Creating Stereoscopic 3D Images

All images utilize the Red/Cyan Glasses


SJSU University of construction

 Halls

 My Coffee!

Recreating Cameras and Lights in Maya

Original Image

 My Image

 Second Angle

Lighting A Scene In Maya

1 point

2 point

 3 point

Building A Scene In Maya

This is just to show how the set looked:

Science Fact or Cinematic Fiction?

Science fiction films have filled the minds of their viewers and creators with the endless possibilities of space since the early days of filmmaking. Some may think that space is this mystical place where anything is possible and the laws of physics do not apply, but they do. Many film directors have fallen subject to making their films too based on Earth physics and ignore what, even if not as visually stunning, would occur in space. Science fiction films often times break the rules of physics in space to make the film more entertaining, while in a few major science fiction films the rules of physics are obeyed. Films have been successful with sticking to the rules and by breaking them. It’s the choices of when, how often, and how severe a film breaks the laws of physics that makes it work or leaves it feeling strange to the audience.

In science fiction films based in space there is usually a space ship or some mode of transportation for the main characters. In space, objects will be moving in a constant straight line unless disturbed by outside forces. This disturbance may be a gravitational pull from a planet or its moons. This disturbance may also come from when an energy beam or rocket hits the ship which would make its trajectory change. Many space battles take place with the opposing forces battling near a planet or some other point of reference so that the audience doesn’t get lost. This gravitational pull would vary from planet to planet, but in most films the planets feel more like a backdrop and not as much of a gravitational object that the characters spacecrafts are orbiting. In these space battles ships are constantly being hit by the opponents weaponry. In this case there would be shrapnel flying all over the place. The pieces would break off and fly off into space causing havoc to any and all space craft in the area. If this was dose correctly in a science fiction film it could make the battles even more intense. The movement of objects in space is often times kept relevant more towards earth bound physics than space physics in a vacuum. In the famous Star Wars dogfights you have the fighters banking on turns. In space there is no gravity so banking on turns to gather momentum is pointless. In this clip there are many turns and banking maneuvers done by the fighter pilots of the Battlestar Galactica that in actual space are not necessary.

It may feel more realistic for the audience because they are used to seeing vehicles adhering to gravity do this, but in space, depending on your ship, you could just quickly turn around and the propulsion system you are using should send you directly to where you want to go. These ships are using engines to move forward and air pressured systems to do quick maneuvers. I air pressure visually makes many of there turns look more believable. On the topic of movement in space, I have noticed that the majority of spacecrafts in science fiction films have a distinct front and back. In battles on a place like earth where there is a limited amount of angles your enemy can approach you, it would make since to have a front and back to your ship. In space, having a ship that is a spherical shape is the best way to go. There is no wind resistance to worry about and your enemy can come at you from any number of angles. The Death Star in Star Wars is the best example of such a design. Shown below is a comparison of the Death Star design next to the design of the Battlestar Galactica. Both are for battle, but the Death Star can attack or defend from any surface area wide the Battlestar Galactica must defend from its sides like a classic pirate ship.

I agree with the majority of filmmakers where they make the movement in space based on earth physics and vehicles. This helps keep the audience in the film and doesn’t throw off the natural subconscious movement that a viewer would think a vehicle should move in.

Films held in space also tend to have sound. There is no sound in space, but then would an action packed space film keep the attention of the audience if there weren’t even the faint whimper of an engine zipping by when engaging an enemy ship? Sound travels through vibrations whether it is through a solid, liquid, or gas. In the vacuum of space sound cannot travel. So in space no one can hear you scream or talk. The unique sounds used in space scenes give a great feel to science fiction films. Many series such as Star Wars and Battle Star Galactica are known for their unique sound design. Below is a great example of the sound of space ships in Star Wars, the later clips are within a planets atmosphere and are not to be considered.

