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Aug
29
2009
Gore Zoid 3D Animation Now In HD
Posted at 3:05 pm | Comments Off

Gore Zoid 3D Animation in HD on Vimeo

The animation was rendered to a HD tga sequence at a resolution of 1280×720. This was then output to an uncompressed Quicktime file which came in at a whopping 2.64GB! It was then converted for upload to the excellent Vimeo site through the Quicktime Pro Player using H.264 6000kbps video compression and AAC 44.1kHz 320kbps for the audio. This came in at a more respectible 46.3MB whilst retaining the best quality currently available for a compressed video.


Original image – Compressed H.264 with gamma bug – After correction

To get around the H.264 lightness gamma bug, open the uncompressed source movie in Quicktime and click through to Window > Show Movie Properties > Video Track > Visual Settings and set Transparency to Straight Alpha. Save this as a self-contained movie. This should now be fixed when compressing to H.264

For anyone who has experienced the following Quicktime compression problem… ’Error -43: a file could not be found’, save the new compressed file to your C: drive instead of any other drive letter, as the player doesn’t seem to like it.

Aug
14
2009
District 9: Making Of
Posted at 5:14 pm | Comments Off


Screenshot of the Exo-suit from District 9

Visual effects were handled by the established Weta Digital (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) in New Zealand, The Embassy (Citroen Transformers, Ghostbusters) and new fx house Image Engine also based in Vancouver. Two interesting VFX World interviews with Blomkamp entitled Neill Blomkamp Talks District 9 & District 9: Bringing Back ’80s Sci-Fi. Visual FX supervisor Dan Kaufman profiled on CGsociety for his work on District 9.

The Embassy District 9 CG Society article detailing CG techniques employed to create the alien’s Exo-suit using Luxology’s Modo The article also mentions that Zbrush, Softimage XSI and Apple Shake were used to complete shots.

Two more interesting CGSociety interviews with Image Engine.
District 9 Part 01 Meet the crew and find out how they worked.
District 9 Part 02 Texturing and Lighting.

Aug
13
2009
District 9 HD Trailer: Neill Blomkamp
Posted at 12:54 pm | Comments Off

District 9 Trailer 2 directed by Neill Blomkamp

Visit Apple Quicktime site to watch the trailer in HD

District 9 is the feature film follow up to the award winning 2005 short documentry film entitled Alive In Joberg. The film is directed by former vfx artist and VFS graduate Neill Blomkamp and is produced by Peter Jackson. District 9 was developed after the collapse of the feature film version of the video game Halo which the duo were also collaborating on. The only footage released is a short cut of the Halo film.

Blomkamp also directed the Citroen Transformers ad in accossiation with his former fx company The Embassy in Vancouver, the human substitution shorts Tempbot and Tetra Vaal and the Yellow Adidas commercial which further developes his distinctive style.

District 9 is released in UK cinemas on 4th September 2009

Aug
12
2009
Yellow Adicolour Ad by Neill Blomkamp
Posted at 3:25 pm | Comments Off

Adidas invited directors to bring their own unique visions to a series of Adicolor commercials based on their creative response to the colours Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, Pink, Black or White. Neill Blomkamp’s brief was Yellow and the following film was the result. Written in collaboration with Terri Tatchell who went on to write the screenplay with Blomkamp for the film District 9.

Aug
10
2009
Alma: a Short by Rodrigo Blaas
Posted at 3:03 pm | Comments Off

Alma Short Film in HD on Vimeo

Excellent short animated film entitled Alma by Pixar animator Rodrigo Blaas

There are two main characters in the film. Mainly the girl, but also the doll shop itself, which takes architectual influences from Gaudi’s House in Barcelona, to become something out of the ordinary.

Even though the film is beautifully animated and rendered, it just goes to show that a good story will leave you wanting to watch it over and over.

The film was recently shown at Siggraph 2009 in New Orleans and won the Jury Honorable Mention award.

Visit the Official Alma Website for an insight into the film.

Jul
27
2009
Monsters Inc. Released On Blu-ray
Posted at 3:02 pm | Comments Off


Monsters Inc.
Dir: Pete Docter

Finally, released today in the UK, Monsters Inc. on Blu-ray.
Includes full DTS-HD uncompressed sound.

Jul
10
2009
CGportfolio Featured In Newsletter
Posted at 3:00 pm | Comments Off

Screenshot From The CGsociety Newsletter

 

Screenshots From The CGsociety Portfolio Website

My CGsociety portfolio featured on the weekley news letter under ‘Popular Portfolios’. I have currently only got one image on there but plan to put more up very soon. http://andywhiteley.cgsociety.org/gallery/

CGPortfolio is currently one of the best ways for anyone wanting to get their work noticed by industry professionals. It is highly recommended that you sign up. Registration is free although you have to pay an annual subscription to add more images and to access the video hosting features.

Apr
24
2009
Short Film: Machu Picchu Post
Posted at 12:08 pm | Comments Off

Machu Picchu Post Short Animation


Screenshot From Machu Picchu Post

Machu Picchu Post  is a short film created by 3 final year Supinfocom students. It tells the tale of a Peruvian boy and his pet lama and what happens when a mail plane loses some letters over the boy’s house. What stands out for me, is not only the overall design and excellent use of painterly camera mapped textures, but the cleaver direction of transitions between the normal and psychedelic worlds. The Machu Picchu Post CGsociety Article focuses on the production of the film, illustrated with concept art and wireframes. You can find more production designs on the Machu Picchu Post website.

Apr
19
2009
Pixar Short Film: Partly Cloudy
Posted at 12:55 pm | Comments Off


Production Still From Pixar’s Short Film Partly Cloudy

Where do delivery storks get their babies from? This question is the basis of Partly Cloudy, the new short animated film by Pixar. The story features a stork called Peck who handles various dangerous baby animals sculptured by Gus the insecure grey cloud. Keeping with tradition, the short will be shown in cinemas proir to UP.

The CGsociety Article entitled Sky-High Talent introduces production artist Peter Sohn as a short film director at Pixar.

Apr
03
2009
Monsters vs Aliens In UK Cinemas Today
Posted at 5:46 pm | Comments Off


Monsters vs Aliens HD Logo

Monsters vs Aliens released in UK today. Make sure to watch the film in full 3-D at selected cinemas. An interesting Animation World Network article entitled Dreamworks Goes on a 3-D Rampage details how Dreamworks achieved the 3-D effect in the film. Another article, this time on CGsociety entitled Making S-3D Gel also shows how 3-D was achieved and how the character B.O.B. was created. Watch the Monsters vs Aliens Trailer in full HD 1080p.

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