#Trained Eyes
11 messages in this thread
As we become better animators, we become better observers of motion. We can
see things that happen so quickly the average person would miss them. Here's
an example.
While watching a recording I had made last Friday, I came across the promotion
for the movie "Powder". It's about an albino man with special powers. Towards
the end of the commercial there's a circular burst in a field that hits a few
people.
I liked the effects, so I replayed it a few times. I noticed a strange
flicker between two edits. The first shot is a bird's-eye veiw of a field with
the burst expanding in a circular fashion. The second shot is a worm's-eye
view showing the ring of the burst intersecting the people in the field.
Between the two is where I noticed the flicker.
I backed up the tape and replayed it frame-by-frame. At the end of the first
shot (bird's eye view) the ring is expanding outward. But on the last frame of
the edit, just before it cuts to the next view, the ring dissapears!
I expect the effect was created to a specific number of frames, and the editor
made the cut one frame too many. I can hear someone involved in the production
saying "Oh, nobody will notice it anyway." Well, nobody but us animators!!
When I go to see the movie, I'm going to watch closely to see if I can see the
"mistake" on the big screen.
Cheers.
— James — Choreo Motion —
James –
Ever since I've been in this forum, I too watch opening sequences on movies and
really watch commercials <G> Not for the commericals message but for how they
were put together. Don't think the commercial folks would appreciate what I'm
watching for.
After watching the SIGGRAPH reel I"m still in awe at what you folks can do with
the softare.
Anne
Hi Anne,
The Siggraph reel is consistantly impressive year after year. I often wonder
where some of the authors come up with the time to build those animations. One
on the last reel was over 5 mins of awesome CG. Wow!
— James — Choreo Motion —
James, you are so right. After years of motion analysis, one actually starts
living in a personal time warp. I know that after a long day of working out a
few seconds of action I am clearly on some other plane. Here's a funny little
moment that happened just the other day: I was working out a vortex that would
function as a scene wipe, taking the viewer from one event to the next. But I
couldn't get the swirl and funnel to do quite what i had in mind. There were
some dirty dishes in my sink and decided to take a break and wash up. When I
pulled the plug the swirl of water in a stainless sink really caught my eye.
So, I filled the sink with water and added bright blue dye. Stong reflecting
light and set up the video camera. Let her drain… wooosh. Digitized the clip
and mapped it as a material in my vortex, letting it to an IPAS explode as it
wooshed down the drain, added a few little fractal chunks flying around and
PRESTO! Looked pretty darn good. Tomorrow I think I'll clean the bathroom
<snick> Jeffrey
> living in a personal time warp. <
ROFL! Great expression!
> Let her drain… wooosh. Digitized the clip and mapped it as a material in my
vortex <
I've been hypnotized by a drianing sink a few times myself! <g> One of the
great things about being an animator is that I can see something happen and
then remember the nature of the motion for weeks. It's a blast! In fact, as I
progress as an animtor, I'm noticing that the lines between keyframing,
parametric motion, and traditional cel animation techniques are blurring more
and more.
— James — Choreo Motion —
>techniques are blurring more and more< Right again, James! My entire studio is
one big combine engine. Be it film, video or computer 2D/3D… I love moving
information back and forth. However, I have to admit that the computer has held
me captive more and more. As 3DS has gotten more capable via plug-ins I
probably spend at least 70% of time in there getting orthogonally mutated.
Speaking of the nature of motion, have you seen any of the publications of
Edgerton's work? In fact, there is a huge CD-ROM out now of his studies.
Together with Muybridge, they form a great bible and essential to opening the
mind to possibilities. Well, here comes another day, Jeffrey
> However, I have to admit that the computer has held me captive more and more.
<
I hear ya. I keep expecting to wake up one day with a SCSI port formed in the
back of my head. 😮
>, have you seen any of the publications of Edgerton's work? In fact, there is
a huge CD-ROM out now of his studies.<
No I haven't. I'd be interested to find out more about them, though.
— James — Choreo Motion —
James, as much as Muybridge has given us the definitive bible on animals and
people in motion, Edgerton is the next reasonable step. He spent his entire
life studying stobe intervals, and synchronization to varying lens speeds. The
result: Very finite analysis of particle flow, disturbance and apparant chaos.
His anthology of photos on things such as water dripping or flowing, milk
splashing, apples being shot by high powered rifles, motion divided into
thousand subdivisions of seconds and on and on. A great source of inspiration
for those details that make an animation come to life, and really turn up the
heat on IPAS applications. As I said, there is a recent CD-ROM out on his work
as well as numurous hardcopy. I'm searching everywhere for the recent article
on him, but can't find it. Also, my books on his work are not here in my studio
right now… they are on loan to an other animator (under penalty of death if
not returned soon :)) Jeffrey
Wow, it sounds like a great reference! Did he use high-speed film too? I've
seem some great slo-mo studius of various motions that were quite enlightening.
Please let me know if you find a source for the CD. I'm going to keep my eyes
open for it.
— James — Choreo Motion —
<<high-speed film>> That's the thing about this guy. Way before high speed
film, therefore he is the father of a whole world of strobe mechanisms.
Naturally, his strobes got more complex and multi-synch timed and cameras and
film more sophisticated, so he just kept venturing out further into obscure
subject matter. I believe he based himself at Princeton, and it is their press
that releases publications and the CD-ROM. You should not have too much trouble
tracking his work down. Put a few of his books on your shelf and I assure you,
your explodes, disintegrates and all sorts of image proc. ideas will flourish.
[BOOM=@%&*_)!!!! (obviously I have to track down the guy I lent my books to,
sorry I don't have the ref. numbers for you) Jeffrey
> Put a few of his books on your shelf and I assure you, your explodes,
disintegrates and all sorts of image proc. ideas will flourish.
[BOOM=@%&*_)!!!! <
<BG> Hey, I think Christmas is right around the corner . . . Hmmmmm.
> sorry I don't have the ref. numbers for you <
No problem. I can easily get my hands on them from the info you provided.
Thanks!!
— James — Choreo Motion —