Archive for the ‘TDDUP-Production Log’ Category

I woke up this morning contemplating whether I should try and submit the short to Siggraph. They allow work-in-progress as long as it is 80% finished. After a trip to their website, I see that yesterday was the cut off point. Woops.

I’m actually a little relieved that the deadline has passed, because if not, I would of been tempted to submit a WIP. I’m eager to get it out there, but first impressions are important, and showing something unfinished is a good way to set yourself up for disappointment. I’m glad that I lost track of the date. :)

I’m about half way through  sound effects and final audio mix. I would imagine that I’ll finish sometime next week. The only thing left is to render, run the comp scripts, and assemble the shots together. Almost there!

Creating and editing the sound effects is not something I am truly familiar with.  I know what goes into it and it is afterall pretty straightforward.  However, it is time consuming.  I spent yesterday doing a few things.  First, I went around the house and outside recording various noises.  Footsteps, picking up/setting down objects, bird ambient sound, etc, etc.  The recording was actually accomplished with a Sony camcorder.  The quality is pretty darn good.  It is very sensitive, so sensitive that it picks up more noise than I wanted to hear (camera motor sounds, a refrigerator hum clear across the house, etc).  After capturing the video/audio, I edit out the video and trim the audio with Adobe Premiere Elements. 

By combining these recorded elements with a sound effects CD, I’m able to get pretty much everything I need.  It is now just a matter of time.  I’ve done the first minute or two so far.  I’m getting some satisfaction by combining different noises and editing them in strange ways to get the desired effect.  For instance, by putting together a few recordings of scissors cutting through paper, I can use that for the sound of photographs being picked up and set down. 

I’m excited to say that the lighting stage is done and over with.  Not only did I finish that last shot that was being so very uncooperative, I also went through and cleaned up those additional shots that needed a little help.  I’m so happy right now.  Another major stage finished. 

Or is it?  Tomorrow I will spend the morning going through all of the shot comps one after another and checking consistency and making sure they pass the test when seen back to back.  I’ve done this off and on throughout the process, but now that all shots have been lit- I can do it for the entire short.  I can’t imagine there will be many changes. 

Next on the list will be sound effects.  I’ll be going through the house recording audio of my footsteps, doors opening and closing ambient noise, etc, etc.  It will be so much fun to do something so very different.  I was getting sick of lighting and I’m ready for a change of pace. 

I am so close to being done with this short!  Yehaaw

…is a real pain in the arse.  I’ve been flying through the lighting, doing a shot a day and sometimes more.  It is strange to be working on one for so long now.  This is day #2 and I’m still not done.  I guess I can thank Maya’s crappy fur implementations for my headaches.  In order to get around the shortcomings of the hairs, you have to be tricky in how you composite things.  By using a few weird layer techniques during render and funky compositing, you can hide some of these issues (to an extent).  It just so happens that this shot is awfully difficult.  I’d like to explain more, but it would give away quite a bit to the story.

The good news is, no matter how difficult it is – it is my last shot and I don’t have more to worry about. 

Late this afternoon, I’ve begun lighting the final shot (#111) of my short. It just so happens that this one and the one that I just finished up in the last few minutes may be two of the more difficult (actually, the lighting is rather simple, it is the comp that is complex) in the entire film. Even so, I’m happy to be at the end! There are a few “clean up” shots that I need to do some work on. However, those will hopefully go rather quickly and I will move on to sound effects.

I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, but there is a chance I can put this together before Siggraph’s deadline. Fingers crossed!