Major Project: Soundscape Progress Update 001

Over the last few days I've been spending some time working on the soundscape for my film. I'm unsure how much of it I'll use in the end as that depends on the final product from my music composer as well. For now I'm creating the sound effects as if there will be no music, so I have no gaps and can play around with the volume later on.

First I had to spend more time going over the other 3/4's of my recording session from the other week to extract clips I thought would be useful and discard the weaker ones. Now I have nearly 200 clips extracted in total including many negative thoughts, some comments other people say to me, and a small handful of positive thoughts. I am aware I may need to return to the sound-booth to record some more positive ones depending on how things go.

Here is my first update of the soundscape. I may move around the whispers later down the line if I feel certain ones fit better elsewhere. I've also begun to play around with hospital sound effects from the BBC Sound FX Library CD. I still need to adjust the reverb, the volume, and other elements to these. I've also used a ventilator sound and some foetal heartbeats to characterise my sponge and meat entities. For meat I plan on reusing the heartbeat, but possibly making it deeper/louder each time we encounter it since each shot we get closer. I also began adding some glitch sounds where appropriate.

Showreel

Major Project: Updated Silk Composite

I now have my updated silk composite. I'm much happier with how this looks now, although I may go back and tweak some of the levels in After Effects. I struggled at first to incorporate the new silk into the scene since I rendered it out on it's own so I could composite it on top of the original render.

This created a noticeable outline around the silk, so I created a light wrap to make this outline less obvious. After some trial and error I think I managed to get the light wrap to work well enough to make the new silk fit into the scene better.

Major Project: Possible Silk Texture Update

As I've been working on my Art Of, I felt less and less satisfied with how my silk entity turned out. I don't dislike it, but I feel it wasn't as shiny looking as I'd like it to be. Because of this, I decided to return to that scene and see what I could do to improve it. I like the changes I've made to it based on the still renders.

I'm currently rendering out the new scene so it's just a pass of the silk, which I should be able to composite on top the old version. I'm going to see if this works out okay or not, if not then I can re-render the whole thing. Again this isn't necessary, but if I can improve it I'd like to.

Major Project: Edit 002

Here is my second edit for my film. I'm trying to create a final edit as fast as I can so my music composer can re-adjust the music he's created for the film so the timing is right. I want to give him enough time to re-write parts if needed and to give me time to really focus on VFX and sound design especially in regards to the whispers. Some changes I made to this edit include:

•  The removal of the line when I see hospitals I see ghouls.
• New footage for the lines when I think of my family I see scars and being Anorexic is rotting.
• Disordered whispers added to the opening sequence (may move later on as it's a test).
• The gem scene has been extended and voiceover moved to make room for disordered whispers.
• Voiceover for certain shots moved so they begin before the shot begins.
• Shots overall have been adjusted - for example an shot was moved to add more space between when I see jello I see vomit and when I see pancakes I see my grandfather.
• For the line when I see other people's bodies I see rejection a black screen cuts into the film. A louder ringing noise will be added later on as it will cut out audio too.
• Some transitions have changed, but this can still be adjusted later on.
• Room shot 006 (third shot of the edit - the one right before pufferfish) has been adjusted/re-rendered.
• The brick shot in the beginning of the film has been removed so the first few shots of the film focus on the room rather than the bricks.
• Some shots have been shortened slightly to keep the duration as close to 7 minutes as possible.
• This version contains re-composited footage so colour correction is more consistent and the vignette, film grain, and edge blurring can be added overtop the whole film so it's cohesive (added on very roughly at the moment). 

I'm happy with how this is turning out, although I am obviously ready to make more adjustments if needed. Once the shots and voiceover are at a point where positions/durations are locked down, I'll be able to hand an edit off to my composer for final music which I'm very excited about. The glitch effects, transitions and other VFX can continue to be adjusted for the most part and the voiceover will still have some wiggle room with timing. 

Major Project: Disordered Whispers / Soundscape Test 001

Yesterday and today I spent some time going over the recordings I made for my whispers. So far I only went over one out of my four chunks of recording, which already gave me a decent amount of content. From this one session I was able to extract 72 clips that I thought were the most useful and I suspect I could have a similar number from my other three sessions.

