This was designed to be a technical animation test for my next creature. I wanted to get the walk cycle down and how to get it done with MEL as well as how to get the creature rigged with bones and the segments. Again being inspired by Mythology I wanted to do a fully mechanical Medusa. I�ve never seen any mechanical versions of her before. I spent about a day working on the lighting of the scene to match the lighting in the video tape and I spent another day just working on the surfaces of the balloon and mechanical snake. I was very surprised just how long it takes to do this. I really like how it came out, everything, surface wise, looks like it should be in the scene. One complaints is how the shadows and the glows work out. The snake and balloon does not look grounded, they seem to float. This is one thing I will fix in the resubmission. I would also like to add more segments, get the legs to work properly, get the shadow on the potato to look right and key framed properly and finally rework the materials on the snake, they could be a little better. I would like to make look more chrome like rather than painted. Overall, I liked it and I am ready to work on the full Medusa creature.
Software Used: Autodesk Maya, Adobe After Effects
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
** This information is from my instructor
Dave Bock's website.
** Key Concept: Traditional Principles of Animation, Deformable, Hierarchical Objects, Live Action Referencing, Lighting and Compositing, Digital Cinema
** Design and develop a short animated segment that brings to life a CG object within a live-action background.
** Shoot a live action background image plate to use for your composite. Design a CG object that is constructed and modeled as a group with at least two separately moving but attached parts. Apply the principles of traditional animation to your object to create personality, character, and appeal using deformable animation techniques in addition to other animation methods discussed in class. Design and model your item with realistic shape and surface treatment.
** Composite your CG animated layer over the live-action background plate.
TO SEE THE ANIMATION CLICK ON THE APPROPIATE LINKS BELOW THE IMAGE
