Iain J McCallum : : Honours: Subject Development

1 Tutorial exercises
1.1 Inspiration, motivation, intrigue
1.2 Research / explore, communicate, interoperate...
2 Research question development
3 Further thoughts on the question
4 Research into VFX Pipelines
5 Pitch feedback
6 Beginnings of the stylised Idea
7 Stylisation research
8 List of video inspiration
9 Visual list of inspiration
10 Meeting with gregor: the third project iteration
11 Third iteration research

1.1 As a creative what inspires, motivates and intrigues you?
(try clicking some of the words)
When ever I see something, anything, that is done well. Usually most of these things will inspire motivate and intrigue simultaneously but with varying intensities. I have the most interest in things that are current, whither it is news, technology, events or social occasions. To keep up with these things I use a group of online tools: Google news, Abduzeedo (Best of the week), Linked in, Twitter, Facebook and some Youtube channels. Abduzeedo also does a variety of different regular posts on inspirational topics: 'Daily Inspiration', 'Friday Fresh Free Fonts', 'Sites of the Week', 'Architect Day', 'Beautiful Houses', 'World Wide Photography', 'Video Inspiration', 'Logo Design', 'Typography Mania' and a whole host of tutorials.
Another online tool I use is 'Stumble', this can lead to much procrastination but with the settings geared for the correct subjects that procrastination can easily turn productive.
In the physical world my flat-mate, Keagan, and I have wrapped a column in paper with pens close by. The idea is for every visitor to leave a mark, drawing or phrase. Once full we will replace the paper and most likely hang the old ones. This generates yet more inspirational material.
My main motivation is the desire for success, although most likely an influence inherited from society it is one I accept gladly.

The column in our flat as it is just now (27th October 2011)

1.2 How do you research / explore ideas?
How do you communicate, interpret, define, story & experience ideas?
I have brought the last two questions together as I feel they are related quite strongly. The first paragraph, answering what inspires, motivates and intrigues me, deals with the source of ideas and this second will deal with what happens to them after their initial spark.
When an idea is formed my first act is either to write it down or draw it out depending on what materials are handy. If it is relevant to an upcoming project or to one I am currently working on I will dive further into the thoughts surrounding it. To explore these thoughts I use a combination of trial, error, contemplation and planning. The exact mixture depends on the type of project being driven by the idea. Three years ago, for example, I was concluding my degree in architecture. This required the development of a large design. The design needed a strong concept to underpin every single aspect involved. In order to explore concepts that would satisfy these interwoven, complex demands I doodled. For hours and hours, filling sketchbooks exploring every possible way of working spaces together in a manner that would reflect the concept, fit the context and satisfy building regulations. Once a design began to slowly emerge from these rough sketches I moved into creating small models that would further explore and describe to my tutors the ideas. This would allow me to focus on a particular form and move into 3D modeling with programs like Google Sketchup, Autocad and 3DS max. Through the process of fine tuning designs these programs allowed me to play with the specifics at greater speed than would have been possible using traditional media.
These were purely the physical processes. Alongside their development I would discuss thoughts with tutors regularly and with peers every day. Working in a permanent space in a studio filled with other architects allowed me to wander around and glean inspiration from the activities going on around and to discuss both my thoughts and those of others. Surrounding our studio was the rest of the art college with a huge range of bizarre and unexpected inspiration and creativity.
In contrast having moved into a digital domain without permanent studio spaces has led me to the online world as described in response to the first question. My development process for CG projects still begins with the rough doodling but advances into creation of the final product far quicker. In creating these projects I tend to happen upon an idea of what the effect should look within a few drafts of the idea, the development is focused more on how to achieve that specific look. Using a rough knowledge of the tools available I can normally imagine a way through the processes that would result in an imagined effect. At my current stage in learning the route is rarely exact. Tweaking and playing form a huge part in the process but also leads to small discoveries that aid any future efforts.
As for communicating ideas this again varies with the nature of each project. A general rule I have been following is anything and everything visual although I have currently become more comfortable with written descriptions. The sketchbooks filled with doodles describe the appearance and development of ideas to myself with a few carefully chosen illustrations working to describe the ideas to others. In discussions with those who may find it tougher to visualise final results I will use existing examples by others who have created something similar. This allows me to point out a specific mood, colour scheme or any other element that may benefit this kind of description.