Science fiction films also have the light of an explosion and the sound happen at the same time. These two things happen at two very different speeds. Light travels much faster. You would see an explosion and then you would here the sound. The film 2001: A Space Odyssey had no sound in space and this made the film feel authentic. When people watch this film it doesn’t seem out dated because the realism makes the viewer feel like this is what is it actually like while other films sound effects with the imagery may come to look outdated. Films that have, and have not used sound effects in space have been both critically acclaimed and ridiculed so it comes down to the viewer and the film it is being done in to see whether or not the sound is aiding in the films story and or entertainment value.

With entertainment in mind, the majority of action movies done in space have explosions. Star Wars, Enemy Mine, Armageddon among dozens of others all have fires and or explosions in space. There is no oxygen in space, so there is no oxidation, therefore making no combustion. But how boring would it be if a huge space battle was being waged and all you saw where holes opening up from the weaponry of opposing spacecrafts? In a franchise like Star Wars there are tons of explosions. In the introduction scene to Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the film breaks every physics rule discussed in this paper, and then some.

Fiery explosions in space are what have made many of the top space based films memorable. The Death Star exploding or having a dogfight in space that ends in one of the swift ships blowing up is what a lot of people want to see. In a fast paced action film the audience has become accustomed to explosions and they feel natural to see occurring in space although it is not actually possible. Films are in the business of entertainment, and if people are not being entertained than the film will most likely not do well.

Films like Star Wars and Enemy Mine broke many rules of physics in space while movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Apollo 13 adhered to the majority of the rules of physics in space. The films success didn’t depend as largely on whether the laws of physics where followed or how well their special effects where. The story will always make or brake the success of a film and these choices by the filmmaker are just tools to aid in the story telling. The majority of people watching these films know that explosions do not occur in space and that sound doesn’t carry, but that is what the movies are for. Movies are a way to have your imagination go wild and they do not always have to be grounded in actuality to be enjoyable and memorable.

Outline for Research Paper

Introduction

- Science fiction films often times break the rules of physics in space. In a few science fiction films the rules of physics are obeyed. Films have been successful with sticking to the rules and by breaking them. what is right and what is wrong as far as physics goes?

Three films discussed

- Star Wars (episode 3 Intro)

- Apollo 13

- Enemy Mine

Paragraph 1

- Objects moving through Space, reality

- Battle scene from Star Wars (episode 3 intro) not realistic

- Apollo 13 movement in space, realistic

Paragraph 2

- Sound in space, reality

- Space ships (Enemy Mine and Star Wars), not realistic

- Apollo 13, realistic

Paragraph 3

- Explosions in Space, reality

- Star Wars, not realistic

Conclusion

- Why do films break the rules?

Character Animation

I wanted to create a fun and fast paced stop motion animation. I chose the wooden mannequin figure because it has a relatively good range of motion. The figures hands and feet hand magnets built in, so it helped in the run cycle. I wanted to create a little story so I brought in my John McCain action figure and a robot. Several of the frames hand to have my hand in them so I took a picture of the original back ground and then in photoshop painted my hand out. On the run cycle I put a piece of tape under the character to track the center of gravity. There are some process images below.

thank you

Reverse Video Reference of Walking

The Laws of Physics in an Animation Universe

In the computer animated Pixar short Presto, a professional magician gets into a fight with his rabbit while on stage. The story gives unique and interesting opportunities for the characters to interact in a world where magic is real. 3D animation tends to lend itself to a more realistic look and feel for the viewer, because the characters and the environments tend to look photo realistic. In Presto the animation style, timing, and gags pay great homage to classic traditional 2D animation and the physics in the Presto Universe do the same.

