Animated short - Maya Class...

We just watched a short CG animated story in our Friday Maya class. The imagery used within this animation was very powerfull, meaningfull, yet kept light hearted throughout. It explored the source of our existance as human beings, where do we come from and why?

Not only this, it also showed how the human race is an imperfect species that has many flaws that prooves how we arn't yet worthy enough to be at a level to communicate with higher beings. This is shown through the characters in the short to be almost Obsessive Compulsive beings, keeping their actions the same, everything must be kept to somewhat a perfection.

The small baby Alien character in this film breaks these rules, and eventually, even after being "cured", he still plays up and wreaks havoc on the community. Hence, he like many others of his kind are sent to Earth, where they become human babies...

The animation in this film is really well thought out, the colour schemes used to reflect the Aliens world and how they express themselfs was really detailed and full of heart.

I loved how the concepts behind the Aliens world was brought to life, the "bikes" they used especially. They would have pedals, yet they would fly along at the speed of a Car! Furthermore I liked the bubbles shooting out of the back... very different, very amusing.

I give this a 9 out of 10.

Kwiss

Island project thing!

We have started a two week project in Maya based on an enviroment scene, this being of a desert island with a treasure chest.

Here you can clearly see me texturing the coins used within the image.


I have layed out the sand textures, textured the coins and now moving onto the other assets.

I have started to add more textures to the other assets in the scene. I will next need to sort the map out in photoshop then re enter it to maya when its ready, then i'll take a render.

Phils lecture on the uncanny...

Aaaah where shall I begin. Im really begining to love this course... being such an Artist for what we are training to be consists of so much terrain, its got so much depth to it, and furthermore this depth delves into dark, powerfull, existance based questions that rip out any hidden inspiration to work. In saying that, I think this uncanny business has some awesome corners to lurk around for my project...

Unheimliche - basically a fancy German way of saying "Unhomly"... which as the word suggests it means unwelcome, unfreindly. You cant trust it or feel comfort from it anymore... God I do love a bit of creepy shizzle! A familiar asset, be it a person or a possesion, can suddenly feel somewhat alien to yourself and provokes an uncomfortable infatiation. An interesting paradox im sure you will aggree... which is why I love it! =D Coz im not strange...

I just picture that Teddy bear with the glistening eyes on the top shelf in your bedroom at night, staring down, yet safely out of reach. That slight uncomfort we all have felt at some stage in our lives dies down at such a realisation. One day your in bed and you realise he's been moved and is siting in a position at the end of your bed, and thus if he was animated he could easily reach out to you. A cold shock flies through your body, hairs standing on end, a dampened feeling of creeping away so that the source of fear cant harm you. Its that hide under your bed situation, but then what if theres a monster under there too? That initial feeling of if the bear is actually watching you, if he is actually alive, is to me an example of the unheimliche term in a familiar situation we may have all experienced at some stage in life.

Now all I must do is conjuer up images to support this darkened inspiration... and find some way to include it in this new project...

Take care folks
Kwiss