Spectacular 3D Entry: Brian Nichols

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Humming Bird WIP Soon. I'll have WIP of the fishing trawler in a few days.
Keep up the good work guys.

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http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/11/8727/8727_1126567803_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/11/8727/8727_1126567803_large.jpg)

I'm not too clear on the realm of possibility requirements for the project. My intent for this composition is to tell the tale of an ancient sailors myth of the ocean suddenly drying up, an occurance caused by a thirsty god from the heavens. I figure since most cultures in history have based their lives on myths and story telling that have strong roots in reality, that such a compostion as mine may in theory be in the "realm" of possiblity. At least in the mind of a believer.

[Tee Double U]

well that would be spectacular

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Well, I don't really want it to be spectacular and Illegal for the competition. Any feedback from you guys would be great.

Brian

[mmoir]

Hey Brian,
The idea is great , I don't see why it wouldn't qualify for the challenge. Good luck with this.

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Sorry double post

[ihamid]

cool concept! and nice bird model!:) . good luck and have fun! cheers!

[ChrisThatGuy]

I think it qualifies for the contest.

I would proably try showing it from almost the same level as the ship deck. THat way it would mimic the point of view of one of the sailors looking up at the monstrous humming-bird.

[willisje]

The inspiration page said "dinosaurs and space-cities can both be spectacular too", so I don't see why this wouldn't fit. I agree with ChrisThatGuy about the POV. I like the concept sketch, especialy the boat in the background being sucked up with the water.:eek: :thumbsup:

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Thanks for the suggestions guys. I'm thinking of doing the deck shot with a cowering deck hand clasping the rail as he watches what unfolds. Maybe he'll hold his hat as the powerfull winds try to take it away from him. Have the spay blow in his direction and his cloths being pulled to the breaking point.

I don't know, there's so many possibilities with any idea. We'll see.

Brian

[Amartia]

Nice concept! I like the idea :) good look ;)

[Versiden]

great work on the humming bird model.. wd

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Why does this thing keep double posting?

[ihamid]

thats boat shows great modeling skills man! no crits!
cool!

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Heres an update on the textures for the Bird. I'm going to start on the Trawler and come back and finish this one up later .

Brian

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http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/11/8727/8727_1128132294_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/11/8727/8727_1128132294_large.jpg)

I'm currently in the process of finishing modeling on the trawler. Heres a current WIP of the bird texture.

Brian

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http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/11/8727/8727_1128296114_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/11/8727/8727_1128296114_large.jpg)

I decided to alter the camera angle for this concept. I think this is a much more dynamic view of the events unfolding.

Brian

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http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/11/8727/8727_1128639258_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/11/8727/8727_1128639258_large.jpg)

I'd say I'm around 85% complete with this model. Theres a few more random deck "items" that I want to throw in and a few touch ups with the existing geometry. Texturing this bad boy is going to be a project in itself so I want to get started as soon as I can.

Brian

[dannyfalch]

good work so far.

your level of detail is very good, i'm sure it will turn out great.

[arLutiK]

Very cool work I like it alote. You rock at moodeling boats.

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Latest WIP on the Fisherman. The shot calls for his back to be turned to the camera so thats why he has no head. The hood will be coverin it for the pose I'm thinking of. I'm going to tweak the shader to make him seem more "wet". Now it looks like his cloths are made of rubber. It needs to look more like wet nylon. I'll keep workin on it.

Brian

[shakes]

stunning job on that ship! looks fantastic, and I love the detail. the raincoat/fisherman guy looks rather creepy!!
http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/5996/smileyeye26vj0az.gif

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LOL...Well, I can't argue with that.

Thanks for the complement. I just wrapped up modeling on the ship this morning.

Brian

[dannyfalch]

A bit lilke in the "I know what you did last summer" film,.. uuh:scream:

nice work.
Will he be facing away from the camera like in the sketch??
maybe a bit more trying to keep balance in the pose.

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Oh no. He's going to nearly be on his knees as he grasps the railing. I just wanted to show a general placement of him in the concept.

Brian

[ihamid]

hei detached

nice progress there! the boat is very well modeled! love to see some textures one it :D ! and nice going on the fisherman!
cheers mate!

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Ok, after much deliberation I have decided to axe the Hummingbird and replace it with a more "possible" scenerio.