The laws of balance are bent in Presto for comedic value. Both the magician and the rabbit hold posses that in our universe would make the individual fall over or have to catch their balance. After being electrocuted the magician holds a pose where his weight is off. His center of gravity is too far to the left making his center of pressure outside of his right foot. Holding this posse longer adds to the comedic effect of the character being electrocuted just prior. The magician goes once again into a striking pose after the final crash of the stage props. The pose he goes into puts all of his weight on the tip of his left foot. In our universe this would be difficult to accomplish for just a few seconds, but he holds his pose for just over 10 seconds without flinching. In this universe the center of gravity for humans is different than our own. The center of gravity may also be different for animals as well. When the rabbit sees the magician falling from the rafters he holds his posse just pass the passing position in a walk cycle. In this pose his center of gravity is very far forward. During this pose his ears that are ¾ his size drop down and this has no effect on his balance. In this universe the characters have complete control of their body over gravity, this includes extended hang time when in the air as well as holding poses that in our universe would not be held.

Objects in this universe are also effected by gravity differently than in our universe. The Laws of gravity in Presto are different from our own in several parts of the film. These changes in gravity aide in the viewer being able to see what is occurring as well as adding extra anticipation for increased entertainment value. In the beginning of the ladder sequence in the film the rabbit removes the ladder from the hooks that it is resting on. The hooks are pointed upward and the ladder with gravity pulling on it is pushing downward. The rabbit lifts the ladder off the hooks in two frames time with ease. The ladder then goes up to its apex in a diagonal and rests there for three frames and goes straight down through the magical hat without any parabolic arch. Gravity acts on the ladder differently throughout this sequence. This is a tall ladder and when resting on the hooks it seems to be abiding to gravity from our universe. When the rabbit acts upon the ladder, the ladder moves quickly and seems to be very light do to the quickness that the rabbit moved it in. The ladder then stays at its apex longer than an object would be at its apex in our universe which makes for an easy read for the viewer, but also makes the object feel very light. Once leaving the apex the ladder launches downward rapidly which is in direct conflict with the long hang time and the easy unhooking of it from the wall. This sequence gives the ladder a fun 2D look and feel but gravitationally doesn’t make sense. In the next shot the ladder doesn’t follow gravity in the Presto universe again. The ladder first comes through the hat and finds a resting point when coming in contact with the magician. The Magician then pushes the ladder into the hat to shoot out at the Rabbit. If he could shoot out the ladder so far and quickly than the ladder wouldn’t have stopped shooting out of the hat when it came into contact with him. The ladder continues shooting out of the hat even when contacting the wall emphasizes this point. The ladder in this world may be being manipulated be unknown forces of magic in the hat. The hats are used as a means of teleportation for objects in the Film so possibly the hats contain properties not of our universe.

Later in the film gravity is shown to be different from our own when the Magician and several stage props are falling from the rafters above the stage. He falls for a total of 17.75 seconds for a distance of 40 feet. This is far too long, but this makes for great anticipation and allows for the viewer to watch and see what will happen. In our universe this fall would be so quick it would be hard for the viewer to know what happened. Gravity in the Presto universe acts differently at different time towards objects. In most cases objects tend to have an extended hang time and a longer apex than in our universe lending itself for an easier read of the scene by the viewer and greater anticipation of what will occur in the scene soon after.

Anticipation and bending reality occur again when the Magician is electrocuted. The magician puts has fingers in an electrical outlet and is electrocuted for thirteen seconds. During this time his right arm is going through one magic hat and getting electrocuted out the other. When the electrocution stops the hat flies off his arm like a rocket and hits the ground. In this universe it seems electricity can be gathered up and used to propel objects. At the same time the electrical currents are going up the magicians hair like a Jacobs ladder without any electrical conductors in the hair. Electricity in our universe would ground itself but in the Presto universe electricity follows other rules. By the end of the scene electricity has traveling up the characters head to his hair and has shot off his arm making his hat shoot from his arm. He then collapses and jumps up to his feet. In our universe, being electrocuted for that long would most likely kill an individual or severely injure them. Seeing him getting up so quickly makes the scene comedic at the end or else watching such a human looking character being electrocuted would be sad or receive an undesirable response from the crowd. Considering how electricity interacted with the magician’s body and exited his body, electricity behaves very different in the Presto universe compared to our own.

