12.17.07
Friedhelm Animation - Scene 4A - Part 1 ... Again for the first time
My good friend - shot 4A. Shot 4A and I have already been through a lot together. This shot is the start of act three in my short film and the first time we see Friedhelm with the pot on this head. He is continuing his dialog about the Masons and due to some reveals in act 2, this is the first time we see him with the pot on his head. This shot is tricky because while he is giving you very important information, it is juxtaposed with him having trouble keeping the pot on his head. I think this scene has a lot of potential and the first go round was just not working for me so I recorded new dialog and am starting it up again. Here (download QuickTime 101 kb) is a short sample.

12.11.07
Prepping for a new year
A little time off? HAHA! No I have not been relaxing in the sun. I still have the fresh "new monitor" scent of a computer animator - what?. I have been crazy busy. You will notice I have an updated reel and demo reel page. I now have more formats to check out my reel. Also I have been doing some freelance animation for Walsh Family Media. They are working on an exciting short I am sure will bring them lots of attention in the future. So December is kind of slow for Friedhelm as I finish up these freelance shots and work on my reel. I am planning on starting shot 4A by the first of the year. This is another case of a shot I started, worked for about ten days, and was about to post my progress when I decided I hated it and was going to start it over. More on that next time.

11.20.07
Friedhelm Scene 4E with Sound (1 meg)
My good friend and amazing sound designer Brian Kucinski took time to add a scratch track to this one. Brian always brings a lot to the table and it is a blast to discuss the different sounds in the shot and how it will effect the scene. I can't wait to have him working on the final film when the sound design will play a larger roll on telling the story and describing the inner thought of Friedhelm.

11.14.07
Friedhelm Animation - Scene 4E - Part 4 (1 meg)
I have pretty much been finished with this shot for a while now but I had a few e-mails out there that I was waiting on. Thanks a million to Benno for his great critiques. He has really helped me out and given me some great information to go over. I made some subtle changes and mainly took out the head drop at the end. We thought it was a little overkill for getting the mood across. I think this ending says it all with just a little less motion. I have also been working on another shot that starts Act III and falls just a few shots before this one. It is the first time we see Friedhelm with the pot on his head and he is acting very serious as he attempts to describe the secret behind the great seal of the United States of America. The catch is, the entire time he is really having trouble balancing the pot on his head. So he is trying to act one way (serious) but is constantly moving working with the pot (funny...I hope...or at least entertaining) so it is a fun juxtaposition. I think it could really be a strong shot if I can pull it off right and my first attempt was getting too wonky. So am I throwing it out and going back to thumb nails. I know what to avoid and have a better vision of how he needs to move around.

10.31.07
Friedhelm Animation - Scene 4E - Part 3 (1 meg)
Two weeks into it and I am rounding third and heading home. Of course I am already figuring out that I want to go in and tweak a few things on the last scene - 2A. On this one I added just a little movement in his nostrils when he speaks and I think it really adds a lot to his face so I want to go in and add that to 2A. I think I am due for one hard core critique on this one and once I do one more pass on it I will be finished. Also I am going trim up the animatic a little and start figuring out which scene I should do next.

10.25.07
Friedhelm Animation - Scene 4E - Part 2 (1 meg)
Yeah Baby! Based on the marathon animation in the last scene this one is off to a much faster and more manageable start. Some of what slowed me down in scene 2A was tweaking the rig and trying out new plug-ins just to realize I was better off with out them. Simplification Equals Amplification! Also I really learned a lot from the great critiques I received on the last one and have been working hard to implement all the new tips and tricks into this animation. Not that I don't still have a thousand miles to go but it seems like it is off to a better start to me.

10.18.07
Friedhelm Animation - Scene 4E - Part 1 (1 meg)
Here we go again! I am excited to start on a totally different feel for this scene. In this shot Friedhelm is talking on his HAM radio and his friend Herb has just asked him a question. This is from the first series of acting tests I shot.

10.6.07
Friedhelm Animation - Scene 2A - Final (QuickTime Movie 4.6 megs)
What an adventure this one has been! A very special thanks goes out to Kyle Mohr, Phil Young and Ben Willis for all the amazing advise and critiques. You will also notice the new sound effects by Brian Kucinski. Great work Brian! I finished this scene, put a new reel together, sent some out and then took a much needed trip to Ohio. After just over a week off I am looking forward the next scene. One of the nice things about working on your own film is being able to pick what shots you work on. Next I am going to do a 5 second scene which happens toward the end of the film. In this shot Friedhelm is talking to his friend Herb about being laughed at on a talk radio show. Along with doing a shorter scene I am excited to animate one with the pot on his head. So stop back and check out the next scene. It seems the rest of the team is in a good position to start up work again too so I hope to share texture and lighting updates in the near future and get back to weekly updates.

