StarWarsGuy's Mechanical Contest Entry WIP

[starwarsguy]

This is going to be my entry for the contest when it's done. I thought of this idea last night. Here it is so far. I have yet to:

• Texture It
  
• Add Some Barrels in the Foreground
  
• Work On the Lighting Some More
  
• Work On the Render (for example, the lines on the wires)
  

Any critique would be appreciated, because the entries seem to be piling up lately. I'm gonna really try on this one.

[higginsdj]

Looks interesting, models appear to be well made but I see no 'connection' between the 3 model groups - ie there is nothing unifying them. In fact the big model 'thing' looks like a closeup of somthing rather than a big something within the scene.

 

Cheers

[starwarsguy]

Well, I'm taking reference from the movie, and there's nothing really connecting the computers and the machine. They kind of run up to the ceiling from the back and onto it from the top... Any ideas?

[luckbat]

If they're not connected physically, you could try connecting them visually using a more dramatic camera angle...

[higginsdj]

Ahhhh - thats the trick isn't it Your not just creating models you're creating a scene.

 

What makes it all fit together in the movie? Maybe you'll need to change your point of view. What actual relationship is there between the 3 components and how are you going to show this relationship int he image?

 

Cheers

[starwarsguy]

OK, I'll work on that...

 

*backs into the shadows*

[cfree68f]

They'll need to be in an environment.. if something is hanging from the ceiling... there should be at least the hint of a ceiling. The cool thing about that scene to me.. was all the old pipes and rusty stuff around the scream machine.

 

Looks cool though.

 

C

[JoshB]

I always told myself I wouldn't actually offer advice in here until I decided to show some of my stuff but I couldn't resist.

 

The models look wonderful. I would contemplate thickening the wires because, on my computer at least, I am getting that odd artifact that you can see in old movies when someone wears a pinstripe suit.

 

In the movie they used a program which did all the pipe work. Now I don't know if this is allowed in the contests:

 

What you could do is look into the primitives section of the library of objects on the cd. Texture the ones (cylinders, elbows, t-junction, etc) that look like pipes and place them within your scene to duplicate that effect. It doesn't have to be a focal point in your scene just some in the background to trap the eye. Also, you might want to consider repostioning your camera because the line you are creating is not trapping the viewer--instead they (typically) start at the left of the image and move to the right--but, in your image there's nothing leading them back into the picture. Maybe put the camera as though YOU are sitting in the chair (actually just to the right of the chair (left of the scream extractor from that vantage). There woul be multiple effects created by this:

 

First, it's a POV shot which makes the viewer more involved than the way you have it set up (not trying to suck up to Colin there but look at his image--that guy is flying RIGHT at you).

 

Second, it creates a trapping line (especially if you add piping on the ceiling, and behind the computer going up the wall). What happens now is that a person will get focused on the nearest object (the sucker) follow the maching "back and to the left, back and to the left) to the vertical of the computer and table, which leads them into the piping up the wall, which connects to the piping on the ceiling, which leads to the arm holding the machine from the ceiling, back down to the machine itself, back to the sucker, and then "back and to the left...."

 

Just my thoughts.

 

J

[starwarsguy]

Wow. When I started reading it I rolled my eyes, but that really helped. LOL. As I said in my first post, I'm going to fix the lines on the wires.

[Heath_Naylor]

2 Words "Monsters Inc"

[Mr. Jaqe]

1 word: "Great!"

[starwarsguy]

I'm still working on how to set up a winning scene. Any ideas? I might set it up with the machine in the right/foreground and other props off to the left, going back into the wall, then I'll try to get the same lighting as in Monsters, Inc.

 

 

I'll post a new pic soon.

[JoshB]

Already gave my thoughts on setting up the camera.

 

And I didn't notice that you taked about fixing the wires until after I had posted--sorry 'bout that.

 

J

[starwarsguy]

That's okay.

[cfree68f]

I liked the idea about adding some depth to the image. Instead of a side shot make it go from left to right.. but increase the field of view on the camera ( to 45 or less and move the camera in.) That will give you lots of perspective. and increase the dynamics of the image.

 

I agree about making the piping as I said in my original post.. it will add to the lines in the shot.

 

Make that "sucker" come out of the picture (act... like you're trying to do a Stereo image and you'll know what I mean)

 

Looks great though.

 

C

[starwarsguy]

Good idea! I'll play around with that.