BYU's animation Program

I graduated from BYU's animation program some years ago. And while the work that came out of that program in the years that followed my departure from the university was good, it wasn't spectacular. Like almost all student films, a bit of the stitching was always showing. Despite this fact, the program has had amazing success with every senior film garnering a student emmy.

Recently, my old faculty mentor sent me a stack of dvds of the various films that BYU has completed in recent years. I watched them in order looking to see the progression of the program. Each film had it's strengths and weakness, but as I said before, lots of "seams." Then I reached "Dream Giver." The film was astonishing. It was cg/2d hybrid short that was expertly crafted. I would have never guessed it was student film. Everything about it felt professional. It was incredibly inspirational. It made me want to go back to school to be able to make something just for the enjoyment and art of it. I tip my hat to the students and faculty responsible for "Dream Giver."

L.A. Noire

WOW! Let me begin by saying, every time a game is touted as having ground breaking graphics approaching reality, I typically find myself let down by the end product. This idea that game technology is approaching what the vfx/animation world is doing is always a bit laughable to me. While games are progressing so are vfx and animation. And while I have seen impressive games before, the statement of its achievement is always accompanied by, "For a game." While L.A. Noire still looks like a game, there is some technology in it that is incredible and requires no "for a game" excuse. The facial expression captured in the cinematics rivals even avatar and surpasses Tron's C.L.U. and that is saying something. While the rest of it looks like a computer game it is impressive for a computer game. Great game lighting, environments, animation. But the facial expressions... amazing! I will extend that even to the character animation in the cinematics as well. Typically they contain the less than life tells of motion capture, always feeling floaty and ungrounded. L.A. Noire however everything feels anchored, has weight and the best part... can I say it again... amazing facial expressions! This is the new standard for facial capture, period, no genre card attached.

While the game is obviously violent and fairly graphic (usually a deterrent for my consideration of purchasing a game title), I find myself extremely excited to participate in game play to see just how far they took it. The idea that the game play is about problem solving and deduction in a way that is virtually never present in an action/shooter game is amazing. The environments and game play look amazing. I must say, thus far I am impressed.

Rango

Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Bill Nighy, Alfred Molina and masters of the silver screen, Ned Beatty and Harry Dean Stanton. As if this isn't enough, directed by Gore Verbinski, of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" fame. Now... add the talent of the power house ILM (if you don't know who that is I am not sure how you got to my blog) and it being their first feature film. I just wet my pants! I have watched this trailer a hundred times, if not more. I have a feeling we are about to see the new hi bar for feature animation, both visually and thematically.

An oldie but goodie

One Rat Short from Charlex on Vimeo.

I first saw this short at Sun Dance 2007. I loved it then and I love it now.

A diagram to understand cost, time, and quality

A friend of mine sent me this. He and I have worked together on various projects and have discussed this paradigm on numerous occasions. I don't know who the author of this image is but I tip my hat to them because they nailed it. This is the simplest explanation of cost vs. time vs. quality conundrum that we face in film (and in any industry really).

Making of Tron

I don't know what more that I can say that would add to what has been done for tron. The more I admire this film the more encompassed I find myself. Everything from the music to visuals. I feel like I get to brag because a few of my friends were very instrumental in building and lighting the digital world of Tron. So as dorky as it sounds, go see it and be inspired by the vastness and amazement of the collective work of Tron!

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

New Years day I wanted to take my two oldest children to a movie. So with out telling them I stuffed them in the car and we drove down to the cinema to catch an afternoon at the theater. Much to my chagrin, every kid friendly movie was in 3D only. So after $60 for one adult, two children, and a bucket of popcorn, here are my thoughts.

First things first, the visuals. They were great. They didn't approach perfection as much as films past, but I wasn't distracted by the thought of the cg for almost the entire film. The 3D was much of the same except for some opening shots where some planes fly over and it didn't feel right at all. While I don't feel the 3D added as much to the experience as how it did for Tron or Avatar, it wasn't a distraction either.

Now for the story. As with any literary adaptation, I wasn't expecting to discover anything new to the plot, shy of some liberties taken to compress a story into a more timely format. My children are enamored with the first two movies, the latest film was not a disappointment. The climactic battle was a bit more frightening for younger viewers than the past films.

