Artefact 5 - Finally close to rendering finished & storyboard

For my final artefact I chose to continue from the shots produced in my previous one, and to focus on editing skills - including some animation and effects.

So, the main reason I haven't updated here for such a while is because of very little progress due to ridiculous render times. I am only rendering at 640x360, which I thought would save time, but it still takes about an hour per frame so has been taking rather a long time! Anyway, it is nearly done now, just rendering as many frames for the final camera shot as possible to lengthen the video.

I have started editing the shots I have already rendered in After Effects, fading them together using opacity, as well as adding effects and some sound. It is quite amazing what difference a backing track can make actually, when I tried adding some horror style music it totally changed the feel of the video so far, which wasn't totally what I was expecting.

I have also produced a quick storyboard following on from what I planned in my previous artefact presentation, using ink style renders (Quicksilver renderer) in Photoshop...

Artefact 4 Evaluation and Outcomes

Artefact 4 - Genre with Camera

The aim of this artefact was to experiment with camera techniques in order to add to the mood and atmosphere I had already created in my previous artefacts. In addition to this, I decided to focus on specific genres used in film, to help with research of which techniques would be most effective. The genres and styles I chose to work with were horror, thriller, and mystery, mainly due to them all using quite similar techniques and complementing the mood that I had currently created well.

In response to feedback from my previous artefact, I made some improvements to my scene before working on camera techniques. For instance, I added some blue lights through the ceiling windows with a slight volume effect, to add contrasting colours and a moonlight effect. I also added an ambient occlusion material, so I could produce a separate render pass to add to my final rendered outcomes.

For my outcomes for this artefact, I decided to produce five rendered images using separate cameras. From researching my chosen genres, I realised that the best techniques to use would include close-up/extreme close-up shots, birds eye view shots, low camera angles, slanted camera angles, and shallow depth of field. I therefore tried to use a mixture of these within my images, also considering how they could fit together in an edited video for my next artefact. I particularly used depth of field a lot throughout all five images, as I found this added to the effect I was trying to create, as well as adding a more filmic style.

Once again, I found most of my feedback in the focus group was positive in terms of the aesthetics of my artefact. I also received some suggestions to take into my final artefact, such as considering both animation and sound of features in close-up shots (ticking clock, creaking door, etc.) when editing my final video. It was also suggested that I could consider making some of the windows appear broken, to add more to the derelict, uncomfortable atmosphere, and to add contrast to one of my camera shots.

Research Time (Finally..)

I have finally started to gather a bit of research for the big research project in my third year, which is creeping up a bit too quickly for my liking! :)

Anyway, so far I have started to save a load of useful written sources, image locations, and reference videos from YouTube onto my Delicious bookmarking account, so I have lots of references to looks at and perhaps use when it comes to actually starting this essay, etc. in October.

I have a lot of things to be working on and practicing during the rest of my summer break that I put on my action plan for this project...

 1) CG Lighting Techniques with 3ds Max book - read about theory and complete as many tutorials as possible to help with lighting knowledge. << I have done 3 of these tutorials so far, so am feeling my skills improving slightly.

2) Look at 3drender.com lighting and texturing challenges as examples of how moods and genres can be created and try to complete a challenge myself.

3) Research cinematography within film and animation - history, techniques, etc. - review pieces of animation, film, visualisation in terms of their cinematography and aesthetics to help with this.

Today I have started number 3 of the above tasks, and will post my reviews of films, etc. as I do them. So far I have looked at animated film 'The Corpse Bride' directed by Tim Burton, and French film 'Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain' directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. I have started with these as they are two of my favourite films of all time, to be totally honest, and I think they both use colour and lighting really effectively within them.

The Corpse Bride

Tim Burton’s ‘The Corpse Bride’ is a stop-motion animated film, with a main genre of horror/thriller, but also featuring mild aspects of comedy in parts.

The main cinematographic feature that is noticeable throughout the film is the strong use of colour and tone to represent mood and genre. During the scenes with a spookier feel, for instance, the shots are very dark, with a cool, blue tone to them, probably achieved through lighting and post-production techniques. This is also achieved during the scenes underground, where a more light-hearted, party-like atmosphere is portrayed through the use of much brighter and warmer lighting and props.

The rule of thirds has also been used a lot within the main shots, where the focus of the shot is placed slightly to the left or right of the image. Along with this technique, depth of field and lighting is also usually used to highlight this focus even more and add dramatic effect. For instance, a subject lit with bright, blue light and casting dark shadows may seem to simply show the audience that it is night time, but can also suggest a haunted or cold mood to the scene. Also, the focus shifting quickly onto a subject or action whilst the background blurs could impact the audience and add to a build-up of tension or atmosphere.

Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain

Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s ‘Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulin’ is a romantic comedy set in Paris. Throughout the film, feature many different moods, including humour, happiness, passion and suspense.

Perhaps the most recognisable feature within Jeunet’s cinematography is his strong use of bright, warm colours throughout. Each and every shot somehow manages to feature these signature yellows, reds and greens within them, through lighting, props, location, and post-production techniques.

These warm colours often reflect the warm, happy mood within the plot, and can be edited slightly to show a change in mood effectively. For instance, in a scene where Amélie is daydreaming and happy, the colour is very bright yellow, then when she returns to reality and starts to cry, the shot appears marginally cooler and lower in saturation.

Another good use of cinematography within this film is the use of close-ups and depth of field effectively together. For example, I have captured a still showing a close-up shot of a sugar spoon and dish in the cafe. The strong use of depth of field within this shot, where the viewer’s eye is drawn to the spoon, combined with the bold colours and high contrast, gives a much more dramatic feel to the shot.