https://vimeo.com/202686885
H/H Corp :: Home Stretch!
Nearly done with the (epic) post-production on Werewolf. Learning new techniques to motion track and composite the 3D Wolf head from Cinema 4D into After Effects. Here are some short videos showing how it's done.
Also learning how to build a glitch effect and then distortion map it to a 3D element AND how to create a random opacity flicker with a custom expression and control sliders:
Messages Image(705431764)
Work continues on Hunter with script revisions and the beginning stages of character and set design. It'll be great to wrap on Werewolf so we'll have more time to focus on what's next.
Virtual Reality / Week Four :: Reading & Experimentation
We're playing with Cinema4D’s ability to render 3D objects with 2D cell shading:
https://vimeo.com/201621714
Building cozy off-world colonies:
Now reading:
*don't judge these books by their covers. no, really.
We were also lucky enough to meet Stephanie, a VR Developer for HBO and alumna (thanks be to Jill Vartenigian, again) and are reaching out to set up time for a blitz-tour of her office.
H/H Corp :: Werewolf, Branding, Hunter + Futureworld!
Teaser footage from our latest shoot:
https://vimeo.com/201803246
H/H Corp Branding continues with The Brand Deck card sorting game. Courtesy Jill Vartenigian <3
Results are in, Hanneld/Herrin Corp IS: ADVENTUROUS DEPENDABLE MULTIFACETED
We are NOT: SUBTLE CONVENTIONAL
Baby steps closer to establishing Hanneld/Herrin Corp.
We’re remaining agile and have had flux in our timeline again: 
Moodboards for Night of the Hunter (1955), we have a loose script and are excited to take on an epic animation project using 2D & 3D in AfterEffects and Cinema4D.
We're also hoping to ride the coat tails of the popular HBO Series Westworld (2016) with a reimagined title sequence for Futureworld (1976) – the subject matter is ripe for VR & 3D with a retro vibe:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9sytPC1l0o
We've outlined our next steps to keep on track:
WEREWOLF Final cut of Werewolf w/ soundtrack by Thursday 2FEB Start post-production, AE / 3D Special Effects
HUNTER Complete rigging tutorials by Saturday 4FEB Revise script Storyboarding Saturday 4FEB Character & Scene design Week 5
Virtual Reality / Week Four :: C♯, Physics, Fun
Our first foray into Unity was a simple roller-ball game. We were able to keep up with the C♯ required to apply physics, and even took it a level further by researching materials & textures to make it on-brand for Hanneld/Herrin Corp. We then packaged it and were able to experience/play it via the Vive in 360 VR; totally insane. Here's a somewhat less impressive video of how that looked first person: https://vimeo.com/200871005
Excitingly enough, there's a GitHub-like repository that banks C♯ code that you can apply to your own creations: enter VR Tool Kit. The VR Test went very well:
https://vimeo.com/200729628
We finally got back to Northgate to check out Facebook's Occulus Rift. (After making appointments and trekking out only to have nobody there to offer the demo and then later, having one of our appointments lately cancelled...) 
Double not-cool, Facebook!
https://vimeo.com/200780085
Our estimation: In short, the hardware UX is outstanding. Far superior to the HTC Vive. The headset is lighter, more easily adjustable, and more comfortable.
There's a single cable coming from it rather than a bundle of three. The headphones are integrated into the goggles eliminating the awkwardness of dangling earbuds (and the hygienic/ear-hole size differential issues that come with earbuds).
The highlight of the whole experience is the hand controlers. Within seconds, you accept the fitted controllers as real hands – you can touch, point, and grab – all with haptics that immerse you in the experience. 
Meanwhile, the HTC Vive controllers feel like cartoon ham hocks: 
Lastly, Occulus has the ability to design and experience sound ––there's a microphone and you can speak, be heard, and understood. Let that sink in for a second compared to the one-way street of sound in the Vive. Right?? The jury is out on the game design / interface – there are many studios that are producing works of varied quality (both in polygon count, resolution, and storytelling) and we had limited exposure to multiple applications and no exposure to the onboarding process.
Up next: continuing Unity & C4D tutorials and we have coffee scheduled with two gentlemen from a local VR/AR startup Visual Vocal. Stoked to see the practical application of these emerging technologies.
H/H Corp :: Werewolf, Hunter, Branding, Lecture!
We had our second (and last!) shoot for Werewolf on Saturday.
Here are some lovely details of the pages Gabriel created for the shoot: 
And a behind-the-scenes video:
https://vimeo.com/200780671
And some stills:
Next up: editing the footage and adding MAGIC in AfterEffects.
We were delighted to shoot again with Katie Strand.
We're continuing work on Night of the Hunter (1956), we have a tentative narrative, the text transcribed, and will turn out moodboards this week.
We got back the headshots taken by the talented Galen Andrus.
Here's the moodboard we gave him: 
And the final results:
NOT BAD AT ALL.
We also attended a motion graphics lecture at Adobe.
