Creating Stereoscopic 3D Images

Recreating Cameras and Lights in Maya

Original Image 1.

Maya Rendering 1.

Maya Rendering Rotated 1.

Original Image 2.

Maya Rendering 2.

Maya Rendering Rotated 2.

Building a scene in Maya

Third Term Paper

My first two term papers scores were 85 and 85; I will not be writing a third term paper.

Outline of the Third Term Paper

·        Intro

·         Special effects are used in most films these days, from big explosions down to editing out mistakes made by the film crew.

·         CGI is most cost efficient.

·          Still have instances where film makers have to use good old fashioned trickery to make viewers believe they are seeing something that they really aren't.

·         Two examples of scaling characters in film to convey a large gap in size when there truly isn't one.

·         Lord of the Rings - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdna43L1fZ8

·         In Lord of the Rings, the story follows three Hobbits on their way on a great adventure.

·         The three hobbits are only supposed to be three feet tall, but are played by normal sized adult actors.

·         These actors played next to other actors portraying normal size or larger characters.

·         Unable to "shrink" in CG and make it look believable.

·         Had to "trick" the viewer into believing these characters were three feet tall.

·         First, had children or actors with dwarfism portray the hobbits from behind or in action scenes where faces were not shown.

·         The most ingenious part is the trick used with perspective.

§  Example of Frodo and Gandalf riding in a carriage together.

§  Filmmakers actually made two seperate seats, about four feet apart from each other, with Gandalf in the one closest to camera and Frodo in the one about four feet behind.

§  Both actors acted as if they were sitting next to each other and scene was filmed head on with the split between seats hidden so it appears as if they are sitting next to each other.

·         Example where effects are seamlessly done, without CGI.

·         The whole point is to make it look "real".

·         Called "forced perspective"

·         Casablanca (1942) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEWaqUVac3M

·         Used the same technique

·         Filmed in studio with a smaller scale plane and actors with dwarfism next to it to make it appear further away than it really was.

·         Done in the background to create perspective.

·         The storm was created in studio so they would not have to recreate the storm outside at an actual airport.

·         Didn't have the option for CGI animation during that time, so they had to be creative.

·         Effect was seamless and viewers didn't even notice.

·         Conclusion

·         Directors have many tools at their disposal to help tell a story.

·         Must be creative in order to tell a story seamlessly.

·         CGI is not always the answer as it can look "made."

·         Sometimes the best techniques are techniques borrowed from a time when they didn't have the computer generated option.

·         When it comes to films looking authentic, sometimes the best answer is the simplest!

Stop-Motion Character Animation

To create my stop-motion animation I began by drawing out my character in a walk cycle. I drew him in every key frame, then proceeded to cut each individual key out. I then built my scene with some random blankets and baby toys to help give my character a more believable environment. I then took a clear sheet of glass and set it between my environment and the camera. On the glass I charted out my character's basic walk. So all I had to do from there was place my character one foot in front of the other in the correct sequence as I taped them to the glass and took my snap shops.

TERM PAPER 2: Science Fact or Cinematic Fiction?

            Many people don't walk around every day having to remind themselves that if they run off a cliff, they will fall. This is because the laws of physics in the real world are part of what keeps us living every day. We must abide by them because it is part of the world we live in. It is what we understand, and since we know these laws to never be broken, we never have to think about them. One of these laws is Newton's third, where he states that , "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction". In entertainment, particularly in the film and television world, the laws of physics are optional thanks to special effects and animation. Below are examples from film and television where Newton's law is broken to help aide in telling the story.

           

            Cartoons often play with the laws of physics because it is so easy to do. With animation, writers and directors can truly play with the laws of physics in way that a live action tv show or movie can't. In the clip above, at around 14 seconds, Coyote runs of the cliff and continues "running" through the air in a straight line until he hits a sheer wall of rock. In the cartoon, he is running from truck, and the premise of the clip is that he is running so fast to get away from the truck, that the momentum of his running carried him through the air as the ground fell away from him. If this had been recreated in the real world, he would have simultaneously lost the force of the ground acting upon him and then gained the force of gravity acting upon him. These two forces paired together would create an overwhelming force carrying him to the ground. In other words, he should fall to his death in this clip. This type of comical play with nature is a common theme in animation as it adds to the comical, entertaining storyline. Viewers expect to see things they would not see in their everyday lives because it is part of the entertainment. In this type of animation, animators can play with the laws of physics without being judged or held to the standard of comparison with the "real" world.

            Live action films also often ignore the laws of physics with special effects and animation to add to the story. Though it is not as simple as animation, many of the laws of physics can be broken with the combination of stunts and computer graphics. In the scene above from The Matrix, the main characters continually shoot guns over and over with little to no recoil. Thanks to the world of computer graphics, the actors in this scene just had to run around the set carrying large, empty firearms acting as if they were shooting at each other. Later, the shooting sounds, the falling debris and other effects were added in. If this were to happen in a real world setting, the force it would take to shoot  a bullet out of the barrel would cause the gun to throttle backwards. This is proven by Newton's third law once again. The director most likely chose not to abide by this basic law because he wanted a more fluid scene. The characters are stealthy and matter of fact, and jerking their guns backwards every time they took a shot would not mesh with this idea. The fact that the viewers are not distracted by this jerking motion adds to the scene and allows them to focus on the storyline and exciting action scene.

            Above is another example where a live action scene has been enhanced in order to create a more exciting moment for the viewers. There are many examples in this particular scene from Charlie's Angels of kicks that cause the kicked person to go flying through the air. There are also examples from the same scene of very hard kicks that don't cause much of a reaction at all. Finally, there are also examples of people flying through the air and staying airborne much longer than they should. The kicks in this scene are lopsided. According to Newton's third law, the kicks given by the girls into the stomachs and other areas of the men fighting with them should cause much more of a reaction. The men barely double over, giving the appearance of very strong, almost superhuman men. This is meant to convey to the viewer how strong and formidable these men are to fight. The men should be seriously hurt and unable to continue to fight after these kicks. In the same vein, there are kicks from the men and women alike that cause people to go flying through the air. The kicks given here should not send them flying through the air, as the force needed to project something as heavy as a human body is much more than a simple kick. Finally, when these people are kicked, they are staying airborne much longer than physics says they should. As with the Looney Tunes clip above, the force of gravity should be bringing them down much sooner. Had the director stayed aligned with the laws of physics, this fight scene would have been much shorter and much less exciting. Every person in the scene would have been hit once and been laying on the ground in a very short time. Breaking Newton's third law here helps extend the scene and create a more exciting experience for the viewers.

            In each of the examples above, Newton's third law was broken in order to enhance the story that the writers and animators were trying to tell. If these stories were told with the correct laws, they wouldn't be the same. While we, in the real world, have to abide by these laws, the characters in these television shows and films do not. Being able to break outside of these simple laws helps the audience escape into different worlds where people are able to fly through the air, shoot large guns with no recoil, or kick men with iron abs and never feel pain. It allows directors to convey exciting and action filled stories so viewers will continue to come back for more. All in all, as directors, writers and animators continue to break the laws of physics, they will continue to delight movie goers and TV watchers throughout the years.