2006 Year End Review Conclusion
No doubt 2006 was an amazing year of learning, finding new tools and new ways of doing thing. Anigen was fun and a great accomplishment having built up a lot fo fans and greatly increasing my web traffic. My alexa rating is in the top 2% during the Anigen period, but based just on the last week or so, it is in the top 1%. So where does one go for here.
It may seem strange, but the plan is exactly the same as last years end plan, but with a few minor changes. One thing I learned in 2006, was what I really want to do, and what I really don't want to do. If I were to do a 2D show right now, it would be in Anime Studio. Vectors are too powerful to ignore. This doesn't mean I don't want to do a raster image based styled show such as can be done in Mirage. I just can't get the speed I need to be creative at the moment.
I see Machinima becoming big. No as wee see it now. I think some combination of XBox or PS3, with graphics on that level, andthe tools going to the masses will produce results that approach older CG Tv shows like Roughnecks. Will these become marketable? Will people make money, say, charging a small fee for a show creating like this on X-Box live? I don't know, but something's gonna happen. I know that we can't be far from Skeleton Man being done entirely in realtime like Machinima. The one thing we haven't really seen is what happens when the pro artists get in there with the ability to create skins of their own, they know how to shoot, edit, do sound and tell a story. We will see that before long.
I know I want to create in freedom. I also know that I like to do training type materials and tutorials. I want to do more, expanding beyond the weekly Anigen shows and into longer videos, perhaps on DVD or for direct download from Content Millennium, and covering many more possibilities.
I do know this. There are no more excuses in 2007. I would also say that time is running out, Get established on th enet. The big guys may never be bale to shut you out, but they can make such a presense and be so loud as to see that you arent't heard.
THE PLAN
It may seem strange, but the plan is exactly the same as last years end plan, but with a few minor changes. One thing I learned in 2006, was what I really want to do, and what I really don't want to do. If I were to do a 2D show right now, it would be in Anime Studio. Vectors are too powerful to ignore. This doesn't mean I don't want to do a raster image based styled show such as can be done in Mirage. I just can't get the speed I need to be creative at the moment.
I see Machinima becoming big. No as wee see it now. I think some combination of XBox or PS3, with graphics on that level, andthe tools going to the masses will produce results that approach older CG Tv shows like Roughnecks. Will these become marketable? Will people make money, say, charging a small fee for a show creating like this on X-Box live? I don't know, but something's gonna happen. I know that we can't be far from Skeleton Man being done entirely in realtime like Machinima. The one thing we haven't really seen is what happens when the pro artists get in there with the ability to create skins of their own, they know how to shoot, edit, do sound and tell a story. We will see that before long.
I know I want to create in freedom. I also know that I like to do training type materials and tutorials. I want to do more, expanding beyond the weekly Anigen shows and into longer videos, perhaps on DVD or for direct download from Content Millennium, and covering many more possibilities.
I do know this. There are no more excuses in 2007. I would also say that time is running out, Get established on th enet. The big guys may never be bale to shut you out, but they can make such a presense and be so loud as to see that you arent't heard.
24 Comments:
If you have any thoughts about lwcad versus sketchup, I'd like to hear them, thanks.
Are there any books about getting established on the net, that you know of? Or are people pretty much just setting up their own web sites?
I know that I will be coming out with a book on this very subject really soon. I will cover all aspects of the state of the industry and where you want to be to place your "brand" and how to draw people to your creative efforts.
wow, can't wait Terrence. Sounds like a must buy :)
Happy New year btw.
I would buy it too, for sure.
Cool news, Terrence. Is this a project that you've been working for a while?
Although I'm more intrigued by the "no more excuses" line... might that possibly imply a new show? :)
Sounds like your right on about 2007 to me... I'm waiting for an affordable mocap setup myself... I think it would really allow a lone animator to work really fast if you had your own mocap suit/set up...
