Transcription: Marketing!

DVD Cover 

DVD Disk

Transcription: Nearing the End...

New Logo

Business Card

Making Of Book Cover

Whoa - Just what I needed..

I left my computer rendering overnight; at 1.30am it was rendering fine. Woke up this morning to check the computer - it had turned itself off. At first I thought "Ah that's weird.." So I turned it on and saw this screen...

My heart stopped for a split second, a tear drop rolled down my face. Nah just kidding I'm a 'ard man. Anyway.. I restarted my computer and it came on properly.. I checked how far the render had got 214/325 - it took around 10 hours to render 200 frames :/ Something isn't right... Anyway.. 100 More frames to render, started again at 9.45 am this morning so it should be rendered by around 3 / 4 PM - meaning I'll have to rush the finishing up.

I'm just glad the computer wasn't screwed.

Transcription: Sneak Peak into Prop Placement

I've started putting props in place - and adding ones where necessary - so far the corner of the kitchen.
It's a Sneak Peak, not much but merely teaser for all you CG fans.

Transcription: Mental Ray Problem?

Hey everyone, I've spent most of today trying to figure out why Mental Ray leaves blotches all over my renders?

I've been using my pre-vis block models for the rendering, just to work out how the lighting will play out.
(Image Below)

Maya Tutorials

Narrative: Character TurnAround

Narrative: It's finished!

Narrative: It's coming along nicely.

Quick playblast of what the final outcome will be like.

Narrative: Character Progress

Right I've rigged and skinned my rocker dude. Now to actually animate / lip synch him to the audio :)

Narrative: Character Progress

 

Getting there, - this render is 60% of the final look. Props and character will be the blue you see above, the floor will be tiled leather blocks, and we will have full shadows and lighting. More to come shortly..

Narrative: Character Progress

This time i've added feet and hands, and made slight adjustments to the torso, arms and legs.

Next up, the Head.

Narrative: Charcter Modelling Progress

( I Inverted the screenshot in PhotoShop because it gave better presentation. )

More to come.

Dynamics: A Few Buried Beneath

Narrative: But what happens if I 'don some make-up?

Long story short, KISS are brilliant for their music, their talent and their awesome appearances!
Why not recreate one of those? I'll have a look into this. More to come.

I'm thinking the guy who has the abnormally large tongue, Gene Simmons. (more info on him -HERE-)
(I do realise I have two genre's / types of character, Punk & Rock, but it's all being sorted out ☺)
Yeah so, more to come on this matter.

Narrative: Oh I wish I was a punk rocker.

(without flowers in my hair)

More research on Johnny Napalm;

 

 

Right, now we've cleared up what Johnny Napalm looks like, we can move on to what I plan on achieving. My audio is below;

From this we can proudly say that the character speaking is a 'rocker' (you probably guessed from the research I've been doing.) I plan on having a skinny-ish character, quite like Johnny, but he will be much more cartoonised instead of the realist approch.

More coming shortly

Narrative: Defining My Punk Rocker

Well, I've got a week and a bit left to finish up my Narrative project, and so far I've got this.

But only recently, (end of last week) I've decided to take a full spin around and look back at what I really know about 'punk' / 'rock'.. Guitar Hero, a game of which rockers are united. 

The image above, is of four main characters in Guitar Hero. As you can see, the approach I had before is extremely similar to the guy in the top left.

The main way to get started with character design is to try and figure out how they might look, for this I have some research on body types;

In the end I shall have a fully refined character with turnarounds like below;

Personal Branding: Losing my Phallice

Well.. I've tried long and hard to re-create an awesome logo I had in mind. So enough chit chat, here it is;

There we have it. The smaller logo is as follows;

Thoughts appreciated. Rate, Comment, Hate.

Transcription: The Silence.

The silence comes when you forget what you had been doing. Or even when you forget what you're meant to be doing. You lose track of time and the days, it all passes by so quickly.

Then you realise, you've not got much time left. You carry on trying to get your memories and ideas down. Your battery dies on your laptop several times.

I've been doing a lot of work lately, it will be uploaded shortly, piece by piece, along with the research imagery and notes on the items/props.

