Merry Christmas From U813

Pod Party

This needs no explanation. U813 is having a whale of a time spinning around.

Introduction.

Ohhhhh, This is the introduction to my piece, how exciting. It may seem a bit long but I think when the music and sound effects have been mixed it'll be just fine. I do need to edit a few things however but at least this is now at a draft level.

Give it a watch. For those who want to see it BIG then go to my Vimeo site for a way fun time.

Well this doesn't have much to do with my current project but its impressive. Using around 3,000 still images, Andersen M Studio has animated an extract from Maurice Gee's novel, Going West, for the New Zealand Book Council.

Take a look because it's truly breathtaking. I hope one day I have the patience to create something so fulfilling.

Inspiration 1.8

I had no idea until I showed my friend a scene from my animation that some of the styles used are similar to Tron. I hadn't even seen the trailer for the new film Tron Legacy (I know, where have I been) but as soon as he mentioned it I went and checked it out. I was excited by what I saw. It looks AMAZING. I'm a huge fan of the first film and I'm pleased to see the sequal looks as stunning as it does because at the time, the first one did too.

Although I'm a bit gutted the style is quite similar to mine I'm also flattered that my friend initially thought of Tron because he said the style was similar and amazing. Hey ho.

Check it out if you want a good time.

Vin

Here we have one of the biggest developments in my piece. This cutie pie is called Vin. He is the sole "Guard Dog" of the International Repopulation Institute. Since humans and many other creatures have died due to the HR Type 2 Virus outbreak in 2139, Vin has been alone for 53 years and has completely lost his ability as a "Guard Dog". When U813 wakes, Vin is extremely happy to see another "face".

Surely U813 will be happy to see another face too...

Before and After

As you can see, I've made some changes to U813. Firstly, I removed his wheel. Seeing as the guy has a floating head and floating limbs it seemed really odd to have him travelling around on a wheel. As my piece is set in the year 2192, an anti-gravitation device seems plausible for the time. Secondly, I have changed the electricity being conducted between his two "eye" screws. This adds more colour and makes for better electricity animation. This is, I hope, U813's final state (maybe change just one or two things).

I hope you enjoy his face.

Inspiration 1.6/1.7

Another great short animation called The Dog Who Was a Cat Inside. Directed by Siri Melchior and created by Passion Pictures, The Dog Who Was a Cat Inside is the average tail (get it?....) of cat meets dog, inside one another meeting another cat/dog and the fun that happens along the way. The animation style is amazing. I think the best bit is the acceptance that After Effects is a "2.5D" software package. Essentially we see 2D animations in a 3D space and they work really well. Because I am using 2D layers but want them to work in 3D space, I can make the "look" of my project more stylised like this short film.

The narrative drives the piece and although seeming quite simple it has a nice great twist and quirk that leaves you feeling better for watching it, so what are you waiting for?

I took some time to delve in to Passion Pictures' recent work and they did the intro for The Beatles Rock Band game. I remember this seeing this a while back but it has totally slipped my mind until now. It's one great intro. It's even got a shot when the camera travels through the floor and down into The Cavern Club. I'd like to say they stole my idea to do that but I stole it from somewhere I guess.

Again the animation is amazing. The drawings are awesome. I LOVE IT! WATCH!

Inspiration 1.5

Wow, look at these guys chilling out creating a phone for a phone

company I haven't even heard of. The advert has been made by Tetsoo

(quite a nice site and observe the cute octopus logo) for Helio

to promote their new (circa 2006) mobile phone called Ocean.

These robots are so cool. They're perfect to label as "inspiration".

Just look at the way they move. They float about, something I've decided

to make U813 do (The wheel just felt out of place with the futuristic

style) and just look like they're having a way good time. The characters

are really appealing and the way they can materialize objects is

something I may chose to use. The colour palette used is exactly the

same as mine. Subtle hues of grey and blue to make a simulate a clinical

futuristic feel is perfect.

This piece really has inspired and informed what I'm doing so if you're

interested in all my palaver give it a click.

Inspiration 1.4

Jérémy Clapin has directed this pretty little short for The Responsibility Project, an initiative started by the US based insurance firm Liberty Mutual, which encourages us all to be a bit more responsible.

The narrative in the film, centered around the worker using the pneumatic drill on the street and the events surrounding him, is so simple yet effective. To support this, the animation style could be seem as cartoony and simple but I love it. Its simplicity is the key. The twist at the end with the old man is a great touch too.

Check out the film, Jérémy Clapin and The Responsibility Project would want you to.

Storyboards: Scene 1

My storyboards are coming along nicely and I thought it best to put updates of their progress up on my blog. So, first update, here's scene 1. Click the images to see them bigger (and better).

Inspiration 1.3

I Met the Walrus was nominated for best animated short in 2008 and if you watch it I'm sure you'll see why. It's stunning. The textures, colours and whole feel is incredible. I am a big fan of The Beatles and so when I heard about this I got straight to a computer to see it.

The way the graphics flow and change from one sketch to another is amazing and I would love to do something like this in the future. As for now, the sketched/cutout style of Jerry Levitan (the interviewer) provides me with a great starting point for my own characters in my animation. The sketches look rather simple but within the style and context of the piece they are really effective.

Inspiration 1.2

Here's another loveable robot to get acquainted with. His name is Clank. He has a friend called Ratchet and together they are the aptly named duo, Ratchet and Clank. They feature in a whole series of games (Tools of Destruction, Quest For Booty, A Crack In Time and more) as the good against evil. I've loved the series since the first game which was released in 2002. Not just because the games are fun fun fun but the characters are delightful. Clank is amazing and I wish to capture some of his likeable traits.

Inspiration 1.1

This little game (actually it's quite big as you can buy the whole game for £12) has everything I could want draw inspiration from. Cute robots, the hand drawn style, awesome music and sound effects and an engaging story. It's essentially a point and click Flash game but it's way fun. Check out the makers website too, its quite nice and pretty (Amanita Design). Hopefully I will be able to capture some of it's gorgeousness.

Machinarium has to be played so do it!

Inspiration 1.0

This great little animation is by IDEO for the new Living Climate Change website The sketched section starting at around 32 seconds looks amazing. The textures and hand drawn style really appeals to me and to what I am trying to achieve with my own piece. The animation communicates its aims exactly and if I can do that with U813, I'll be mega pleased.

Check out both IDEO's and Living Climate Change websites as they both look ace and have some awesome designers.

Hello.

Say hello to U813. He will wave at you if he likes you. So look into your webcam for a few seconds so he can make his decision.

Introduction.

The year is 2192. Human’s have been wiped off the face of the earth by a pandemic.

Luckily, the virus was prepared for. As a failsafe, mankind developed the technology to re-animate the most basic forms of DNA and this led to the ability to reproduce humans from DNA alone.



U813 is a utility Robot made to oversee the switching on of the human re-production lines. “U813” is a tale of the rebirth of the human race through the eyes of an unnatural digital parent.

This is the International Repopulation Institute. This is humanities only hope to repopulate Earth from beyond the grave. Most of 'U813's narrative will feature within its walls.

This is a preliminary sketch of one of the repopulation labs within the IPR. Although basic, It gives me an idea of the layout, colour scheme and feel of the laboratories. I wish for them to be heavily mechanised yet feel extremely clinical and technologically advanced. For this reason, having a stationary crane may look too old fashioned when I actually put the lab together.