9.11.07
Friedhelm Animation - Scene 2A - Part 8 (QuickTime Movie 4.0 megs)
I cannot believe how many times I have thought I was just about finished with this and managed to go in and do another pass. He looks nice and loose until you go through one more time. The last two major updates have made me feel almost embarrassed about the quality of the one before. One major change in this version is when he pulls the bugle up to his mouth. I feel in this one you can really see that the bugle has some weight to it. Just a matter of going in there and working on overlap and follow through and making sure one part of the body hits it's rotation before the other can follow through. Man this is fun stuff! This time I really am almost finished. One more critique and I am sending out those reels.

8.15.07
Friedhelm Animation - Scene 2A - Part 7 (QuickTime Movie 3.7 megs)
I really feel like I have made some major strides from the last animation update. I finally went in and worked on the arcs and the lip sync. The lip sync needs some working but I am happy with it for the moment. I still need to do the eyes and brows but hope to be working on them tonight. Another big difference in this update is the all the overshoot and settle in it. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it is giving me a burst of energy I really needed. I am getting excited to finish this scene up and send my reels out!

8.5.07
Friedhelm's Den - Part 5
New Props! My good friend Ken Seward has been at it again. Ken modeled the new props you can see in this update. The props have really been a fun part of this project. Everything is an extension of Friedhelm and gives another small glimpse into his personality. For example, what kind of video equipment would Friedhelm use to create his blogs? You don't think digital, you think 1987 Camcorder. The kind you stick the large size VHS tapes in. That is more up friedhelm's alley! Ahh...and when he bought the used camera at a flea market the camera did not come with a case, so Friedhelm carries it around in his bowling ball bag. Now we have a prop that drips with his personality - hehe. Most of these textures and all lighting are still at the work in progress stage and everything gray has not been textured yet.

7.30.07
Textures 3 - Photo Update
This is an update of the texture I posted on April 15 (check it out if you want to compare the changes made) of this year. The story has developed and really been pinned down since then. The picture frame on Friedhelm's desk now has a close up and I really wanted the picture to shine. I knew it was not totally finished when I posted it in April and this gave ma a chance to go in and really finish it off. The photo was taken of Friedhelm in 1964 when he was working for the government and on a visit to Lima, Ohio.

7.24.07
Friedhelm Animation - Scene 2A - Part 6 (QuickTime Movie 3.1 megs)
Here we go again with another Scene 2A animation update! This is what I get for having a scene that is over thirty seconds long. I am already looking forward to the next scene where I have him sitting down and talking for about five seconds. It can really take a while to get a character moving around the room like Friedhelm is doing in this one. You can see a few acting changes from the animation posted on 7.10 and I have made a pass on everything and smoothed out a few places. I started to do some of the lip sync but stopped until I have finalized the body movement. You can tell that is is off, I just need to shuffle the keys around - and do a few more passes on it. I am also looking forward to starting to animate the brows and eyes. I have only animated them in a few places I felt I really needed to at this point. Once I get the eyes finalized and the brows in he should really start to come to life.

7.17.07
Lighting Artist Joins the Conspiracy
I am really glad to have Chris Henderson on board as Lead Lighter. Chris recently graduated from SCAD with his M.F.A. in Animation and is currently looking for a job as a CG Lighter. The new work he recently finished for his own thesis is nothing but the best and I look forward to seeing him add his own artistic flavor to Friedhelm's den.

7.10.07
Friedhelm Animation - Scene 2A - Part 5 (QuickTime Movie 5.1 megs)
I had some great input from some fellow animators and I decided Friedhelm's movement was not being consistent enough. He was going from old and bumbling to fast and smooth in the same scene. I was getting a little to exaggerated and cartoony and went in and did some serious reworking. It is not the speed in which he gets from Point A to Point B but rather how his body moves along the way. One big difference you will see is when he goes off screen to grab the bugle. Also I tried to make it more clear that he was looking for something and finds it before to takes off out of screen. I am a little worried that part has become to cliche but I will see how it feels over the next few day. I have also had a big change in the movement between the bugle call and when he says "The Historical Truth". I wanted to show that he is winded after his run elaborate introduction but I may have pushed it a little too far when he deflates. Any thoughts? See you next week!

7.3.07
Friedhelm Animation - Scene 2A - Part 4 (QuickTime Movie 4.6 megs)
I think with this update we are starting to see where the previous posts are taking us. He is not as floaty and is really starting to come to life. Also you will notice that I have included most of the remainder of the scene. A good comparison is after he says "Historical Truth", the rest of the scene is just blocked in. So you can really see a comparison of how you first lay out animation then go in and refine and adjust.