But in the mean time, a little teaser, I've been looking further into the Alzheimer's society website and found a series of stories created by people who had cared for sufferers of the Alzheimer's Disease.

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=1066&categoryID=200272
This is a link for the stories library.

I've also been working on my Personal Branding even further, to take away from the Phallic like symbolism. More to come in a few posts.

Personal Branding: Blog Makeover - Logo Update

As you can probably tell, I've given my blog a lick of paint, and a smashing brand new logo!

Feedback is appreciated.

Blue = #008ECE

Green = #73D731

Transcription: My mum

Jackie Livermore

My mum - my poor, poor mum. She was diagnosed as having dementia a few months ago. She has always been the most independent person I have ever known. During her life she had six children and then one day my dad left her, never wanting to be seen again.

She then made it her life to make sure we all grew up knowing she would always be able to cope with anything life threw at her. I am now seeing this strong independent woman slowly deminish as the wicked disease takes a hold of her.

She is now at the point where she thinks her younger sister is my sister yet she knows this can't be so but is convinced it's true. I feel absolutley helpless at the moment on how to get her through this.

Transcription: Shadow Of The Man I Used To Know

Madeleine Sara Maddocks

My Father was diagnosed four years ago with Vascular Dementia and (like Terry Pratchett), Posterior Cortical Atrophy; although tragically, it seems, his condition developed many years before without us realising, when something may have been done to prevent it from destroying our lives.

He can no longer read and his brain cannot process what his eyes see. He has been admitted to hospital twice in the past 18 months and this was traumatic and devastating, as he was neglected and ill treated by ignorant and overworked staff. He now resides in a nursing home where his basic needs are met but he sits, for what must seem interminable lengths of time, without much stimulation.

He is only 75 years old. He can no longer walk, dress, toilet or feed himself and most of his speech is incomprehensible wurzel-gummidge-eze "Remee, remeye, remoo" or "123, 23, 23, 123" He has a beautiful singing voice and during Songs of Praise everyone stops to listen to him sing.

As you can imagine, it is heartbreaking, as well as touching that my father still responds to us in his own way. I too, often refer to my father in the past tense because Alzheimer's has stripped him of the man he used to be. You can imagine that hearing the Queen Song that uses the words (I think it goes) 'I'm just the shadow of the man I used to be. And it seems like there's no way out of this for me', brings an ache to my throat and tears to my eyes.

I visit my Dad and I tell him I love him very much and he replies "Thank you, that's nice" in his typical modest way. It's a part of him that is still there. I tell him "Mum will be so jealous when I tell her I've been to visit you today!" and then I add (so he won't become anxious and fretful later) "So she'll probably come and visit you herself!" and he raises one eyebrow and smiles at me in that shared jokey way we've always had.

When I was feeding him a few months ago, he looked ready to fall asleep mid-meal and I said to him "You're not falling asleep on me now are you?" Then he nodded his head in an exaggerated parody of nodding off and smiled mischievously. It always horrifies me when people say that their loved one isn't there any more because my Dad is still there inside and he needs all the love and attention we can give him in those interminable days that stretch out in front of him.

Transcription: He still remembers

Michael Nganyuo

For the past four years, I spent my time in the States looking after people with mental disability. But the one person who got me was my resident with Alzheimer's. He came to stay at our home after some months in hospital.

The first weeks were a bit difficult as I worked with him to get help him know me. Then one day I heard him calling for Stewart; I thought he was looking for someone in particular, no he was looking for me: Michael. So, I went to see him and said, "oh Stewart can you get me some fruit" and he tried to say something else but could not continue. I said sure and got him some fruit and custard as I had been instructed to let him have with his fruit.

Months passed but one day he came from a day's drive with my boss and he was very delighted to see me but still called me Stewart. I said hi there Sir and how was your day out? He said, "oh so so". That's how he always talked. During this time working with my resident he could dress himself, shower and feed himself. I was always impressed by the way he worked towards his recovery. He took his medication and one day I had delayed administering his night medication, and he reminded me.That day i could not believe it but he was right. I usually gave his medicine at 7pm or 8pm but he did not see me do that night and he said Mike my meds. That was how he started reassuring me of his recovery and remembering few other things.

