For this Collaborative unit, we are going to work with the 3D Computer Animation Students to complete a project with The Third Floor.
In this first session, Vincent, as representative of The Third Floor, dis us an introduction about what is The Third Floor, what is previsualization and about our project brief.
Presentation
What is a previsualization?
A previsualization is the is the visualizing of complex scenes in a movie before filming. This previsualizations are made with a rought 3D animation and cameras, usually in Maya.
Why is the previs important for films?
The Third Floor
THE THIRD FLOOR is the world’s leading visualization company with offices in Los Angeles and London as well as on location with productions around the world. Since 2004, the studio has helped clients visualize and maximize content by producing computer-animated blueprints, known as “previsualizations”. The Third Floor is a fun, creative company founded by artists, for artists.
Basic previous knowledge
In order to do a quality previsualization, we will need to keep in mind some basic cinema guidelines.
Focal length
The focal length is represented in millimeters and it describes the distance between the distance from the point in which the light converge to form a sharp image and the sensor of the camera.
- Larger focal length
- More zoom
- Less vision angle
- Less depth of field
- Usually obtained with a focal length bigger than 50mm
- Smaller focal length
- Less zoom
- Major vision angle
- More depth of field
- Usually obtained with a focal length smaller than 50mm
180 degrees rule
The rule of 180 degrees is the most cited rule in cinema. It is used to establish a grammar that helps locate the viewer on one side of the screen. It is an invisible line drawn through two actors in the center of a scene, becoming the diameter (180 degrees) of a semicircle, called the axis of action. The law preserves the line of sight in a sequence of dialogue and crucial shape, maintains the direction of the screen (so that one character always looks on the right and the other on the left). Therefore, we can locate the camera in any part of the half of the semicircle, but never in the opposite.
Brief
Project
The project for this Collaborative unit was going to be to create a previsualization of 90 seconds minimum length. We are going to be given an environment in maya in order to locate our action, then we will need to make up a story. This are the guidelines we were given in order to do build the project.
- Length: 90 seconds minimum
- Location: The streets of New York
- Structure of the story:
- Introduce the location
- Introduce the main character
- Introduce a main object
- Introduce 2 main actions
- Introduce 2 antagonists
- Resolve the story
Beyond that, everything is free for us to make up a story using our imagination.
Team
After having the project brief, we made up the teams. Our team is going to be formed by 4 components: 2 students from 3D Computer Animation -Anto Fredric and Zinab Ramathany- and 2 students from VFX -Adrian Gongora and me, Carola Martos-.
Anto Fredirc and Zinab Rmathany, the 3DCA students will be the ones in charge to make the blocking animation and the rig animation of the characters.
Adrian Gongora and me, Carola Martos will be responsible of making all the cameras, with the correct lenses and camera movements, export the cameras and do the editing of the film.
Task
For the next session, we will need to write one script each, then, meet and choose which story we are going to develop for this project.
Once we have chosen the story, we will need to refine the script and create a mood board. Finally, we will need to sketch the story and do a storyboard.
In order to make the storyboard more effectively, we are aimed to do it in premiere, adding movement in the shots and some sound effects in order to be able to explain metter the editing synamic and the mood. The more we develop each stage, the easier will be to have corrections and a better result on each step.
MA Visual Effects 