OUDF603: Finalized Idea

After taking and reviewing my criticism and realising that my idea could be broadened, I took action by extending my brief while revising my statement of intent.

I Initially begun by brainstorming some more ideas, the main ones being:

• 'Advertising' using 3D assets and Visual Effects. 
• 3D Architectural destruction with live action (Compositing 3D into video).
• Interior visualization with Visual Effects.
• Digital Storytelling using After Effects.

As a finalized idea, I chose to go with 3D architectural destruction synthesized with live action footage, purely for the fact that I'm interested in exploring the topic of visual effects for film, this is the field I wish to specialise in. I'm also doing so in order to broaden my skills further in this subject of study, this project will widely test the techniques that I've learnt over the past two years as an academic student. 

Intent on working on a single brief that will mainly focus on architectural destruction. I will investigate intensely and study how different materials react to stress and destruction. The focus of my research will be based on Particle destruction of debris; I will need to investigate various software plug ins such as DMM destruction, nCloth dynamics, Bullet Physics Engine, Blast code demolition software etc, these will be used through Maya.

This project will synthesize the skills that I have learnt over the past 2 years, particularly from the OUDF504 Visual FX & Animation for film production and the OUDF406 Game Environment Unity module. The two modules offered me abundant skills that I will use to my advantage and apply to this current project. These skills are hard surface modelling, texturing, rendering with mental ray, working with green screen, filming with equipment attached to dolly tracks & cranes and also composting live action footage to CG using after effects. The software that will be used to make sure this project is a success are Auto desk Maya, Adobe After Effects, The Foundry Nuke, Adobe Photo shop, as well as equipment such as the Canon 5D MK III, XD Cam, Tripods, Green screen, Lighting, Actors.

The narrative behind the project is simple as that isn't the main focus to this project, it’s a story of an Alien invading a place on earth and it has total disregard to human life, therefore it destroys anything in its path. The focus is to show the property that was supposedly destroyed by the blast from the Alien’s ship, thus bringing this subject matter of this to architectural destruction.

There is a lot of source material that I can use to develop my understanding, I will study the basics in construction and architecture, on how and why buildings are structured the way they are. How different building materials would respond to stress such as wood, concrete, steel, glass, copper pipes, I will also research explosions and implosions and also the dynamics of controlled detonations. I will demonstrate progress on my blogger account through a series of written blogs, illustrations, 2D drawings, Schematics, Blueprints, mood boards and mathematical calculations of scales of the building, as well as play blasts.

It will also involve primary and secondary research, contextual research that includes attending film and animation festivals.

The format of the final project will be delivered in video format (H.264 & Apple Pro Res). The audience is for Filmmakers and Animators.