48 HR FILM MAKINGS

I DID THESE DUMB SKETCHED ON MY FONE WHILE I WAS ON A PLANE, COMING HOME FROM A WEEKEND IN SEATTLE WITH MY GIRLFRIEND. THE WEEKEND THE WORD WAS DRAWN:

THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY AFTERNOON I FINALLY HAD SOME TIME  TO MAKE A FILM. 

 I'VE BEEN MEANING TO TRY THIS TECHNIQUE OUT, SO I MADE ALL THESE SEPARATE PARTS OF THE DUCK AND SHOT THEM, THINKING I WOULD USE ALL OF THEM.

I SHOT SEVERAL ITERATIONS OF THE CLAY OBJECTS, EACH TIME TOUCHING UP THE CLAY TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE IT WAS RESCULPTED. THIS IS WHAT I HAD TO WORK WITH IN AE:

I REALIZED WHEN I BROUGHT THESE ASSETS INTO AFTER EFFECTS, THAT EVEN THOUGH I HAD SHOT ALL THESE DIFFERENT PIECES IT WAS SIMPLER TO MAKE THE CHARACTER OUT OF A SPHERE AND A CYLINDER. 

THE WHOLE CHARACTER ENDED UP BEING MADE UP OF JUST THESE TWO "JITTER" CYCLES, THAT I SHAPED WITH BEZIER WARP INTO THE BILL, BODY, TAIL, EYES AND EYEBROW SHAPES:

WHEN I FINISHED COMPOSING AND RIGGING THE CHARACTER IT LOOKED LIKE THIS IN AE:

I MOVED ON TO SHOOTING SOME BG STUFF:

                                             
WHEN MY CAMERA BROKE. THE LITTLE MIRROR THAT DIRECTS LIGHT ONTO THE LIGHT SENSOR STARTED FLIPPING OUT AND MAKING WHAT ODDLY SOUNDED LIKE A LONG CONTINUOS QUACKING SOUND WHENEVER THE BATTERY WAS INSIDE THE CAMERA.

THAT WAS AT 4 AM ON SATURDAY MORNING. I HADN'T EVEN STARTED ANIMATING.

I DECIDED TO SLEEP A LITTLE. WHEN I WOKE UP I RETOOK ALOT OF LOWER QUALITY SHOTS WITH MY PHONE, TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT I LOST ON THE BROKEN CAMERA.

THE COLOR KEY ON THE CAMERA FOOTAGE WAS GOD AWFUL, I ONLY ENDED UP USING 3 PICTURES OF ONLY ONE POSE, OUT OF LIKE 30 THAT I TOOK, ITS THE FIRST SET IN THE VIDEO:

I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO FIND THAT IF YOU TAKE SEVERAL PICTURES OF ASPHALT REAL CLOSE TO THE LENS WITH A FLASH, THEY CREATE THIS REALLY NICE LOOKING FAUX WATER TEXTURE. 

AND WHEN YOU INTERPOLATE SEVERAL OF THOSE PHOTOS TOGETHER, SO THAT THEIR TRANSPARENCY ANIMATES OFF, IT MAKES A REALLY NICE LOOKING WATER CYCLE. IT WAS ESPECIALLY COOL BECAUSE SOME OF THE PHOTOS WERE BLURRY AND IT MADE IT LOOK LIKE REFRACTED WATER. 

IN THE FINAL RENDER THE WATER JUMPS A BIT DUE TO SOME BAD TIME REMAPPING THAT I DIDNT HAVE TIME TO FIX.

OVER ALL IT WAS A PRETTY FUN PIPELINE TEST. I ENDED UP RENDERING ON THE CAR RIDE TO THE SCREENING. EVEN THOUGH I DIDNT GET IT INTO THE SHOW I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE THIS ANYWAY.

ASLO THE SCREENING WAS AMAZING! SO MANY GOOD FILMS. SO INSPIRING.