Animation/kind of reel_3 small videos

[cuse]

that looks nice... any links to the shorts tho? :)



cuse

[e338]

Hell!!!!

I completely forgot the link!!!

"where is my mind.. lalala..."

www.e338.com/2_ndZone/demoreel.html

better this way...

[cuse]

wow.

they just get better and better, LOVe the 2nd one tho. :)

congrats :applause:





cuse

[e338]

Do you guys, take the "hang on to your ego" thing for you???
That's not my intention.
So keep groovin'

see ya

[stephen2002]

those are really different...very interesting compositing work.

[e338]

thanks again...

oh yes, i can feel it... hear it.
In the depth of the big web.

Those questions that you cant ask... And i understand.
Yes, i understand your brothers.

Who is this guy? what does he want?
What's this f**k he's showing us?

As i would understand that people don't like my stuff, i wouldn't be surprised to have bad comments. This is the trip when you throw your work in a forum.

But no comments or so few (good in the meantime, glad you appreciated guys), is again't my religion.

So this is it. The big interview i'm gonna make myself.
The questions that could have been asked, and the answers i would have gave then.


Loïc : First thing, who is Amon? why are you using him so oftenly in your works?

e338: Well, Amon was designed 14 months ago, while i was learning Maya. I was working with 3dsMAX since 6 years.
I wanted to achieve a character with a real history, a real life. He was supposed to be halway beetween Tricky & Iggy. So we're talking rock'n roll here!
Designing him took me a while, and i was scared to be blocked again, at the rigging state. So i decided to use him as much as possible, in illustrations, and, when i'd be able to, for animations.
He's not exclusive ;) I have other projects meanwhile.


Loïc : When i see your work, the first thing i see isn't CG, or at least, it seems it's not your goal to achieve a 100% 3d rendering.
Am i wrong (dude, am i wrong ) ?

e338 : This is true. Except for business, when people wants full 3d projects, i try as much as possible to go through. To use this hardware rendering as i would use a photo.
I love to work with computers, i love the power it gives to build a scene or a pict, but i also love organical rendering, textures, scartches, dust, dots, paint, coffee, ...

Loïc : Yes, but don't you think people here believes that you HIDE lacks behind those post-process, specialy in your animations?

e338 : There are lacks in my scene. And also in my rendering. But that's not my priority. Not anymore.
In this case, I wanted to achieve 3 x15' of animation, in 5 days, post-process and music included.
I love to play with real deadlines, even for me. I'm now sure i can achieve such animations in less than a week if someone ask for.

It's too easy to spend a year on a reel, and say " Yo people kiss my ass, this is it, no one can do it! i'm the king. I'm gonna go to Pixar, teach'em my rules!!! ".

No, no more. You NEVER have time for all the details you would like to add. So you have to choose. So you have to think fast. Make graphical choices, and go in ONE direction. Using the small time you have to do something that hangs itself.

loïc : So, you always fix yourself a schedule when your work for you?

e338: at the beginning, yes. Not to lose myself. Then, depending on the nature of the work ( animation, still, video ), and decide to take more time or not on it. And then, i switch from one thing to another. Not to get bored, and to have a fresh eye each time i go back to one thing.

loïc : Ok for the method. About post-processing, you love trash stuff. Is it coz' you ain't to create "MTV-videos-we're all beautifullllll-post-processings" ???

e338 : (laughs) No no. Sometimes it's fun to do it too. I recently had a video to make with a kid, and there was quiet a rude processing to do (kid was ok, but no make up, tired eyes).
I created a photoshop script + an AfX generical composition that i've called "baby-skin-me!".

For Amon, i wanted something halway between 16mm and video.
As a small compressed file for the web, it's rough. In it's PAL DV version, it reveal real thin textures and motives...

loïc : so what would be the last thing you would say to the people here?

e338 : I'll say that i'm surprised. That i thought there would be more reaction (good or not).
-I'll never be the guy who'll show the most detailled, perfect mesh; i prefer work on the lines, the lights. inside dynamic.
-I'll never be the guy who'll show the most difficult animation, i'm only seeking for the rythm.


loïc : ok then... see you, thanks for the answers.

e338 : thanks for asking dude ;) see ya

[GeneralChaos]

after reading the interview and remembering you made it all up, I guess ill add a comment.