6.15.07
Friedhelm Animation - Scene 2A - Part 3 (QuickTime Movie 1 megs)
Animating along! Again, it is sure hard to post these early work in progress animations. I think it will be nice to have when my film is finished and that is is giving people a taste of the animation process. In this clip I have completely restarted his walk away from the camera. It is still REALLY rough but I think it is working better. You can also notice I have made a couple of passes on when he backs into the stool. It is starting to pay off a little now that we are able to actually see a progression from Part 2 to Part3 - I hope.

6.8.07
Lighter and Texture Artist Wanted
Are you an advanced student or professional that wants to work with a team on a short film? I am looking for a lighter and one or two texture artists to help with Friedhelm's Den. Check out the above link for more info.

6.6.07
Friedhelm Animation - Scene 2A - Part 2 (QuickTime Movie 1.2 megs)
Wow - this is going to hurt me a lot more than it hurts you. I almost did not post a blog this week. I am really enjoying animating and have been having a lot of fun with Friedhelm and this scene in general. The scene is just at a point in 3d animation that comes to every scene. You have the key poses down and start to convert from a stepped spline to a linear spline and your character just floats around and it looks totally GROSS. You just have to keep the faith and follow your work flow and soon it becomes snappy and fun again with ease outs and over shoots and rhythm. It is just a matter of going in and sticking your poses and getting the nice dynamic follow through with the rest of the body, tweaking curves, adjusting timing, arcs... Lots more to do but I have faith that when I post more work in progress animations in the future, this GROSS work in progress will add to the over-all experience of following the making of an animated short film. So have a look and check back next week to see how it is moving along.

5.31.07
Friedhelm Animation - Scene 2A - Part 1 (QuickTime Movie 1.4 megs)
Yes sir - Animation! You can tell right a way this is an early Work In Progress and I am still working on the poses and timing and laying down the initial structure. It is moving along and I am so glad to be animating again. In this introduction we see Friedhelm for the first time as he introduces his show. I hope you enjoy this nine second clip.

5.22.07
Friedhelm Texture - Part 3
While I have been working on my first animation - YES! - Carrie sent me another update of Friedhelm's textures. He is off and running now! I had to composite this pic on the background though because my Den lighting is not mixing well with the skin shader at this point. I just need to customize the light set-up more. The lighting in the Den is really just a starting point right now. It is great to have him finally look his age and match the voice I have been using for him.

5.15.07
Friedhelm Animatic Version 2.0 - Part 1 (QuickTime Movie 3.8 megs)
You will see that on Jan. 24 of this year I the blog entry was titles - Gonna be some changes made. After throwing out the entire script I am really cruising along and doing the final touches of version 2.0. The script has actually been written for a few months now but I just finished picking the camera angles on Sunday. Todd Easman a really talented Videographer that I work with here at SCAD met with my twice and we went threw the script shot for shot and worked on the cinematography. This above clip does not due it justice but you can see part of the camera moves in the intro. Enjoy!

5.10.07
Friedhelm Texture - Part 2
Things are really moving again and I am still very excited to be finished with the rig. Carrie Jones has sent another update on Friedhelm's textures and she is really doing a great job! You cannot see the wrinkles in this render but it was late and I really wanted to post the official Friedhelm Version 2.0 on my site today (yes that is the same shot to your right - I couldn't help it). I will post another that shows off his face better soon.

5.5.07
Friedhelm In Room Test
Now that I have Friedhelm rigged I wanted to reference him into his den just to make sure everything was working Ok. I moved him around and - so far so good. I stripped the textures out so I could prepare him for another 3d animatic I started on last night and thought I would share a pic. Not the most exciting but I now that I am finished with the rig I want to start updating more often again and this was another step in the process.

5.1.07
Rigging Friedhelm - Part 4
Yeah Baby!!! Excluding a few minor tweaks that I am sure to notice as I pose Friedhelm more - I am moving on to the next step. WOW!!!!!! I feel like I just got an 800 pound gorilla off my back. The rig took a loooong time but I wanted a rig that was sturdy and flexible. I did not want to run into the situation where I could not get him into the pose I sketched out on paper. There were many nights I was very miserable and cursing myself for taking on this part of the film. I just want to ANIMATE! heh. But this way if something happens in my rig - I can fix it. I don't have to send it back to the rigger and wait for it. YES!

