Storyboard

Projected Timeline for next semester

Sean and I started modelling our cars around late October. We are still working on completing them and hope to finish early January. 


Dec 7-Jan 1: texturing and finishing models

Jan 2-Mar 2: Animating scene

Mar 3- Mar 10: Lighting scene and final touches

Mar 11- Apr 11: Rendering

Progress and Current State

This is the progress I made so far with the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution model I started making. I am using Autodesk Maya. There are many kinks I need to work out; I need to finish the headlights, the front grill, taillights, windows, fix the door handles, etc. I will then focus on texturing and rigging the car. Once I feel like the car is complete, I will focus on other tasks we need to complete for our animation, such as the environment and props.

I am happy with the progress I have made so far this semester. I started making the model late since I was originally going to work on a different project, so I had to catch up. I had to learn how to put a dip in the car's door and give it realistic curvature on the fly, and I feel like I have completed that to an extent. I just need to smooth out some jagged edges more and it will turn out better. I decided to model parts of the car separately, like the doors, hood, and back of the car. Sean and I have completed a lot of work during this semester, and we plan to complete our cars over winter break. We will try to start the environments, props, and rigging early so we can finish rendering the animation in time.

Abstract/Proposal

For the senior project, Sean and I have decided to create an animation using the two cars that we are in the process of modelling. Previously, we were going to use three.js to create a racing game on a web browser, but realized that there is not enough support for it yet. Because of this, there were too many obstacles that would prevent us from utilizing the full potential of the script, and we would have extreme difficulty completing the project in time. Therefore, we decided to create a highly detailed animation involving two cars in a race.

Story so far
Two cars, a Subaru BRZ and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution speed down the street. They weave in and out dodging precarious obstacles, while attempting to take the lead in a dangerous life or death race. The camera zooms out to show that there is a squad of police cars following right behind them. The Subaru and Mitsubishi drift through tight turns on the narrow road. The camera then zooms in to the sight ahead of them; a drawbridge that connects to the city is rising. The camera then zooms back to the cars. The Subaru and Mitsubishi kick it up a gear realizing that their chance to escape the police is diminishing. The two sides of the bridge are almost at a 45 degree angle, making this escape seemingly impossible. The Subaru and Mitsubishi accelerate on the bridge and leave solid ground; they are literally flying over the gap. At this point, everything is in slow motion, as the camera rotates around the two cars. The camera looks at the other end of the bridge that is slowly rising. Then time goes back to normal; sparks fly as the two cars land on solid ground. The police tailing them screech to a halt before the raised drawbridge. The Subaru and Mitsubishi drive off into the city.

Review of Literature

These are great examples of car modeling and animation. I definitely hope to attain this level of realism. I will also rig my car model so it has realistic movement. Our project aims to surpass these animations through our fast paced racing scenes. We plan to use difference camera angles to try to give an 'action movie' feel. Also the animation will be much longer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeTUcj04zB0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3BYN5Ns5PI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TlljjlwRvc


These sources will help us with our camera angles.

http://courses.iddl.vt.edu/DEDCM001/sa/05saangle.html

http://www.videomaker.com/video/watch/tips-and-techniques/531-camera-shots-tricks-deceptive-angles-and-zolly-shooting

http://www.videomaker.com/article/9788-using-camera-angles-like-a-pro


I received my reference images from this site.

http://carblueprints.info/eng/view/mitsubishi/mitsubishi-lancer-evo-9


I believe this website will be useful for environment/level design for the racing game.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134845/a_rational_approach_to_racing_game_.php?print=1


I am not too familiar with three.js, but I will need to learn how to transport my models into the game.

http://threejs.org


I was looking at other three.js games that were created already. There is a futuristic racing game, a rally car racing game, and a custom car visualizer. Looking at these games will definitely give me a good base to work off of. Our game will also distinguish itself from these since we plan to include multiplayer.

http://hexgl.bkcore.com

https://triggerrally.com

http://carvisualizer.plus360degrees.com/threejs/


This gives me a look at how Pixar approaches environment design. The thought process behind the world creation is amazing. I aspire to make my environments as detailed and thoughtful.

http://www.pixar.com/behind_the_scenes/World-Building#


I was looking more into multiplayer games. I found one game called Real Racing 3, which uses asynchronous multiplayer, which I find to be very interesting. Asynchronous multiplayer allows a player to race a ghost run uploaded by another player. In other words, even if a player does not have an immediate player to race against, he can race against the 'ghost' of another player. On top of that, the car models are visually appealing. It gives the player a sense that they are driving a real car.

http://www.polygon.com/2013/2/15/3989990/real-racing-3-preview-time-shifted-multiplayer-tech

http://www.whatgamesare.com/2011/08/synchronous-or-asynchronous-definitions.html

http://www.indieflashblog.com/how-to-create-an-asynchronous-multiplayer-game.html

Change of Plans

I decided to change my focus for the Senior project. I am now in a group with Sean Piersanti.  He is working with three.js, which I think is very interesting. My main focus is still on creating 3D models and environments. However, with three.js, my creations can be directly controlled by a user. We are making a racing game using these 3D models and environments. I am currently working on a 3D car model and will rig it so it can be used in three.js. I am aiming for realism, so I chose to use blueprints of a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution as a reference.

Sample of Story

Frog realizes his friend is missing from the pond. He notices nearby land is changing; roads are being built, and there is a giant building in the distance.

Frog decides to explore this new area, he tries to cross the roads but is almost hit by futuristic cars. He barely makes it across. He takes a deep breath and smokes a cigarette. "I'm getting too old for this."

