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Assessment 1 – VFX Toolbox Showreel

Assessment 2 – Title Sequence

For my assessment 2, I decided to create a true crime-like title sequence

I used a lot of techniques including layer blending, colour collection, inverting colour, shape animation, masking, chroma keying, text animation as well as tracking.

I downloaded stock footage, edited it accordingly, added text, and then proceeded with the shape animation part.

 

 

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Week 1 – Introduction to the module

Research your favourite title sequence:–

Game of Thrones

The title sequence of Game of Thrones that introduces every episode serves as a guide to the physical landscape of the world of the series. It changes depending on the locations visited in the particular episode it introduces.

 

Road To A Million

 

After Effects Shape Animation

 

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Week 2 – Alphas & Layer Transparency

 

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Week 3 – Green Screen & Keying

This week, we used our university green screen studio to take videos of ourselves, so that we have our own footage to practice chroma keying on.

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Week 4 – Chroma Keying

Chroma keying is a visual effects technique used to layer two images or video streams based on color hues. The most common implementation of this technique is green screen technology.

 

Green screen involves filming a subject in front of a bright green background. During post-production, the green background is digitally removed and replaced with another image or video. Green is typically used because it is distinct from most human skin tones and clothing colors, making it easier to isolate the subject. This process allows filmmakers and content creators to place subjects into various virtual environments and create complex visual effects.

 

Green screen process:

 

Setup:

• Backdrop Installation: Install a green screen backdrop in the filming area.
• Lighting Arrangement: Arrange lighting to evenly illuminate the green screen and minimize shadows on the subject.
• Camera Positioning: Position the camera to properly frame the subject and the green screen.

Filming:

• Subject Placement: Position the subject in front of the green screen, ensuring they do not wear green to avoid blending with the background.
• Recording: Film the subject, ensuring the green screen remains uniformly lit and free of wrinkles or shadows.

Post-Production:

• Import Footage: Import the recorded footage into chroma key software.
• Chroma Keying: Use the software to identify and remove the green color from the footage.
• Background Replacement: Replace the green screen area with the desired image or video, ensuring it blends seamlessly with the subject.
• Adjustment and Refinement: Adjust the edges and refine the keying to avoid any green spill or artifacts.

Final Output:

Render and Export: Render the final composited video and export it in the desired format.

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Week 5 – After Effects Tracking

 

Tracking Task 1

Tracking Task 2

Tracking face

Tracking Task 3

Tracking text in 3D space

 

 

Tracking Task 4

Tracking with content aware fill

 

Tracking Task 5

 

Tracking Task 6

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Week 6 – After Effects 3D Space

 

I decided to create a retrowave motion graphic that would allow me to combine both, my 2D & 3D skills in After Effects.

 

 

 

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Week 7 – Render Passes, AOVs & EXR EXPORT

Maya AOVs (Arbitrary Output Variables) are a feature in Autodesk Maya’s rendering workflow that allows users to output various elements of a rendered scene into separate image files. These elements, also known as render passes or render layers, can include different types of data such as color, shadows, reflections, depth, and more. By separating these components, artists gain more control and flexibility during the compositing and post-production stages.

Parts of Maya AOVs:

1. Primary Beauty Pass: The main render that includes the combined final image with all elements.
2. AOVs/Render Passes: Specific elements of the scene that are rendered separately. Common AOVs include:
   • Diffuse: The base color of surfaces without any lighting effects.
   • Specular: Highlights and reflections on shiny surfaces.
   • Shadow: Shadows cast by objects in the scene.
   • Ambient Occlusion: The shading of surfaces based on their proximity to other surfaces, simulating soft shadows in crevices.
   • Depth: The distance of objects from the camera, used for depth of field and other effects.
   • Normals: Information about the orientation of surfaces, used for relighting and other post-processing effects.

Process of Using Maya AOVs:

1. Scene Setup:
   • Create and Set Up the Scene: Build your 3D scene in Maya with all necessary models, textures, and lighting.
   • Assign Materials and Textures: Ensure all objects have the appropriate materials and textures applied.
2. Configure AOVs:
   • Open Render Settings: Access the Render Settings window in Maya.
   • Select Renderer: Choose the rendering engine you are using (e.g., Arnold, V-Ray).
   • Enable AOVs: Navigate to the AOVs or Render Passes tab and select the AOVs you want to output. Many renderers have a list of standard AOVs you can choose from, or you can create custom AOVs.
3. Render the Scene:
   • Set Output Settings: Configure the output format and resolution for your render.
   • Render the Scene: Start the rendering process. Maya will generate separate image files for each selected AOV, in addition to the primary beauty pass.
4. Post-Production:
   • Import AOVs into Compositing Software: Load the rendered AOVs into compositing software like Adobe After Effects, Nuke, or Fusion.
   • Composite and Adjust: Use the individual AOVs to fine-tune the final image. Adjust lighting, colors, shadows, and other elements to achieve the desired look.
   • Combine Passes: Layer the AOVs together to create the final composited image, taking advantage of the flexibility to adjust each element independently.

