Project Changes

 Project Changes

Since starting this project I have re-evaluated my original idea and decided to make some adjustments. Looking at my idea I have come to the conclusion that researching and producing a piece of work that focuses on both body language for character design along with the idea to use modern and technical processes for stop motion production as well as stop motion distribution in VR would take longer than I have and would work independently as two separate briefs. I looked at both ideas and assessed which would work best for me and my ideas. 

While the idea of developing characters based on personalities and evaluating how they would move based on traits would produce some interesting pieces of character design it wouldn't allow me to focus on the technical aspects that interest me. For this reason I decided that the best thing for me to do would be to remove the body language and character element from the project. By removing this element it will allow me to focus solely on the technical aspect of how I will be able to use modern processes combined with traditional to produce practical work and then re-input the footage into a virtual environment. 

I began to look at areas I will need to research and started to produce a bullet point list that I can add to and then work my way through.

 

Things to research 

• 3DS Max - 3D software for making heads - learn to use.

• Maya - 3D software for making heads - learn to use.

• ZBrush - 3D software for making heads - continue to develop.

• Microsoft Maquette - 3D software for making heads in VR - learn to use.

• Adobe Medium - 3D software for making heads in VR - learn to use.

• 3D printers - what type of printer do I need, materials etc?

• Dragon frame - How to shoot stop motion footage in dragon frame for VR?

• Green screening - How would you green screen stop motion footage for VR?

• Head printing - How do I need to layout/ set up heads to be printed, what software do I need to use?

• Places to print heads - Can I get the heads printed at different locations? If so, where? Cost? Buy a printer?

• Professionals to contact - Different professionals I need to contact that work either by 3D printing puppet parts, people who work in VR, people who work in stop motion and VR.

• Photogrammetry - how do I need to shoot the footage? Software? Recap, Mesh room, Lidor, cameras?

• Armature supplies - where to source armatures for practice or making puppets?

I will continue to refine my idea, I have been considering dropping the idea of using 3D printing for puppet heads, as this is something that is already used in industry, and instead using a simple character rig to create animation footage. I could then concentrate solely on how stop motion can be implemented in a VR environment, this would allow me much more time to look at how I can capture stop motion footage and input it back into VR. This would then give me more time to look at how I could make the footage interactive. This would make my project much more cutting edge as it is something that hasn't been produced before. This comes with its own set of barriers as there will be little to no information about the topic available however if I can achieve it, it would also make my research more ground breaking in industry. This is something that as I continue to research for my project and through discussions with my tutors, I will decide if I will make this change. The only thing that is stopping me from changing my idea is that I would like to try producing 3D printed heads. I will talk to my tutors and peers over the next few weeks as well as evaluate the pros and cons to both to help make my decision about this.

Current and Future Animation Practice

Supervisor Meeting  

1. Question - Focus your enquiry.

Possible questions:

• How can VR be used in the creation and distribution of stop motion animation?
• How can modern technology and software be combined with traditional practical methods and processes to create a animated product?
• What quality can stop motion achieve in a VR environment?
• How can VR and stop motion animation be used to represent character traits?

2. Context - Define your field.

I am a traditional animator and stop motion puppet maker, investigating the use of modern technology and software in a traditional field. 

I am investigating the use of modern technology and VR in the field of stop motion animation, relating to the production of stop motion assets and also to the possibilities of production and distribution of stop motion films in VR. 

This project will look at the use of modern software's such as ZBrush, Maya and 3DS Max and use of VR with Adobe medium to sculpt and create 3D printed puppet heads, replacement faces and hands, combined with the traditional processes of puppet production, such as armature building, costume, casting etc.

The desired outcome of this project is to produce a practical stop motion character, that has been created using a mixture of  traditional processes combined with digital assets that have been 3D printed. The completed puppet will have been used to conduct test animations to ensure the character moves correctly and perform as desired. The captured test footage will then be experimented with to test the possibilities of re inputting the stop motion footage back into a VR environment.

The completed character will also look at the representation of characters and how background, traits and personalities can all affect characters body language, movements, appearance and presentation.

3. Method - How you’ll address your question in the context.

I will observe different people and the body language they use gathering data, I will make a selection of people and approach them to complete a questionnaire asking questions about personality, likes, dislikes, disabilities etc. This questionnaire and information will need to follow the universities ethics policies as well as UK data protection law. From this information, I will make sketches, or where appropriate take photos and videos to help me apply the body language they use to character puppets. I will make a selection of test shots using a plain armature and head to test the movements work, before producing the finished puppet. 

I will research stop motion animators and studios who use modern technology to produce elements of their work. I will attempt to make contact with such people and gather information about how the processes work and also the benefit or detriment they bring to the stop motion industry. I may also investigate the cross over between very technologically advanced studios, such as Laika compared to very traditional studios that value the handmade aesthetic like Aardman to gain a variation of opinion on the topic. 

