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

Week 16 - Production Meeting Minutes

Agenda

Continuation from last week - preparation for animatic, and fixing Character Rigs, pitch bible presentation.

Discussion

1. 3AP Assignment 2

• 3AP documents almost completed for Assignment 2
• Currently updating our group's task list, in final stages
• Still need to touch up organisation and WBS charts

2. Props/Env/Characters progress

• Avatar body mesh complete, ready for rigging and UV unwrapping.
• Lee's rigging 90% done, to be submitted for 3CR ASG2, which will ensure it is done and ready for use by Wednesday.
• Lasso and Glove rigging still need to be done, and will be focused on by Bervyn.

3. Goal: Start the new animatic soon

• Finished first version of camera blocking last Friday, however still needs to be reviewed and tweaked after we put in our characters and props
• Aim to have characters and props rigged and ready for animatic by Friday
• Work on the pitch bible to establish the scale and size of all the assets, to allow our animatic to proceed this week

• Blocking for the new clock prop is completed
• Virtual world interior is adequately complete for animatic to proceed
• Animatic new 3D version aimed to be complete by the following Wednesday

2. Eye rigging in progress

• We have fixed the Artblock's Eye rigs, and they are ready to be put in the animatic.
• We still need to implement the solutions that we have tried to come up with into Avatar's eye rig, namely using controllers to animate the UVs, and using conventional 

Remarks
Advanced 3D animation ASG 2 due for Bervyn this Friday
New Assignment, 3EM next interior modelling due

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 13 - Production Meeting Minutes

Agenda

Review of progress for next week's Viva.

Discussion

1. Pending tasks to be completed

• ARTBLOCK to be Animated.
• AVATAR has to be Rigged, then Animated.
  (Topology to be fixed after Viva)
• LEE need to be re-topologized,
  incorrect edge loops were used during initial sculpt for animation,
  setting back progress to week 14.
• Rigging still needed for all of the props, will aim to have animated props done by following Viva.
• Environment progress for Office - Touched up on textures.
  Fixed UVs
  Will still need high-detail modelling to complete.
• Environment progress for Virtual Arena - still needs base mesh detailing to give a sense of scale.

2. Tasks that have been completed for Viva so far

• ARTBLOCK's Final Mesh is completed,
  Will have to paint weights before Animation.
• LEE's Base mesh is complete for Show,
  (further mesh retopo needed)

Remarks

PED Asg for Bervyn due this week

Facial Rig only can be done by week 14, not yet learned from 3CR