I came up with this thumbnail illistrating the changes. The bird is now being replaced by a mechanical alien "Suction hose". The premise is, this fisherman is witnessing the extraction of the earths resources. Out in the middle of the ocean, this covert alien conspiracy may have gone unnoticed by mankind, but this lone trawler has stumbled upon an event of astronomical proportions.

Nothing else in the shot is going to be changed.

later guys

[ihamid]

hey Brian nice going on the new concept! ... although i liked the other one too! hmm cant wait to see the new modeling phase!:)
cheers man!

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Latest model for the new concept. There isn't going to be any extreme detail on this model like there was on the ship mainly because of the camera distance.

Its pretty straightforward, the machine sucks up the ocean water/animals and stores them in the massive "bag" on the top. The giant cylinders on the side filters and stores atmospheric gases. It kind of resembles a blood filled tick.

[YasushAzush]

nice job ..... great modeling :thumbsup:

[ihamid]

hi man! the modeling is coming out pretty cool man! nice design !
cheers!

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Finally got started on the texturing of the ship this weekend. "Actually off for once". Still a long way to go, but its coming along.

Later

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Heres the latest on the Trawler texturing.
This is a simple render with no lighting. (just directional).

Still a ways to go yet.

Brian

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I decided to take a brake on the Trawler and start texturing the Alien craft.

Most all the textures on the ship are procedural based except for the middle part of the craft. Most of the light on the ship is from mapped incandescence and glow.

I think I'm on the right track here with what I was going for as far as the look goes, organic but industrial, beautiful but potentially dangerous.

What do you think?

Later Guys

[Gunilla]

Hi, it's the first time I see this thread and I really like your modeling! I find the first concept, with the hummingbird, more poetic and inspiring. The current one can make a pretty dramatic scene though - so it will work well too.
Love your idea for the collectors texture - they will make a good contrast to the ship and disaster. Looking forward to see you proceed :thumbsup:

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Well, after much headaches with my software, I finally managed to squeeze a render out of it. This first test uses Final Gather w/ Mental Ray.

I've highlighted a few of the mistakes that I plan on fixing later.

BN

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http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/11/8727/8727_1130795641_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/11/8727/8727_1130795641_large.jpg)

This is the general composition of the image. I have some areas marked where things still need to go in the shot. This particular image isn't fully rendered, its just basic renders with touchups done in Photoshop for post effects and lighting ideas for the final render.

I still have the wave to create coming up the side of the ship which will be achived using Realflow, which I have become acostumed with the past few weeks. I also have to add the fisherman on the deck grasping the railing along with the spray caused from the tenticles in the water and the wave hitting the boat. Some fog will be added in the distance. Most of the light in the shot will be coming from the alien craft. So there will of course be shadows cast across the boat from all the deck accessories, which I think will add alot to the image. The clouds in the background are still a WIP and are being
achived using Maya's fluid system. I'm getting pretty good results with it so its working out. The water is also done using Maya's ocean shader on a NURBS plane, which is also yelding satisfactory results.

Well, back to work. Any Crits or Comments are most welcome.

Later,

Brian

[Gunilla]

General comp looks good! I would perhaps suggest that one of the pods where more visible to give a better understanding about what happens - also to show off that nice texture :)
Nice start for the water :thumbsup:

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Thanks for the comments Gunilla. Ive been hoping someone would give there opinions before I got too far into rendering and post.

Thats a good idea for the pods. I didn't want the frame to be too cluttered with ships and bright lights so I decided to put one off frame a bit. I think I'll leave a bit of it still out of frame just move it over enought so you can get a good Idea of whats going on in with it. Maybe I'll have one of the tenticles up in the air with water falling from it or something like that.

I've struggled with the composition of this piece since the concept. I have a pretty good idea of what I want out of it just nothing ironclad at the moment. I want to show the grand scheme of the shot but have it a bit dramatic and "personal". But to have a more dramatic shot I would have to move the camera on deck, and point it up in the air to get a good view of the pods, but then a viewer won't see the ocean surface and most if any of the ship. Or some other weird angle that may be confusing to someone first viewing it. I really don't want any questions to linger about whats going on when its finished. I figured this angle would tell the story.

If you have any suggestions for shot angles, object placement, exetera throw em' at me. I'm open for anything.

Later guys.