I wanted to test out how this would work with my soundscape, so I took the opening of my film for Edit 001 (which requires some editing changes but this is just a test) and played around with different effects in Audition. I found I usually used a process of some noise reduction, then a custom 'Echo' effect, followed by some reverb effects. I then played around with the volume, overlapping them, and experimenting with different volumes in each ear to give a disorienting and 'invading' effect. 

I also used some of the sound clips from the BBC Sound Effects Library (Disc #28 - Hospitals) and applied a few different effects to add some more depth to the soundscape. I wanted these to just be subtle for now as I want to spend more time on them. Again, this is just a test so the effects, volume, timing and so on are all subject to change. 

While I am happy with how this is turning out so far and I've been enjoying working on it, it is honestly challenging to work on it as well. It felt weird to record these as well as listen to them spoken out loud. Despite the strangeness I feel towards it, I hope it helps create more impact and raises awareness in some way.

Major Project: Rotting / Scars Composites & Room 006 Composite Tweak

Despite having a few minor setbacks over the last couple of days, I have my two new shots for rotting and scars completed. I also finished rendering the room 006 shot so the camera slows down near the end instead of speeding up. Hopefully this change is an improvement, if it still needs some tweaks I can work on it but I think it's better than it was before.

I'm happy with how rotting and scars came out, I'm glad I spent some extra time making the meat entity look extra slimy in this shot since it's meant to induce feelings of disgust and illness. I think the new 'scars' shot is stronger than the room shot I originally had.

Rotting Composite (Pt. 1)

Rotting Composite (Pt. 2)

Scars Composite

Room 006 Composite (V. 2)

Today I also spent some time in the sound booth recording whispers of a range of my negative thoughts, or disordered thoughts as I tend to call them. I also recorded a number of things people tend to say to me that frustrate me. This varies from things people say when they think they are being supportive, general comments that showcase how uneducated most people are in regards to mental illness, or the lack of empathy people have in regards to mental health at times.

In the next few days I should have some Audition tests using these recordings to see how I can create 'whisper soundscapes' to use in conjunction with certain entities. I also hope to have an overall new edit of my film with new shots and other changes in accordance to the feedback I recieved at some point this weekend or early next week.

Major Project: 'Scars' & 'Rotting' Test Renders #2 & Scene Cleanup

I've continued tweaking these two shots and I'm happier with where they are at now. For 'scars' I decided to start out with the bricks even less displaced than they are in most room shots. Normally they are at their flattest at a 0.150 displacement value but for this shot I set it to 0.100 just so there was a more noticeable change to the surface as the bricks move. I also changed the animation curve slightly to adjust the timing.

Scars Test Render 004

For 'rotting' I decided to keep the displacement map animation very subtle because the more obvious change didn't look right to me. It is hard to see in the test since it's low quality, but I think it'll be more visible in the final render.  I also adjusted the specularity and coat settings a little more so it looks more wet and slimy.

Rotting Test Render 003 (Pt. 1)

Rotting Test Render 003 (Pt. 2)

I've also spent some time cleaning up the renders now that I'm happy with the animation. The brick shot wasn't too complex to figure out since it's essentially the same settings as my other room shots. For the meat, however, I wasn't sure if I wanted to set the subsurface samples to 4 or 5. I tested out a few frames and determined that the difference between the two were very minor, but setting the samples to 5 doubled the render time so it wasn't worth it.

Major Project: Brick 003 Composite, Additional Gem Footage & VFX Removal

As I was creating the first edit of my film, I decided I wanted to create another shot that focused specifically on the bricks so I had some more variation. I thought it would be interesting to film the bricks that bend upward to form the bed. I really like how this shot looks, especially when you see beyond the top of the bed.

Brick 003

Brick 003

I also decided to render another 4 seconds worth of my gem shot after it's spiked outward. I'm unsure if this footage will be useful, but I wanted some extra frames just in case since I feel this scene is one of the more powerful ones. Unfortunately, despite my efforts to get them to transition perfectly there's a little bit of a jump. There was also a slight variation in the lighting even though I used the same scene file. Due to this, I also uploaded a version of the shot with glitch effects to show how I could hide this using VFX. Even though it's not perfect, I'm glad I rendered these extra frames out if I decide I want them...luckily this shot has glitch effects to it anyway.