Frog enters the building, and is awestruck. It is huge, with machinery and contraptions of all kinds.

As he is exploring, Frog bumps into a metallic object. Frog turns around and finds out he just woke up a robot! Frog runs, and Robot follows.

Frog escapes, and is hiding behind a column, thinking he lost the Robot. "Phew." Frog takes out a cigarette, out of nowhere, Robot reaches over and takes the cigarette. Robot was behind Frog the whole time. Frog struggles to get it back while Robot holds it out of his reach. Frog jumps and tackles the Robot. They set off an alarm.

Future Plans

There are a few main categories I will focus on for my project:

A Concrete Story
I plan to have a story set in stone very soon. There are some kinks I have to work out. I have to make a compelling reason why my frog finds his way in a sci-fi environment, and how he interacts with the robot.

Sketching reference images
 I am unskilled in drawing, but I will need reference images for any future models I may include in my work. I might look at other concept art, and make my own innovations on these drawings.

 Modelling Sci Fi environment and Props
I want to create a futuristic/robotic area for the robot and frog to explore in. It will definitely test my skills in modeling since I have no prior experience in creating 3d worlds.

Dialogue and/or characterization
This follows my story objective. I plan to make a humorous, imaginative adventure. To accomplish this, I need excellent dialogue. I also need my characters to have a lot of personality in their movements.

Music
I plan to compose musical themes for my animation. I plan on using various synthesizer instruments on Logic Pro to complement my sci-fi environment.

Review of Literature

http://www.pixar.com/behind_the_scenes/World-Building#

This gives me a look at how Pixar approaches environment design. The thought process behind the world creation is amazing. I aspire to make my environments as detailed and thoughtful.

http://www.pixar.com/behind_the_scenes/Character-Design#

Pixar is famous for creating amazing characters. Going through several sketches of a character is not uncommon. I may end up modeling and rigging a new character for my project, so I will probably go through a similar process.

http://www.pixar.com/behind_the_scenes/Tractors-and-Cows

I feel that a cartoon appearance would compliment humor. Using this example, maybe I can take two different items and 'fuse' them to make a silly, but still functional prop. This can apply for any new characters I make as well.

http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/insidedwa/productionprocess

I went to the Dreamworks animation site and looked up their production process. I may incorporate voice work in my animation. Dreamworks first records the voices, then animates based on the voice actors' mannerisms. They use these movements as reference for the actual animation.

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1665008/the-inside-story-5-secrets-to-pixar-s-success

Although these ideas are mostly intended for a team, I still found them to be useful. I especially found advice #3 helpful. Since my animation will be story driven, I am sure that there will be some points that may be confusing to people. I have to understand why they don't get it rather than overhauling the whole thing.

https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/monro.html

Since I am going for humor in my animation, I decided to look up the theory behind comedy. I believe each of the three theories explained in this webpage will help me choose the style of comedy I am looking for.

http://thelaughbutton.com/features/animation-standup-comedy/

The animation style is different in this example, but I want to somehow incorporate similar punchlines into my work.

http://azurestorm.wix.com/alexsutcliffe#!portfolio/c1han

The underwater environment is amazing. The use of lighting gives the environment a very futuristic feel. The mechs also add to the mechanical environment.

http://sharkswithjetpacks.blogspot.com/

I liked this animator's work. He is adept at creating highly detailed sci-fi objects and environments. I am going for a 'cartoon' aesthetic so I probably will not create props at this high detail. However, this gave me many ideas, especially for robotics.

http://area.autodesk.com/showcase/images/scifi_environment

What I liked in these pictures were the Tron car models. I hope to model futuristic vehicles for my project to fit into the sci fi environment. Also, they fit into a section of the story I have in mind.

http://www.creativecrash.com/maya/tutorials/animating/c/page-turn-animation

I think it would be interesting if my animation was contained in a storybook. If I do go down this path, I think this tutorial may prove useful in the future. I hope to make it so the user can flip the page to the next scenario.

The Color of Magic Terry by Terry Pratchett

I only read a couple of the first pages in this book, but what I read was witty and imaginative. The fantasy setting is intriguing, and the characters have a lot of personality. I want my story to have a similar charm as this.

My Project Path

Last semester, I created and rigged a frog model. I intend to use this model in my project. I was thinking of ways I could incorporate a frog into a story. I first thought of doing something similar to Aesop's fables, since many stories involve frogs. I was thinking of doing a humorous spinoff with the "tortoise and the hare" story, in which the frog would somehow interfere with the race. I also thought of incorporating ideas from the video game "Frogger" into my animation.

I was looking up other animators' works and saw breathtaking environmental modeling. I had never focused on environment in any of my animations. I saw a lot of sci-fi inspired environments and thats when I decided I wanted to make one myself. Luckily, I have a robot model that I created and rigged in my arsenal. I thought to myself, "Maybe it would be interesting to put the frog and the robot into a sci-fi environment and make them interact somehow." The frog would be in a strange land; this contrast will make it interesting. I am planning to make a 'robot factory' environment. The frog will wander into here and meet the robot.

                                                

I am planning to make a humorous story with the frog and robot characters. It will be interesting, since both of my characters lack mouths. In terms of presentation, I was thinking of doing a storybook presentation, similar to how some movies like Shrek start. I will have to research how people present stories and comedy. Characterization, and display of emotions will also be vital so my characters are genuine.

Bio

I am currently a senior Interactive Multimedia major. I have done projects using Maya, Mudbox, Logic Pro, and Processing.  I have also dabbled in web design. I am currently interested in doing a project that involves 3D modeling and animation.