Fantastic Voyage: Reflective Statement

This project has been one of the most challenging, but enjoyable, things I have ever done. Managing a project of this size, with this many different elements has been very tricky. I know that I could have planned my time better, and that I have let parts of the greater project slip in order to get a film finished by the deadline. There are things that I didn't feel able to get from my head onto the screen just yet, particularly with bolder and more characterful animating, and I am excited to keep learning so that I can overcome this in future.

I am really interested in the feedback I received surrounding ways that I could take my idea and make it more fit for purpose. Taking the steps of a dance as the steps of mitosis in a more literal, instructional, way to make a better teaching tool hadn't occurred to me. I think that I was too focussed on getting my first idea out the way I saw it in my head and keeping with my art direction. I didn't take the time to check that I was making the best, most appropriate version of that idea, and I will continue to think about pushing an idea all the way through to its best point.

I wish that I had been able to make better use of the mistakes I made in earlier projects in time for this brief. However, I know that reflecting on the wider lessons learned this year some more over the summer will be as good a use of my time as keeping up with skills I have gained in Maya, so I will make time for this.

I am pleased with the work I have made this year, I couldn't have imagined achieving this much when I started in September. I can't wait to see what next year brings - and what I can bring to next year.

Fantastic Voyage: Art Of

Fantastic Voyage: Mitosis - Final Animation

Fantastic Voyage: Models

Here are some renders of my models. I think I will edit the colours of the cells in post-production.

Fantastic Voyage: Animation Progress

Here is a playblast of an early scene in my animation. I need to add text, but I will do this later at home so that I can install the font I would like to use.

Fantastic Voyage: Intro Progress

Here is a playblast of my progress on the first 22 seconds of my animation. I need to add text to the cell, then I will rotate it as the camera moves towards it.



Here rendered stills of this scene.

Without BG

With BG as a textured plane in Maya

With BG added in Photoshop

I will probably add the background to the final animation in After Effects, but keep the plane in at the moment for reference.

Fantastic Voyage: Animatic and Script

Here is the first version of my animatic that I presented at the pitch and an updated version to include the changes I have made.

Fantastic Voyage: Chromosome and Centrosome Animation Test

Next up I'm going to play around with the chromosome some more, double her up and try out some dancing. Also making a separate set of disco ball lights that can bend to attach to the centromere.

Fantastic Voyage: Chromosome Model

FRONT

SIDE

Next up is modelling some eyebrows and working on materials some more.

Fantastic Voyage: Materials Test and Influence

I have tried some different materials I could use to get the effect I am looking for.

I have also looked at the work of Eran Hilleli, as I would like to create a similar shading effect in my animation.

Panda Bear - Boys Latin from Encyclopedia Pictura on Vimeo.

The last winter family from Eran Hilleli on Vimeo.

Fantastic Voyage: Sister Chromatids - Hair

I have updated the 'hair' to fit more with the disco aesthetic. I have also tried adding eyelashes in the second image.

Fantastic Voyage: Face

Fantastic Voyage: Sister Chromatid Face Thumbnails

Fantastic Voyage: Sister Chromatid Thumbnails

After receiving feedback about the likability of my characters I have done some thumbnails to work on the designs.

I like 13, it is very similar to my previous design, but I've added some more curves to the markings and some more human facial features.

Fantastic Voyage: Pitch

Fantastic Voyage: Storyboard

These should read horizontally, I probably should have included numbers and I may come back and add those later.

Fantastic Voyage: Concept Art

Fantastic Voyage: Font Tests and Title Influences

I think I will go with the first font, but I am also tempted by the last one, any input is welcome.

I have decided that I do not want narration in my animation, so the text will be very important. I have been looking at title sequences and the dynamic uses of text that many of them display. I don't think that I want my titles to passively appear and disappear, having them interact with the world they described, even in a small way, could make it more memorable. I am considering have the title for each phase behave in a different way, so that they are distinguished even further. I could perhaps have them behave in a way that has something to do with what happens in the phase they describe.

Here are a few titles that I have found the most influential.

Fantastic Voyage: Colour Tests - Opinions Welcome!

Colour Palette

Colour Test: Sister Chromatids

Colour Test: Cells

Colour Test: Centromeres

@Phil - Fantastic Voyage: Test Animation

I threw this together in Animate to get an idea of how a particular scene in my animation could look. I am going to go for a big choreographed dance number that would begin inside a single cell and then zoom out to reveal lots of cells. At this point in the animation a voice over would explain that mitosis takes place all over our bodies all of the time. This is too fast, but I am pleased with the outcome otherwise and I am going to do some searching for ideas about other possible patterns for my animation.

Here is a slower version.