2 Research question development:

My first serious thoughts on honors began just after christmas of third year. Around this time I became involved in several projects being run by the fourth years of the time. Having an insight into their chosen research subjects and project development allowed a clearer vision of the goals I would be aiming for. Over the next few months I jotted down research ideas as they came.
This is a link to those initial notes.
Around the end of may I collected the most promising subjects and consulted my tutor, Lynn. This is the list I took her:

1 Do the various styles of movement in animation have advantages or
disadvantages when compared to one another?
2 How to asses the quality of your own animation
3 Can animations be sold like rigs and models on, for example, turbo
squid?
4 Sound and animated performance
5 Using animal traits to enhance human performance
6 How closely can reference footage be followed?
7 Expressing relationships between characters through performance
8 A study into techniques that increase and audiences empathy with
animated characters
9 How influential are micro-movements in a characters performance?
10 How effective is the se of contrast in movement
11 Using techniques from sport to inform animated movement

During that discussion the last 4 ideas were highlighted. I spent some time looking into each and settled on 'Using techniques from sport to inform animated movement'. This, though, didn't last. Throughout June I imagined every possible way of taking the idea forward while considering both my own interest and what would be achievable. A study in micro-movements began to look the more favorable option. By the end of the month I had switched over and broadened the topic into 'A study into facial expressions in animation'.

This seemed to be the one, I began researching the subject through the second week of september. Two problems became evident. The first: this is a well documented and popular area in which a year long study was looking less justifiable. The second: there seemed no clear way, to me, of incorporating a short production that would complement the study. To clarify: my main aim for the project is to produce a single animated piece of high enough quality to impress any future employer. It was while struggling with these problems that my next research idea hit me; in cg productions, do massive budgets justify the increase in quality. This is a rough description, the wording is yet to be refined.

These are my notes from that initial idea:

Quality of short films verses the quality of larger productions.
Are massive budgets justifiable for the gain in quality?
- Try to produce a high quality short with a low budget
How do some big budgets get it wrong?
How do some low budgets get it so right?
Where do bad low budgets go wrong?
Big budgets getting is right... wow

Box office receipts justify rising costs, are audiences going for the big budget movies or the epic visual appeal?
Could the same box office results be achieved with a half / quarter the budget for production?
Films | Tv series | Adverts | Music videos
What are the costs: case studies of several productions of varying budgets but similar quality, what are they doing differently?
How is quality judged (box office sales / image quality (not just resolution))?

Question ideas (for those currently in the industry)
Which area in production budgets are the most likely to run away if not controlled tightly?
considering the cost (money, man power and time) which is the most efficient / rewarding part of the production process / pipeline?
If one part of the pipeline had to be axed, what part? and is it actually conceivable to remove such a part?
Where is there a lack of literature on this topic?

How this idea came into being:
Throughout the summer, alongside my thoughts on the honors subject, I have been pondering my future career. I have an interest in visual effects and finished third year with a growing passion for animation, hence the common focus through all the topics considered for honors. After graduating I intend to find a job as an Animator, Modeller or VFX assistant and work up to Head of Animation, VFX Supervisor or Head of 3D. Alternatively, but by no means the lesser option, I will try to find work in a smaller studio that will encompass more than one element in the pipeline. With a greater understanding of how the various elements in a production pipeline work and come together I would have a greater chance of succeeding in these aims. This research topic is a perfect opportunity to build my understanding and create tangible evidence of experience which can be presented to potential employers. Another advantage to this is the chance it presents to talk with those currently in positions overseeing productions about the way they work and potentially to pass on to them knowledge gained from my research.

3 Thoughts on the production inspired by a lecture on mind mapping for research topics. 21st September 2011

One of the issues I have been avoiding has been what the practical project is going to be. Looking at the nature of my subject it seems more than likely that attempting to form a team to work on various stages of a project will be appropriate. Hopefully I will be able to involve other honors students whose research topics would fit, for example someone studying the development of a story in some form could produce a concept, someone studying concept art or character design could design the characters and so on. This could prove tricky as one part leads on from another while all the honors students are working simultaneously. There is also the option of using students from years below who may have some extra time on their hands, the only issue that may turn up with that idea is that the extra work for this project would not take precedence over their own work for university.

The time available for the project limits it to a short production. Creating an easily achievable goal would be a good plan if the final product is to be finished with the quality expected from a professional, or team of professionals.

Another consideration worth taking into account while thinking about the practical work is what is my likely future employment. There seems the potential for two paths. One in specialising with something like animation and working up the ranks in a larger studio. The other is working more generally and beginning with smaller studios creating smaller productions but taking responsibility for a larger breadth of production. Even after just writing this the second way seems more exciting and with more potential. In conclusion of these few thoughts I want to aim for something that will display my ability in bringing together a collection of elements and the people who work on them.

