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dimos

*A:M User*
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Everything posted by dimos

  1. Hey Rob, Very impressive work here. I like it. Anyway just to clarify on the "bendy" type thingies on appendages. It was used on previous films. I know we had that kind of control on Shark Tale when I worked on that film and I am pretty sure we weren't the first to use those types of controls. They were very fun to play with. Nice work. Keep it up. -Dimos
  2. WOW!!! I can not add anything else to the already overwhelming comments everyone here has made. You have a wonderful and inspiring piece of work in your hands and I am glad to have seen what you have thus far. PLEASE keep us all informed of all the goings on. I second the call for a website to document your progress and solicit funds for your project(s). Truly amazing. Just to let you know.....It was your Mosey shorts and body of work that convinced me to buy A:M many years ago. You have now revitalized the creativity and ambition to further my projects yet again. THANKS!!!! -Dimos P.S. If you EVER need help please do not hesitate to contact me. I would love to work with you sometime.
  3. Mark, I'd appreciate that! Email me and we will discuss what's needed. It may be a while before I can get you anything. There is still alot of work to be done before rigging anyhow. As far as time goes it's not much of a problem for now. That could change if there is a pitch/presentation that I'd have to aim for. Also you will have to sign a deferred payment contract and so on and do forth. We could discuss all that later. -Dimos
  4. Hey Mark, Not including sets, props and other miscellaneous models there will be anywhere from 6 to 10 characters and 6 to 12 vehicles. Right now Giuseppe is the ONLY model. Oops his scooter is modelled by the GREAT Stian but it came out to realistic. I have to design a more cartoony scooter that suits Guiseppes design so Stian can work his magic on that. Giuseppe's wife "Bella" is in design stages and so are the "THUGS". So far there are three set requirements. 1) A picturesque pasture with a beautiful tree on top of one of the hills not to far off a small rural road 2) A dusty rural road with ditch at each side of the road and 3) a scummy, near abondoned gas station/biker bar in the middle of a dusty remote rural setting (almost desert like). That's all I can think of off the top of my head! -Dimos
  5. Hey Mike, Yeah the walk is very brisk for an older guy. This walk was only meant as test in "RIG-arobics". I wanted to get a feel for it and see how the basic rig would work for him. I haven;t decided how he's gonna move yet. I like the big feet but I am pretty sure they will have to be reduced. Not by much though because this character is a little clumsy and tripping over his feet from time to time would be kind of neat. As far as reinbursment for "help" well I have a contract that specifies what reinbursement is but in a nutshell it's a deferred payment agreement. I am funding this on my own for now and producing it through my company so I can't afford much at all at this moment. Some "MONEY" people are interested but they want to see more before they delve into a new project. If your still interested email me and we'll talk. Thanks for your input and inquiry. -Dimos
  6. Thanks Rodney, mtpeak2 and DeeJay, Yes, his calves are rolling and it could be the constraint. I did this a while ago and from what I remember I tried to adjust everything I could and nothing worked. I didn't rig it myself because I don't know how to do that. I understand the theories behind rigging and so on (at least I think I do) I just don't have the time or patience for that sort of stuff. Too busy with contracts and paying the bills to learn another things right now. One of the reasons I am looking for decent riggers who want to help out. Does anyboday know someone willing to help out? I will show stuff from time to time but I can not and WILL not show much. Just teasers! I need to protect my "intellectual property" rights and that of my company's, partners and associates. -Dimos
  7. OK here's a lil update long time coming. Rodney wants to see t so there y'all go. Anyway the file is a walk test of Giuseppe. It is not the final walk just a basic walk test to see how the rig felt. Personally I don't like the rig so it needs to be re-done from the ground up but that's just me. Lots of things are wrong with this most notably the wobbly legs. ANyway I hope you like and stuff. Dimos[attachmentid=19179] giuseppe_walk_test_cropped.mov
  8. WHAT!? Too OLD!!!? Come on man!!! Your stuff looks really good. Yes your reel needs editing and some of the animation can be a little more polished but your work is VERY impressive. Why not try and go for that "Big Studio" gig or maybe even a games studio? I see potential in you. The worst they could say to you is "No Thanks". You got nothing to loose from where I see it! If you don't want to move because you like to stay close to family and friends then why not try a smaller/medium size outfit near where you live? Could be worth a looking into. Just my 2 cents. -Dimos P.S. Did you rig everything yourself from scratch or did you use something like TSM?