Brian

[shakes]

[QUOTE=detached]http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/11/8727/8727_1129323111_medium.jpg (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/entries/11/8727/8727_1129323111_large.jpg)

superb modelling on this and everything else! very goodhttp://img270.imageshack.us/img270/645/guineapig35nx.gif

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Well, its starting to finally come together. This is a compilation of all the passes rendered for the Nordkap Trawler. I
believe there are 10 in all. The general passes and a few for individual lights in the scene. I tweaked em a bit and I'm liking the the way they turned out. Flexibility is a good thing in post. Anyway, I still have the ocean and effects along with the alien pods to render out yet and then adjustments, rerenders, and so on.

Brian

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Here a basic description of whats going on in this image. Theres nothing you havn't seen before in terms of technical stuff, just a brief illistration.

Brian

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Well, I think I'm finally rounding third with this project. I have all the major components of the shot composited now and their look is pretty close to final. I am going to rerender a few of the elements in the shot that I dont really like. The ocean needs some work, as well as the glow on the pods.

If you have any ideas or comments, throw em' my way.

Brian

[Gunilla]

Great update here!
I sort of miss the dark cloudy sky though - this seems a bit to joyful perhaps. I also like the way the pods where glowing in your earlier tests ... perhaps a mix could work well?
The sea looks wonderful now and it's also much clearer what's going on, good work - keep hammering :thumbsup:

[(o)ne]

yes, it looks promising, right changes ;)

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Thank you (O)ne and Gunilla for your comments. I agree that the scene should be a bit darker. I dont want it to be dark dark, I want the shot to seem more "sick" dark. More uneasy than scary or sinister. The fisherman isn't really in any immediate danger, however the environment is.

I went ahead and scraped the glow where the tenticles makes contact. I thought it was overpowering and it failed to show what was going on. I added water disturbance where they contact the water and also at the bow of the boat. Glow was added on the other two pods and the scene was darkened a tad with some rain falling in the background mixed with a bit of fog. The water being sucked up was added inside the tenticles, along with a fade on the ocean as it reaches the horizon of rain.

There are also some compositing artifacts that are visible in the full res version that I have to fix.

Later,

Brian

[cHum]

Hi,
Yes this is good concept. But the tenticles... it's a little matrix. A red bulb and tenticles mmmm if you can change or modify it.
Good Job:)
I want to see the next.
C<hU/m

[glenn23]

I love these updates where the improvements really leap forward.Maybe the two units in the distance should fade a bit in the mist to really give an idea of their scale.
very cool update

Glenn
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=283437

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Thanks for the reply glenn23, thats a great idea. Its next on my list.

cHum: I suppose I see what you mean, but any craft or creation usually resembles another in some way or another. At this point it is what it is. I really don't have time to conceptualize a new craft and throw it through the pipeline. I wouldn't even if I did.

Brian

[shakes]

really great updates Brian, and lovely rendering.just one thing, and it may be too late,
but I think the ships mast cutting through the middle of the spaceship tentacles takes away from their visual impact a little.
not sure how you'd do it, but you could reduce the spaceships/tentacles size, so that the lower part of the spacecraft balloon is visible at the top of the pic. could look very dramatic.
just a thought!

[ThierryS]

Great picture Brian, and good rendering! I just find the see a bit goemetric at the moment, it's maybe just a quick parameter to fix.
:thumbsup: :)

[ihamid]

hei detached

the scene is coming out pretty nice! like the lighting mood there! :thumbsup: the boat splashes look a bit odd ! great work man!
cheers!

[TedTerranova]

Great image and concept. I agree with Shakes about the mast cutting through the composition. Maybe you could flip/mirror the ship to the other side and just move the kid? Getting the mast out of the way of all the cool detail in the alien ships would help this image alot. On another note I really like your designs. People are always going to try and compare your stuff to something else, what can you do :) I hope these suggestions help.

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To all those who commented and others, here's a few images to pick from if you want to let me know what you like more.
Any combinations of image tints or ship direction is availible.

Shakes and Novacaine: I see what you mean. I went ahead and flipped the ship around to test. I think it has promise, though now all the shadows are out of wack and the fisherman is IMO looking in the wrong direction. He should be looking at the closest pod, NO?

thierry2005: I agree, I'm not sure what the deal is. I seem to keep getting these jagged waves in my renderes. Its driving me nuts. Could be the wave peaking or turbulence, I'll keep at it.

yunisirees: Nice to hear from you, its been a while. Thanks for the comments. I'm trying my best with the splashes. I've done particles in maya and wave formations in RealFlow, but I just didn't seem to be getting what I wanted so I just decided to paint them in. I guess I didn't get it right. Painting realistic anything is hard let alone water. Any suggestions?