But first, we had dinner at Two Shoe BBQ in Frelard. We're off the sauce for the month of January, but still know how to party...
Ahem.
Back to the lecture. The brilliant (and stand-up human) Jorge R Canedo Estrada spoke to a packed room – Here's his reel:
https://vimeo.com/185496774
Pretty cool, right??
We learned a lot and got a lot of tips and cool sites––and we're sharing them with you since you couldn't go :)
Here's another cool, useful thing he made:
Inspirational sites:
Wine after Coffee - animation & motion channel curated daily by the best animators. Here's an example:
https://vimeo.com/132508549
Learn Squared - tutorial site; Jorge has one on here that we'd love to take:
Super cool design houses where Jorge worked:
And last but not least: 5 Alarm - a website that Jorge was saying is a sad alternative to custom composed music (but implied it was better than the free shit we've all been using.) Bookmarked!
Not a bad week, all in all.*
*we did not make it to the gym. not even once.
H/H Corp :: Forging Further
Continuing work on Werewolf, a big prop came in on Friday and our second shoot is scheduled for Wednesday:
H/H Headshot Photoshoot with the fabulous Galen Andrus: 
Late-night branding exercise for H/H Corp (Thanks Jill!): 
Watched Night of the Hunter (1955) our next movie package: 
Title style inspiration:
https://vimeo.com/10005002
Aaaaand we’ve started working out together 3x/wk at the MAC: 
American Werewolf in London :: Ice Cold Shoot
There's a quote that I can't find, the sentiment is something to the effect that true creativity is channeled when things don't go as planned. I found one that works from Orson Welles: "The enemy of art is no limitations." Here we are, on the coldest day of the year, during Winter Break, shooting with friends who are taking time away from their friends and family to help us. We're cutting scenes and characters from the storyboard as we go, adapting for the circumstances.
And thanks to those talented colleagues and friends, things went well (albeit not to plan) after all. It even started to snow.
[slideshow_deploy id='892']
American Werewolf in London :: Script / Storyboard / Schedule, OH MY!
We're shooting the first weekend after finals with the fantastic cinematographer, Katie Strand. Storyboards are a lock for the WOLF sequences. The EVIL BOOK sequences are still in the hopper.
We're hoping to learn some new techniques...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8A9e4Lp0N0
Decibel Festival :: Marketing Campaign
John Carptenter's The Thing :: That's a Wrap!
A re-envisioning of the title sequence:https://vimeo.com/191722597
Packaging: Laserdisc, of course. 
Poster Series:
Voila!
Special shoutout to some software: Frame.io is magic for collaborating with AfterEffects & Premiere online.
John Carpenter's The Thing :: Working on the Video & Posters!
We've gone dark, working hard to stay on schedule. According to the timeline, we should be wrapping on The Thing this weekend. We're far enough along that I don't want to spoil anything from the video, but I will share some of our inspiration, good old Bauhaus designer, Jan Tschichold:
I'll also share something embarrassing, if only to generate more content for this entry... I'm learning digital painting at great expense to my ego and available time...
Moving along...
Here are some process shots from the first poster.
John Carpenter's The Thing :: Sketches & Shooting
https://vimeo.com/190033718
Couldn't resist trying out the new stencil (light board + blown-out candle + 1,000 IG filters)
John Carpenter's The Thing :: And We're Off!
Same drill – Opening title sequence, Packaging & Posters. We've watched the movie and the special features which was a great move because the covered the practical effects used for the reveal of the title in the original sequence. Another added benefit is watching interviews with cast and crew–the names in the credits are no longer anonymous, we have faces and voices to go with them which adds another dimension to animating them.
https://vimeo.com/99871834
https://thepropstop.wordpress.com/2016/03/04/the-thing-art-of-ploog-special-edition-artbook-and-storyboard-special-kickstarter-review/
STAY TUNED!
MadMax Beyond Thunderdome :: That's a Wrap!
A re-envisioning of the title sequence: https://vimeo.com/189472461
Packaging: 
Poster Series: 
Taa-Daa!
MadMax Beyond Thunderdome :: Video Shoot
What are the two most essential elements in the post-apocalyptic desert hellscape? Water + Fuel
The third? Blood.
Drawing on these fundamental elements drawn from our moodboard, we decided to shoot these elements mixing at different speeds.
We enlisted the help of pro videographer and photographer, Victoria Kovios.
Voyakix Patented Time Travel Device
Delighted to work with Tom Eyler and Katie Strand on a product video for New Media. After pulling teams out of a hat, we were allowed to select a random object from an assortment and given a corporate-jargon name by an online random generator. The end result: VOYAKIX Patented Time Travel Device. Tom wrote the brilliant script, wrestled with AfterEffects, and brought on the world-famous talent.
I brought together the look and feel of VoyaKix by creating the logo, wordmark, moodboards and storyboards. I sourced the still images for the video as well as the sound effects.