In conclusion this was a fun and inspiring movie with new characters and perils. One cannot remove the christian underpinnings of C.S. Lewis' novel without destroying the literary foundations of his stories. Yet whether or not the viewer espouses those beliefs to the characters in the film or not, the film should still leave the audience with feelings of hope and an overall uplifted sense. A good film.

Tron Legacy

I had the pleasure of seeing "Tron Legacy" in true Imax 3d over the holidays. Oh my! I was blown away by the fun of the movie. If you are a cg nerd like I am you will love to get lost in the absolutely awesome effects. It has flaws as all films do but for what my friends over at Digital Domain where able to do, I tip my hat.

First off, true Imax 3D is worth every dollar. I was blown away. I saw the film in "regular" 3D as well and it wasn't the same at all.

The visuals were awesome. Great environments, vehicles, costumes, and fxs! The cg Jeff Bridges at times was flawless. As with any cg human it is bound to have some bad scenes, and tron is no exception. To date Avatar's cg faces are the "coup de grâce" of cg faces. But this was sure close. The hardest for me was the final sequence. Up until then I was nerding out over this cg man in just about every scene.

I must also say I love what Daft Punk's music brought to the film. It was perfect for the subject matter. The digital tones and synthetic sounds mirrored the visuals in the most "harmonious" way (excuse the pun).

I watched the original "Tron" a few days before to prepare myself for the rebirth. While my friends who did the same were very heavy with disapproval and cynicism, I found that my childhood memories of the film held true. It is not a great film by any sense but it is an incredibly interesting expression of a story built around a historically innovative film technique.

In conclussion, this new installment bring new life and a much stronger story to what was and is a "fun" movie franchise. While it may not be the most sophisticated film it is incredibly fun to watch.

True Grit

I love westerns! Be it sixties "spaghetti westerns" or more serious action westerns, I love 'em. I have always loved the semi campy style of John Wayne's, Rooster Cogburn. When I saw the teaser trailer for the remake of "True Grit" I was elated. I could see from the trailer, this was going to be a much more serious take on the 1968 novel.

First let me say what a cast! Jeff Bridges, Matt Daemon, Josh Brolin! They were all awesome. And then we come to Hailee Steinfeld. Her performance was simple stupendous. Her portrayal of Mattie Ross gave the character a clear sense of strength and determination which was at the same time a mask for her characters true fear about what lay ahead.

There was amazing dialog in this movie, some of it rather campy but played so straight faced that it lent to the feeling of authenticity of the film. Part of that authenticity was in the violence. I do not particularly enjoy violence on the big screen, especially when the filmmakers seem to be rubbing in my face in gregarious proportions. While this film definitely pushed the line of graphic violence in a PG-13 movie, it was not reveling or glorifying it. It was merely a way of life and portrayed as such. While I could have used less graphic depictions, I did not find it offensive.

In conclusion the film has great heart and whit. It lived up to my excitement and as a lover of the genre I would recommend it to any avid western lover.

Yogi

So I went with all my family to see this over Christmas. We opted not to see it in 3D as the cost for that many people would be astronomical and my parents were footing the bill. As for the movie... it was... cute. The kids seemed to like it, though the adult side of the story (the love interest of Ranger "what's his name") didn't quite cut it for the kids. While people seem to love or hate this cg Yogi, I think the film could have used more of the title character.

The internet is full of people crying over the fouling of there childhood memories. So, I went and watched some old Hanabarbara cartoons on youTube to prep myself for the film and trust me, your memory doesn't suit you if you feel this movie didn't have the sophisticated humor of what your memory espouses to the old cartoons. As I have found with all my childhood memories of cartoons and many movies, my tastes for humor and entertainment have refined and evolved over the years. The "awesomeness" is in the memory, not the cartoon. So maybe this yogi can be to our kids what the old traditional yogi is to us. You choose.

While we didn't see it in 3D, all the "jump out of the screen" gags were very apparent. Yogi was well rendered but some of the river action compositing was less than decent. Overall, the film was fun but I might have been fine waiting for dvd to show the kids. Because if the kids don't enjoy it enough to sit through it, you won't either. If you go into this movie with an open mind you will find it more or less entertaining.