  9. Thanks John. I'll have to look into it some more....Very nice indeed! I hope you don't mind me picking your brain (and your awesome rendering skills)? DAMN!!!! Good stuff all around!!! I wonder how long it would render at a wide aspect HD or film output? Any ideas? How'bout using AO? Sorry for all the questions but you seem to now your stuff here.... I'm interested because I am working on a short (still in development) and I would love to get the render times down if I can without losing the look. If need be we'll have to live with longer render times to get the right look. But so far what I've seen from your render it looks rather possible. Very VERY impressed. Dimos P.S. Oh by the way.....Rendering does NOT need to be always realistic so "YEAH!!!!" to the artistic rendering styles becoming more prevelant in the next gen of films and projects and so on.....
  10. WOW!!! Beautiful renders.....what was the specs for setup, include resolution too please? Beautiful!... and please let me know render times. I know you said they were killing you but I still am interested. Dimos
  11. Absent minded....Definitely! Professor....Not quite.....He's more a salesman....The travelling kind. I am glad to see the little nuances are getting picked up....I was shooting for that kind of thing. I must add Stian is doing a fantastic job converting my designs to the 3D world....I was a little worried at first that this character would be too "graphic" and "cartoony" for CG but Stian did an amazing job. He has been a great help, and an awesome guy to work with and he's real receptive to direction and critisms! The only unfortunate thing is we are doing this over the internet and I sure wish we could work side by side. He's a really smart guy and freaking talented, even more so that he's pretty much self taught. THANKS Stian. Anyway, thanks also to you all for the comments. I'll try to keep you all posted on the progress as much as I can. Dimos
  12. Thanks guys! As far as the technical aspects of the model goes....Stian can better answer those questions. I'm sure he'll be on soon to answer what he can. But I am guessing it is an image map that was used with the bitmmapstyle plugin thingy..... ( I actually have somewhat of a technical understanding of this but it hurts my brain to use technical gargin.... Anyway I am glad you enjoy so far.... Thanks Dimos PERFECT!!!! You saw accidental adventures in this model and that is exactly what I was hoping for.....THANKS!!! Dimos
  13. Hello All, I wasn't going to post anything for quite some time on our developments or productions (and so on) but I couldn't wait to show you the beginnings of our developments on our short film. Mind you this is still a work in progress and there are a few things to tweak, add or modify. This is just a simple test of how the main character is coming along. The designs are mine but since I am not able to model due to lack of time and of course it would take me a hell of a lot longer then someone who actually eats, poops and sleeps modeling, I had to use the services of others. Special thanks goes to Stian Ervik Wahlvåg for offering up his skills on modeling this character. He is an extreme pleasure to work with. Oh by the way it was rendered in orthographical (no perspective) view. Reason being it is easier to compare the images as close as possible to the rough designs. We also used v13 AO (ambient occlusion?) to achieve the render and I must say I am pleased with the results. The copy you see here is a reduced image from a much larger file. The watermarking is for our company's intellectual rights and property protection and has to be present on any public display of our works in progress. I'm sure most of you understand all that. Well let us know your thoughts. If you have questions please ask. Who knows it may even get answered . Enjoy (if you want that is) Dimos [attachmentid=14824]
  14. In that case....GO FOR IT! Just remember a KEY point.....BELIEVABILITY is everything.....no matter how "whimsical" the piece. Dimos
  15. I agree with Matt. The rocks would most likely not shoot up anywhere near that high. Water is a very POwERFUL force, true....however from what I undersstand about some physics and stuff (as an animator not a scientist) the rocks would most likely fly forward as if they were pushed agressively and then flow with the water for a VERY short while (at least visibly). Again I am not a scientist but I would most definitely not animate the boulders that "lightly". You may disagree but your disagreement doesn't make it right . Dimos
