Practical Effects Vs CGI

 

Work In Progress: Redhead

All of this will make sense soon...

[produced in Blender 2.72]

Hoist The Rigging

Project: animate a human figure using the Rigify add-on for Blender. The base mesh is Low Poly Male.

Add a meta-rig armature, adjust the bones until they all match the position of the body then hit Generate to build the Rigify rig complete with cool-looking control bones.


A larger-than-life Walther PPK I happen to have modelled earlier.

[produced in Blender 2.65]

Work In Progress: Laptop

[produced in Blender 2.64]

"Soupremacy" screening: Showreel

It's a reel pleasure: "Soupremacy" will be on the programme at Showreel short film night, at the Balham Bowls Club on 28th November.

"Soupremacy" screening: Brighton Moviebar

Let the good times roll - composer David Novan and I will be at Moviebar, at the Caroline Of Brunswick in Brighton, on 3rd December for a screening of "Soupremacy."

Work In Progress: Microbial [update 3]

An alternative method for the scanning electron microscope look: this time the material has a fresnel diffuse shader, and no specularity or transparency. Lighting is a single spot immediately behind the camera and in line with it, plus a little environmental light and mist.

Basic material settings. There are also two cloud procedural textures influencing displacement and normals. I think with a few minor tweaks I'll probably go with this method. Incidentally there's a vimeo tutorial here with some good tips for electron microscope effects.

[Produced in Blender 2.64]

Work In Progress: Microbial

A chain of single-cell organisms with base material and texture.

Setting up depth of field

A virus-like particle

To be continued...

[Produced in Blender 2.64]

Grassy Knoll

Produced in Blender 2.63

Work in progress: Grassy Knoll

 Hair-particle system applied to plain

Grass texture with colour ramp, basic sun-and-sky lighting

 A second hair-particle system for long grass

 A third hair-particle system for daisies

Compositing

Produced in Blender 2.63

based on WireHeadKing's grass tutorial

Walled Garden

This is "Secular Quarter #3" an extremely short film directed by the talented David Gidali.


It's a contender for the YouTube Your Film Festival: if you like it you can vote here.The director's blog is here.

Quartet

[modelled in Blender 2.62]

Work in progress: Cello

basic shape

no strings attached

highly strung

[Blender 2.61]

Error Message

All I Want For Christmas Is You

Only a few weeks ago, Blender users woke up to discover Christmas had come early - four massive new features taken from experimental branches and added to the main build (beta 2.61) Just as Santa promised: the Tomato camera tracker, the Cycles render engine, a toolset for motion capture, and the Ocean Simulator. I tested the tracker when adding effects to handheld shots in Lapland, and here are some quick test renders with the ocean sim.

blue reflective material

with added foam texture

Now to come up with some ocean scenes...

Work In Progress: Highway

[created in Blender 2.5]

Work in progress: Ain't No Ordinary Highway

[Updated 5.11.11. Produced in Blender 2.5]

"Last Zombie Standing" Screening: Walthamstow Short Film Club

I am pleased to announce that Last Zombie Standing will be screened at Walthamstow Short Film Club's Hallowe'en event on 28th October, at Ye Old Rose And Crown, Walthamstow. For details see the Facebook event page.

Work in progress: dark side

Created in Blender 2.5

"2007" Update Part VIII: I'm Gonna Wait 'Til The Midnight Hour

Post production on the music video for "2007" is now complete. I'll post news about any screenings or online viewing, and I also plan to write a little more about the experience of making this video - twice - and everything I've learned along the way. Now I think I'm going to sleep...

Tenderstar have a presence on Facebook - look them up for details of gigs. You can also listen to 2007 and other tracks on their website here.