Particle Effects in Maya

Maya has many different ways in which you can create particle effects but the one that has become my favourite is the one where I can use particles to create the illusion that an object is dissolving away bit by bit. This technique is done by emitting particles from a texture on the object using ramp shaders, now I have explained this in another blog post so I won't explain it again.

This technique has build up my abilities in Maya and has taught me new skill with in the software, this will give me more on an impression when other people look at my work because of the fact that I'm not just an 3D artist who can just do character animation but who also can do effects with in Maya. It's also made me more interested in particle effects and want to explore more in this technique and effect. There has been a book that I've been meaning to get from amazon which is Lee lanier's Creating Visual Effects In Maya, where it goes through how to create Fire, Water, Debris and Destruction. The book has combined the latest studio techniques with  multi-chapter,hands-on project sand professionally-vetted workflows to bolster my CG toolkit.

  I've produced a lot of water effects in Maya but it would be great to learn other particle effects and use the instancer effect to create debris in an efficient way and produce asteroid fields using the dynamics in Maya.

Researching new 3D software: Blender

So seen as through it's my final year at Uni I have decided to dive into a new 3D software because my student subscription to Autodesk Maya will run out at the end of the year and I won't be able to afford another subscription. I've looked into different 3D softwares and I came across Blender which is a free to use 3D software where I can create and do 3D models, VFX, animation, and compositing. Blender is a public project, made by hundreds of people from around the world; by studios and individual artists, professionals and hobbyists, scientists, VFX experts, animators, game artists,modellers, and etc.

Because this is a free software I'll be able to continue producing 3D animations and VFX while building up my skills as an artist. Using Blender will give me the ability to work on different 3D softwares and make me more flexible when it comes to working in industry because I'll be able to adjust easily to new softwares.

Seen as though I'm new to Blender I've been watching many different tutorials online and I've found a great channel on YouTube called Blender Guru who produces videos for beginners and he talks in depth about the software and how to use it. He's done many tutorials and 3D environment design, interior design, lighting, rendering, composition, textures and many more. He's made a full time career out of making tutorials and he attends conferences and festivals about the software Blender, where he's recognised and loved by the community, he's produced books about the software and also works on side projects on short films. So my aim is to be able to create content in Blender as I can in Maya which took me two years to become proficient in, this may take some time but I feel like it won't take me two years because I'm a fast learner and plus when I started in Maya I was my first time with any 3D software so it took some time just working out the interface.

https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewPPrice/featured

ASFF: Industrial Light and Magic

At the beginning of November I decided to go a festival in York called Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF), where one of the most famous VFX studios where giving a masterclass in visual effects and exploring new technology in films. I went because I thought that it would be good research for my dissertation but it turned out that it wasn't because the speaker wasn't VFX supervisor Julian Foddy and so the other person who stepped in from ILM didn't know mush about particle effects in 3D software simulations.

However, there was a lot of talk in motion capture and how they used it in the new Star Wars film 'The Force Awakens' and other films like the ninja turtles film. This was good for me because I am producing my final film for uni using motion capture so I got some great insight into what different softwares I could use for motion capture and which softwares are better at capturing the performance rather than capturing the features.

My favourite part of the talk was when the speaker was explaining how ILM created the motion capture for the character Maz Kanata. ILM used a system called 'Medusa Performance Capture' developed by Disney researchers in Zurich, and how it works in conjunction with an actor's performance to create a seemingly impossible character. The Medusa Performance Capture system consists of a mobile rig of cameras and lighting coupled together with proprietary software that can reconstruct actor's faces in full motion, without using the traditional motion capture dots. The system delivers high resolution 3D faces, with the ability to track individual pores and wrinkles over time, providing very realistic facial geometry that is ideal for creating digital doubles for visual effects and computer games (Medusa.disneyresearch.com).

   

MAF: Blue Zoo Hoodoo

This was not just your typical short animation that you just watch, this animation was a virtual reality experience animation where you place a head set on and emerge yourself into the animation and become part of the animation. With Blue Zoos Hoodoo you can be a part of the animation by interacting with the characters and pick up rocks and other things and throw them around. I found that this was the best experience I've had at MAF because of the interactivity of the animation, plus I got to chat with the co-founder and producer of Blue Zoo Tom Box and the director of the short Catherine Salkeld.

This VR experience was a first for MAF but it won't be the last because VR is becoming more and more popular with the animation industry, and I feel like this won't be the last time Blue Zoo use VR technology in their animations. This animation was simple but effective with a narrator explaining to the audience what's going on and how to play through the animation. The animation uses the story to drive the audience to interact in a way so that the animation can progress without any awkward moments where there is nothing going on. 

Another good thing about this is that Blue Zoo wanted to create new talent within the studio, so they put together a competition to see who can come up with the best story for the VR animation. The winner was a junior storyboard artist and got to direct her fist VR animation. The idea behind this whole project was to push the studio into something that they've never done before, so with the vive head set they were able to create an animation where the audience can move around and interact with the environments.  