  16. OK, Now your just rubbing your age in to us ol'foggies . Listen Lewa. I wasn't kidding about a future in animation. You have a real good understanding of the basics of character animation. I mean it when I say keep it up! Look into animation schools and steer your future education towards it. Talk to your parents and and let them know that your interested in a future in animation. If you develop and hone those skills some more you'll be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Give it some thought. What area are you located in? I don't want your address I just want to know the city, state, country so that I can help you research some schools or training facilities to get you started on a more rewarding path. My professional career started in Stop-Motion but I was always more interested in the more traditional Warner Brother/Hana-Barbara/Disney styles. I began drawing decently before I could read and write. I loved it. Later in my career I picked up some computer skills and now animate using both traditional and CG methods. I have had a really rewarding and happy career. I know that you can too. Just work hard and don't develop a BAD ego (a healthy ego is good but don't get carried away). I wish you all the best. Keep us all posted on your future. Good Luck! Sincerely impressed, Dimos P.S. Do you draw? If not pick it up, it will help you sharpen and improve your artistic and animation skills (and a lot of other skills too). You don't have to be the best drawer at all. Just have fun and sketch away. Sheeeesh, I should practise what I preach and resume my drawings again. I've been busy with work and all!
  17. I mean this as a complement so please bear with me..... This is too good for someone with little to no experience in animation! The animation is on par (if not better then) high level television animation. The skill shows maturity and experience far greater then that of a 15 year old can really do! Mind you there really wasn't any facial animation or lip-syncing to worry about but the posing and timing are very impressive. GREAT animation and darned funny material! Now that being said...... Did you REALLY animate this and are you REALLY only 15? If so then.....KID, you're on your way to bigger and better things. I'll be definitely keeping on eye out for you! I think you've found your calling! Dimos Vrysellas
  18. Better speed over-all but as you stated still a little too long. Here are some more suggestions based on this version. Take them as you will, like I said before this is YOUR reel and the only thing I can offer you are ideas or suggestions of alterations that could benefit your reel. camera jerks into a fast motion instead of gradually speeding up then splashing and slowing down in the water. I think you should quickly begin a fast decent into the water (gradually getting faster) before you hit the splash. Right now way too much time is spent looking at your boat model, which is nice, but not the focal point or main idea of the intro. If anything your name/logo should be the main focal point. when in the water the decent is fine but I would add a little rocking/swaying motion to help give the illusion of water resistance. I see you've attempted it a little but not yet as convincing as it could be. The turtle animation is too long. You can probably make it work better if he cautiously swam in to see what the commotion is about, have a look at the logo without swimming around it too much (as is now), make him look suprisingly into camera and speed out of scene and then end as you wish. Try to keep it under 15 seconds (20 seconds max if need be). Again the most important part of the reel is your work after the title and not the title itself. The meat is what matters! So far it's coming along nicely. I hope your having fun! Dimos
  19. No prob once again, For your purposes have the long version of the opening title for your demo, but make it as short as possible (around 10 to 15 seconds at the most). Freelance and full time positon demos should be treated the same. Try to follow my original suggestion and see how that works. You don't need to put your contact info in the intro, just your logo (but that's up to you). I suggest your last title slate be a simple black background with your name at the top, mailing address and phone followed by your email address, in white using a simple, easy to read font. Put it right at the end of your reel and keep it on for a long time (at least 10 seconds). Highlight your name somehow. Then fade to black and Bob's your uncle! Example, [attachmentid=11568] I'd like to have a gander at your demo once it's done. you got me all curious! OH one more thing. Your demo should only contain your best work! DO NOT put everything and anything you have done. Always breakdown your demo as a lot of artist should their portfolios. Always put your best most recent work first and foremost, then fill in the middle with some other good stuff and end off with what you feel your second best work is. You have ot try and grab there attention right off with your best work and leave a good taste in their mouth at the end when it's all said and done. UNLESS you do a timeline thing then you put your most recent work first and end off with your oldest stuff. I uselually do the later because i like to show and see progression of work but a lot of folks like to see a demo that's broken down like I first mentioned. I hope that made sense. By the way my suggestions are just based on my experience and practise. You do not have to follow anything I have said. It is your demo after all. If you feel you want to go a seperate direction than by all means, but I have learned that this is usually the best approach to demos and portfolios. Hope I helped. Dimos
