View Full Version : Animated Short


chris_rw
02-10-2008, 05:15 AM
I've been working on an animated short for a few years now and am at the point where I need voice actors. I've been attempting to clean up my script to send out in an attempt to attract actors. I have an odd action sequence at the end that reads incredibly slow right now, I'm looking for some feedback on what I can do to help with this, plus general feedback on the rest.

If anyone has time, I'd love to possibly get a review! Thanks!

www.cwanimation.com

NoahK
02-10-2008, 12:13 PM
That looks quite dope! I'd say get in touch with 3D World magazine. Perhaps they can do an article on you and get you some publicity which might ultimately attract some actors. Send an email to Jim Thacker, the editor of the magazine.

http://www.3dworldmag.com/page/3dworld?entry=contact_the_editorial_team

Noah

chris_rw
02-10-2008, 01:05 PM
Thanks, I've had the honor of having some artwork featured in the magazine before. Would anyone like to look through my script, I'd love to have some feedback.

barnaclelapse
02-10-2008, 11:19 PM
If you want to email it to me, I'd be happy to look it over.

I've written quite a few film/stage scripts, but never anything for animation, so I'd be curious to see how the process works.

magazine@feeltheword.net

chris_rw
02-11-2008, 02:35 AM
You have mail, thanks a ton!

VPTurner
02-11-2008, 10:28 AM
You have really good modelling and texture skills. What equipment and software do you use? Are you using stock textures or painting your own? Stock models?

You definitely have a bright future in this. Now you just need to get access to a motion capture studio.

chris_rw
02-11-2008, 11:45 AM
You have really good modelling and texture skills. What equipment and software do you use? Are you using stock textures or painting your own? Stock models?

You definitely have a bright future in this. Now you just need to get access to a motion capture studio.

No, using stock textures, models, motion capture are all considered to be in bad taste for 3D guys! Everything was created by me, from scratch. Its been a lot of work, but I think the end film should be really nice! I'm using 3D Studio Max for all the 3D, photoshop for textures.

Thanks for the kind words

VPTurner
02-11-2008, 12:47 PM
No, using stock textures, models, motion capture are all considered to be in bad taste for 3D guys! Everything was created by me, from scratch. Its been a lot of work, but I think the end film should be really nice! I'm using 3D Studio Max for all the 3D, photoshop for textures.

Thanks for the kind words

Motion capture in bad taste? Better tell ILM and Pixar. :lol:

But the rest, I agree. You are a true artist. Looks great!

chris_rw
02-11-2008, 12:50 PM
Yes, Pixar doesn't use any motion capture. ILM uses it, but greatly cleans it up with animators afterwards. Thanks again!

VPTurner
02-11-2008, 12:57 PM
Yes, Pixar doesn't use any motion capture. ILM uses it, but greatly cleans it up with animators afterwards. Thanks again!

Then why did they hire Zemeckis after the Disney aquisition. ;)

http://www.thedisneyblog.com/tdb/2006/08/disney_captures.html

Makes you wonder how pure they will remain. It's all about time and money and motion capture saves on both.

chris_rw
02-11-2008, 01:12 PM
I hadn't heard Zemeckis moving to Disney. But again, the movies Zemeckis did with motion capture were all considered to be very bad animation-wise(The Polar Express being referred to the Christmas zombie movie). While there have been 3'ish Zemeckis movies that have used motion capture, as of yet, Disney hasn't, along with Pixar, Blue Sky, Dreamworks and the other big studios have not.

While it saves money, I think they'll stay pure. Motion capture cheapens the look dramatically for cartoons (cartoon characters don't move like actors). Imagine an old Warner Bros cartoon where the characters were forced to move realistically. The charm of cartoons is that they don't move real, they're exaggerated.

VPTurner
02-11-2008, 01:47 PM
I agree with you especially about Polar Express. Body movements were okay, but facial animation was horrible.

But I've seen several movies where it was not used or used poorly and the suspension of disbelief suffered. First half of the original Spider Man movie is a good example.

And, actually, Dreamworks did use it if only for tests and movement studies.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1997_March_24/ai_19239631

Here's a good excerpt discussing it:

http://books.google.com/books?id=9njZ482OYfwC&pg=PA53&lpg=PA53&dq=shrek+motion+capture&source=web&ots=ckB3lKHHtF&sig=wkVSdqpcKb4w__RAHFyZ7Uw2RE4

In the end, they dropped the mo-cap and went keyframe.

But let's not get into a debate and take focus away from your artistic achievements. Once again, well done.

angielovesyou
03-13-2008, 08:17 PM
where can I see a clip of this? It looks bad ass! It looks a lot like a movie that I know coming out really soon. Is this the same one? You did an amazing job!

chris_rw
03-16-2008, 06:25 PM
I don't have any clips yet, I'm just starting to get into animation side of things on the project.

If it's a movie coming out really soon, then it's probably not my film ;) I'm 3 years into this one with well over a year to go, maybe more.

spinner
03-16-2008, 07:56 PM
:woohoo:

I thought that was as good as any other animation I've seen lately. All the stuff in the background behind Nerm was worth taking a look at. I thought it was very professional and original and its not yet another 'bug' story. What is it about bugs???

good job!

-- spinner :cool:

Sulaco
03-16-2008, 08:54 PM
angie would be thinking of Wall-e I think.

Anyway, this looks very good, well done. If you keep it up you might find yourself with a job soon!

chris_rw
03-17-2008, 08:39 PM
:woohoo:

I thought that was as good as any other animation I've seen lately. All the stuff in the background behind Nerm was worth taking a look at. I thought it was very professional and original and its not yet another 'bug' story. What is it about bugs???

good job!

-- spinner :cool:

And the current film in production ('The Chronicles of Nerm', the sequel to the animation on my site), will be, guaranteed, WAY better!

Thanks for the kind words

chris_rw
03-17-2008, 08:40 PM
angie would be thinking of Wall-e I think.

Anyway, this looks very good, well done. If you keep it up you might find yourself with a job soon!

I've turned down good jobs so I can finish this film, which may be a mistake in that I'm incredibly poor now! ;)

Thanks a ton...

VPTurner
03-18-2008, 01:16 AM
On the topic of motion capture again, I watched Beowulf recently, and it suffers the same poor facial animation I saw in Polar Express. The techniques are getting better, but there is still a ways to go to get full suspension of disbelief. Zemeckis and his motion capture combined with the keyframe artistry of Pixar could be very interesting.