Semester 1 Final Project: Summary

1. NPR resources and depiction

This semester, there is a greater focus on the application of PBR materials in VFX projects. However, due to the lack of emphasis in the assignment criteria, I utilised the NPR material that I found more engaging as the foundation for this film.

I believe there is a more definitive approach to the workflow of PBR materials, which involves closely emulating the appearance and texture of real life. Nonetheless, the advent of several outstanding works in recent years (such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Arcane) has led to the increasing popularity of stylised rendering techniques. Cartoon rendering exemplifies a distinctive style of non-photorealistic rendering (NPR).

In Blender, the key to achieving cartoon rendering lies in the utilisation of Shader nodes. Artists frequently employ a blend of Color Ramp and Shader to RGB to achieve flat lighting and shadows. This production mostly drew inspiration from the Japanese “realistic cartoon” style, particularly influenced by Makoto Shinkai’s film series/Girls Band Cry. The majority of the models remain assets, and certain materials will be utilised alongside hand-painted textures. Furthermore, I employed Solidify to enhance the strokes of certain items, thereby accentuating the cartoon aesthetic.

Blender comprises 75% of the software usage, while After Effects constitutes 15%, and Photoshop and VRoid collectively represent 10%.

These two works are 3D animations that have recently attracted much attention in East Asia.

2. Scene production

There are two scenes in this production, namely the lounge before the performance and the performance stage itself. I chose the concept of “Music Video“, so there is some secondary creation and reference in the scene. Likewise, due to my own time management and proficiency, I tend to focus more on the details and atmosphere of a scene rather than on elaborate animations or narratives. Especially since the lounge is relatively small, if there are not enough items, it will easily make people feel too empty.

The first scene is the lounge. I endeavoured to include as much stuff as feasible that ought to exist in this realm, whether in anime or reality. For instance, itineraries, musical instruments, vacant boxes, and metronomes. The design of this bathtub is influenced by the album cover of “Heisei Fuzuki” by Shiina Ringo, an artist I admire. I believe it possesses a strong design aesthetic. One of the challenges of this scene is that to achieve an aesthetically pleasing image in post-compositing, each object requires distinct lighting configurations. However, as the setting is nocturnal, excessive illumination may compromise the ambiance. I ultimately decided to elevate the highlights to accentuate the metallic quality of instruments and other items.

Then is the performance stage. I aimed to depict a scene of solitary practice on an unoccupied stage in conjunction with the lyrics. I independently designed the overall structure of this space but utilised assets for the finer elements. The five things on the stage represent the five roles in the band: lead singer, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, and drummer. I invested considerable effort troubleshooting this scenario, yet there remained a persistent incongruity between the stage and the instruments. I endeavoured to enhance the overall purple hue to eradicate the feeling of discord. In contrast to the lounge, I aimed to highlight the feeling of expansiveness in this area, therefore minimising the number of things positioned beneath the stage.

3. Character production

The primary focus of this workshop is to emphasise the interplay between a character and the setting, with poverty as the central issue. I found no references, hence I choose Vroid to assist with this workshop. The character was altered in Vroid, and the UV map was adjusted and relocated.

In contrast to the outset, I believe the salient aspect of this instance is the inadequate integration of the character’s material within the setting. This is primarily due to my application of a colour overlay over the original Vroid material. Essentially impervious to light.

4. Composition

Composition is largely uncomplicated and requires little elaboration. Independently darken the character layer to enhance its integration with the background. The contours of the objects are re-extracted, enhancing the cartoonish aesthetic.

I did these setting above to the adjustment layers.

5. Reflection

In the process of creating a short film, I am making use of 3D software for the very first time. I believe that my time management was not very excellent, which led to many of the effects that I hoped to achieve not being realised. Overall, I believe that this had a negative impact. Second, I spent an excessive amount of time relying on presets and auxiliary software. This cannot be considered the primary work in regular full-process manufacturing since it is not the primary task. There is a narrative thread in this movie, but it is not portrayed in a strong enough manner.

Although I am still a newbie, I believe that I have picked up a few visual effects talents. It is also possible for this to be reflected in the works. The production of an animated NPR rendering might be more difficult than the production of a more stylised appearance. I have high hopes that I will be able to make much more headway in my subsequent efforts.

6.Breakdown