MAF: Ful ANL

Full ANL was one of my favourite animations just because of the pure stupidity of the animation. This animation is an epic logo reveal of the partnership between Aardman and New Yorks animation studio Nathan Love. 

I love this animation because it's not serious and just shows off what the two studios can produce together. The sound design as well is great due to the fact that it makes the logo reveal more epic than if it was just a little 5 second ident reveal in front of a short they produced together. Also it makes the partnership more noticeable within the media and it puts an impact and stance on the fact that a new studio is being developed in the animation industry.  

I found it great to watch at MAF because loads of animations there had some sort of strong meaning about society, how the world is changing and all the wrong in people. Whereas this animation was just made to be funny and enjoyable to watch with no other meaning other than two studios coming together. This was a nice relief to watch after hours of watching intense animations.    

MAF: The Fox and The Whale

Going to MAF was a great experience due to the amount of new work people had produced from the past year at MAF. I saw many different animations that inspired me and I will be explaining why but I'm not going in the order in which I watched them at MAF.

To start off with, the animation 'The Fox and The Whale' was a great animation to watch just because of the beauty that is produced in the environments. The short is about a tale of a curious fox who goes in search of an elusive whale, a journey of discovery and longing. The short amazes me because of the 2D digital work which tricks me in to thinking that at some points the short it in 3D, this animation doesn't have much of a story to be honest but I feel that the aesthetic balances this out. It inspired me because for my final year animation at uni I am wanting to produce an animation that focuses on the aesthetic rather than the story, so this animation 'The Fox and The Whale' really shows me how I can do this with it's shot framing and environmental design.

The producer Robin Joseph has worked on many different films in the art department like Inside Out, Rio, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Horton Hears A Who! and many more. However, this short is his first film he's been a Directed, Producer and Writer for, as well as producing the designs, storyboards, backgrounds, 2d animation, VFX, compositing, editing and sound design. So it's fair to say he's put a lot of hard work and time into this film, which drives me to do the same thing with my animations. Not only this, but the animation exhibits how effective the music and sound is when placed with the animation creating a powerful sense of emotion and understanding to the audience.

    

PPP Creative Strategy - 2017 Showreel

Now to update my showreel from last year, I now have even better animations and 3D environment designs so I wanted to place them into my showreel and keep people up to date of what work  am producing. I also changed the music track to fit the style of the animation, the track is a free to download track YouTube so I won't get into copyright issues with the music. 

I used premiere this time to edit my showreel to make it more professional. I'm learning more now with Premiere so that I'l become a better editor when it comes to future showreels and projects. I am also learning different effects in Premiere to make my animations and showreels look more film like with the black bars going across the bottom and top of the screen. As well as that I'm learning how to colour correct and colour grading animations and films to make them look professional. 

In my new showreel I've added my work from CoP the particle simulations, the environments I've built for Emmas Extended Practice porject and other new animations I've worked on. So this showreel presents my different abilities in VFX and 3D animation with also a bit of motion tracking and modelling.          

PPP Creative Strategy - New CV

I wanted to update my CV because I haven't done one since 2012 so I needed to write one that would be more suitable for the industry that I would like to go into. My CV explains who I am, where I'm from, what skills I have, what experience I have and where to go if people what to see my work. This CV will probably need changing again before the module is over but for now it will do. Below is an example of what my CV look like.

James Beardsell

19 Norwood Place, Hyde Park, Leeds, LS6 1DY

Email: jjbeardsell@hotmail.com

Mobile: 07969602133

Website: www.jbanimation.uk

Artist Statement

Throughout my years, my determination and appreciation for animation has increased, along with my abilities. I gave a great interest in creating realistic effects and movement. I specialize in 3D animation and Visual Effects, because I thrive on the creativity in which these processes hold. I find myself to be inspired by films and TV shows and especially the behind the scenes footages of them so I can see how they are all put together. I aspire to become the best 3D/CG animator and VFX artist I can possible be. I also have a passion for Dynamic and Particle effects due to the amount of realism and wonders you can achieve. I believe that improvement can always be applied, and as an artist development is key. And when it comes to my personality I’m friendly, polite, and have the ability to work collaboratively in a professional environment. 

Skills

●     3D Animation

●     3D Modelling

●     3D Rigging

●     Dynamic effects

●     Particle effects

●     Motion Capture

●     Storyboarding

●     Editing

Software Skills

Proficient in: Photoshop, After Effects, Autodesk Maya, Premiere, IPI Motion capture and Microsoft Office

Experienced in: Cinema 4D, Blender, Autodesk 3Ds Max, Illustrator, InDesign and RealFlow

Experience

End of Year Exhibition 2015-16

I have assisted and with preparing and coordinating the end of year exhibitions, and had the individual job of editing everyone’s showreel together appropriately. This had been a rewarding experience because it has given me the ability to understand the best ways to present and display work effectively to the audience.