Yes JasonN I have been working on this for some time. There i still a good bit left to do, but I think it will be enlightening.
MdotStrange - I totally agree about the whole "personal Mocap" idea. I think that would seal it for any indie creative who wants to produce quality content. Me, I am rooting for the Gypsy Gyro 18. It's pretty expensive now, but the prices may drop if they come out with newer versions. The key is that it involves very easy calibration, very little cleanup and editing and works just about anywhere.
The mocap solution will be a sort of life saver. I am seriously looking forward to a price drop somewhere, given that some software used to cost $$$$ and well beyond reach of the regular guy, a price drop or an 'affordable' mocap system is not a pipe dream.
I think Realviz came up with something. It was cool until the price was unveiled...same ol same ol 'out of reach' affair.
Want MOCAP? Have 5,000 dollars?
I was looking around and found out you can rent mocap systems the GypsyGyro for 5,000 a day. Still expensive but just a thought. YOu can go there and use it or they go to you.
I was thinking of purchasing the other one on credit and reselling it for 1,000-2,000 dollars less. I wonder how much that would sell for? The Gypsy 5 is 20,000 dollars and the torso is 10,000. I wonder what hte resell value is. If I knew I could resell it I would get it on credit, resell it and pay off my costs after I got all my animations. Just a thought.
Or maybe I'd buy one and rent it out to folks for really cheap till I pay it off. Like 300 dollars a day, but I have to be the one to use it or supervise it.
25,000/300 ??? I'd have to rent it out about 84 times...???
I mean from a business aspect could I have the suit pay for itself? I know my credit is able to get this device but wondering if I could turn it around for profit or resale?
Maybe rent it out for 1,000 dollars a day and get a gypsy. 1,000 dollars plus my air fair. I went to New York city for 175 bucks on jet blue...?
I could rent myself out to small facilities....? It would be better than 5,000 bucks a day and affordable for most folks.
In 15 hours they were able to get 250 animations done. This is a thought. I hire me some freelance actors for gym work and sell motions on the side for the indie little guy......hmmmm....a thought in the process.
Guys I'm a business man! Tell me what you think.
Renting for $5000 per day is pretty outrageous for the indie. Rent it so many times and soon you will approach the price of buying it. Many of us proably spend more on our cars than it would take to own our own MOCAP systems. I wonder which one would do us more good.
I would rather make a movie, sell it and then buy a Gypsy Gyro. An indie could make practically anything and sell it for enough to get that. If you can't, you may want to seriously consider who your audience is.
As for business. If you go into such debt to get a Gypsy, you almost have to make a business out of it to offload the risk. Everyone wants MOCAP. You could go beyond renting your system to various companies for a high day rate, but also create MOCAP packs for sale on sites like Renderosity or Turbo Squid. Motion is probably a good business to be in.
It would be a dream to have this device. I wish I knew someone in the area that had access to one.
Think of hte implications and how much could be done for your film. I could almost do the entire film in a few months and do 90 minutes. Think of the serial basis. Wow!!
I need to get to making my movie now!
Just saw another 'wireless' mocap system. It claims to be fully operational without camera and works in any lighting condition.
http://www.xsens.com/moven
The price is a bit sketchy but I suspect it won't be more than $10,000.00 The downside may be you can't capture 2 people. Perhaps a second suit will do the trick. I have to read more on that to make sure I know what I am typing here.
Moven? 10,000 dollars? If it is 10,000 grand I"m going to get it!!
I have 72K for Gypsy Gyro
21K for the Gypsy 5 full body
32 for Shapewrap
Those are suits.
I have emailed Moven but have yet to get a response to the cost. If it is 10,000 I'm getting it no questions asked. That would awesome, but I think the cheapest you go suit wise, realtime is Gypsy 5 at 20,000+
I'm thinking of doing this still. Alot in the works.
Now if only I can get my 2d artist to get things done!