Benefits:

• Enhanced Control: Artists can tweak specific elements of a scene without re-rendering the entire image.

• Flexibility in Post-Production: Separate passes allow for greater flexibility in color correction, effects, and compositing.

• Efficiency: Saves time by allowing targeted adjustments and reduces the need for lengthy re-renders.

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Week 8 – Autodesk Maya Dynamic Animation

Dynamic animation in Maya refers to the simulation of natural and complex movements of objects using physics-based systems. These animations are generated through simulations that automatically create realistic interactions and behaviors based on defined physical properties and forces.

 

Parts of Dynamic Animation:

Rigid Bodies: Objects that do not deform and are used to simulate collisions and interactions (e.g., a bouncing ball).

• • Active Rigid Bodies: Objects that are influenced by forces and can move and collide with other objects.
  • Passive Rigid Bodies: Stationary objects that can be collided with but do not move.

Soft Bodies: Objects that can deform and change shape under force (e.g., a piece of cloth or a jelly-like object).

Particles: Small points that can represent fluids, smoke, dust, or other phenomena involving many small elements.

• • Particle Emitters: Sources that generate particles over time.
  • Particle Fields: Forces that affect the movement and behavior of particles (e.g., gravity, turbulence).

Fluids: Simulations for liquids and gases, enabling realistic behaviors like flow, splash, and smoke.

Constraints: Restrictions applied to objects to control their movement and interactions (e.g., hinges, springs).

Fields and Forces: External influences that affect the behavior of dynamic objects (e.g., gravity, wind).

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Week 9 – Autodesk Maya Nucleus Simulation (nParticles and nCloth)

Autodesk Maya Nucleus Simulation is a unified simulation framework designed to handle complex dynamic interactions between various types of objects, particularly focusing on nParticles and nCloth.

 

Nucleus System Overview

The Nucleus system in Maya is a simulation framework that allows different types of dynamic objects to interact with each other within the same environment. It simulates physics-based behaviors such as collisions, gravity, and wind, providing realistic animations.

 

nParticles

nParticles are a type of particle system in Maya that uses the Nucleus solver. They are used to simulate a variety of phenomena such as fluids, smoke, dust, fire, and other particle-based effects.

 

Key Features of nParticles:

1. Particle Emitters: Sources that generate particles over time, which can be controlled to emit in specific shapes, directions, and rates.
2. Particle Attributes: Properties such as size, mass, color, and lifespan that can be adjusted to achieve desired effects.
3. Fields and Forces: External influences like gravity, wind, turbulence, and custom fields that affect particle motion.
4. Collisions: Particles can collide with each other and with other Nucleus objects, including nCloth and passive colliders.
5. Per-Particle Control: Detailed control over individual particles using expressions and ramps for properties like color, opacity, and velocity.

nCloth

nCloth is a system within the Nucleus framework designed to simulate cloth and other deformable materials. It provides realistic animation of fabric, rubber, metal sheets, and other flexible surfaces.

 

Key Features of nCloth:

1. Cloth Creation: Convert any polygon mesh into an nCloth object that responds to dynamic forces.
2. Material Properties: Adjust properties such as stretch resistance, bend resistance, and dampening to simulate different types of cloth.
3. Constraints: Use constraints to pin parts of the cloth to other objects or restrict its movement in specific ways.
4. Collisions: nCloth objects can interact and collide with other Nucleus objects, including nParticles and passive colliders.
5. Wind and Gravity: Simulate natural forces affecting the cloth, making it move realistically.

Benefits of Nucleus Simulations

• Unified Solver: Handles multiple types of dynamic objects in a cohesive environment.

• Realism: Produces realistic simulations of complex interactions between particles and cloth.

• Flexibility: Offers extensive control over physical properties and behaviors.

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Week 10 – Green Screen Recording

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Week 11 – Autodesk Maya Fluids Smoke & Fire Simulation

2D Smoke Simulation

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Week 12, 13, 14 – Assignment Workshops

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