited Celine & Kai who will continue to help us with the production & adjustments in the pre-production aspects. Both of them are equally skilled in 3D, which will help us greatly in our team.

Task Distribution 

 Celine

• Helps us with fixing rigging problems in our existing meshes 
• Helps us with taking animation workload
• Helps us with visualizing & working on new thumbnails for storyboards  

 Kai

• Helps us with adjusting 2D concepts like poses, expressions, and the environment
• Helps us with texturing & adjusting meshes
• Helps us to improve design of our art block & making slight modifications 

As planned in our organization chart, we will adjust and take our roles accordingly. We have briefed our new members about our film concepts, story and everything in between. 

With their help, we were able to clarify some loopholes in our current story and they gave useful feedback in helping us improve it! 

Xin Jie has passed us his files like virtual world environments, Lee rig & mesh, the proof of concept, & poster design file.

Discussion

1. Script & Storyboard adjustments

•  We updated our script & had some scenes replaced with new ones such as our action sequences 
• Thumbnails done by this week by Celine 
• Storyboards by next Wednesday 
• 3D layout with the assets that we need , to be used as reference for colour script 
• Shot complexity and shotgun will be updated
• We decided to change the background canvases into panel screens so some modifications 
• Test for block glow & updated changes to design
• We managed to receive all the files from Xin Jie 
• Celine will check on Lee rig

2. Rigging(Celine & Bervyn)

• Avatar rig paint weights need to be adjusted (Bervyn)
•  Lee rig needs to be checked (Celine)

3.  2D/3D Assets (Kai & Zhi Fang)

• 2D assets poses halfway completed
• Expressions will aimed to be completed by this week

4. Pending tasks (Next Week Plan)

• 3D Animatic (Celine & Bervyn)
  • After thumbnails have been completed, we will move on to using our 3d assets and make layouts
  • Do layouts with Virtual world environment with updated assets in place
  • Facial control (optional)
• Rig Lasso & Glove (Bervyn)
• 3D virtual world panels new designs (ZhiFang & Kai)
•  Will work on tweaking Virtual world texturing & minor fixing cubicle meshes and textures (Zhi Fang & Kai)
• Research for new Artblock pixelised design 
• Research for silhouette action scene
• Print out character turnarounds & designs for workspace  
• 2D cubicle design will be done AFTER 3D model lighting has been adjusted

Remarks

Website has been updated with new members

Need to add new members to Shotgun plan

Aim for animation to start a week before school resumes

Tuesday to Friday Kai will be gone for vacation.

Week 19 - Production Meeting Minutes

Agenda

 Post Final Viva review

Discussion

1. Script

• Story creativity using brush,
• Could make use of brushes ability to draw out objects or creatures to help fight against the BLOCK
• Find a way to use the brush more than as a sword
• BLOCK's purpose
• Motive
• The way the BLOCK and AVATAR battles in relation to creativity
• Method of defeat
•  The way the Avatar uses the props could be more related to their actual use in photoshop

2. Animatic

• Follow Live Action's Timing /  Composition
• Transitions from world to world using the canvas zoom
• Use actual Assets and Lighting for 3D Animatic
• Be careful with the Props' lighting, not to overdo the glow.

3. Rigging / Concept Art

• LEE needs an improved facial rig, with more squash and stretchability
• Cubicle environment is too dark,
• Consider lighting in environment 

3.  2D Assets

• 2D assets (pose, expressions) need to be drawn again with more flexible poses
• keeping the designs more stylised and edgy.
• "Pear Ciders and Cigarettes"

4. Pending tasks

• Character Design sheets, poses expressions
• Shoebox for virtual world not detailed enough
• 3D Animatic timing
• Revise Script
• Rig Lasso and Glove
• Improve facial rig for LEE and AVATAR

Remarks

Two week holiday for all members

awaiting greenlight result of project

Will split project to work on our individual portfolios

Week 17 - Production Meeting Minutes

Agenda

Preparation for Final Viva

Discussion

1. 3AP Assignment 2

• Organisation chart complete, still needs polish and finishing touches
• Task list is completed
• WBS has been completed with feedback from Phil

2. Pitch Bible Progress

• Pitch Bible content to be discussed and completed on Saturday, as we still have not defined our clear goals and content to be presented
• Avatar body mesh has yet to be completely rigged and is currently in the process of getting it's texturing fixed
• Lee body not fully rigged yet, but will need to be for 3CR submission. However Lee will most likely not be fully sculpted and textured for final pitch.
• Lasso and Glove rigging will be abandoned, as we decided it's not necessary for our final pitch.
• Design pack content is currently still being worked on, we will use the 3D models from our final environments as proxies to complete the necessary drawings
• Prop drawings from the Virtual Environment still need to be coloured, office environment prop
• Poster currently being drafted up by Bervyn

3. Animatic Progress

• Eventually decided to create a 2D animatic using 3D proxies in the background instead of a full 3D animatic

• Virtual world interior is partially textured UV unwrapped, to be finished in time for 3EM deadline of 
• Office interior environment is completed, ready for presentation but not the final film.
• Rough layouts for the 2D animatic have been 

3. Proof of Concept Shot 

• Currently done in parallel by Bervyn, currently struggling to complete because of difficulties with weight painting and delay in texturing
• The environment texturing is also being completed in parallel
• Planning to simplify the shot, and have only 4 passses : Beauty, toon shader, AO, and Zdepth.

Remarks
3EM, PED and 3CR due this week
Bervyn and Xin Jie have Scholarships Award Ceremony this Friday, 12.30 until 4.30