The Beginning of the End (or is it the Beginning?)

DMIP Blog Evaluation

As a part of my University Degree, I was asked to keep a Blog for one of my modules, documenting not only work done for that specific module, but all the other modules done over the course of the year.  I began the Blog in October last year and have maintained it throughout this year of my course, updating fairly regularly.

Apple’s Surprisingly Impressive Creative Suite Imitation

Open Your Eyes!

So what’s this you say?  Apple ripping off the Creative Suite!  How Dare They!  Well, perhaps that was a touch strong for what has really happened, and after all it’s not really a new thing.

Apples iLife software has been bundled with Mac computers since 2003 and consists of 6 separate pieces of software, Photoshop, Dreamwea…. I mean iPhoto, iWeb, iDVD, iMovie, Garage Band and iTunes, although thankfully iTunes was removed from the software bundle in 2006. 

VR Worx – Panoramas and Object Movies

VR Worx is a program specifically designed to create Panoramic movie clips.  By creating one of these movie clips and exporting the final result, Apples Quicktime can allow the user to look around the panoramic image by dragging the mouse.  An object movie can also be created in the same way, allowing the user to look around a static object.

I have created several Panoramic movies, using VR Worx, as well as two object movies.  I will now show the process of creating these panoramic movies, although it needs very little explanation as VR Worx is intuitive and nicely laid out.

CGI – How It Happened

The Opinionation of CGI

It all nearly didn’t happen.  Back in the early days of computer animation (the 70s and then the 80s) people where afraid of computers, perhaps they had seen too many George Lucas films and where worried that if they relied too heavily on computers Artificial Intelligence would be invented and used to steal the souls of the general public.

Lecture 8 – Audio and Overdubbing

Shut Up and Shoot

In our 9th instalment of Single Camera DVP lectures, we looked into the importance of sound, and how it can be used to make or break your work.  For starters, we watched a DVD called the Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide.  Unfortunately I couldn’t find all of it on youtube, however here is a five minute clip from the Guide, highlighting what I think are the most important areas of the whole film.

Dynamics in Maya 1

Bowling Alley

And so, here we are again, at another corner of Maya’s skill set, this time looking into Dynamics.  This one, seeing as I am completely inexperienced with Dynamics, will actually be from a lecture I went to, using the same example that I was shown, however afterwards I’ll see if I can jump off the deep end and really get stuck in Dynamics.  First things first though.

What Effect Could Dave Hill Have On You?

The Dave Hill/Dragan Effect

Today I am going to be experimenting with an effect in Photoshop called the Dragan or Dave Hill Effect.  I find the Dragan effect difficult to describe, it is a bit like bronzing a photograph and then making the photo look like it has been painted, however that is not it, there is more to it, the darkening of some areas, bringing out more detail in others and much more.

I first watched this video in one of my lectures at Uni, a human interest project by the looks of it, but it inspired me to create some of these amazing images.