Gem Composite w/ Glitch Effect

Gem Composite w/ Glitch Effect

I've also begun re-compositing my scenes since I want to ensure it is as consistent as possible with the colour and lighting. I also wanted to remove the vignette effect, blurred edges, and film grain so I can add that overtop the whole edit to further glue the film together and make it cohesive. I re-composited my Opening/Closing shot first, and I've been using that as reference for the other shots. I know they won't be perfect and I can continue to change and correct things, but I think the shots are already feeling more uniform.

Major Project: 'Scars' & 'Rotting' Test Renders

Some of my feedback for my first edit revolved around the lines when I think of my family I see scars and being Anorexic is rotting. For the line about scars, it was suggested that I film a shot focusing on the bricks distorting contracting to represent scars without being too explicit yet more relevant than a full room shot.

I liked this idea, and I spent a while moving my camera around the scene and rendering frames until I found a portion of the bricks that had more damage and weathering because I thought that would also get the idea across better than some of the cleaner bricks. As I've mentioned previously, the displacement maps move the geometry around in a way I cannot really preview in the viewport, so I decided to render out some quick tests so I can better see the results and to ensure the camera did not go through the geometry.

When I think of my family I see scars.

Scars Test 001

Scars Test 002

Scar Test 003

It was also recommended that I use my meat entity once again for the line about rotting. I decided for this shot that the camera would be much closer to the orb, as it is meant to be hostile. I've also changed some of the settings from when the audience last sees the meat orb so it is more shiny and greenish - hopefully appearing more rotten than it was previously. I'm also playing with animating the displacement map slightly, but I'm still working on this to see what results I can get.

Rotting Test 001 (Pt. 1)

Rotting Test 001 (Pt. 2)

Rotting Test 002

Major Project: Room 006 Re-work

It was suggested to me to adjust my Room 006 shot. I use this shot in the beginning of the film to help establish the set, but the fast camera movement near the end of the shot resulted in a cut that didn't work as smoothly as it could.

Room 006 Playblast (Original)

Room 006 Playblast (New)

This is fine with me because this particular shot was one of the first ones I set up to render and actually had different render settings to the other room shots, making it more difficult to get it consistent with the others. Originally this shot had a linear animation curve, but I've went back into the scene file and changed it so it has an 'ease out' near the end. Hopefully this is now improved and will work better in my film.

Graph Editor

Major Project: Edit 001

The last two days I've been working the first 'edit' of my film. I didn't feel like I could keep calling it a pre-vis since it has all of my final footage in it. In this initial edit, I experimented using glitch effects as transitions, although at the moment they do not have sound effects to accompany them so they may not feel as integrated as they will further down the line. I also tried to keep in some other transitions (ex. dip to white on the rare occasion or a straight cut where there is a light flicker) so it wasn't all the same and I alternated what type of glitch effect I used to transition so it wasn't repetitive. Here are some things I've noticed immediately that I want to change or things I'm wondering/want to be cautious of:

• Overusing the 'glitch' effect - I try to use the effect only when transitioning between CGI and live action as well as occasionally during a very negative entity. I want to be careful I'm not overusing the effect therefore weakening its impact. Or, I also don't want to use it too little where it doesn't feel like it 'fits' in the film.
• Re-compositing of shots is needed. I want to go back and strip out certain effects such as the vignetting and film grain so I can overlay that on top of the entire edit rather than individual shots. I noticed that during some transitions the dark vignette ring appears and it looks odd. I also hope doing this will help glue the shots together and will also allow me to animate the vignetting during the VFX stage if I want to bring attention to something (ex. focus on the bubbles and not the background) while keeping it all unified. I think this also will help merge the live-action into the rest of the film. I also want to make the overall colour correction more uniform throughout. 
• Some room/flicker shots I want to move around. For example, I think I may move a shot where the light is flaring to where my grandfather's footage comes in so it feels less aggressive and to add more variation too that part of the film. 
• I tried to keep a 'dip to white' effect as transitions for certain shots such as when I see hospitals I feel dead. Would effects such as RGB splitting be effective here?
• I'm rendering out an additional shot that focuses on the bricks to give some more variation as well as a few extra frames of the gem shot so I have a few more seconds of the gem once it has spiked out if I decide it would be useful.
• I may remove the VR digital glitch effect from the footage I use during when I think of my family I feel longing and I may have that glitch effect disappear from the first shot I use around when I think of happiness I see autumn leaves to show that those are positive feelings.
• Some live-action shots still need some more re-filming work to make them feel more 3D. 

