An excersize in using Blender 3D

If anyone was to ask me what animation programs we use I'd say Maya 2011 is our standard, however I learned most of what I do using Blender, a free, open source 3D animation program.  It is fully functional and can be used to create some awesome visuals and animations.  Our rediculously short film, A Snail's Life, was created with Blender.  Our animated logo was also created with Blender.

http://vimeo.com/21423285

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEPLC7XgUVQ

No other programs were used, except for compiling the footage.  I used Adobe After Effects and Adobe Premier Pro for the edits.  Ok, yes there are some weight problems with the snail, but beyond that, look at the visual aspect.  Am I going to fix the weight problems with the Snail?  No.  I already spent enough time on something that was just meant as a visual experiment with textures and lighting. 

But, the point is that any inspiring 3D artist or animator has access to a free program that is in itself awesome.  No it doesn't do everything the $3000 program Maya does, but if you don't need some of the fancy paint effects, particles or keyframing specialties Blender rocks.  I will admit, I still use Blender to model most of my 3D characters and cut the UV's.  Blenders UV cutting tool is far superior to Maya's, but this is about as far as I go these days with Blender because of the industry we work in.

Animated Feature Film

We have been working on a proposal and sample work for an animated feature film.  I have to say, it is one of the more crazy things we have done in the last year.  We dropped alot of time putting together samples of our work and found that for better or worse, with time and funding we can kick out some excellent animation.  Of course we aren't going to let the cat out of the bag, because number one we signed a non-disclosure agreement and number two if we get this gig, it's going to take a few years to produce.  But I will drop an unfinished screen shot. 

This image is still in the rough stages, but for now it's all your going to get.  Things to pay attention to in these images are the hard edges of the models and the lack of fine detail.  Additional time was given to the models and sets to smooth them out and make them less hard.  Additional props were brought into the set and the lighting was modified.

If anyone is wondering what it takes, let me be frank, it's not easy.  It's a labor of love and pride.  Developing 3D characters, character rigging, sets, textures, lighting etc take alot of work.  And once that part is done, making things animate correctly the first time is virtually impossible.  We spent so much time smoothing things out, changing settings, and trying new techniques that a small company like ours wouldn't normally do.  The magic in this kind of animation is equally spread out between the character models, animation, set design, lighting, sound design and music. 

We expect to do many more fun things with animation in the near future.  We will be turning in our sample to the producers in the next couple of weeks.  Hopefully we have done enough to prove our worth.  NM is the third largest film industry in the US and we offer some excellent tax incentives, and Adobe City Digital is currently the only animation house in the SW that offers animation comparable to Pixar, Illumination and Dreamworks.

Some upcoming projects include a 3D animated logo for Christopher Coppola, Animated intro for a TV series, Crash the Superbowl 2012, and a match move project which includes animation mixed with actual footage for Masks-Y-Mas. 

JDRF - An Evening of Hope Gala

We have just finished the project for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation).  Our work included a 3d animated rocket for their web site and public service announcement to be aired on TV.  We spent the last few weeks interviewing and video taping children and their families.  The big awards show and fund raising event is June 17th, 5:pm at the Tamaya Resort in Albuquerque, NM.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j49xU8AkfQ

JDRF is one of those necessary non-profits.  They help so many people.  We are proud to be a part of something so big.

Special Thanks to Don Shearer for his music, Chris Ackerman for his voice over work.

Revamp of our Web site and new animations

We have been very busy in the past few weeks updating our web site, re-working our new Reel and working on some new animations. 

We just finished another animated short (really short) film called "A Snail's Life".  It can be seen here: http://vimeo.com/21423285.  We are also in production of the new "Masks Y Mas" commercial which will also be animated.  This one however will be done using a technique called Match Moving.  In a nut shell, this is where actual video footage is shot, either still or moving and then incorporating animated characters into the video footage with the proper lighting and shadowing.  In the next few weeks we will begin shooting and animating this fun video.  We will also be posting the process here on our blog so everyone can see the technical aspects of what we do.

Welcome to our blog

At this time our blog and web site are fairly new.  Adobe City Digital started business in August of 2010 and have been slowly gaining momentum. 

Our primary goal is to provide services to anyone who may need them including but not limited to ad agencies, independent film producers, local business and the general public.  We specialize in post production with emphasis in motion graphics and 3D animation but also provide film editing, color correction, transfer services, video production, etc.

As many people know, the film industry in New Mexico is growing.  NM is the 3rd largest film community in the US.  NM has the largest film crew and the most modern facilities for movie making.  If you watch TV you have probably noticed that fifty percent of all commercials use 3D animation and Motion Graphics.  Sadly even with Sony Imageworks located in Albuquerque, Animation and Motion Graphics production is almost non-existant locally.  We want to change that. 

In this blog you will find some of our latest work and general discussions about the processes we use to get to the end result.