Research-The Amazon/Mansions

Time to get one's head out off the clouds after having a lazy reading week and onto researching for Transcription. The majority of these images I was able to collect, after I raided the children's section of the library in Faversham. I did look at the adult section but the books on Brazil there were more text than images. However I was surprised when I found the picture of the Manaus Opera House. The building in question is the one which is described in 'Journey to the Rive Sea'. However it doesn't look quite how I imagined it.

Voice Over Reply

After sending out voice over requests, I was surprised to find I had about3-4 replies in one day. One couldn't do the work I requested and another asked for money but was too expensive ($75). Although it cost me £5 I managed to get one of the voice overs to send me some audio. However there is a possibility I'll have another voice over clip coming soon.

But for now here's the one I have received, by Margaret Cowen.

Journey to the River Sea from Levalin on Vimeo.

Voice Overs

They travelled down the Negro in the same dark green launch as had bought them from the ship. Mrs Carter and the twins sat in the cabin with the doors and windows shut, Maia and Miss Minton sat on deck.

"Your hair'll get all messy," said Beatrice.

But Maia needed to feel the wind in her face. She felt as if she had been in prison for a week. Though they had docked there, Maia had not really seen the city. Now, as they drove from the harbour in a cab drawn by an old horse in a sunhat, she was amazed by the beauty and elegance of Manaus. They drove past mansions painted in every colour: pink and ochre and blue, with flowers tumbling from window boxes. In the gardens surrounding them were blossoming orange and lemon tress, and mangoes and wonderful creepers climbing over the railings. They passed two churches, a museum, a little park with a bandstand and a children's playground. Everywhere were busy people: black women with babies on their hips, messenger boys, smartly dressed Europeans, and nuns ferrying lines of little children. And on the far side of a huge square, paved in swirling mosaics, stood a magnificent building roofed in tiles of green and gold, with the eagle of Brazil in precious stones soaring over the top.

"Oh look!" said Maia. "The theatre! Isn't it beautiful! That's where Clovis is going to act. The boy we met on the boat."

"We're going there later to pick up our tickets," said Beatrice.

"We're going to see Little Lord Fauntleroy," said Gwendolyn

"Oh good!" said Maia innocently. "That's the play he's got the lead in."

The twins looked at each other, but they said nothing then.

They drove down a street of elegant shops: dress shops and shoe shops, saddlers and hat-makers. It was incredible, this luxury a thousand miles from the mouth of the river. There seemed to be everything here that one could find in Europe.

Just for my reference than anyone else. This is what I'll be sending of to different voice overs so I can have some description for what I'll be designing and animating. I've added in a little extra such as the speech, only because when the time comes to using it, I want to be able to have enough material. I want to be able to choose between keeping it or loosing it.

Car Rear

Character- Creating Joints

Night of the Invisible Blob from Mars

Night of the Invisible Blob from Mars from Thomas Beg on Vimeo.

Finle Poster, CD cover and Design

Poster Version 4 and 5

Poster Version 3

For this one it was experimenting with trying to show the blob but not actually doing so. Added in some shadow to try and show there could be a shape there but I don't think it worked very well. And again, another War of the Worlds quote.

Edit: Changed Is to Are

Poster Version 2

Not too sure on the caption. I was trying to be clever and think of something different. The caption might be changed to something a little less corny later, depending on what poster design the group chooses. If it's not recognisable, it's the opening line to War of the Worlds. I was aiming to make a shadow in the corner, to give the illusion that the blob is comming for the character who has charged and attacked in the opposite direction.

Poster Version 1

1st idea for our film poster. I was looking at the film poster for 'The Mist'. Seemed like the perfect place to hide something and make it 'invisible' to the eye. Plus the layout of the images on the poster I thought would work well to.

Joint Guides Placed

I'm a little further than this but I thought I'd post it to show how far I've got (or was).

Playblasts

Managed to get the light to come further to the right rather than stopping closer to the centre.



This oen is a playblast of the character from the Blob's POV.

Searching with Light Scene Tests

Made the light move further to the right. Though I noticed that they're not fully matched just yet. Almost there with this scene.

Running Through Cave Finle

The final running scene. Moved key frames closer together to make the pace faster as well as more frantic.

Running Through Cave Test 2

Just another test for the 1st person POV for running through the cave. Not much has changed other than I added in a bob up and down.

Running Animation Test

Running Through Cave Animation Test from Levalin on Vimeo.

Just a quick test. The idea is that the camera is supposed to be a 1st person POV running quickly through the cave

Martian Cave- Glow and Fog tests

After Tom added a fog and glow the the scene, I went back and experimented with the settings. I've thinned the fog out as well as changed the colour to make it look less like slime. Also toned the glow down a little to make it less bright.

Martian Cave- Lighting Test 2

The first few images are what lighting is in the cave at the moment. The last one I have to say was the result of Tom messing around with me watching. Seeing as the effect in the last one I thought looked pretty interesting and the group had discussed having some fog along the ground I decideed to add it up here.

Character Model- UV Turnaround

Next up, laying out the joints. Rather excited to have another go at skinning and rigging. Mainly because when we were first taught how to skin and rig I was rather unsure about doing it. however now I feel brave enough to give it another go.

Texture Tests

Added in some textures. The front pillar I want to change the texture to match the others. Plus I'm not too sure on the floor either. I'm thinking of changing it to the same as the cealling.

Cave Lighting Inspiration

Was listening to Doctor Who the Christmas Special on ITunes and this scene just happened to pop up. It's the planet of the Ood and I thought it'd be good inspiration for the lighting of the cave

Martian Cave-Lighting

Experimenting with light sources at the moment. I plan to position them first and then experiment with colour. At the moment I quite like the last shot. The light is soft and doesn't draw too much attention to itself.

Cave Extention

Went back and extended the cave scene because it was pointed out that I'd forgotten to reference the concept that Bharathi came up with for where the characters enter the cave. Next up will be the lighting. Then I'll add in some textures and start experimenting with them.

Cave Scene- UV's Layed Out

Added the UV's. I found this rather enjoyable, plus Tom was right. Laying out UV's is the easy part.