Some Reflection part 5 of 6
My experience of unit DIG120 was a rewarding one.
It was like an adventure really, the assignments challenging on numerous fronts but also fun.
A big personal challenge for me was to understand some of the AE basics, this I think was because I do have some Photoshop experience but the two packages could not be further apart. I was not prepared for the vastness, unique processes or shear power the AE software affords nor the issues encountered along the way.
A key issue for me was continual crashing of the software which initially I thought was shear processing power but after days of watching and learning where the software crashed and under what conditions it enabled me to establish it was more about the tolerance of certain elements within the package that caused the problems.
My project had a lot of green screen filming that necessitated the use of keylight that crashed at least 200 times during the weeks leading up to the final assignment. One reason for this I believe was discovered by shear observation. I noticed a small flicker in the screen during and around the time of the crashes.
On further analysis, I found that some of my settings were out of tolerance mainly due to a lack of understanding of the package. I found by rekeying the effected footage and reducing some of the tolerance I was able to stop the crashing but this also changed the complexion of my render which can be clearly seen in the sample 'dud'. It also had an effect on the VFX breakdown but it did correct the issue of crashing which enabled me to get a production out.
I think given another opportunity I could vastly improve on my efforts here.
Another cause was the use of adaptive resolution in the preview settings of the comp window. When set to adaptive my project would crash but when this was turn off or set to fast preview the crash vanished.
Many other crashes occurred during final render which affected the smoothness of the final output and even my last attempt has some of these staggering playback issues but with no time left I cannot eradicate them entirely. I get the feeling I also missed something about smooth rendering in the unit material but could not find a reference in my files and folders.
One thing i learned was to use the ‘about’ menu item, you can see at any particular point in time how much RAM you are using which helped detect and locate offending scenes.
Another key discovery was my poor arrangement of files, this I mainly put down to the crashing making sure I had every base covered but I can’t help but think this also caused many issues let alone the impact on efficiency and something I can take away for next time. basically i had to many files that were not needed.
I learned that the art of filming and setting up a studio regardless of planning has many unintended pitfalls that can affect the final production. One issue for me as mentioned in an earlier post was the lack of space.
This can be found in scene two of my project where I have used a fade in fade out of three different shots to give the illusion of movement over time. It is an effect I remember seeing in the opening scenes of the film ‘The Bourne Legacy.’ Overall it is quite effective and I was able to solve a problem but being a little creative.
The use of AE lighting effects was also something that I could not get my head around and something that I need to keep working on if I am to get better. Conversely one of my favourite scenes is the final 3D text. I did not break this down but possibly should have although I expect the complexity to be obvious. Just creating the text itself was an achievement, it required AE lighting so the third dimension became visible.
Dropping the text into the scene required a number of key frames and the use of white solid masks and CC Scatterize over time to complete the effect.
To make the scene better the use of the sound effect ‘thump’ makes it more realistic and helps to suspend the fact it’s not real, quite obviously. I also was really happy to be able to bury the bottom of the letter ‘Y’ in the snow. I used a mask of a snowboard photo to help that along.
It is amazing that 2D images can be used to create a 30 second video scene that is somewhat interesting.
One of the keys to my submission is the soundtrack and soundFX. I am really happy with my choice of soundtrack and effects, wind, breathing and footsteps. The music I believe sets the right mood for the production and the sound effects really add some impact.On reflection without the sound my submission would be pretty boring.
I think I have created a good story although the length is slightly over, 34 seconds long if you remove references and introduction.
When i think about the unit i realise it would have been a great unit to take solo without other units getting in the way. This would have given more time to really explore its potential. I believe strongly students should be made aware of how intensive this unit is the work load is quite heavy for a level 1 unit and although it did not affect me personally because I was happy to do it I think the impact of time others was substantial and quite unexpected.
I should express however the amount of work is certainly required and the value of the early unit material such as the heavy analysis I feel without it I would not have been able to get the result I did.
It gave me clear idea’s that translated to my animatic and then to my surprise I was able to replicate that into the final production quite closely. In the end I am really happy with the result as a first time user of AE and my first VFX unit.