The physics in Presto’s universe is very cartoony and has a traditional 2D look and feel. The characters are stylized and yet look realistic and believable. 3D animation lends itself to realistic timing and poses because it doesn’t look as much like what many people would think of as a cartoon. Presto uses a fun 2D style in several aspects and succeeded. When reality is broken only a few times it looks strange to the viewer, but if you consistently break the rules than it is established to the audience that this is normal in this universe and this is what the makers of Presto did. The strong held poses by the characters didn’t feel strange to the viewer because this was constantly happening. Gravity in Presto followed the same rule. Gravity was changed in the Presto universe compared to our own, but because they made good choices of when to do this the creators kept the viewer in the film.

Outline of the First Term Paper

Physics in "Presto"

I. Introduction - A professional Magician gets into a fight with his rabbit while on stage.

A. Balance of characters

B. Laws of Gravity in Presto universe.

C. How electricity acts in universe

D. Conclusion

II. Laws of Balance bend for comedic value- Both the Magician and Rabbit hold posses that in our universe would make the individual fall over or catch their balance.

A. After being electrocuted the magicians weight is off. His center of gravity is too far to the left, making the center of pressure outside of his right foot.

B. Magicians' pose after the final large crash of the stage props is held for an extremely long time on the tip of his left foot.

C. When Rabbit sees Magician falling he holds his pose just pass the passing position in a walk cycle. His center of gravity is very far forward. His ears that are 3/4 his size fall and this creates no change in the Rabbits balance.

III. Laws of Gravity are different from our own in several parts of the film. These changes in gravity aide in the viewer being able to see what is happening in the scene as well as adding extra anticipation for increased entertainment value.

A. When the ladder is removed from its hook, it holds at its apex and goes straight down without any parabolic arch.

B. Final fall from rope is extremely long

C. Ladder in hat scene follows gravitational putting downward but is then broken soon after.

- Ladder first comes through hat and finds a resting point after it comes into contact with the magician.

- He then pushes the ladder into the hat to shoot out rapidly at the Rabbit. -If he could shoot out ladder so far and quickly than it wouldn't have stopped coming out when it came into contact with the Magician.

IV. Electricity in Presto Universe

A. Electricity shoots Magicians hat off hand.

B. When electrocuted the electricity doesn't ground itself and the Magicians hair becomes like a Jacobs ladder without any electrical conductor in hair.

C. In our universe after being electrocuted for that long an individual wouldn't be able to get back up to his feet so quickly, they would be badly injured.

V. Conclusion

A. Restate thesis

B. Summarize main points

C. Last thoughts and ideas

Stop Motion Animation of Falling

Falling stop Motion Animation

PLANNING

I started with planning an idea of what to have bounce. So I chose having myself do something I physically could not. I wanted to jump down from a high place. I used the highway over pass next to my house for my back ground. I went into Flash and roughly animated a character jumping from the bridge. This way I was able to plan out the posses and the timing for my shot. After I exported the animation into a quicktime file I took pictures of myself in thoughts posses. This was done at the same time I took the picture of the background and in the same angle to the light outside so that I would later be able to put my self on the background image and not look strange. I then erased myself from each frame to where the image was just me. When I had all my images ready I placed them in Flash and matched up my planning to the actual pictures. I added a little extra squash, stretch, and motion blur to the images to make the animation look more convincing. I also painted a cast shadow and added a camera shake or two to make the scene more entertaining.

Hope you enjoy,

Nick

Video analysis of path of action

Tracker video analysis of falling

Video Reference

Mini-Portfolio

My name is Nick Carpenter and I am currently in the BFA portfolio program. Next semester I will be entering my Senior BFA year in animation. I am currently repeating the advance Maya animation class for my fourth time in preparation for my BFA year. I am also taking Ani 116, with Barron Storey as well as being apart of a seven-person team in Ani 118 on a short film that will become a music video. After graduation I hope to get a job or internship at a feature motion picture studio or a video game company in the animation field.

This is my animation Reel

This is a short Film I worked on

The Pod (Trailer) from Bronto House on Vimeo.