We Are Universe 2016

This was a project in collaboration with Leeds College of Music, Motiv Productions and more. Myself, along with other animators all produced short animations based around the elements and how they connect with the universe. This was then projected at Leeds Light Night 2016.

Hello Leeds 2016

For the Christmas festive season of 2016, I worked with other animators, Illustrators and Graphic Designers to produce a series of animations for Jimmy Islip from Lumen. Are animations where then projected onto the lifting tower in Leeds.

Coordinating Third Year Film Exhibition 2017

This was an opportunity to coordinate and display the third year Animation Final Film Exhibition to the rest of the university and the public.

Education

Leeds College of Art                                                                            2012 - present

Currently Studying: BA (Hons) Animation: (Attained 2:1 in 2^nd year) Pending

UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Art and Design (QCF): Distinction

Wakefield Independent School                                                                   2006 – 12

GCSEs: A [1], B [1], C [4], D [1]        

Queens Elizabeth’s Grammar School                                                          2002-06

Other Interests

With the time I have free, I like playing video games, being active and healthy. Due to the fact that I have a part time job at Costa Coffee, I like to make/drink coffee, with my own coffee machine, and socialize with other people. I also enjoy biking, swimming and travelling, however I love just to sit down, relax and watch a film with a beer.

 Showreel / Portfolio at:

@jjbeardsell

www.jbanimation.uk

vimeo.com/jjbeardsell

PPP Creative Strategy - Business Cards

After making my logo and ident I wanted to make myself to look more professional by creating business cards. However, I didn't know what design to place on the front of the card, I wanted a piece of my work on the card to show off what I can produce but I didn't know what was good enough to represent my work. I then realised that one of my peers created business cards with different piece of his art work on each one of the cards. This was a good idea to I started making six different templates so that I can place different piece of artwork on each and make my business cards show a whole range of different work I can produce. 

I used the website Moo because one, they are environmentally friendly and two, they were quite cheap but with good quality paper. I got one hundred business cards with a wallet to hold them with and averaging at sixteen cards per design. My designs range from character animation to fluid/particle dynamics and on the back on the card it has the information of who I am, where to find my work and what kind of an artist I am. 

PPP Creative Strategy - New Ident

Staying with the particle idea for my logo, I created an ident the shows particles breaking apart my logo. The effect used was a payed plug-in called trapcode particular, which gave me more of a realist look to the particles breaking away from the logo. The plug-in did cost me about £200 but I feel like it was worth it because I will be using oit in the future for other projects. the animation below didn't take too long  make because it was just placing the effects on and telling the effect which direction the make the particles fly off from the logo and then making the logo disappear as well. 

  

I also made an end ident showing my information on how to contact me, like through my website, my instagram or my email address. Again this didn't take too long to do either because all I had to do was replace the logo with the information about myself and the rest sorted itself out.

PPP Creative Strategy - New Logo

This is what the final outcome looked like with my new logo. I kept the shape very simple and geometric, and I made the spacing between the shapes just that bit bigger, then made the drop shadow smaller but still noticeable making it look 3D. I also placed the word 'Animation' underneath the logo so people know what it is that I do, in the font of Marzo because of the thin and grahpicy look.

I feel like this logo represents me well due to the modern and sleek look to it which is wt my works is, modern because I try and keep up with the new technology that comes out so that I can use that I my work. The logo also shows my sense of style and shows what kind of style my clients will expect when hiring me for there work. 

The next step for me is to make an ident out of this logo to go at the beginning of my showreel. I'm thinking that for the ident I what to continue with using particle effects, so I might make the particles either fly off the logo or make the particles form together to make the logo. We shall have to wait and see.

PPP Creative Strategy - New Logo Ideas

It's about time I now try and come up with a new logo, so I started drawing different designs for me logo. I wanted the logo to be really simple but effective, the logo was going to be my initials J.B because that's my name (sorry pretty obvious). I was having some trouble thinking of different designs so I decided to look on Pinterest for logo ideas and what independent professionals used for there logo. This helped a lot because it showed me how to design a logo using minimal geometric shapes.    

From the above drawing I went with the design that is near the bottom left which looks like a box with a stick in it. I went with this because it was the simplest design but it was to me also the design that represented me the most, the reason I prefer this design is because that it looks graphicy, straight and geometric which is what I was going for. So moving on with this design I then started to design that logo in different ways. I changed the shape of the logo, the outline colour, the amount of gap there is between the shapes and also if the long rectangle should be straight at the top or if the top should be slanted.  

I then moved it even further and designed four more logos from the better looking one out from the nine above. This time I experimented with placing a hole in the middle of the 'B' to make the 'B' look more like a 'B', so that people done think that it's a 'L' instead. I also experimented with placing a drop shadow on to the logo to make it look more 3D. Out of all these I do prefer the logo without a hole in it because I wasn't keen on the inner shape of the hole but I couldn't come up with a shape that I would of liked so I think I'll just leave the 'B' filled in.