4 Research into VFX Pipelines

Domain map

Aim: To investigate how the visual design and style of short films can impact on spectator interpretation of mood

Objectives:

1 Review and evaluate existing literature on visual style and design in short films.

2 Critically analyse existing short films with a strong visual style

3 Conduct practice based research and critically discuss the results.

4 Develop and critically evaluate a series of mini-shorts from the tests.

Project map:

Gantt chart:

Timetable

Research notes:

Notes on 'The art of CG supervision' by Isa Alsup:
Part 1 Defining a pipeline
Part 2 Designing a pipeline

Notes on Dane Edward Bettis Masters thesis "Digital production pipelines: examining structures and methods in the computer effects industry"
Part 1 Introduction, history, methodology, conclusion

5 Feedback following the Pitch presentation 14th October 2011

A note on the feedback write up: this feedback was written from memory. Its contents may not be accurate to the specific views expressed by the tutors. It is my belief that it does contain the main concepts behind the points made.

The subject is too technology orientated for an arts degree.

I believe the end product as a result of this study would satisfy the desire for a more artistic piece - development of concepts and artistic production are part of the process in developing VFX. The research though, admittedly, would have been geared far more towards technical concerns. I do not believe this would have been a disadvantage to myself in terms of technical ability or career potential but I do see how a more artistic focus would fit the nature of this degree and the resources available in studying it.

The project has not been defined well enough, this leaves it open for a large workload, trying to do too much.

This would be an issue if the project were to remain as it stands. I have stated that it is my intention to focus the subject into a more specialized area. Although this is an issue I have avoided with the pretense of 'getting my head into the project'. I can see the advantages to focusing on a specific area and this feedback has fortunately brought to light the problem which I did not realize until now posed such an issue (the problem being my ability to focus the project). In defense of the work done: I can safely say that the research conducted so far into the definitions and designs of pipelines has had its clear benefits.

Placing restrictions is a bad idea - this project is an opportunity to let loose.

Due to the nature of this year we are already working with restrictions, developing a project that could draw research from these restrictions would turn this situation into an advantage rather than a hurdle. It was not my aim to further restrict myself on the project, mearly to use the restrictions as different examples within which to conduct a test. However, I can also see how studying these restrictions is a restriction in it's self. Focusing the project towards artistic aims would free up resources towards a more appropriate and enjoyable end product.

Defining quality should be an aim as of its self.

This is a point against which I have no defense. Were I to stay with this group of objectives I agree that this should be the case. Merging the current third and fourth objectives would seem an appropriate thing to do. I shall keep in mind the proportion of objectives when the next iteration of the project comes into being.

I still feel this project aiming at the identification of assessing process value and identifying more desirable practices in production would be a valuable study. Although the feedback given has shed light on a different way of focusing the work in a direction I had not considered. As a result the project shall be directed towards these new aims. As an initial thought, which begs further research and development, the pursuit of highly stylized VFX looks a very enticing subject.

6 Beginnings of the stylised idea

I began my foray into stylised production by trying to find an explanation describing what is actually meant by stylised. There seemed no over elaborate descriptions, only some concisely written dictionary-style sentences. The most appropriate I found was: "Depict or treat in a mannered and nonrealistic style."

Alongside this I was collecting together every example I could remember viewing, and finding some more along the way. With a growing bank of examples I split them up into the various techniques that were used for the most prominent visual elements. It began to look as if I would have to choose one topic out of the multiplying options to focus on. Either one technique and the various ways in which it could be applied, or one particular style / aesthetic and the various ways in which it could be achieved. With the latter option appearing the most appropriate I began searching for a style that would define the remainder of my university career.

Exploring some possible aims:

10 Meeting with Gregor: The third project iteration!

Here are the topics we covered:

1 My strengths - VFX, graphics, set design (based on my past experience studying architecture)

2 Skill gaps in the industry - match moving (lighting, particle effects, compositing)

3 Possible new aim for the project - characterising corporate identity in short cg productions (Coca-Cola and Irn-Bru are good examples). Focus on the atmosphere, brainstorm on word choice. Keep away from steering the project towards purely advertising or technical study. Potentially look into the believability of depth in stereoscopic production - making it comfortable to watch.

4 Project aims - around 4 short productions showcasing my strengths using either fictional or real companies (look into competitions, e.g. estings for e4, red bull canimations, mofilm…)

5 - Look into internship schemes being run by studios after graduation

11 Third iteration research

http://prezi.com/0483afj7ukjj/third-iteration/