Bus Seating Plans

Storyboard WIP

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Corwin Model Sheet

And a repost of the final concept piece so it's easier to find.

References CCTV

I took this video this weekend, I should try to do a closer one soon.

Asset Manager

Asset Manager manual

So here it is finally , asset manager V1.0, Project name - Aurora. 

So the buttons : 

Listing - list the folders in the server 

ChangeCWD - changes the working directory of maya in your computer

Close Connection - closes the Asset manager and closes the connection with the server

Get CWD - return the current working directory of maya. It prints the directory in your script editor.

Upload - upload a specific file to the server

Jump to folder - you can jump to folders on the server , just select a folder form the drop down menu

How to install the script :

Windows : 

Place the Class_asset.py file in the scrips maya folder. Example : C:\Users\A660-1DW\Documents\maya\2012-x64\scripts . After that in maya open the Aurora.py script in the script editor and run the script. 

Linux/Macs :

I will double check tomorrow , but I think it is the same as Windows . 

How to download files : 

So to download files you simply select the folder in the server using the jump to folder drop down menu. And then in the square box select the item you want to download. THE FILE WILL BE DOWNLOADED TO THE CURRENT WORKING DIRECTORY. To check what is your current working directory press 'Get CWD' button. The result will be printed in the script editor. To change current working directory press 'Change CWD' button, you simple go to the folder you want use and press 'Save'. 

How to upload files :

Now this is not very user friendly but I will be improving this , this is 1# on my list. So to upload file, first you change your current working directory using the 'Chagne CWD' button to where is your file. After that you select folder in which you want to upload the file. Then you press the 'Upload' button and type in the files name , including and endings. Example 'Test.mb' will be have to by typed fully including the .mb .

Additional Notes :

When browsing the folders in the server , you no longer have to press 'Listing' button. It is done automatically. When you run the script nothing is listed in the box, after you select the folder with the 'jump to folder ' drop down menu , then the items appear.

When uploading/downloading you can see a very primitive progress bar in the script editor, a better progress bar coming up in V1.1

If you have any problems please contact me. the TD guy. 

Sad Giant Posed Maquette

The form may look a bit unrealistically simple, but since his colour is so dark, what we'll be seeing in the final film will be basically a silhouette with eyes, it's going to look fine.

Sad Giant Final Concept & Model Sheet

Bus Layout

Andrew said that he does not know of the exact bus yet but it should be a similar layout to the pictures he provided. He mentioned that it would not be a "green" bus, so I think the seats would be the blue/orange combination. 

FILMING SCHEDULE

Friday 25th October
Collect equipment after 10am
Shooting practice

Sunday 29th October
I'll drive up to Manchester with the costume, lights etc.

Monday 28th October
Caroline, Milena, Tomas
   Bournemouth Coach Station to London Victoria Coach Station
   07:15 - 10:20

Siobhan will meet you in London after 11:00.

Waiting for the permit but it should be as follows:
You will be able to shoot on the Underground between the hours of 10:00-15:30.
I'll post more information when it has been confirmed but you will need to report to the Station Supervisor, I specified Tottenham Court Road station.

Caroline, Milena, Siobhan, Tomas
London Victoria Coach Station to Manchester Coach Station
17:30 - 22:12

Where I will pick you up and stay over at mine.

Tuesday 29th October
Caroline, Janine, Milena, Siobhan, Tomas
Bus shoot at Stagecoach Hyde Road
09:30-14:30
I'll drive us there, set up cameras.
3 actors arriving at 10:00 then these will leave with another set of 3 actors arriving.

I'll then drop you off at the train station, 5 minute drive.

Caroline, Milena, Siobhan, Tomas
Manchester Piccadilly Train Station to London Euston 
14:55 - 17:04

You will then shoot on the streets of London at sunset.
When it's dark, we film on the locations on the route me and Milena drew on the map.

Caroline is staying in London
Siobhan has a train ticket so is making her way back with that. (The closest in time to the coach is 23:05-01:52 from Waterloo but this requires a change in Southampton Central... so maybe the 22:35-00:21 from Waterloo which require no changes.)

Milena, Tomas
London Victoria Coach Station to Bournemouth Coach Station
23:30 - 01:40

Wednesday 30th October
Return equipment before 4/5pm


I'll be returning on November the 3rd at the latest and return the rest of the equipment by Monday.

Lighting inspiration

Hello everybody ,

Remembered a cool scene from the movie Drive, I like the lighting in this one , we could try replicate some stuff from there , any thoughts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eThA9iDvxLQ

Nigh bus reference/inspiration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_5Mc1py4dE

Thought this might be useful to watch. Although it isn't CCTV base there are some useful sections showing the lighting passing by the windows. Also Milena it may be useful to you by observing the kind of people on the buses at night, steal a few ideas.

I've not watched the whole thing yet so I'll note any interesting bits when I do.

Horny Design

Poor Horny trying to look regal and dangerous before he ends up stumbling around gracelessly.

The construction of the headpiece has started, we've got a basic wire setup done that just requires some filling of the holes with a mask and some cardboard before it can be sprayed with sculpting foam.

Link to Siobhan's easy robe tutorial here. The cloak will be a full circle cape with the blue fabric added to the edges, with the collar piece attached to the top and the leather shoulder piece (made from 3 separate pieces) laid over it.

Horny Costume Designs

Underneath there's gonna be a simple black monk's robe held by a belt/robe, long black gloves and a modified hood/balaclava that comes down from the headpiece. The big question is what's on top of that.

Quick sketches:

 1. Simple cape with indigo highlight on the rims, high collar from black leather
 2. This sort of diagonal cape with a large hood (special one to go with the antlers but it's not like he'll actually have it up) and long, draping sleeves
3. Royal cape with a leather chest/collar piece and an indigo interior
Or combinations of the above.

The design's obviously gonna bring something to the character. The 3rd aristocratic one is this a bit of a posh creepy fella, while the 1st and 2nd go more to the direction of something monk-like. So what's his story? Is the reason he's unfamiliar and uncomfortable in buses because he's a hermit, not from the city, rich? Any favourites?

Dynamic Jello Tutorial

Could this tutorial be used for Ms Goo?

We'd still have to fiddle with the numbers a little. For one thing, we might want to turn the resolution down. But as well, taking size into account, how stiff we'd want it to be and stuff... I'm assuming Ms. Goo wouldn't be quite as rigid as jello? As in, she wouldn't quite hold her shape in the same way....

Also, as of yet, I haven't a clue how to go about rigging this. To make her an actual character.....not just a piece of jello that falls on the floor and wibbles a little bit. Still looking into it.

CCTV Effect Overview and Resources

Cut from clip to clip effect: http://youtu.be/CKZIuRmvNOo?t=9s

Artificial de-rezzing tutorial: (our effect wouldn't be as strong as this one but it's a good tutorial on how to actually make it)
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/P-n6su2_vws" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

CCTV footage tutorial:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pYEzGI_g8rc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

There's a lot about the CCTV effect we'll want to adjust and decide already in preprod, such as frame rate (CCTV cameras have that signature blocky movement; but I don't think it's as strong on buses and it also wouldn't look very nice if it was), whether we have faint lines overlaid on top of the picture all the time or just when the footage goes wibbly, how often the footage goes wibbly (only when cutting or some general wibbliness here and there), graininess, and colour correcting.

The timestamp:
In London buses it seems to be on the bottom, with no black background: