Shot Update

Modeling Update

Updated models and Textures, Still honing the narrative elements within scenes. Also, trying to figure out appealing foreground, middle ground, background aspects.

Current WIP

I've been trying to improve the themes and compositions of the pieces. Improving on themes like crime and authority. Building on new themes like poverty and consumerism. Also trying to develop better foreground/background aspects of each piece.

Improving Themes

Lately I have been trying to incorporate corporate themes that would stand out to the viewer. Some themes that are strong within these pieces are a sense of confinement while others could be a sense of authority like police officers or hints of crime. Some of these details could be graffiti on the walls, security cameras, bars on windows, and some more defining theme details.

Texture Progress

Changed the original texture pack I was going with. I thought it was too consistent and not grungy enough so I went with more of some modern day textures so it looks like people just built over the old technology. Here is the progress so far with the textures, still working on them but this was just a text so see what materials worked with what objects. Some models aren't as detaield yet so some are still in earlier stages. Next update will have more progress with the modeling and the lighting.

Renderer

So I decided I will render these cinemagraphs in mentalRay. The lighting and shadows are still place holder with colors and angles, but as of now I'm just texturing and bringing in the models into each scene. Here is a progress shot of the alleyway.

The shadows are still too dense and very hard but for now everything is still being tested out compositionally.

Modeling and Texturing

Recent work has been modeling assets for each of the cinemagraphs. I'm trying to go for very geometric or smooth shapes for the overall style of the models. The texture style is going to be very mechanical with a layer of age and grunge too it. Here are some models I have been working on.

Cyberpunk Cinemagraphs

I decided to change my thesis direction and focus more on environment design. With this new direction I've decided I want to create three cyberpunk styled cinemagraphs that will each have they're own unique setting and animations. 

A cinemagraph is essentially a still image that has looping animations within it. These animations can be as simple as wind blowing through hair or a car passing by. I feel that these animations added to the still images add another spectrum of interest within the image itself.

So far I've been playing with the what the lighting might look like within the scene and how it will blend with the other colors like other lighting, 3D models, textures, etc. The models are still very simplified within the scene and these tests are mainly for lighting tests mostly.

Garage

Alley

Subway

I've decided that I want to produce these shot within Maya. The rendered is still being decided on, but the options I'm considering are Arnold, iRay, or mentalRay.

Thesis Update 1#

Thesis so far has been hectic but progressive nonetheless. The plan is to create characters, maps, and UI elements for an Unreal 4 fighting game template. The number of characters I’m thinking of creating will most likely be 3. The number of stages that you can play on would be two. I roughed out a condensed version of the narrative for a quick story pitch. Here it is,

A retired war veteran sets out to find peace within himself by revisiting the locations of the war that he participated in took place. Not only does he encounter familiar faces of the past, he is also confronted by himself from a distant future; warning him of the potential dangers to come.

Game’s to take inspiration from would have to be Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Tekken, Soul Caliber, Killer Instinct. I want this project to emphasis on character and environment design.

Thesis so far has been hectic but progressive nonetheless. The plan is to create characters, maps, and UI elements for an Unreal 4 fighting game template. The number of characters I’m thinking of creating will most likely be 3. The number of stages that you can play on would be two. I roughed out a condensed version of the narrative for a quick story pitch. Here it is,

A retired war veteran sets out to find peace within himself by revisiting the locations of the war that he participated in took place. Not only does he encounter familiar faces of the past, he is also confronted by himself from a distant future; warning him of the potential dangers to come.

Game’s to take inspiration from would have to be Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Tekken, Soul Caliber, Killer Instinct. I want this project to emphasis on character and environment design.

Thesis Ideas

Unreal Game

A traversable 3D level with game mechanics including a type of card game or find item quest. I plan to make custom textures, models, and U4 scripts. The models would be optimized for lightmaps, normals, and speculars. UE4 scripts would consist of a main menu containing a start game button, settings button with display options, and An exit game button. Other scripts would be minimap, in-game pause/settings, first person/third person camera, script animations, camera matinee, etc. Maybe also contain simple narrative to follow game objective.

• Modeling to be done in Maya
• Texturing will be done in Photoshop / Substance Painter
• Planned to be developed within the Unreal 4 Engine

The style I’m looking to achieve leans more towards realism within the materials, lighting, and model detail. The genre stylization will probably derive from a post-apocalyptic western sci-fi influence. The narrative and challenge of the game would be the player trying to pay off a debt by gambling the rest of his money before the night ends.

Mini 3D Animated Pilot Intro

This would be a 3D short, with animations that the character will do like the body language during a conversation(pointing, shrugging, etc). The character would be modeled, textured and rigging for these animations. There is a narrative and dialog but I’m trying to work towards making them simpler for the audience to grasp. There is a scene to be modeled but it will be fairly minimal since the main focus is the character. This would either be rendered in Unreal Engine 4 or Maya. The short would probably be in the 1 in half or 2 minute range.

• Modeling to be done in Maya
• Texturing will be done in Photoshop
• Planned to be rendered in MentalRay/Unreal 4

The style I’m looking to achieve leans more towards realism within the materials, lighting, and model detail. The genre stylization will probably derive from a post-apocalyptic western sci-fi influence. The narrative would consist of the character’s future and past self arguing over right and wrong decisions.

Interactable 3D Character Display

A 3D display of an animated character with display options that can be toggled through an overlying menu. The options will change the display of the character in ways such as switching to view normals maps, level of grunge map, lambert material,  model edge flow, etc. The character will be fairly high poly, containing multiple high quality maps. It would also be rigged, designed, and animated for a breathing/idle stance. Sculpting might be also involved in the character’s maps and model. The model will be a mixture of hard surfaces, organic/cloth surfaces, and perhaps subsurface scattering material.

• Modeling and sculpting to be done in Maya & ZBrush
• Texturing will be done in Photoshop / Substance Painter
• Will most likely be developed within the Unreal 4 Engine

The style I’m looking to achieve leans more towards realism within the materials, lighting, and model detail. The genre stylization will probably derive from a post-apocalyptic western sci-fi influence.

Welcome to my senior thesis blog. I'll be posting updates about my thesis on this blog weekly so stay tuned!