Romeo & Juliet: Initial Tests #4-6

So here are a few more experiments that I've done. For all of these I kept in the spotlight with some atmosphere as I felt it gave it some nice ambience. For the first test I actually re-used some texture maps from the ice texture I created in Substance Designer. I also altered the temperature of the lighting so the overall feel is cool/monochromatic.

#4

#4

For this test I searched for some marble textures online then altered them in Photoshop so they were tile-able. I played around more with the angle of the camera and spotlight and I think the second image of this test is really interesting. I may render out an animated version of this to see how the low angle and light rays look with animated camera movement and geometry.

#5

#5

Since I liked the low angle I also experimented with it using a random combination of aiStandardSurface presets. I also altered the lighting slightly so it was cooler than test #5 (where temperature was turned off). I quite like this result as there is a slight reflectivity to the triangles.

#6

#6

Romeo & Juliet: Initial Tests #1-3

It's been a crazy couple of weeks involving New Designers, job interviews, and travelling. While it's been somewhat overwhelming I'm very happy and excited to get back into being creative and artistic. This summer I am going to be working on another instalment of CAA and ONE - this project being 'Romeo & Juliet'. Like 'Red & The Kingdom of Sound'...Romeo & Juliet is a production revolving around classical music. However, this is very different from Red. For more information please visit this blog post.

My job for this project is to receive simulations from Ethan Shilling and texture, light, and frame them in interesting/beautiful ways. Here are a few of my initial tests using a simulation provided to me. The first test I combined several aiStandardSurface presets and created a sky dome light.

I decided to render out an animation to see how the texture would look while it was moving. I wanted to see what I could do to add some variety to the colour so I added a Hue/Saturation effect and animated it. This first colour animation test is not driven by the music, it is purely to see what it would look like.

Afterwards, however, I did some research into how to attach different effects and attributes to audio in After Effects. I first used Keyframe Assistant to convert the audio waves into keyframes and then I played around with smoothing them a little. I then created an adjustment layer and added a Color Balance effect to it. From here I created an expression on the 'hue' setting of the Color Balance effect and attached it to the audio keyframes. The effect at first was too subtle to make any change, so I stretched out the keyframes so there was a more noticeable change.

For my next set of tests I decided to attempt to turn all of the triangle shapes into individual prisms so they would hopefully give off rainbow reflections. I did this by using a glass preset and adjusting a couple of the settings. For these renders I also used a directional light and I later on played around with the audio-driven color balance effect in After Effects.

For the third test I created a brushed copper/gold texture and alternated between using area lights and spot lights. I also created an aiAtmosphereVolume for this test to create some light ray effects. After some feedback I created a test animation that was closer up to the geometry rather than in the distance. I really like how this came out and I imagine it'd look better with some depth of field blurring as well as some motion blurring.

New Designers 2018

So New Designers 2018 is officially over and things feel especially surreal to me. While it was strange handing in my final project in May and then graduating in June... there was still New Designers looming over the horizon. Even though New Designers was stressful and nerve-wracking at times, it was an amazing opportunity and I really enjoyed experiencing it with my peers.

I met several people from the industry, other graduates/exhibitors, and families. The response I got from those that I spoke to meant so much to me. Since When is pretty experimental and abstract, I feel New Designers was going to be a real test to see if the film 'worked'. Most people said similar things - it was difficult to watch but it made them think and feel something which is exactly what I wanted. Many said they feel they have a better understanding and can relate although they may not necessarily have the same struggles I did.

I did also have some heart-to-heart conversations with individuals that have had similar experiences...which meant the world to me. All I wanted was for this film to make a difference in even one person's life...whether that be educational or for reassurance/comfort. I'm very happy and proud to see it be successful in both aspects. I also created some pins for my project to raise money for the mental health charity, Mind. This evening I donated the money plus some extra.

When has also won Judge's Choice for the New Designers Screening Prize...which I honestly did not expect! I was admittedly overthinking the fact that 3 minutes 30 seconds was missing from my film...but I'm glad it still made an impact on the judges. I am very excited I got to meet both Jez Stewart from BFI and Alex Haley from Sky and I really appreciate and value their feedback on the film. It was very emotional for me and I admittedly nearly cried. I think this is another step forward for mental health awareness and I hope it continues to make an impact in the future. I'm also extremely proud that my peer - Rebecca Stapley - was awarded the Audience Choice Screening Prize as well. A double win for CAA!

On the flip side - one of my Art Of books was unfortunately taken from the stand. It was my own fault for probably not paying enough attention...luckily I had gotten a free extra copy since one was defective. I'm trying to look at it as positively as I can - hopefully someone from the industry picked it up or at least someone who really loved the project.

Despite this setback and disliking being photographed, I really enjoyed New Designers and the amazing work that my peers and other graduates from various universities have created. I think there were many projects that discussed a variety of important topics from mental illness to the environment. I'm excited to get into the industry, create more art, and to see everyone else succeed in the future.