I'm a little confused -- is this a challenge, or a contest?

Message edited on: 12/01/2005 00:14

I think if she has some kind of teleporting device, that's one way out, or like Bobasaur suggests, something unique like a chute deployed from the sphere would buy her some time.

I totally understand the need to budget your shots. After all -- you're one person, not ILM. On the other hand (and this is important), you need to also budget wisely! Balance is the key.

Example: think about if you really need such a high quality explosion effect to begin with. I mean, the mushroom cloud looks outstanding -- BIG BUDGET outstanding. Does it really need to be so detailed? Couldn't you cut down on just enough of the particles used there in order to fit an impressive shockwave into the workflow at little to no added cost? I think there's room for it, but only you would know.

Also, if you really need more CPU, but don't have the cash to expand your renderfarm, think about how important this project really is to you. If it's no big deal, then don't worry about it. But if you have really lofty expectations, and hope to make a profit with it, then you'll do whatever you need to do to get this thing made. One of my favorite directors, Kevin Smith, was once asked how he financed his first movie. He didn't hesitate to answer -- "credit cards". He basically took all those pre-approved cards you get in the mail to pay for his film. Point being, if it's something you really want done, you'll find a way. Winning time on a large renderfarm through a contest is an excellent idea. I'd say go for it!

Message edited on: 12/01/2005 00:10

There's no evidence that suggests he's involved in a firefight. To me, it just looks like he's shooting at "targets" as they approach. If they're not shooting back, there's no reason to duck or move about. Although I agree he should pivot more.

The only problem with strictly using BVH or mocap is obvious here. That is, it often does not account for interaction with the character's CG environment, and there's no personal touch to the motion. It's detailed movement is realistic, of course, but some manual adjustments are almost always necessary. If you fix the foot that disappears into the ground, then it would be very impressive. Nice work.

Message edited on: 11/29/2005 01:38

The girl's movement is a little better in this version than the last. I still think there's lots of room to improve that behind the neck shot, and the shot of her in the cockpit is way too stiff. The camera is shaking, but she's sitting as still as a statue. She needs at least some subtle movement there.

I see you've decided not to add that shockwave thing to this version. I still say that's a mistake, because it takes away from the drama of such a great explosion. On the same note, her means to "escape" is somewhat suspect. Even if the ship was right there behind her, there's no way she would have escaped, because the building she's standing on would have been destroyed immediately. In fact, in the overhead shot of her ship flying away, you see that the building, along with about 10 city blocks, has already been completely engulfed by the smoke and dust cloud. I realize you're asking people to suspend their disbelief at this point, but I think this causes some serious continuity problems, especially since you intend to sell this to a market that will undoubtedly pick up on it. The sci-fi/anime crowd is VERY perceptive.

Anyway, I don't mean to just bash it. I think you did some really impressive work here so far, but unless you improve on the continuity and believability of your scenes very soon, I'm afraid you'll have a hard time selling this in the already-overflowing market you have chosen. The sci-fi market is a REALLY competitive one, even for low-budget niche stuff. The level of work being done there, even by very small companies, is extremely high in most cases. Your stuff might hold it's own against some of it, but you have to raise the bar if you want to make money. Especially in Japan, they take this kind of stuff VERY seriously. You'd be shocked at just how serious they are about animation over there.

I think you do some fine work, which is why I'm being hyper critical. Keep improving. Good luck!

Message edited on: 11/29/2005 01:19

I like the concept, story, etc. Visuals are good, but the character animation itself seems to fall a bit short of the production level the rest of the movie has. The boy's hands, in particular, seem very stiff, and there's not enough secondary motion. On the positive side, I think the camera work is done very well, and you obviously did a good job with previz, since the shots are laid out nice and logically. The lighting is very good (apart from the few compositing problems already mentioned). Unfortunately, I didn't get to hear the sound, since my speakers are broken. Good work overall! Thumbs up!

This is very good so far, Maxxx. I like the environment and atmosphere/lighting you're using here, and the effects are convincing. Your camera work is also quite good, and really adds character to the whole clip. Now for a few crits, if you don't mind: The girl's movements are ok, but not great. Granted, she isn't doing much in this clip, but the part where she rubs the back of her neck is particularly weak. Although most people would find it acceptable, I think the timing is a bit slow and the motion is floaty at certain parts. Her neck also doesn't bend like it's jointed correctly. Might want to review your rig in that area. It's not horrible, but it's not realistic either. The brief shot of her throwing that object over the side of the building at the end is probably the most realistic movement in the clip. It looked spot-on from what I can see. Her torso looks a little stiff in the parts where she's just standing still. Perhaps a little breathing movement on her chest/stomach during those shots would solve that. She seems apprehensive or perhaps a bit nervous, so visible breathing that would add to the emotion of the shot as well. The nuke-like explosion looks very good. Best I've seen in 3dsmax. However, without a shockwave and some destruction to the buildings, as you have shown is possible, I don't think the shot will be as impressive as it can be. I'd recommend adding it in for the final render. That's about it. Good luck with this, and I'll be looking forward to more preview clips!

In my honest opinion, I think the visuals in this short are somewhat lacking. The lighting is sufficient, considering the scene location, but there's no real atmosphere going on, and the camera work and editing need some improvement. The boy is animated well, however.