  20. No prob, 15 years in the industry and now starting my own studio helps in the "knowing" of these things. Basic rule of thumb is a minimum solid 3 seconds per title or slate (not including fades). So for instance your logo seems to have three line of text "JAB Design Studios", so it theory it would take the average viewer approximately 3 seconds to see the image or text, read the text and absorb the info and then want to move on. If you look at most basic title or name slates the only last for 3 to 5 seconds. Of course adding some flair like animation and effects can help but too much or too long can turn off a potential client or employers. Like I said before the MEAT of your work is more important then your name or title slate. Also it's a good idea to add a title or slate at the end of the demo that holds for a long time on your name and contact info only (about 20 seconds), no need for anything fancy. That way they don't have to rewind or go back to the beginning of the reel to get your info. They'll read it at the end, write it down and hopefully call you. Of course when making your own film your logo can be longer to help meld into the project. For example, Dreamworks likes to incorporate there logo at the beginning of most animated films they produce, but for demo purposes short and sweet is better. Good luck with your demo, Dimos Vrysellas
  21. Your modelling and rendering skills are truly impressive to say the least. Dimos
  22. For online demo intros a slightly shorter length should suffice. I suggest that you start off exactly as you have but really speed up the decent of the camera into a more forceful splash into the underwater world. Slow down the decent of the camera again to help simulate the feel of water resistance (maybe add in a little camera tilst/sway action too). Only spent 5 to 6 seconds on the logo before you fade out. Try to make the whole intro anywhere from 10 to 15 seconds only. If you need to it would be ok to go to about 20 seconds but then that may be too long also. If you're going to be putting a VHS or DVD demo together for distribution to studios for potential work, then I suggest really reducing the intro to ONLY the logo. Fade in have the turlte swim in and out and fade out. 6 to 8 seconds max. Studios and recruiters go through a lot of reels and would fast forward right through lenthgy intros. Try to keep intros short yet memorable enough for demo reels. The meat of your work is what matters not how nice your name looks on the screen. By the way your work on the intro was pretty good. Cheers, Dimos Vrysellas
  23. I have ALWAYS spent more time per frame on cycles, than on other type of animated peice. Cycles have to be good in every sense to make it work. It has to be believable and technically accurate or as accurate as humanly possible. A common mistake when animated walk and run cycles is animators believe that spending a lot of time on few frames is not necessary, but one has to remember that a cycle is more than just 12 frames (for example). When actually using a cycle in a longer peice you tend to see it for MUCH longer than those 12 frames originally worked on. Any discreptencies in the cycle will surely show up after the audience has seen it in motion for a few seconds (or whatever). I hope that made sense. Dimos
  24. Pixar, I like it much better now. Maybe you could try offsetting the arms by 2 frames instead of the 4 frames I originally requested. You'd have to figure out the best offset by tweaking. The twinning still is distracting but maybe it's as simple slightly altering the animation of the arms to look different yet the same. Figure that one out! Dimos EDIT: Also it would be cool to see a rotation cycle of the character in motion. I suggest keeping the character running on the spot for at least 2 seconds and the rotating the character on the spot for about 5 seconds (depending on your preference), and hold the front view at the end (again for 2 seconds again). Remeber to gradually move in and out of the rotation to help smooth the rotation, it looks more appealing. Also make sure that you DO NOT include a copy KEY 1 on the last frame so when folks cycle the animation it doesn't seem to hold or pop. Render it using the realtime setting that way you don't have to wait too long for rendertimes. Once you get the final animation then render the cycle as you wish. I am really interested in seeing the final version. Good luck
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