4.15.07
Textures 2 - Photo
As final facial rigging is coming to a close I have a photo texture to post. Pierce Gibson has been working on this in his free time and gave me a work in progress of Friedhelm. I put him in the picture and aged it to look more like it is from when Friedhelm worked for the government in the early to mid sixties. This "photo" will either be on his desk by his HAM radio or in a frame on the wall.

4.1.07
Friedhelm Texture - Part 1
I have finally finished the body portion of the rig and have painted all the weights. A few weeks ago I moved onto the face rig and blend shapes. WOW- it has really taken a toll on me! I am really looking forward to animating. Carrie Jones has been working on Friedhelm's textures and has given me the first pic to review. Carrie and I started our graduate degree the same quarter and it has been great working with her. The pic that I have linked to is a very early test pic. This is just to reference the actual material and does not have a color map. She is off to a great start and I am looking forward to seeing more. Meanwhile, Ken has been modeling a few new props that have worked themselves into the new story.

3.15.07
Friedhelm Test Pose
I am almost finished with the body portion of Friedhelm's rig! Just a few more minor tweaks. Next - onto the the facial rig! This is when the fun really starts as we can start to see some facial expressions and give some real character. I have really enjoyed Michael Comet's Pose Deformer/Pose Reader plug-in. It has really helped me achieve the level of deformations I envisioned.

3.7.07
Friedhelm's Den - Part 4
This has been another week of jumping all over the charts. From nailing down the script to rigging to texturing and lighting. The lights are now using raytraced shadows and this still pics has an occlusion pass on it. I think I am going to stay away from Mental Ray for rendering
and stick to Maya Software with raytrace. Then just use MR for the occlusion pass. A special thanks goes out to Chris Henderson for giving me some great tips and helping me get my
light rig started.

3.1.07
Rigging Friedhelm - Part 3 (884 kb QuickTime movie)
I have been very busy painting weights on Friedhelm. It is exciting knowing I am getting close to animation! I don't really enjoy this part of the project but I want to be know "what's under the hood" if I need to go in and fix the rig or the weights later. The twelve second video posted may not be exciting but it is a good example of where I am currently at on the project and it shows some of the rig features. This is by no means animation but is a test to check how Friedhelm's joints are bending and stretching.

2.23.07
Friedhelm's Den - Part 3
This week I have an update on Friedhelm's den. I have been focusing on a warm inviting tone for a color pallet. While most everything looks like it has been there for a while, I still want it to look inviting, like when you visit your grandparents.

2.13.07
Rigging Friedhelm - Part 2
I am finally cruising along on the rigging. I am planning on using the Fahrenheit Digital skinning and facial set up for the rest of Friedhelm, but for the initial rig, I switched to JTD Rigging Tools. JTD Rigging Tools is an amazing auto-rig that graduate student and friend, John Doublestein is working on as his graduate thesis here at SCAD. I think both Fahrenheit's rig and John's have great aspects to them but in my particulate case JDT Rigging Tools worked out best. Check them both out in the links to the right.

2.5.07
Textures 1- Conspiracy Notes
I have been texturing and lighting from time to time as I am rigging Friedhelm. These are some textures I created and scanned that will hang on Friedhelm's bulletin board. I really enjoyed creating them and have been listening to conspiracy theory talk radio stations the last week. It is giving me more insight and a better understanding of how he will react to situations and the world around him. These notes are based on information I have gathered the last week.

1.24.07
Gonna be Some Changes Made
Well, who in the world sticks with their first animatic? Even if it is completely finished and all voice acting is finalized? Not me! After showing my first story around to friends and family, I decided I was trying to fit a twenty-two minute episode into a three-minute short. One of the main concerns was that I was not leaving enough room for real acting. It was event-event-event. I am still crazy about the idea (who doesn't want to see Friedhelm and Trotter take down the neighbors satellite dish because it is sending electromagnetic psychotropic mind control carriers to erase his memory...while evading the neighbors dog, Duchess) but I feel it is more of a later episode. Once you already know Friedhelm and Trotter, you can jump on and go for the ride. But this first time out, you need to take your time and get to know them.

1.18.07
Rigging Friedhelm - Part 1
Click on the title to see how Friedhelm version 2.0 is looking! My plan is to rig Friedhelm based on the techniques used in Aaron Holly's three DVD set, "Rigging For Feature Animation." I was finally able to purchase the second and third disks in the set. I enjoy the DVDs and they are full of great information but I am still on the first one and it is moving slow. If I cannot manage to speed this up and I am going to have to investigate a "plane B."

1.5.07
Friedhelm Voice Acting Teaser - QuickTime, 724 kb
Get an earful of conspiracy goodness! I have recently finished Friedhelm's voice acting. You can click the link above to listen to a sample of Friedhelm's voice.