I'm sure there are other things I want to change but I cannot remember off the top of my head what I wrote down in my notebook yesterday during editing. While I'd love to add some more shots to space certain parts of my film out more, I'm trying to not increase the duration of my film too much until I know what the music will be like and where/if I can extend the music.

This still requires a lot of work and changes, but I feel more comfortable with where this is going seeing how I can integrate the live-action into the CGI space. Also after this test I'm excited to see how the sound effects will further embed the glitch transitioning effects and bring the entities to life, although I do think I may reserve the removal of other audio/music effect for just the gem to indicate it's importance and sinister character.

Major Project: Glitch VFX & SFX Tests #2

The Video Copilot 'Twitch' plug-in also comes with a handful of glitch sound effects. I've also been shuffling through some of the BBC Sound FX Library CD's from the university's library. Out of all the CD's I've looked through I suspect the 'Hospitals' one will be the most useful to me although I suspect I'll be using bits and pieces from several discs. However, I need to double check what the copyright is on these CD's as I don't want to get in trouble for using them in my final film if I'm not allowed to. 

Glitch Test 007 - Custom Settings

The above animations feature both VFX and SFX - I used several glitch sounds from the Twitch plug-in as well as a a pulse monitor sound clip from the BBC Sound FX Library. I took the pulse monitor sound effect into Audition and increased the pitch as I felt it was too low originally.

For the first test I have only the heart monitor audio after the gem spikes outward, while in the second one I have extra glitch sounds where appropriate. I want to be sure that I utilise silence and minimal sound in my animation where it would be most effective. I do plan on testing out some crystal-like sounds for this scene as well in the future, this is just a basic early test. I'm looking forward to playing more with sound especially when I begin getting bits of music. 

Major Project: Video Copilot 'Twitch' Plug-in VFX Tests #1

Today I spent some time working with the Video Copilot plug-in 'Twitch'. This plugin helps streamline the process of creating glitch effects and while it contains some presets, you do not get good results for free. Even when testing out some of the presets I often had to re-work them with some custom settings. I found if I did not spend time going in and tweaking the settings, the results were far too extreme or bizarre...but it gave me a good starting point.

Also to note - the footage I used for these tests may not be the final clips (for example - my grandfather's clip), I'm just using my pre-vis to experiment with. Some of the tests below showcase the presets with some tweaks I've made to tone them down and apply them to the shots better.

Glitch Test 001 - Custom Settings

Glitch Test 002 - Color Tearing Preset

Glitch 003 Test - Crazy Man Preset

Video Copilot Twitch Plug-in

This plug-in is a large time saver as it takes all of the settings I would have needed to create good glitch effects and organises them in a more intuitive manner rather than me creating them by creating several pre-compositions and layers. I can choose what aspects of the glitch I want - including blurring, colour/tint, light/brightness, movement of the footage (slide or scale), and time (so the footage jumps forward or backward making it appear jittery). There are also more effects are under different categories, such as RGB splitting under 'slide' - an effect that I think works well for certain shots in my film to bring some colour into the sterile white space.

Glitch Test 004 - Side Swiped Preset

Glitch Test 005 - Bloom Preset

Glitch Test 006 - 360 Spin Preset

I've really enjoyed playing with this so far and I think it will give me really creative and dynamic methods for transitioning between shots in addition to my light flickers. I think it will also be effective for adding greater distortion to more 'disordered' entities in combination with other effects. I look forward to testing this out some more to see what I can do with it.