Final Thoughts and Evaluation.

This week I began to render the targa sequence that I animated and lit in Maya. I was pleased with the result. I had problems using the various lights to really get the most out of the model as well as matching the light source in the live action footage. I imported  the targa sequence into after effects and layered it over the live action footage. I had some problems when importing and rendering the sequence within after effects. When doing a playblast of the scene I noticed that the targa sequence  was stilted. It was almost as if targa files where missing from the sequence. After trying desperately to try and resolve the issue I re rendered the scene in maya but increased the frame padding. Re importing the sequence worked. By increasing the frame padding within the sequence this eradicated any discrepancies and problems.

As their were no problems with the sequence I was able to edit the sequence within after effects. I noticed that the ships appeared to dark within the scene. In order to rectify this I adjusted the colour balance of the ship layers. I also adjusted the opacity of the layer to make it look as if there was some atmosphere between the camera and the ships. Matching the ships to the surrounding light and colours was tricky, however, adjusting the relevant dials produced quick changes in colour value which improved the scene.

Now for the difficult part. In order to give the ship some weight and presence it needed some sort of distortion or dust. I acquired a smoke filter that I could apply directly to the image which would imply that the ship has huge engines which propel it through the air. In order for the particles to work i would need to mask off the areas within the smoke layer which I didn't want the viewer to see. Masking was tedious and laborious, however with a little patience I was able to create a dust layer which coincided with the ship's movements. I also added some blur layer on the furthest ship to add a little perspective to imply distance which i think really improved the scene and its dimensions.

In order to improve the scene I needed sound. The ships needed some sort of drowning sound or the distinct engine combustion from modern planes. This would give the ships real presence within the live action footage.

I was very happy with the compositing which I managed to achieve considering I had little knowledge in after effects. There were some areas which I felt could have been improved upon such as the dust layer as well as the animation. However, I was overwhelmed with the amount of work I put into lighting the scene which really improved the ships and their positioning. I was not keen on compositing but I feel I have learnt  some key elements within modeling and texturing which are skills I hope to improve upon and use in the industry in which I wish to pursue.

The whole project was a huge learning curve and I gained a huge amount of knowledge in amalgamating live action footage with cg objects. There are room for improvements, but I feel I have learnt a lot in the way in which the industry pipe line unfolds. I will take the knowledge I have gained while working on this project and apply it to new projects in the future and expand my knowledge in the areas which I feel could be improved upon.

Storyboard

Here is a quick storyboard that shows where the light is coming from in the scene. I t also shows the animation that takes place within the scene as the cargo ship hovers above the ground. I intend to add particle effects and smoke layers to replicate dust being kicked up by the huge engines of the ship. In order for the scene to work effectively I will need to light the ships correctly so they look like they are really there.

I should have produced a storyboard much earlier in the project but I was preoccupied with the other environment project. This is due to project miss management and bad organization, however I am confident that the project will succeed.

In future projects I will ensure that I produce a storyboard early on that will help me plan the editing process.