Katie took genius product shots, worked with us to shoot with greenscreen (that was first for all of us) and managed to compile everything in Premiere with some next-level sound editing (some of the levels were tough), and expert filters to create a vintage/retro feel.
This was the most laughing, most learning, and best bonding with two people I had never worked with before; the idea flow and collaboration was synchronized in a way I've never experienced working in a group (with more than one other person). It was a lot of work and incredibly fun. We made a pact to work together again as soon as possible.
https://vimeo.com/167632054
HEX :: Cereal Development / Branding & Identity
Capitol Hill Feature :: Horizon Books
https://vimeo.com/155797380 In an ever-shifting landscape, few landmarks remain steadfast in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Few things, however, are as timeless and resilient as Horizon Books owner Donald Glover. To the untrained eye of a new Seattle resident, Horizon Books might look like a shipping & receiving truck terminal but what’s hidden beneath the fast changing 10th Avenue street hides a man who loves this community, his books and his whisky.
Don Glover, Horizon Books owner
To say Don Glover has lived an exceptional life would be a dramatic understatement. Younger readers might laugh at the commonality shared between his name and the rapper Childish Gambino; Don readily shares with us a story about how he met Childish Gambino while at Neumos. On stage, our Don proudly displayed his ID to an uproarious crowd and declared that HE is the true Donald Glover. His experiences expand far beyond Seattle through his years in the Peace Corps, traveling across Europe, and having familial roots in the Midwest; the tiny glimpse we were gifted into Don’s life bares an exceptional man.
Don Glover sharing stories, books, and memories with Melody Hirsch
One of Don’s most notable and perhaps most understated character qualities is his natural and genuine interaction with his customers. As we interviewed him, several people—some of whom he knew and others he did not—came into Horizon Books. Don happily fielded their questions, struck up small conversations, and treated everyone as if they were a close personal friend. One interaction in particular fully exemplifies Don: A man brought in a neatly packaged piece of fresh salmon and Don accepted it as partial payment for books the man was buying. No frills, customer appreciative service is what Don effortlessly offers.
the kind of writing that takes you places, allows you to linger in a world so delicately created, then softly recedes as the words fade
The love Don has for the written word is resolute and unaffected. He’s been working in bookstores in some capacity since the 1960s. Don looks natural and at home among the innumerable stacks of boxes and shelves stretching so high you forget you’re underground. In his spare time he writes poems inspired by three unsystematic words proposed to him by anyone lucky enough to be nearby when inspiration hits. His poems are clever, perfectly timed, and typically delivered with a wink; the kind of writing that takes you places, allows you to linger in a world so delicately created, then softly recedes as the words fade. A talent perfectly assigned to Don.
Book of Nails: expressive art piece gifted from a poet
Horizon Books first opened in 1971, has seen several expansions, regressions, and location transformations, but Don remains steady at the helm. We should be so lucky to be counted among his neighbors; Don’s love for Seattle and Capitol Hill thrives regardless of its shifting status. When asked about his life before moving to the Pacific Northwest, Don says plainly “I can’t remember a time before I lived in Seattle”; a statement so bare yet heavy with pride. If you find yourself in search of a good book or story, take the shipping & receiving terminal down to Horizon Books and ask for Don.
SIENNA :: an adventure in AfterEffects
When last we met, I mentioned an interest in learning motion graphics. I've always been fascinated by movie title sequences but never thought that I would be capable of making them--those were jobs for people better than me. Which brings us to now: I've decided to fake it 'til I make it and set my sights on building as much experience as possible by turning out one million mediocre projects. It's excruciating to produce sub-par work AND to discuss it on the internet. Thankfully, I only have two readers. (Hi Marc! Hi Dad!) In color theory, we were assigned a color at random to research and write a paper on, create a presentation for that included 15+ objects from life and digital sources, and to create a mysterious thing. The mysterious thing could be a cake, a collage, really anything you wanted -- I decided to attempt motion graphics.
Under a tight timeline and with the restrictions of other assignments during midterms, I cranked out a one minute "Sienna" video.
My original intent was to create a homage to the Metropolis title sequence (fast forward to 1:27) with animation that wraps around the letters:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGj66_UC7wo
So I found a YouTube tutorial that looked like it was doing something like I wanted to do (I haven't had AfterEffects in a class yet) and hand key-framed motion paths to send light shooting down:
Only to realize that I'd created some sort of masks rather than shapes and all the Googling in the world couldn't help me figure out how to convert them to animation paths.
Sadly, due to time constraints, I had to move forward with the video without my hat-tip to Metropolis.
https://vimeo.com/154952726
I also may have fallen a little too in love with color dodge (or was it burn?) -- it made the text beautiful but less readable -- I made the call to keep it since I wasn't that crazy about the text I'd written anyway. The video is meant to follow my presentation, which doesn't have much text in it since most of it was spoken, but the general thrust was how widely varied interpretations of the color Sienna are -- raw is ocher-brown, burnt is reddish-brown, and Pantone or spot is a coral-salmon. (WTF, indeed.)