Many thanks for the suggestions guys!

Brian

[dimi16]

#4 defenitly (bottom right) but with the shippoint ing the opposite direction

-Dimitri Brand

[fgdf]

#3 no doubts - cheers;)

[JamesMK]

My vote: #4 on the bottom left




.

[ihamid]

hiya detached

cant make my mind on 3 and 4! they both look ok to me :)! cheers!

[Gunilla]

One more for bottom right!

... maybe with the ship flipped.

Looking good:thumbsup:

[CryingHorn]

2, upper right, I don't know.. looks more snug for me...

[shakes]

looks alot bettter flipped I think- I'll go for bottom right, but maybe you need some more smaller ships on the right hand side- the ones on the left look a bit lost. this is a really great image!

[dannyfalch]

Wow, thats different!

Lots of changes since the last time i was here!
Radical change of concept, but it looks good and it a rather unique idea:thumbsup:
Textures are cool aswell.

Good job!

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A fisherman has been out a sea for nearly a week. Day after day of searching for a catch has yielded only an empty net and shattered hopes. The times have been tough for the past few months for the fisherman who make their living on the waters of the Bering Strait. More and more often, experienced professional men have been returning to port with little to no product, leaving their families in poverty and the fishing industry in disarray. Scientists sent to investigate the situation, have discovered that not only do commercial fish seem to be disappearing at an astronomical rate, but nearly all shallow dwelling sea creatures. Reports like this have been delivered from every corner of the globe. An international crisis is looming. Villages and cities along the shores of Earth's oceans are slowly strangled to death by an unseen force. Life is ending, people and animals alike are starving and the predominant question on everyone’s mind is........WHY? One now knows.........

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Well guys, its been fun. I have learned so much from everyone these past few months and I'd like to just say thanks. Everyone has excellent ideas and talent and its truly awesome to be among such amazing artists.

Thanks for all the input on the image the past few days. I decided to keep the image the same. I added a dark purple hue to the shot to help evoke the magic and gloom of what is happening. I thought a bit of purple would do the trick.

You can download a large image HERE (http://www.brian-nichols.com/SPECCHALLFINAL.jpg)

Looking forward to seeing other Final entries,:)

Brian

[Gunilla]

Hey - your final is up, congrats!

It looks great - the colors and the mood is desribing the story really well - a very unique concept. Well done, feels good, right? :thumbsup:

[shakes]

Congrats Brian, it really looks spectacular! the light on the scene is really nice, and you nailed that turbulent water around the sucker really well. ..and the story/concept is great!
good luck!

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Gunilla, it feels great. I loved every second of work involved in this project, but frankly I'm tired of looking at it. On to something else. Mabe another short, I don't know.

Thanks Shakes. Hearing such comments really makes this whole thing feel worthwhile.
I really hope you find time to finish your entry, I've been waiting forever to see it completed.
Good luck on it.

Brian

[cHum]

Hi Brian,

No problem... but if you don't want to change the modeling change de colour.
I like your work maybe because I have a lot to like matrix!
(Sorry for my english because I'm a french...!)
Okey g00d luck for this CGchallenge:thumbsup:

C<hU/m

[JamesMK]

Jolly good job, Brian. Despite it's potential danger, it still has a very cosy mood too somehow. I like it a lot.




.

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Thanks James. It means alot coming from you. :)

cHUM, I'm glad you found some cosmic link between the matrix and this image, but I'm not going to change it. Any similarities between the two are completely coincidental.

Brian

[madshooter]

Congratulations Dude for your final image:applause: Looks great, very nice colour and mood. Good job my friend.

[ihamid]

good job done detached ! looks excellent man! :thumbsup::thumbsup: ! happy to see this one finished!

cheers and here's a ..:beer: !

[velascodearmas]

Congratulations on your final image! That water looks great, and I really like the mood :thumbsup:

[cHum]

Hi,
It is personal but your work is cool.
It is no "reproach" it is a compliment!:thumbsup:
("reproach" in french is reproche if you don't understand. I'm not sure...)
Good work.


C<hU/m

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Thanks cHum, sorry I misunderstood. My fault.:banghead:


madshooter,yunisirees,dvelasco, Thanks for the replies guys.:cool:

Brian

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I've been off the site for a few weeks, and just wanted to let everyone in the challenge know what a great job they did. Everything is fantastic. All the ones I followed through the past few months and a few more that popped up at the last second.:thumbsup::bounce:

Let the judging begin.

Brian

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