I will research and learn how to use various 3D software packages to help me produce the practical elements in this project. I will continue to develop the skills i already have in software such as ZBrush, I will investigate software such as Maya, 3DS Max and Adobe Medium. I will use a combination of these software's to produce character heads and hands. I will also learn how to set these sculpts up to be 3D printed.

I will research different 3D printers available and what benefit each kind has, this could be things such as the materials they use of the efficacy and accessibility of the machines. After evaluating which machine is best for the work I need to produce I will explore where I can access the correct printer to produce my work.

I will then use this collected knowledge combined with my existing puppet making skills to produce a fully functioning stop motion puppet. I will produce a number of test shots for this puppet, applying the information I gathered about body language into the character.

I will also examine methods of capturing stop motion footage so that it can be re-applied to a VR environment. This is a relatively new area of investigation and is has a very limited pool of information. For this research I will need to approach studios who have began experimenting with this form of media. So far I have found an Isle of dogs behind the scenes VR video as well as the first VR stop motion film produced by Phil Tippett and Tippett studios. Phil is one of the professionals I will approach about my project to see if he would be willing to help or offer any information about this area. If I can sauce enough information about the processes required and can access the information, I will attempt to capture some stop motion footage that can be applied back into a VR environment. This captured footage could start as simply as collecting a 3D scan of the puppet and inputting the character into a VR painted environment, using apps such as tilt brush, or going as advanced to it been a VR/ stop motion video.  

I will conclude this research by evaluating the effectiveness of the process compared against the final product. I will also send the finished VR video to various stop motion and VR industry professionals with a questionnaire to collect information on others opinion of the finished product. All of this information combined will help me to determine the answer to my proposed question.

A list of professionals and other elements I need to begin to research:

• Phil Tippett - Mad Gods VR stop motion, approach and ask questions about how it was produced. 

• Wes Anderson's - Isle of Dogs behind the scenes, approach and ask questions about how it was produced.

• Laika - 3D printing heads, approach and ask questions about how they was produced.

• Character representations and body language - 

• 3D software - ZBrush (up skill), Maya (Learn), 3DS Max (Learn)

• VR software - Adobe Medium (Learn), Tilt Brush (importing 3D scans/ models) Making and importing videos/ animations. 

• Photogrammetry - How to capture the footage for a VR environment. 

• 3D printing - how to set up documents to print, different materials and printers and what they are best for. 

• 3D printers - location, access and cost of printers for me to use.

Initial Pitch

 Pitching my master's idea.

To begin undertaking my master’s degree, I first needed to present an initial pitch. This pitch is a rough overview of my starting point ideas of areas I will research and investigate throughout this course of study. 

 

My specialist area of interest is stop motion animation model making. This was an area I investigated and developed while studying my degree. For my master’s I want to push my research and testing in this area further and experiment with ways to combine traditional processes and techniques with modern technology. 

Speaker notes: The idea for my project is to use a mixture of modern technology combined with traditional processes to create a collection of stop motion puppets. 

Each puppet will be a unique character, with different personalities, quirks and appearance. I will investigate how a characters bio and backstory can affect the characters appearance and mannerisms. Will look at genders, religions, disabilities, ect 

The overall idea for my project is to look at the representation of characters in animation and how a character's backstory, personality and other traits affect their appearance, movements and mannerisms. To create these characters I will investigate the use of modern softwares such as ZBrush, 3DS Max, Maya and Adobe Medium for sculpting. I will also consider using technology such as VR headsets for digital sculpting and creation of assets. These will then be created physically using traditional materials and processes, combined with 3D printed elements, such as heads, replacement faces and hands. I will follow the production of the puppets by conducting animation tests, to test their range of movements and actions. These animation tests will not only see if the characters are developed and perform correctly, but they will also implement the character traits and bio information, to test if the representation of the character can be achieved and captured correctly. 

Speaker notes: Degree in animation, Teacher of animation, Specialise in stop motion puppets

Learn more about ZBrush, Learn Maya or 3DS Max, Learn more about VR animation and sculpting, Learn and source 3D printing 

In my first draft of the pitch for my idea, I would also like to consider the possibility of putting the captured stop motion animation back into a VR environment. Though with time considerations I am not sure if this is possible. This element of my intended project is something that I will need to lease with my subject specialist about. 

The idea for my project is a combination of my interests and area of study from my degree and job, combined with inspiration from watching stop motion content in VR. Such as the behind the scenes look at the Isle of Dogs and the stop motion VR experience by Tippett Studios, which is the world's first short animation VR experience, this was directed by Phil Tippett and is based on his Mad God experimental film series.

Speaker notes: The combination of digital with stop motion especially VR is very new.

VR is very clean cut, stop motion is not. The mix is going to produce some interesting pieces of work. 

The use of stop motion and VR is very new and offers a realistic, life-like quality that isn't often seen in VR environments, it goes against the traditional clean cut aesthetic of VR. I am interested in the combination of these two very different processes to not only investigate the link between traditional and modern processes in animation, but to also investigate a traditionally hands-on method of animation with a possible modern counterpart. As VR technology continues to advance it is possible that in future we would be able to animate in a fully virtual space.