Final submission - Conquer
Porembiński, Kamil 2013. Tatra Mountains. Image. https://www.flickr.com/photos/paszczak000/11357576676/in/photolist-dY8EKq-ogDztp-hJ3mBb-djCqm-qifnLv-e7dAeG-9gzcds-iiCxRw-pY68Mt-cSFajq-8hYDeX-aEMmx3-pCbsNk-xq5Wdn-9s7swM-31Q2Nv-e3uCxg-b7mE44-9saryu-9o7R7j-eSRqPj-9iAjXj-te2T7f-uQwWLU-8JXZRg-7wX48Y-BuPdUS-gmqr7E-sgKVMj-6r481h-de4nDY-8FHsyZ-5fgocE-8dEbt3-dgbKja-cKLZqS-aESXM9-fqNGGK-aqzHtE-23v2p7-6kosBu-btpvcq-5aZgxW-nWCGGR-agpcaU-dofs6N-8mKxvq-7mWdSw-fDX5eA-5qQej4.
Scortegagna, Douglas. 2014. Mountain. Image. https://www.flickr.com/photos/douglucas/16447691210/in/photolist-r4qHyW-7n5hF3-6T6pTG-p3qaEk-m9Xjjc-acoPwx-xG5Zov-ai2Q6U-rBKqz4-2NkrCc-yJVjVY-xFZij1-aDSmPz-kBTGu-NB7jy-oY9bNu-4V8Nu8-436vzP-s8tSPh-mRaAK-dCboQ-raz8Xe-xzABC-zKiq7G-xhEHdo-e3AdyA-8t9uRd-rNrxz2-r7P5FT-p6uRF6-sk48u3-qEDnvN-9t55yq-dtJ8at-r5KSK6-4vFqea-5RvHNd-dTouxf-dGQt34-wY1iYk-w1wYPp-8MHsFb-qi8zR6-y8krpF-x2zjMJ-cjiR5y-a9nq86-fLEXVC-6Yfycn-5EJVfJ
Smith, Andrew. 2014a. Annapurna South. Image. https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrew_annemarie/13575226843/in/photolist-mFAzZe-mE4ZCM-mE6QMr-p4264S-p434wk-mE9LCM-9oT6uS-9Hi9sG-X5dWd-HjiqA-mEb2RH-2hCoAV-bgPBCz-x7g4qM-65qy9y-66kBnH-66pLmj-65UEBD-66pSwy-66k6Sf-66pR2d-65Qhww-65ieXP-oPERwQ-q5B9oK-4NsdYJ-pkuigG-pjWFci-mEf83q-mEdrBc-mDV6E3-65zCES-65QjzL-64QTr4-4QsDuk-93JyW5-pjWxtT-phqrpq-4Nsb3m-e2CBQH-2hBHAx-9EUkRm-da92GW-pjWMgT-Ha9fK-mE8tYD-mFH7Fc-HjFeM-4NsbLq-4NsbJ1.
Smith, Andrew 2014b. Sunrise over Macchupucchre. Image. https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrew_annemarie/13558552464/in/photolist-mE88gW-66k4Ko-93a6ri-mEaS3H-p1cPUS-rcHvB3-fodK3c-fot1jd-mE4Aax-6mUKcb-p3JDw1-pjszuM-mFAzZe-mE4ZCM-mE6QMr-p4264S-p434wk-mE9LCM-9oT6uS-9Hi9sG-X5dWd-HjiqA-mEb2RH-2hCoAV-bgPBCz-x7g4qM-65qy9y-66kBnH-66pLmj-65UEBD-66pSwy-66k6Sf-66pR2d-65Qhww-65ieXP-oPERwQ-q5B9oK-4NsdYJ-pkuigG-pjWFci-mEf83q-mEdrBc-mDV6E3-65zCES-65QjzL-64QTr4-4QsDuk-93JyW5-pjWxtT-phqrpq.
Unsplash. 2015a. Mountain-Peak-Summit-Altitude-Top. Image. https://pixabay.com/en/mountain-peak-summit-altitude-top-690104/.
———. 2015b. Winter-Snow-Mountains-Sky-Clouds. Image. https://pixabay.com/en/winter-snow-mountains-sky-clouds-690741/.
———. 2015. Snowboarder-Snowboarding-Snowboard. Image. https://pixabay.com/en/snowboarder-snowboarding-snowboard-690779/.