Saying goodbye to Harry: Part 1

As a huge fan of the books let me say, you have to extricate yourself from them to enjoy these films.

I got the chance to go with some friends from work to see the latest installment of this behemoth of a film franchise. It was hilarious to take a step back and listen to the resulting "round table" discussion that took place immediately thereafter in the theater lobby. The scrutiny of the loyalty to the book, the quality of the visual fx, whether or not Shawn White (sitting behind us) enjoyed the movie. Let me say when you work in the art of film industry, especial as vfx artists you are the rock stars of the nerds, and we showed it. I digress.

The story of the film was, well, previously known (thanks obviously to the books). That said, I did enjoy it very much. I felt breathless at times as we ran through the story with reckless abandon, much of which is to expected when trying to take a book of 784 pages to celluloid. But overall, it was wonderful to see something akin to what I had imagined in my reader's mind played out before my eyes.

Now to nerd out a bit. The visual effects were ranging from good to incredible. I was particularly impressed with Kreacher. His flesh seemed so tangible and human like, a quality which is extremely difficult in cg. That said, on sequence ruined the movie for me. Early on in the film there is a sequence which consists or Ron and Harry talking outside the Weasley home. It was obviously filmed on a sound stage and the backgrounds were extended using the "magic of computers." But in a few shots the green screen work was so bad, akin to that of a first year cg student, that the rest of the film I couldn't help but watch for more cg offenses.

In conclusion, the film was adventurous and fun. If you want a celluloid version of the books, this is not it. As for an adaptation, it was very enjoyable.

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole

I have to say, I wasn't expecting all that much from this movie. At first glance it felt like I was looking at "Happy Feet" with owls. However what I experienced was very different. First I must say, this movie is extremely well crafted as far as visuals are concerned. While not everyone cares stylistically for the soft subsurface-y look that you can get in cg, it was well executed. With breath taking vistas and well groomed hero characters, this is a must for fans of the art of computer graphics and computer nerds. Also note worthy are the awesome effects in the film from the rain to fire to "energy fields."

While it is an awesome film to look at, it has some visual flaws. Some of the "scruffy" owls looked more like muppets than owls and betrayed the suspension of disbelief. I also hated the "Happy Feet" eyes that all the characters had, there was a little to much character resemblance between the films. For the most part the lighting was great accept for a handful of shots which were a bit of an eyesore.

As for story, the film was okay. My son, who is almost eight, loved the armor clad owls and was captivated by the story. My youngest son, just turned two, couldn't have cared less. He spent the show running around the theater. Thankfully, the theater was virtually empty and the other families there had small children. You might say, "But he is only two!" And yet, might I point out my son will sit through any Pixar film over and over, and was quiet as a mouse all through "Toy Story 3," riveted! While the story is aimed at older kids compared to most Pixar films, it still lacked the sophistication to hold a broad audiences attention. Fighting Owls may be cool to eight year olds, but the rest of us would like a little more character and a little more substance.

As for the action, it was comically, "300" for kids. Just before every blow of an opponent we would be ramped into super slow-mo! Instead of the cg blood splatter, flying feathers and armor cladding. It was very text book "300" style action. This isn't all that surprising as both films share the same director, Zach Snyder. On that note it was fairly violent considering the typical audience and at times made me wince a bit at having all my kids there. But that should be placed on my lapse of judgment I suppose.

I did not opt to see this film in 3D, however I heard it was well executed and brought greater depth to the imagery. So if you have some extra cash burning in your pocket, you may consider seeing this one in 3D.

All in all, it was enjoyable. Where the story lacked I could fill my time looking at the "pretty pictures" and admire all the craftsmanship and hard work that went into making this film. While not the pinnacle of film making it was entertaining, especially if you are eight.

The all powerful GPU

GPU computing is revolutionizing computing, especially for the world of visual effects. It is putting more power in the hands of the artist and allowing for breath taking simulations that previously would have been financially inconceivable. Check out how the power of the GPU was harnessed at ILM for "Harry Potter" and "The Last Airbender."

Bollywood BlockBuster?

Is this the dawn of the summer blockbuster for Bollywood?

As more and more Hollywood companies out source to India and other Pacific region countries, it was only a matter of time before the "Blockbuster" found its home in the rapidly expanding "Bollywood" film industry.

