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View Full Version : My first post - bowling anim

Robsk
12 December 2007, 03:00 PM
First, hi. I'm 100% new, this is my first post. I wasn't quite sure where to start, so have thrown myself in at the deep end. For a little bit of background information, I have decided to work in 3d - or aim to - only within a relatively recent period. It is the medium which inspires me most. As such, I have not had anything in the way of formal 3d training. I did more film work and so on previously, but as I have said, pretty much no 3d. I'm aware this means little, as some of the best practioners I've seen have been self taught.. still - I'm very much a 'noob', but hopefully I can change that. That's one of the reasons I've joined up - thanks to jussing for the heads up. So anyway, I expect critique, because I am really very new. I do intend to do an MA in 3d animation in the next two years, but in the meantime I want to really try to get up to speed, to a decent level. So yep, enough of that - I just thought I'd put up the only piece of work I've done so far with any form of polish, and even then, I am more than aware of many of its problems as it is.

I'm sure there are a hundred of these - it seems some film schools thought the same as me, that a bowling animation represents a relatively light start and yet one which can be reasonably versatile - so youtube does have some alternatives. Still, it was my idea in my head I guess - and I always want to ensure narrative and concept are the real stars, so I just liked the little story of these pins who worked very well together to avoid their fate, only for them to be cut down cruelly anyway... Modelling, texturing etc all either default or my own work.

"Don't count your pins..." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbcMJPr5Bgc)

I might need to change the video format etc of that because it's not showing particularly well.. too lossy etc.. but in the meantime - I am aware that there are some fundamental things in that piece. If you could see the walls properly, you would be able to see that the texture has the ol' repeating thing going on. That is something that I would resolve fairly easily if I were to go back to this piece (it's actually 8 months ago or so).

So to recap

1. Hi
2. First piece of work!
Tad Ghostal
12 December 2007, 02:44 PM
Try putting some squash and stretch on the pins. Right now they look as if they're being pulled up on an invisible string instead of jumping up on their own.Also be careful with all of the camera movement, you don't want to make your audience too dizzy.
Robsk
12 December 2007, 03:28 PM
Yeah - thanks for this. I'm in a position at the moment where I'm not sure whether or not to revisit this - at the time I had no concept of reactor or anything, so the movements are all keyed, including the scattering at the end which I think looks OK - but I have since completed a few bits that have included the whole "squash-spring" thing. :bounce:

Do you think this is worth revisiting? If I do, I think I'll feel inclined to add more to it, sort the wall textures, add a back wall etc - but even then, the intent behind this piece was very much to make something really quite short and simple - as I said above, a narrative for me is important and hopefully that, at least, is conveyed here. Maybe it doesn't make it tragic enough.. I guess maybe I will revisit it - you're right about the camera whizzing about; I guess I just wanted it to whip round to see the pin-clearing device start to come down from behind them. So maybe I can rework the thing a bit. Another issue is the bowling ball (doesn't have holes :sad: ), as I couldn't work out how to do that at the time. Still not quite sure as to the best way of doing it actually.
Tad Ghostal
12 December 2007, 03:33 PM
I can't tell you whether or not to revisit it, that's up to you.

If you're happy with it and gotten out of it everything that you can, then move on to the next project. If there's more you want to do before you call it done, then go for it. It's not really something you'll put on your demo reel but as long as you animating something that's the most important thing.
Robsk
12 December 2007, 03:42 PM
Haha, sure - I know it's a long, long way from being up to scratch in terms of quality of demo-reel standard, let alone being appropriate material.

Thanks for the crit. I guess this one might be something I'll polish at some point, but maybe I need to work on some things I need to learn in a new project.
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12 December 2007, 03:42 PM
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