Family members were often impressed with the progress he was making and on my last day before leaving for home to the UK there was a small send off for me and he gave a speech. After the time I took care of him, he could tell other residents how happy and satisfied he was with me and that he will always miss me. His efforts to give me those parting words of appreciation brought tears to my eyes and I cried like baby.

Yes Clarence remembered and all through those years looking after him, he became my father and my family. When we care for those who are sick, we do so from the bottom of our hearts. We should always see our patients as our family and support them 100%. Thank you.

Transcription: Memories of my mother

Marian Rose Boston

A beaming smile, eyes bright and pleading, arms outstretched with fingers long and wriggling with anticipation.  Then, when leaning over, a hug so strong that you felt your neck would break and, inside, you knew your heart was breaking.

This is not the description of my small son first thing in the morning, pleased to see his Mummy.  This is the wonderful greeting given to me by my Mum, suffering from Dementia.

She became a different mum after diagnosis, a new mum and we left the old one behind to love in a different way the person she had become.

All the things she had taught us came into play and it allowed us the privilege of caring for her and returning all the good things she had given us.  Her views, her beliefs, her patience.  All given freely and returned ten times over.

She was the youngest of 14 children, born in 1924 and yet she was the youngest to die.  She had a happy childhood, and the most wonderful of marriages, with two adoring daughters and, of course, grandchildren.  She imparted her views of fairness and acceptance, not to judge and to give freely of oneself and one's possessions.  She worked in the home and felt we had shot ourselves in the feet by being wives, mothers and following a career.

She died a few days after Mother's Day.  She had recently begun to enjoy her mobile phone and had said "If anything happens to me, remember my life has been roses - all the way".

Transcription: Public Research.

I've signed up on the official Alzheimer's Society Forum and created a thread asking for any information anyone is willing to let me use. Link

Hello there, I am a University Student, studying CG Arts & Animation in Kent, England.


I have been given the task of creating a 'commissioned' piece, and for this I have chosen to create an advertisement for the Alzheimer's Society.


My goal is to have memories, testimonials, text from people who have had, or looked after anyone with Dementia/Alzheimer's.


The animation will start in a kitchen, the heart of a home, everything will have a bright white texture (example below) but on the white will be the memories, testimonials and text I am asking for.


The camera will pan around into a Dining area; the writing on the walls will fade away, as if you've forgotten. The camera slowly zooms over to a Diary laying on the table with a sticky note on top; "Keep Your Memories Safe". After which, the Alzheimer's Society logo will come up with a link to the website.


Any information that could help me is highly appreciated. I am doing this for free, to spread the word of the Alzheimer's Society. I would appreciate any form of input you have.


Thank-You in advance.
Dan.

This is a direct copy of the thread I created.

Transcription: StoryBoard & More Research.

StoryBoard will be added into this post later today.



This is roughly the effect I'm after.

Transcription: "THE" BluePrints

I've created a simple floor plan that I will use as a base for the main environment.

Transcription: Another Render Test.

I've been messing with a few settings, trying not to drown out the colours etc..

Composited Image

Beauty Pass

Ambient Occlusion

 I rendered with Mental Ray Lighting, in HD 1080p Resolution, on Production Quality.

Transcription: The BluePrints?

I've looked further into the design/layout for my environment and I've found a set of images;

The design of the cabinetry favours coordination and refinement over elaborate detail. It features simple, repetitive details: flat veneered doors with clean, taped edges, slim reveals, simple aluminum angles as handles and square counter edges. The millwork is laid out with an eye to continuous lines and repeating dimensions, the rhythm of appliances and varying lines of the handles providing relief within the disciplined order of the cabinets. The materials are simple but rich: maple cabinet faces, aluminum pulls, stainless steel appliances, black granite countertops, and a glass tile backsplash. At the rear wall the countertop drops and changes to a maple desk top, then drops again to become a window seat in the same finish. This kitchen dining living room design is part of house that renovated by John Donkin Architect.

 All above is from a fellow Blogger who focuses on home designing.