The movies are really nice for the style you are going for, and I was wondering what exactly you did to get that effect in the movie? I can see myself making something like that in the future so it would be nice to get a rough idea were to start.

[e338]

here is a screenshot
hope it can help

i'll answer later on to your question "GeneralChaos". In fact, i did already but the sent of my thread failed.
I've lost all i typed.
sic

hi res if you want at :

www.e338.com/2_ndZone/Wip_movie3.jpg

see ya ;)

[cuse]

haha
:)


but to be honest ive not really seen any/much of your works before so i couldnt really ask those...

however, i do like the compositing style, cant wait to see some more of your stuff.



cuse

[GeneralChaos]

well by the look of that picture it sure looks complicated.

[e338]

it always looks more complicated than it is really.

I'm gonna explain a bit in what it consists in.

First, i render few pictures, really simple. Just to try some post process and rough effects. Then i can see where it grips and where it lacks details.

At this moment, i go back to Maya, and add light, slight colors, sometime a meshsmooth (not in this case).

Then, back to afx, i create a first project, called "basic", which is only a "Premiere_like" succession of sequences.

Second step is mainly based of this basic_comp, multiplied on several layers, with comparison modes.

usually, i already have to use masks such as the character alpha channel, or color masks.

at this moment, i start playing with adjustment layers, still with masks, to add textures.
I also start playing with slight focus effects, zoom, noises.

Then, i try some texture_map in hi res to filter the whole comp.
I isolate those pictures in new compositions, adding layers, animated effects, moving map, DV rushes, etc...

I create two or three different moving textures such as this previous one. They will be used as masks, or as textures.

To avoid the ordinary sliding effect of those new added textures, i track the character or the background if there's one, and apply the result on those filtering images.

I clean up the composition, creating sub compositions to have a better control on each separately.

It's time to add new global adjustment layers on the whole composition, so they mix-up the subject, types when there are some, and background.

In this particular case with Amon, the filtering textures are also used once blured in a new version, for soft 2d displacement maps, i think it gives a good interaction between the pictures and their textures.

Few new layers for the last color balances, levels, brightness,blahblah stuff..

Sometimes, i make a new composition of the whole thing, to make some new cut or blend.
This is it. We're done.


When you get your own method, it's easy then to change some sources directly for declinations (i specially think about a DVD interface i had to do. Playin' 3 day on a single 10sec animation+10 sec loop, and 2 more days for the other 3 sequences...) .

NAME all your footage if you use AFX. If not... uhm... good luck ;)

My wish is to achieve effects without using extra-pluggins.

Now, you may better see the work done on those 3 Amon videos.

One last time, my damn link.

www.e338.com/2_ndZone/demoreel.html


See ya
thanks for your interrest :)

[caffeineman]

The second one is my favorite over all...but I LOVE how the the 3rd one starts.

[e338]

hi in there!
glad you liked caffeineman!

well. seen your homepage as well. hard to find few pictures of ya, but in such a environment, i thought you could enjoy this one then...


http://perso.wanadoo.fr/e338/2_ndZone/DV_Xperience/auto_m.htm

More comments for Christ sake!!!!

[hugo.m]

Man, whatever happened to fun animation. I know it doesn't have to be funny but does it have to be serious?? I think your style looks cool but who wants to look at something so depressing??:thumbsdow

[e338]

hey!
soundrack may add to the "depressive" athmosphere.
Medley between Death in Vegas and PortisHead.

Now, it's true those ones ain't fun at all, but as my character is not an happy guy, i try to re-create this kinda nostalgic feeling in the video itself.

The next ones i'll do should be with one or another of my actual 2 women character, so, i swear there will be sensuality and zen!

Who wants to look at that?... uh..
to this question, actualy i have no real answer.
Curiosity? just like you ;)

see ya

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