The film "Enthiran" or "Robot" is the biggest budget film in Indian film making history. While the actors and production crews are predominately from the Indian film industry, many big name Hollywood players have been enlisted to help bring this project to the silver screen. Stan Winston Studios, known for their work on "The Terminator," "Aliens," "Jurassic Park," "Iron Man," and "Avatar" to name a few, brought their craft to this film designing the awesome animatronics and visual effects for the film. Additional big Hollywood companies lend a hand to the visuals including, ILM, Tippet Studios, and Cafe EFX.

Big names like Mary E Vogt for costume design and Yuen Woo Ping for laying out the complex stunt work add to the list of elite Hollywood talent.

It is very exciting to see the expansion of mega budget movies to other film making industries. Hopefully it will inject new life into the decline American visual effects industry. Only time will tell.

New images from "Sheriff"

We are finish up the final artistic touches and technical fixes on the rooster. I am so excited to see things coming together.

"Cats and Dogs" in 3D

While vacationing with my parents and my wife and kids we decided to go see a movie. Since we had the kiddies in tow, we figured we would go see something "family friendly." The options were, "Despicable Me," they had all seen it, "Flipped," kids would never sit through that, and, "Cats & Dogs." We had a bunch of free movie tickets so thought, "Hey, why not. The first one had some funny moments with the evil Mr. Tinkles."

The first let down came at the ticket window. The film was only showing in 3D. This meant almost a hundred dollars for the group to see the film. Ouch. Seeing there was nothing else and not much else to do, and the children had been promised a movie, we coughed over the dough (paying the difference after using the free tickets that didn't cover the cost of a "3D" ticket).

All I can say is this film was terrible. The 3D was awful. The cg visual effects were terrible, except for some of Kitty Galore, the rest was terrible. The story line was lame. The jokes lacked any punch. Even my kids were getting bored in the film. I was excited to see a cameo from the hilariously funny evil Mr. Tinkles from the first film, but the writing was so awful that I couldn't stand anything that came out of his mouth. Maybe I am crazy for thinking the first one was quirkish and funny. All the characters in this sequel were weak. There was almost no motivation to move any of the story along, at many times the writers didn't even try to string it together and just hoped the audience wouldn't notice the incoherent story. You don't care about any of the characters at all ever during the film.

In conclusion, I wouldn't spend a cent on this movie, not one. Given the chance to go back in time and get our money back I wouldn't hesitate. If you find this movie at all interesting, watch the trailer on iTunes and save yourself the money. It's a complete waste of time.

Sheriff may actual finish in 2010!

The "Sheriff" production is heading into it's sixth year of production/post production. It seems like only yesterday we were shooting on the back lot of the MPS. The main character has gone through some major revisions, always in an effort to increase the quality of the project.

The project has been through many technology changes. For my fellow cg nerds... the project started in Maya 6.5 and has found it's final home in Maya 2010. It began in Renderman 12 and rat tools 6.1 and is now in Mental Ray. It started on Windows Xp and now finds itself living between Mac OS 10.5 and Linux. It has been a real adventure maintaining a pipeline for this endeavor.

There have been many production children from the various artists helping on the movie. The "Sheriff" family continues to grow. I thank everyone for their support. Especially all the wives and children of the crew. Kelly and myself look forward to finishing the project very soon.

Here is a sneak peak at a work in progress shot!

Oktapodi

This film from students at Gobelins Animation School in France is amazing. Every time I see it I want to go make a short film. It's a great story and technologically brilliant for student work, it holds its ground against many professional shorts with ease. Down right incredible. It was made bake in 2007 and it still impresses. It has garnered many awards and many honorable mentions, including a 2009 nomination for "Best Animated Short" academy award.






Official Website

Amazing! How long did this take to render?!

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

Maya scripting

For any Maya artist and students wanting to expand their skills and the toolsets at their finger tips to create breath taking art. I would suggest this book, Complete Maya Programming. It is a great book to have in your reference library. The only reference I use more for maya mel scripting is the maya docs themselves.

This book gives simple and complex examples of how to code different types of syntax structure. It's not always the most entertaining read but it is jam packed with great information. A must have.