Give it up!

[Tore]

As if I hadn’t enough going, I’ve begun a new project, “Give it up!”.

This is a very very short story (a couple of minutes) made from yet another piece by Franz Kafka.

 

Staging and head modeling is done 100% in A:M, but the bodies of the characters, their UV-mapping etc. as well as the rendering as seen here, are done in Zbrush.

They’ll later be imported into A:M and rigged, animated and rendered there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Simon Edmondson]

As if I hadn’t enough going, I’ve begun a new project, “Give it up!”.

This is a very very short story (a couple of minutes) made from yet another piece by Franz Kafka.

 

Staging and head modeling is done 100% in A:M, but the bodies of the characters, their UV-mapping etc. as well as the rendering as seen here, are done in Zbrush.

They’ll later be imported into A:M and rigged, animated and rendered there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tore

That is a terrific set of images. Love the textures, lighting and staging . great work.

simon

[Shelton]

Wonderful stuff as usual!!

 

Steve

[itsjustme]

Great stuff, Tore!

[Tore]

Trying out different styles of texturing, and yet again enjoyes the wonderfull renderer built into A:M!! :-)

 

 

[NancyGormezano]

That looks wonderful!

[thefreshestever]

beautiful!

[fae_alba]

Man I'm looking forward to seeing those streets bustling with traffic! Fantastic look.

[Tore]

I’m afraid I have to disappoint you there, Paul. No bustling traffic. These Kafka streets are in essence pure desolation. Maybe some old papers blowing in the wind, but that's it.

After all Kafka was the man who wrote: “I have the true feeling of myself only when I am unbearably unhappy.” (!)

[Zaryin]

For some reason my last post never got put up, hmmm. But these are fantastic. I love the look of this.

[fae_alba]

I’m afraid I have to disappoint you there, Paul. No bustling traffic. These Kafka streets are in essence pure desolation. Maybe some old papers blowing in the wind, but that's it.

After all Kafka was the man who wrote: “I have the true feeling of myself only when I am unbearably unhappy.” (!)

 

Guy sounds like a real hoot at parties! At any rate it's a nice set, and I'm still looking forward to it being in your story.

[Tore]

Guy sounds like a real hoot at parties! At any rate it's a nice set, and I'm still looking forward to it being in your story.

 

 

[Simon Edmondson]

I’m afraid I have to disappoint you there, Paul. No bustling traffic. These Kafka streets are in essence pure desolation. Maybe some old papers blowing in the wind, but that's it.

After all Kafka was the man who wrote: “I have the true feeling of myself only when I am unbearably unhappy.” (!)

 

 

I read "The castle" when I was at College, as a friend pointed out that the TV series " The Prisoner" was partly based on it. Read 'Metamorphoses' some years later and got on with it much more.( possibly reached the age when 'ready' for it !). We live in times Kafka would readily recognise but thats a debate for another time and place.

 

Are you going to have any other figures in the setting or is it alone in its environment ?

regards

simon

[Tore]

Yes, Kafka would certainly recognize the indifference of our times. His indsight was indeed sharp! He was such a great and yet very modest artist!

 

This story - Give it up - has two characters, the lonely man trying to find his way in the empty city (maybe his life?) and the watchman, denying him information on how to reach his destination.

"Give it up!" is the only answer the watchman gives him...

 

A very simple and yet unbearable story!

[Tore]

A couple of renders more...

 

 

[Tore]

Slight alterations on the watchman character.

 

 

[Shelton]

Very cool. Looking forward to more.

 

Steve

[Tore]

FINISHED! Just uploaded the completed animation to Vimeo :-)

 

Feel free to take a peek at:

 

https://vimeo.com/77304887

 

 

[thefreshestever]

very nice! love the look! great camera work, too.

 

if you want to get smoother DOF blur, render without DOF, activate the depth buffer and add DOF with a lens blur effect in post with the use of the depth map. because the depth map will not use passes it´s completely unalialised, so i always render double size and half the passes and scale it down 50% in post to have smooth edges between sharp and blurred objects.

[Rodney]

Impressive.

And too short!

 

You did that story serious justice.

I can't imagine Kafka doing better himself in the telling of it.

[johnl3d]

Great effective way to present the story !

[itsjustme]

Great stuff, Tore!

[Simon Edmondson]

Very impressive work Tore.

I'm a great fan of Black and white film anyway but your work has much more than that going for it. Terrific.

 

Theres a Kafka book called "Amerika" ( I think ?. ) and the cityscape and views would fit well with that narrative too.

regards

simon

[ptiversen]

Well Done.

[NancyGormezano]

Great look, and terrific camera angles. The story is a bit obtuse, but...hey...it's Kafka! Well done!

[Rodney]

The story is a bit obtuse

 

Well said.

When I was writing my reply (above) I hesitated to use the word 'story' in my reply.

This Kafka tale has all the basic elements of a story but is somewhat lacking in providing the story itself; as if the audience is expected to actually tell the tale.

I haven't been exposed to a lot of Kafka but from what I have seen I assume most of his work is much the same.

Will Eisner's treatment of Kafka is the one most imprinted on my memory.

 

This short story seems autobiographical in the sense that Kafka is easily both characters... the guy that is utterly lost in and out of time and space... and the self absorbed sentry who possesses the key to unlock the mystery of the tale but is too busy to care for being caught up in his own trap of being clever. From my brief exposure, I assume that many of Kafka's tales leave off unfinished with the characters eternally trapped in some similar way.

 

The fact that Tore has graphically captured this essence of Kafka so well is what makes Tore's short film so compelling to me.

[Tore]

Thanks for all the nice words!

 

Rodney, I’m sure Kafka would have been quite excited about the possibilities in 3D animation, had he known about it! And would have been an avid Animation Master user ;-)

 

Thanks for the DOF advice, Sebastian. I might rerender to get better quality when I get the time – either using your method, or by increasing the number of render passes. We’ll see…

 

Yes, Simon, “Amerika” is one of Kafkas novels, and has recently been re-published in US as part of his complete works. With some great cover art btw.!

 

Nancy, you just wait til my next Kafka-short… I promise you THAT’ll be obtuse :-)

Oh, and did you notice that I have taken up your advice from "Trapez" and dropped the subtitles and got a professional narrator... and I am in fact right now in the process of giving Trapez the same treatment.

 

 

[Tore]

Great interpretation of the story, Rodney! Absolutely agree.

Many of - well, all off - Kafka's short stories where in fact sketches and not intended for publishing. Kafka called them "notes" or commentaries, and often didn't even give them a title. It was Kafka's friend Max Brod that after Kafkas early death (and against his expressed wishes), gave the stories titles and published them.

[NancyGormezano]

Oh, and did you notice that I have taken up your advice from "Trapez" and dropped the subtitles and got a professional narrator... and I am in fact right now in the process of giving Trapez the same treatment.

 

I forgot to say...Yes I thought both the sound track & narration were most definitely excellent! Perfect!

 

(uh...but I don't remember giving you any advice on Trapez? However I will claim it!)

[esolc]

Very good!

[Tore]

Hmmm...have done what one never should do: gone back to and edited in material that already was finished and published.

But...couldn't keep my fingers away: had to rework both the imagery and the soundtrack...

Well, I guess one could call it a "directors cut" ;-)

 

https://vimeo.com/77304887