Valcker. 2013. Thamserku Mountain (6608) as Seen from Namche Bazaar. Image. https://www.flickr.com/photos/valcker/14236853241/in/photolist-nG4AsV-p1sLv1-8v21ua-8YheiM-B4VJgF-dSZsiy-BS2Z1N-i7rZpU-oiuQ7e-7bV9FR-7n3fG1-BwSCh5-fUESpD-mnBRr4-xofv18-oE2gNp-3N6EM-7Qhdtp-nCkkxU-86u9U5-sy4Jfh-SWcEn-iJfHAy-9PxVUQ-s5Q93U-qd2WAL-a9ndV4-hLnvRU-A7BZNz-g5kh23-a1jnLp-9PUb3C-ogDztp-hJ3mBb-djCqm-qifnLv-e7dAeG-9gzcds-iiCxRw-pY68Mt-cSFajq-8hYDeX-aEMmx3-pCbsNk-xq5Wdn-9s7swM-31Q2Nv-e3uCxg-b7mE44-9o7R7j.
Woelber, Paxson. 2007. Walking Below Crow Peak. Chugach Mountains, Alaska. Image. https://www.flickr.com/photos/paxson_woelber/5434552264/in/photolist-9hev3Y-bWi7hZ-ajaSvk-fmuXkJ-paFE3T-8t9vPJ-6nRt9s-fVcjSS-aC4cWU-5xg7y5-48jeAi-6C65PN-65HgGu-dvEpm8-egccbo-8v1ZKp-dMK1eG-a1DkRh-4iqGvH-fwJGHm-BbtGNi-5x49vL-3JmMJ6-mNkJ8s-fg61Rg-pT5YV4-9GqW3C-a1n4he-eUeLc7-61mkbv-7B5zC5-HQf9p-4mi1Xx-699MfH-dPZ9u2-aEP81z-5is1k3-aF368K-5x3Vz7-aw4n3o-qmydWc-6dWhqJ-6ZSaMd-FFDJH-i1GWi8-bJbAZB-rgg8p1-oaa6ef-9p5maJ-bHpp4r.
Woelber, Paxson 2011. The Summit of Flattop. Chugach Mountains, Alaska. Image. https://www.flickr.com/photos/paxson_woelber/5644945827/in/photolist-9APPJc-9APQtZ-9gshCv-9gw4FB-9hbkji-9heqNq-9gsygH-9hbkAr-9hev3Y-9gM2ym-9gsHj8-aFHXr2-6zVKNg-64h855-pfhzTc-qFUErS-2dXYE8-e9PRjY-9gsFBr-6fitnp-6WNr5a-s7ipbm-yg9QT2-bA9Eo4-e5gHhY-ogvPnb-qzenEz-8jM8ZV-BczJG-8jQjJu-8jMaSi-nwi9ox-8qm9BX-8jQnBC-wJ6cFV-qpPW3j-4Pp3ix-4PmVtm-8qm9Ft-3Kyo1y-yg2Yb3-zaJ4NA-9gsfFx-9gsCte-yVrx7q-rNMD64-4Pp4fR-4Pp4KX-usonz-usjhW.
Young, Dave 2011. First Snow on the Mountain. Image. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dcysurfer/5501152930/in/photolist-dY8EKq-ogDztp-hJ3mBb-djCqm-qifnLv-e7dAeG-9gzcds-iiCxRw-pY68Mt-cSFajq-8hYDeX-aEMmx3-pCbsNk-xq5Wdn-9s7swM-31Q2Nv-e3uCxg-b7mE44-9saryu-9o7R7j-eSRqPj-9iAjXj-te2T7f-uQwWLU-8JXZRg-7wX48Y-BuPdUS-gmqr7E-sgKVMj-6r481h-de4nDY-8FHsyZ-5fgocE-8dEbt3-dgbKja-cKLZqS-aESXM9-fqNGGK-aqzHtE-23v2p7-6kosBu-btpvcq-5aZgxW-nWCGGR-agpcaU-dofs6N-8mKxvq-7mWdSw-fDX5eA-5qQej4/
Bosk1. 2012. Wind Howling. Audio file http://www.freesound.org/people/Bosk1/sounds/144083/.
iujhu. 2015. Snow Footsteps. Audio file http://www.freesound.org/people/iujhu/sounds/269865/.
Karstenholymoly. 2013. The Thunderstorm. Audio file http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/Karstenholymoly/41792.
numar. 2011. 7 Thump. Audio file http://www.freesound.org/people/numar/sounds/118401/.
Owens, Erin 2006. Wind. Audio file http://www.flashkit.com/soundfx/Nature/Wind/wind-Erin_Owe-8719/index.php.
UncleSigmund. 2007. Breath.Wav. Audio file http://www.freesound.org/people/UncleSigmund/sounds/30709/.
Climber - James Henry Traeger
Film assistant, equipment and space - Ian, Susan and Melissa Traeger