@Flog. I made my assumption based on some of the components I saw on their site (Some in the range of 1000 Euros). One thing I noticed is when these guys start playing 'hide and seek' and 'catch me if you can' with the price...you know it's gonna be off the hook. I just hope this one is an exception to the rule 'cause I am drooling already.
$5,000 per day? Yikes, you could really run up quite a bill for using that system on a "rent-a-day" basis (probably more than what you could buy the system for).
For using/buying/renting a mocap system, though, I think the main issue isn't the cost - it's having CONTENT to USE with the mocap.
Even if you have the money to buy a mocap system, it's not going to do you any good if you don't any character models to animate with. :/
Personally, if I had $10,000 or even $5,000, I'd rather build several high-end PCs to use as a render farm. :D
@Obinna,
Got the quote today! 50,000 USD
Yup 50,000
So Mocap is out of the question.
Maybe optical mocap!
Is there any way to make your own motion capture suit?
I'd be more interested in a motion-capture puppetry system than a full suit. Does anyone know if something like this exists? There used to be a poseable armature called the Monkey that could capture pose information to the computer -- I'm not sure if it could also capture animation. But it seems to have been discontinued.
If there isn't such a product already, I guess it would be possible to roll your own out of some Polyhemus-style spatial trackers... I think this is what the Sesame Street people did when they put together the controllers for the CG furniture characters in the Elmo's World segments.
Hmm... Now that there are rudimentary motion trackers embedded in the Wii and PS3 controllers, maybe we'll see some commodity-priced trackers come out for PC games, which could then be subverted for puppetry.
@ Shawn...see what I mean? When they start the 'catch me if you can' game...you know the price will make a house crumble and fall. No to slam the product but isn't there a better and 'cheaper' mocap solution already in the market that can actually capture multiple actors...
Oh well... I guess I will have to rely on motion packs as usual but some of these things are so horrible you need to clean up the 'jitters'.
There's got to be an 'affordable' mocap solution out there...there's gotta be...
You could always record your scene using a video camera, then rotoscope the poses of your characters frame-by-frame in your 3D software. That would give you similar motion to mocap, with minimal cost. And it may not even be extra work... Everything I've read about mocap indicates that the data usually requires a lot of hand-tweaking to look good, especially with optical systems.
jcl: I've seen a few examples of a motion-capture "puppetry" system used here and there (I know Phil Tippett and ILM used one for several of the CG segments in "Jurrasic Park" and I think I saw a few similar systems used by the Jim Henson Company).
Whether or not there is a commercial system available for indie filmmakers, I don't know, but you might find some answers over at www.stopmotionanimation.com
(great website for stop-motion/claymation/puppetry filmmakers)
jcl: where do I learn more about using rotoscope inside a 3d program.
or with one's own animations inside a 3d program?
Is there a book or dvd?
Has anyone used VisualMarker?
I bought the program a few years back and tinkered with it. I found it some-what usefull.
VisualMarker is a $40 program that uses multiple cameras, but it is not a realtime setup.
Using 2 cameras/webcams (one front and one side view) You record a persons movement. The video can be played back/ stepped in the program. Once the desired frame/position is displayed you place markers at key locations of your subject. Then step to the next frame and start all over again. The result was interesting, but I feel it was still too time consuming.
Here is the site for those interested:
http://www.3dutils.com/products/vm.htm
I would love to hear what you folks have to say about it.
Currently I am just getting back into my life-long ambition of doing a feature animation and have purchased quite a toolset of software which includes:
Anime Studio
Magna Studio
Sony Vegas + DVD
Cinescope
Poser 7
Shade 8
Vue 5 Easel (waiting for Vue 6 Infinite boxed set)
Creative E-MU
vashinaz@yahoo.com
BTW Terrance I viewed your DVD "Anime Concept to Reality" a few years back and I still have great respect for what you are doing for all of us.
Rob
You did a great job in Anigen. Will you make future episodes?
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